Volume Two - The Era of Optimism, Investment & Development - Some newspaper reports from the 1900's . . .

• February 1900 - The Taff Vale Railway - "The failure of the Taff Vale Railway Company to obtain powers for the proposed Windsor Dock did not prevent the company making a big bid for their proportion of the local shipping trade, and they turned their attention to the modernisation of the Penarth Dock.

In the first place, a large portion of the banks of the Ely River was piled, and the intervening space is now being filled up. Upon this ground there will not only be quayage to the river, but extensive siding accommodation is being prepared for the service of new tips that are in the course of construction and for the service of the dock generally. Of the new tips referred to above, four are now being erected.


A colourised image of the chain ferry from 1899 showing the first coal tip under construction at the basin. [007]

The tips are moveable, and, being all on the one side of the basin of the dock, it will be possible to load a steamer at four holds at the same time. This, it is believed, will afford as quick despatch as may be obtained at almost any port.

Among other works in the course of construction is a large boiler and engine house to contain the machinery for the providing of hydraulic power for the working of the tips around the dock, and also for the electric lighting. These works involve an outlay of very short of half a million." Weekly Mail [067] 17th February 1900.