BOOK: Woodham’s Scrapyard at Barry

Description

Woodham’s Scrapyard at Barry – The Ultimate record of the scrapyard that changed the heritage railway map of Britain

This new book has been in the making for several years.

Over 300 black & white and colour photographs portray the ultimate record of this famous yard at Barry which shaped the heritage railway map of Britain.

Within this new hardback book, the author, Roger Hardingham, details the background of the Woodham family and the town of Barry which grew into one of the most important ports in the country.

The export of coal was its prime function but when this dropped off, Barry would become a haven for condemned steam locomotives from 1959 through to 1968.

Dai Woodham became famous for scrapping thousands of withdrawn wagons and ‘held’ onto the engines until, in 1968, preservationists began to purchase them until in 1990, the yard was empty and 213 steam locomotives had been saved.

This book tells the story of the purchase of the engines and how they were moved out from South Wales to all parts of the UK.

The people involved in the preservation attempts are covered and their trials and tribulations in raising funds to buy them.

The photographic record in the new book is from the best of photographers and show all aspects of this fascination story.

From the Woodham family archive, we see rare photographs showing the yard where the scrapping of wagons started and then the arrival of engines from Swindon and gradually many from other parts of Britain.

From 1968 locomotives started to be purchased for preservation and this book details how they were bought and who were involved in the process.

The arrival of the 1980s and the ‘Barry Rescue’ project is detailed which saw the final engine depart in January 1990.

The chapters below are just some of the important key points in this remarkable story:

The Woodham Family Arrive in Barry

They Came in ‘One by One and Two by Two’

Locomotives Scrapped by Woodhams in the Early Years

Withdrawn Main Line Diesels Arrive

Locomotive Tenders Sold to Steel Works

Heritage Attention turns towards Barry and the Sales Begin

A Milestone in Preservation – Barry’s 10th Departure

A Boom in Departures in the Years of 1973 and 1974

Cutting Resumes! Diesels Go First

The End of BR 9F No. 92085 and GWR Prairie No. 4156

The Final Ten Years of Departures

‘Barry Rescue’ Project Announced

The Barry Ten

Wales Railway Centre – Bute Street Cardiff

The Closing Ceremony – 9th November 1989

The Preservationists Move In

The Great Getaway

A Question of Tenders

The Closure of Woodham Brothers’ Site

The ‘Barry 10’ Return to Barry

List of the 213 Barry Locomotives

Rare Classes Saved Due to Woodhams’ Yard

Author: Roger Hardingham.

Hardback.

160 pages on gloss art paper, 363 colour and black & white photographs.