GWR Ogwr Fawr (Ogmore Vale) and Llanharan Branch

The Cardiff and Ogmore Valley Railway Company was incorporated under Cardiff and Ogmore Valley Railway Act 21st July 1873 and amalgamated with the Llynvi and Ogmore Railway by the Llynvi and Ogmore and Cardiff and Ogmore Valley Railways Act 24th July 1876.

Llynvi and Ogmore Railway was amalgamated with Great Western Railway as from 1st July 1883 by the Great Western and Llynvi and Ogmore Railways Amalgamation Act 29th June 1883.



	The line from Nantymoel to Pant Yr Awel and the Blackmill loop, comprising the original Ogwr Fawr branch has been opened up as the Ogmore Valley Community Route.
	The route through Blackmill village is not easily traceable, however the pillars of the viaduct taking the Cardiff and Ogmore Junction to Bryncethin Junction line across the Ogwr Fach remain intact.
	The trackbed is traceable from the southern side of Blackmill, where it gets very overgrown, through to Bryncethin Junction. However, much of the trackbed is on private land. The half mile nearest Blackmill is heavily overgrown but may be paralleled. Further towards Bryncethin, the trackbed is easily followable, except for having to climb a couple of fences as far as the bridge under Cefn Carfan Road. In this area the cutting has been infilled. However some space is left under the bridge to allow sheep to pass between fields. A thorn-filled section just to the east of the bridge is the las obstacle before the almost 1 mile section to Bryncethin Junction that is easily followed. Although this section is described north - south, pics were taken south to north.
	At Bryncethin Junction, the Ogmore Branch approaches at a higher level than the Bryncethin Branch. The track then stays in a cutting as far as Heol Laethog Bridge, where the trackbed is accessible.

Ogmore Vale Station	Ogmore Vale Station	Ogmore Vale Station	Level Crossing light at Ogmore Vale Station
Signal at Ogmore Vale Station	Commercial Street Level crossing	Commercial Street Level crossing	South of Commercial Street
South of Blaindy Terrace crossing	Towards Bridge street crossing	Bridge north of Washery	Past Ogmore Washery
Signal near Ogmore Washery	Retaining wall	near Lewiston	River bridge near Lewiston
River bridge near Lewiston	North of Pant Yr Awel	North of Pant Yr Awel	Pant Yr Awel Station
Pant Yr Awel Station	Through line Bridge at Pant Yr Awel Junction	Through line Bridge at Pant Yr Awel Junction	Loop line Bridge at Pant Yr Awel Junction
Loop line A 4091 bridge	Loop line Blackmill junction	Loop line Blackmill junction	Pillars of Blackmill Viaduct
Allt y Rhiw area	Allt y Rhiw area	Allt y Rhiw area	Cefn Carfan area
Cefn Carfan area	Cefn Carfan area	North of Cefn Carfan bridge	Cefn Carfan bridge
n	n	n	n
Bryncethin Junction	West of Heol Laethog Bridge	Heol Laethog Bridge	Heol Laethog Bridge