When did Cardiff General become Cardiff Central?

[Jorge Da Silva]

I have just read the latest RAIL issue when I saw that Cardiff Central was originally called Cardiff General from a picture I saw on the issue. When did this happen?

 

[70014IronDuke]

I have just read the latest RAIL issue when I saw that Cardiff Central was originally called Cardiff General from a picture I saw on the issue. When did this happen?

Someone will come along and know for sure (Mr T?) but probably in the big BR Inter-City rebranding & standardisation era ie c 1965. Possibly earlier.

The GRW usually used the term "general" - eg Reading General - for its main stations, rather than 'central'. In some ways, this is more logical, as it indicated the importance of the station, rather than the location - which, of course, is not always central to the place the station serves.

 

[Glenmutchkin]

I read somewhere that it was 1924.

Edited.

 

[70014IronDuke]

According to Wikipedia it was 1924.

Ah! On reading the thread title - maybe I tried to answer the wrong question!

 

[iantherev]

1970 s I believe. It was always the General when I caught trains there in the 1960s but had become Central by the time I started spotting in 1973.

 

[krus_aragon]

Wikipedia says (with citations):

Initially named Cardiff, the station was renamed Cardiff General in July 1924 and Cardiff Central in May 1973.

Though in timetables, it would be referred to as Cardiff (GWR) pre-1924.

 

[yorkie]

According to Wikipedia it was 1924.

Correction: according to two sources cited in a Wikipedia article.

Edit: I see krus_aragon beat me to it.

 

[70014IronDuke]

1970 s I believe. It was always the General when I caught trains there in the 1960s but had become Central by the time I started spotting in 1973.

Interesting it lasted so long. There again, perhaps the BRB were playing soft-ball with the WR - having upset them on so many fronts, the Cardiff General change could wait. Of course, IIRC it was actually carved in stone on the outside facade of the station, and probably still is?

 

[krus_aragon]

Interesting it lasted so long. There again, perhaps the BRB were playing soft-ball with the WR - having upset them on so many fronts, the Cardiff General change could wait. Of course, IIRC it was actually carved in stone on the outside facade of the station, and probably still is?

The facade read "Great Western Railway", and still does:

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Wrexham still has a General as well as a Central a short walk away (in a different location to the original GC Central).
The adjacent GC station at General used to be called Exchange, but it is now just another platform at General.
Chester was also a General although it was never a wholly GWR station (joint with LNWR/LMS).
Some of these names, and the nameboards at the stations, only date from the BR era, as many stations were previously identified just by the owning company.

 

[Bevan Price]

Some other former GWR / Western Region "General" stations included Banbury, Leamington Spa, Neath, Port Talbot, Weston Super Mare.
There seemed to be no consistent policy about using "General" when a town had more than one station, so there were, for example, Swansea High Street, Gloucester Central, Birmingham Snow Hill, Wolverhampton Low Level, etc., rather than use "General" everywhere.

 

[70014IronDuke]

The facade read "Great Western Railway", and still does: ...

Ah, thanks for correction! I knew it had something way out of date carved in stone the last time I was there - which I think would have been 20+ years ago. Of course - it's kind of back in date now again!

 

[70014IronDuke]

Some other former GWR / Western Region "General" stations included Banbury, Leamington Spa, Neath, Port Talbot, Weston Super Mare.
There seemed to be no consistent policy about using "General" when a town had more than one station, so there were, for example, Swansea High Street, Gloucester Central, Birmingham Snow Hill, Wolverhampton Low Level, etc., rather than use "General" everywhere.

Perhaps the use of "General" came in after the other stations had been opened, sometimes by former constituent companies, possibly?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Cardiff "General or Central" was pre 1924 or so , two seperate stations for operations - the Taff Vale side and the GWR side.

 

[davetheguard]

Some other former GWR / Western Region "General" stations included Banbury, Leamington Spa, Neath, Port Talbot, Weston Super Mare.
There seemed to be no consistent policy about using "General" when a town had more than one station, so there were, for example, Swansea High Street, Gloucester Central, Birmingham Snow Hill, Wolverhampton Low Level, etc., rather than use "General" everywhere.

and don't forget Reading General.

 

[Oscar46016]

Cardiff "General or Central" was pre 1924 or so , two seperate stations for operations - the Taff Vale side and the GWR side.

It was in 1973

 

[Greenback]

When I was but a lad in the early 1970's Neath still had old brown totem signs saying Neath General on them. 1973 sounds right for the change of name.

