Pantyffynnon Station/Gorsaf Pantyffynnon

Pantyffynnon Station

An historic railway building renovated with Carmarthenshire County Council support has been short-listed for a national award.

Network Rail, which owns the building at Pantyffynnon Station, has recently completed extensive renovation works giving it a new lease of life.

The project was made possible thanks to support from Carmarthenshire’s Built Heritage Team and significant grant funding from the Railway Heritage Trust.

The building has now been short-listed for National Railway Heritage Awards this December. The awards recognise, acknowledge and reward, for the public benefit, the very best in restoration, conservation and re-use of our historic railway infrastructure.

Network Rail Asset Engineer Darren McKenna said: “The station building is a rare example of a ‘Brunel chalet’ which was a standard design by the famous railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.”

The Station Building and the signal box have a Grade 2 Listing.  The Listing marks and celebrates a building’s special architectural and historic interest, and protects it for future generations.

Network Rail owns more listed assets than any other organisation in the UK.  It has worked closely with Carmarthenshire’s Built Heritage Officer James Yeandle to ensure that the building was sympathetically restored whilst allowing the building to come back into full use.

Mr McKenna added: “The restoration work has been of great benefit as we have restored a Brunel-style chalet that represents an exemplar of high quality architectural railway restoration. The building is now an asset to the local community’

As with any restoration project, there were challenges. Over the years, the building had been altered, extensions had been added and features such as the chimneys had been lost. Members of the local community were able to help by sending in their old photographs which provided evidence of how the station looked originally.

The beautiful sandstone tooled window surrounds were very dirty so great care was taken to find a method of cleaning that was effective but also preserved the detail to the tooled dressing.

The building had also become very damp so lime plastering was reinstated on the internal walls and a ventilated limecrete floor was installed as these are materials that allow the building to ‘breathe’. The reinstatement of the chimney provided an additional ventilation system allowing airflow and prevention of damp.

Council executive board member for culture, sport and tourism Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths said: “I’m delighted that the Pantyffynnon Station Building has been short-listed for this prestigious award.

“Network Rail, the contractors, the Built Heritage Team and the Railway Heritage Trust, worked closely together to overcome the challenges resulting in an exceptional building restoration to be proud of.

“The project also offered a great learning experience to Tywi Centre Carpentry students who were able to work alongside contractors Towy Projects on the carpentry repair work at the Station.”

Gorsaf Pantyffynnon

Mae adeilad rheilffordd hanesyddol a gafodd ei adnewyddu gyda chymorth Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin wedi cyrraedd y rhestr fer ar gyfer gwobr genedlaethol.

Yn ddiweddar mae Network Rail, sy’n berchen ar yr adeilad yng Ngorsaf Pantyffynnon, wedi cwblhau gwaith adnewyddu helaeth sydd wedi trawsnewid yr adeilad.

Roedd y prosiect yn bosibl oherwydd cymorth Tîm Treftadaeth Adeiledig Sir Gaerfyrddin ac arian grant sylweddol gan yr Ymddiriedolaeth Treftadaeth Rheilffyrdd.

Mae’r adeilad bellach wedi cyrraedd y rhestr fer ar gyfer y Gwobrau Treftadaeth Rheilffyrdd Cenedlaethol ym mis Rhagfyr. Mae’r gwobrau’n cydnabod ac yn gwobrwyo gwaith sy’n adnewyddu, yn cadw ac yn ail-ddefnyddio ein hisadeiledd rheilffyrdd hanesyddol yn y ffyrdd gorau posibl er budd y cyhoedd.

Meddai Darren McKenna, Peiriannydd Asedau Network Rail: “Mae adeilad yr orsaf yn enghraifft brin o ‘chalet Brunel’ a oedd yn ddyluniad safonol gan Isambard Kingdom Brunel, y peiriannydd rheilffyrdd enwog.”

Mae Adeilad yr Orsaf a’r caban signalau’n adeiladau rhestredig Gradd 2.  Mae’r Rhestr yn nodi ac yn dathlu diddordeb pensaernïol a hanesyddol arbennig adeiladau, ac yn eu diogelu ar gyfer cenedlaethau sydd i ddod.

Mae Network Rail yn berchen ar fwy o asedau rhestredig nag unrhyw sefydliad arall yn y Deyrnas Unedig.  Mae wedi gweithio’n agos gyda James Yeandle, sef Swyddog Treftadaeth Adeiledig Sir Gaerfyrddin, er mwyn sicrhau yr adnewyddwyd yr adeilad mewn modd sensitif gan ganiatáu i’r adeilad gael ei ddefnyddio’n llawn.

Ychwanegodd Mr McKenna: “Mae’r gwaith adnewyddu wedi bod o fudd enfawr gan ein bod wedi adnewyddu chalet yn arddull Brunel sy’n cynrychioli enghraifft o waith adnewyddu pensaernïaeth rheilffyrdd o safon uchel. Mae’r adeilad bellach yn ased i’r gymuned leol.”

Fel gydag unrhyw brosiect adnewyddu, cafwyd heriau. Dros y blynyddoedd, cafodd yr adeilad ei newid; ychwanegwyd estyniadau a chollwyd nodweddion megis y simneiau. Roedd aelodau’r gymuned leol yn gallu bod o gymorth drwy anfon eu hen luniau er mwyn darparu tystiolaeth o sut yr edrychai’r orsaf yn wreiddiol.

Roedd y cerrig tywodfaen hardd a chain o amgylch y ffenestri’n frwnt iawn felly cymerwyd gofal mawr i ddod o hyd i ddull o’u glanhau a oedd yn effeithiol ond a oedd hefyd yn cadw’r manylion.

Roedd yr adeilad hefyd wedi mynd yn llaith iawn felly ailosodwyd plastr calch ar y waliau mewnol a gosodwyd llawr calchgrit gan fod y rhain yn ddeunyddiau sy’n caniatáu i’r adeilad ‘anadlu’. Pan ailosodwyd y simnai, darparwyd system awyru ychwanegol, gan ganiatáu llif aer ac atal lleithder.

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Peter Hughes Griffiths, yr Aelod o’r Bwrdd Gweithredol dros Ddiwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth: “Rwyf wrth fy modd bod Adeilad Gorsaf Pantyffynnon wedi cyrraedd y rhestr fer ar gyfer y wobr fawreddog hon.

“Bu Network Rail, y contractwyr, y Tîm Treftadaeth Adeiledig a’r Ymddiriedolaeth Treftadaeth Rheilffyrdd yn gweithio’n agos gyda’i gilydd i oresgyn yr heriau, gan gwblhau gwaith adnewyddu adeilad eithriadol i fod yn falch ohono.

“Hefyd, cynigiwyd profiad dysgu gwych i fyfyrwyr gwaith saer Canolfan Tywi, a oedd yn gallu gweithio mewn cydweithrediad â’r contractwyr, Towy Projects ar y gwaith atgyweirio yn yr Orsaf.”