Casgliadau Arlein

View of the Barry Railway Company’s newly built Pwllgwaun or Pontypridd Tunnel, showing the commemorative plaque at its north west portal which reads “JAMES W. SZLUMPER / ENGINEER / JOHN MACKAY / CONTRACTOR / 1888”. Taken around winter 1888/89, prior to the line opening to coal traffic in 1889. A conspicuous gap can be seen in the houses of High Street following their demolition (along with houses slightly further south east in Rickards Street, later named Graig Street) to enable construction of this end of the tunnel as cut-and-cover. The low walls beside the track would become the south easternmost end of the platforms of Pontypridd Station which opened 16 March 1896 (renamed Pontypridd Graig Station by the Great Western Railway in 1924). The outline of the south east portal, 1,323 yards away at the opposite end of the tunnel, can just be seen. Photograph mounted on card.