 

[krus_aragon]

When I was but a lad in the early 1970's Neath still had old brown totem signs saying Neath General on them. 1973 sounds right for the change of name.

It's good to have you with us again, Greenback.

 

[Gwenllian2001]

It was in 1973

Correct. I was working there at the time. Oh, in case anyone has forgotten, there was also Summer General.

 

[Gwenllian2001]

That should read CYMMER General. 'predictive text,here!

 

[Gwenllian2001]

Cardiff "General or Central" was pre 1924 or so , two seperate stations for operations - the Taff Vale side and the GWR side.

It became Cardiff General in the early 30s when the present station was built and the Riverside platforms 8 and 9 became accessible by the main subway. The 'Riverside' name was retained for a few more years but was dropped, I believe, shortly before WW2. The name lived on in, an unofficial capacity, by both staff and passengers until taken out of following the closure of the branch to Clarence Road in the sixties. Platform 8 and 9 was subsequently used for parcels traffic.

 

[Bedpan]

Someone will come along and know for sure (Mr T?) but probably in the big BR Inter-City rebranding & standardisation era ie c 1965. Possibly earlier.

The GRW usually used the term "general" - eg Reading General - for its main stations, rather than 'central'. In some ways, this is more logical, as it indicated the importance of the station, rather than the location - which, of course, is not always central to the place the station serves.

I was going to say "Not in the case of Bodmin", but I'm not so sure that the Bodmin Road would have considered to have been in Bodmin rather than simply on a road to the town, much the same as Wandsworth Road isn't in Wandsworth or Edgware Road in Edgware.

As far as Reading was concerned, I think that the "General" was dropped when Reading Southern was closed and the SR services diverted into the main station, which would have been uin the mid 60s as I recall.

 

[70014IronDuke]

It's good to have you with us again, Greenback.

I couldn't agree more. I was only thinking earlier this week that it was such a pity to not see posts from Greenback General - or just plain new Llanelli! Welcome back!

 

[Greenback]

Thanks for the welcome back. I'm very glad to be here again after my sudden illness over a year ago.

I think it's right that the General was dropped from Reading when the Southern terminus was closed. As you may remember, I worked in Reading station for a while, and some of the long serving staff there could remember the Southern station and pointed out to me exactly where it was, and what remains could still be seen in the late 90's (not much!).

But back to Cardiff, and I can remember the old riverside platforms being used for parcels, and then later the occasional stabling of DMU's. Of course, there were not so many other platforms in Central when I was a boy, no platform 0 or 8. There's been a massive traffic increase!

 

[swt_passenger]

I have just read the latest RAIL issue when I saw that Cardiff Central was originally called Cardiff General from a picture I saw on the issue. When did this happen?

I’ve been reading your thread title as having two Cardiff Generals in it, but have suddenly realised the second says Ceneral. Weird that the eye can miss the same thing for so long...

 

[Oscar46016]

Thanks for the welcome back. I'm very glad to be here again after my sudden illness over a year ago.

I think it's right that the General was dropped from Reading when the Southern terminus was closed. As you may remember, I worked in Reading station for a while, and some of the long serving staff there could remember the Southern station and pointed out to me exactly where it was, and what remains could still be seen in the late 90's (not much!).

But back to Cardiff, and I can remember the old riverside platforms being used for parcels, and then later the occasional stabling of DMU's. Of course, there were not so many other platforms in Central when I was a boy, no platform 0 or 8. There's been a massive traffic increase!

But still no platform 5!!

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

I’ve been reading your thread title as having two Cardiff Generals in it, but have suddenly realised the second says Ceneral. Weird that the eye can miss the same thing for so long...

Thanks

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

But still no platform 5!!

There were plans to reinstate it a couple of years ago.

 

[Oscar46016]

There were plans to reinstate it a couple of years ago.

It's reserved for the welsh version of harry potter

 

[33017]

It became Cardiff General in the early 30s when the present station was built and the Riverside platforms 8 and 9 became accessible by the main subway. The 'Riverside' name was retained for a few more years but was dropped, I believe, shortly before WW2. The name lived on in, an unofficial capacity, by both staff and passengers until taken out of following the closure of the branch to Clarence Road in the sixties. Platform 8 and 9 was subsequently used for parcels traffic.

The Riverside name was still used until a few years ago when the 'Riverside Siding' below Cardiff PSB was removed.