Created 17-Jan-20
Modified 8-Mar-24
Further research is needed on the early history of these services although at the moment there is nothing to indicate that they weren't started by Western Welsh. Both services shared a common section and in fact the service to Gwaelod-y-Garth only had a short unique section. Immediately post war the two services followed to Cardiff to Pontypridd and Maerdy services through Whitchurch and Tongwynlais to Ynys Bridge and past Taff's Well power station. From here one service ran to Gwaelod-y-Garth whilst the other continued through Pentyrch, Creigiau and Efail Isaf to Church Village.
Initially these services started at Gorsedd Gardens along with most other services to the north of Cardiff but when the bus station opened they were extended there. The service to Church Village was irregular but roughly hourly with about half the journeys turning back at Creigiau. That to Gwaelod-y-Garth was much less frequent with a maximum of four trips daily and reduced drastically by the mid-sixties to a single journey each way. Around 1963 Western Welsh introduced route numbers and the two services became:
333 - Cardiff-Creigiau-Church Village
334 - Cardiff-Gwaelod-y-Garth
An alternative routing for some journeys via Radyr and Morganstown was introduced around 1967 although at this stage they retained the same service number. The 334 service to Gwaelod-y-Garth ceased completely in the early 1970s and by 1978 the route number was then used for the services to Creigiau and Church Village running on the original route through Whitchurch, with workings via Radyr and Morganstown retaining the number 333. At the same time both services were extended to Talbot Green. Most workings were on the 334 route with one afternoon journey and the evening service being on the 333.
Following the New Rhondda Market Analysis Project services were revised from 24th May 1981 and the 333 and 334 ceased to run and the service was worked from the former Rhondda depot at Porth instead of the Western Welsh Penarth Road depot in Cardiff. The 333 and 334 were replaced by the long 506 service from Porth to Cardiff, which is covered in the gallery on the R28, 170 to 173 - Tonypandy and Porth to Gilfach Goch and Coedely. At first most daytime 506 journeys continued to Nythbran (but didn't start from there) but from 24th July 1983 they started and finished in Porth centre and most journeys now served Glynfach on the climb out of Porth. By January 1984 the 506 was truncated to run just from Cardiff to Beddau. The bus service was speeded up from 12th November 1984 when it was routed via the Tongwynlais by-pass and from the same date most buses were diverted to run via the Asda Superstore at Coryton.
In this form it remained largely unchanged until the end of Rhondda Buses, with the sole exception of a change of route number to 136 at deregulation on 26th October 1986. National Welsh had served notice of their intention to terminate the service after Saturday 30th March 1991, therefore Mid-Glamorgan and South Glamorgan County Councils, together with Taff-Ely Borough Council, agreed to subsidise the service from Tuesday 2nd April 1991 (there would have been no service on 1st April in any case as it was Easter Monday). National Welsh won the tender for this tendered service, which was to a slightly revised timetable.
© David Beilby
