 |
Much of the line between Caerphilly and Gwernydomen is accessible. The section between the junction and the now demolished bridge over Van Road is heavily overgrown and the site of the former engine works in the angle of the junction has been cleared in preparation for new deveolpment. The first few hundred yards of the line north of Van Road is also heavily overgrown. Within this secton, there is a small bridge, presumably a farm access track. This bridge is a stone arch. An unoficial path joins the trackbed just further along. This path is regularly 'blocked' by piles of boulders to prevent use by vehicles. On this open section, running along fields, is another footpath bridge, of Iron girder construction and limited headroom. The track is clear as far as Gwernydomen Lane bridge, which is intact. The section between this bridge and the former Rudry Road bridge, including the site of Gwernydomen Halt is private. Little remains of th site of the halt except a ramp running down from Rudry road near the bridge. |
| About half a mile east of Gwernydomen Halt, the line splits. The Down line was built at th expense of the PCN railway to improve capacity and reduce the gradient for heavily laden goods trains. As a result of regrowth of vegetation, it is virtually impossible to follow this line for any length. The section between the split and the Bridge over the Rhymney at Fountain Bridge is inaccessible as it crosses no public rights of way. The Rhymney bridge, formerly an iron girder viaduct has been removed, with only the brick abutments remaining at the end of the high embankment. Nothing remains of the site of Fountain Bridge Halt. | |
| The section of line between Fountain Bridge and Machen is also heavily overgrown and only some partsof it are followable with difficulty. The concrete A468 bridge remains intact, but the bridges of an unnamed farm track and Penllwyn lane have been demolished. The bridge over Dranllwyn Lane has had its top removed. Because this line runs parallel to the B&M mainline between the farm track and Machen, no effort has been made to keep this section clear. Some of the cutting between the farm track and the A468 is passable with difficulty. | |
| Little is left of the original (Up) line between Dranllwyn Lane and the Footpath bridge by the river as the A468 bridge has been demoliched and the rest of the line in the Machen area has been redeveloped. The footpath bridge and the viaduct over the Rhymney have been partly demilished. The Rhymney viaduct was an unusual hybrid between an iron girder and stone arch. The main span over the river was an irong girder, which has been removed, but the rest of the Rhymney flood meadows is crossed by a series of stone arches. The line between thewest side of the river and Waterloo Halt is followable, although overgrown in places. The site of the halt itself has been redeveloped. | |
| Between Waterloo Halt and the split at Gwernydomen, the line is virtually inaccesible as it is private land and heavily overgrown. |
