Jorge Da Silva
Established Member
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 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?
According to Wikipedia it was 1924.
Though in timetables, it would be referred to as Cardiff (GWR) pre-1924.Initially named Cardiff, the station was renamed Cardiff General in July 1924 and Cardiff Central in May 1973.
Correction: according to two sources cited in a Wikipedia article.According to Wikipedia it was 1924.
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?
The facade read "Great Western Railway", and still does: ...
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.
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.
It was in 1973Cardiff "General or Central" was pre 1924 or so , two seperate stations for operations - the Taff Vale side and the GWR side.
It's good to have you with us again, 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.
Correct. I was working there at the time. Oh, in case anyone has forgotten, there was also Summer General.It was in 1973
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.Cardiff "General or Central" was pre 1924 or so , two seperate stations for operations - the Taff Vale side and the GWR side.
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.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 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!It's good to have you with us again, Greenback.
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...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?
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!
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...
But still no platform 5!!
There were plans to reinstate it a couple of years ago.
The Riverside name was still used until a few years ago when the 'Riverside Siding' below Cardiff PSB was removed.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.