Subject: National Welsh ND1428 (NWO 462R)
Chassis: Leyland National 11351A/1R
Body: Leyland National DP48F
Location: Abertillery, Foundry Bridge
Date: mid-1980s

Foundry Bridge has always been an important link in Abertillery since the first bridge was opened in 1898, yet the town has had to manage without it more than once. In the late 1940s the original bridge was demolished as it had been affected by mining subsidence and was also too narrow for the traffic of the day. It was replaced by the first pre-stressed concrete bridge in the United Kingdom, constructed at a cost of £41,000 by Robert McAlpine & Sons and opened on 18th July 1951.

This is the bridge on which ND1428 is standing, but this in turn was replaced by a new bridge in 2008. It had latterly had a weight restriction imposed due to corrosion. The bridge name comes from the Warwill Iron Foundry which was once in the valley to the left. Although the foundry closed in 1925 the business continued in Abertillery until 1997 on the site now occupied by Tesco. Under the bridge once passed the railway to Cwmtillery, only ever used for freight. It was a very steep line with a maximum gradient of 1 in 23 and detailed special instructions for working, including a maximum speed downhill of just 3 mile/h.

The X15 service was introduced from 26th October 1980 as part of the Gwent Vales MAP scheme.

From an original slide in the David Beilby collection, photographer unknown