W.R. Early 1980s Freight Photos - South Wales Severn Tunnel Junction to Pantyffynnon.

[FelixM]

May I add the air braked MDW variant to your list – really needed.

 

Your photos are fantastic as always.

[Fat Controller]

Chivers Finelines do a lovely kit of 21.5t MDV- it virtually fits together without glue. One of his sons now markets them:-

http://slimrails.co.uk/index00gauge.html

The MDW was simply an MDV with an air-pipe added, and the TOPS code changed.

The unfitted, rivetted, variety is available from Parkside Dundas; it was one of their first kits, and the masters are probably 40+ years old, but it goes together nicely. For the unfitted,welded body one, I used the Chivers body, removing the 'London Merchants' top doors, and making the top rail out of plastic strip. I've done a few with a thinner top rail, and LNER hopper and 24.5t hopper underframes, to represent those rebuilt with welded bodies.

The Freightliner shown is a working from Edinburgh or Tyneside; the barrels of S&N in the first container are a give-away. Why South Wales had to bring in 'beer' from there, when there were many fine breweries in the region, is a mystery to me.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Fat Controller

[Fat Controller]

Lastly a westbound ballast train which had just departed from the yard at Severn Tunnel Junction. 

Severn Tunnel Junction 25257 & 25164 a.jpg

Although there were no class 25s allocated to the Western Region by this time they were still regularly seen.

25257 and 25164 I think were both Crewe Diesel allocated locos and are accelerating away westwards

with a shark plough van and dogfish ballast hoppers probably loaded at nearby Tidenham Quarry, 16/6/83

 

cheers

That van doesn't look like a BR-built Shark to me; it seems to have two windows in the sides and no duckets, whilst the plough looks as though it is inboard of the axleguards. I reckon it's one of these:-

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srshark/ha2d1ba7#ha2d1ba7 One of the longest-lasting types to be found on BR, having been built by the SECR before WW1, and lasting into the late 1980s, receiving air-pipes in the process. Is there a kit, I wonder?

[Swindon 123]

That van doesn't look like a BR-built Shark to me; it seems to have two windows in the sides and no duckets, whilst the plough looks as though it is inboard of the axleguards. I reckon it's one of these:-

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srshark/ha2d1ba7#ha2d1ba7 One of the longest-lasting types to be found on BR, having been built by the SECR before WW1, and lasting into the late 1980s, receiving air-pipes in the process. Is there a kit, I wonder?

 

It could even be this one I photographed in Severn Tunnel Jcn yard on the 8th July 1985. ZUV DS62863 with ZUV Shark DB993903 alongside for comparison. 

 

Paul J.

[Rivercider]

It could even be this one I photographed in Severn Tunnel Jcn yard on the 8th July 1985. ZUV DS62863 with ZUV Shark DB993903 alongside for comparison. 

DBR7A-120.jpg

 

Paul J.

Marvellous!

It is quite likely that I produced a TOPS engineers trainlist including one or other, or possiby both of them, back in the early 1980s, DB993903 seems familiar,

 

cheers 

[HillsideDepot]

Chivers Finelines do a lovely kit of 21.5t MDV- it virtually fits together without glue. One of his sons now markets them:-

http://slimrails.co.uk/index00gauge.html

The MDW was simply an MDV with an air-pipe added, and the TOPS code changed.

The unfitted, rivetted, variety is available from Parkside Dundas; it was one of their first kits, and the masters are probably 40+ years old, but it goes together nicely. For the unfitted,welded body one, I used the Chivers body, removing the 'London Merchants' top doors, and making the top rail out of plastic strip. I've done a few with a thinner top rail, and LNER hopper and 24.5t hopper underframes, to represent those rebuilt with welded bodies.

The Freightliner shown is a working from Edinburgh or Tyneside; the barrels of S&N in the first container are a give-away. Why South Wales had to bring in 'beer' from there, when there were many fine breweries in the region, is a mystery to me.

Only standard Chivers Finelines ones, built as per instructions, but here are a few of mine waiting return to South Wales.

They are certainly a nice kit, I ought to get a few more of them.

[Rivercider]

A final pair of photos at Llanwern West featuring another two class 37s, one of them is a South Wales allocated loco while the other is a bit of a stranger, a split headcode loco from the Eastern Region.

 

As well as receiving raw materials for steel making Llanwern also sent and received semi-finished steel to and from other plants.

Thornaby allocated 37069 was an unexpected sight that day, and is seen about to go into Llanwern with a train load of semi-finished steel, I think these are ingots of steel(?) 10/2/82

 

Finally at Llanwern is a standard South Wales midweek ballast train formation heading east.

37225 of Cardiff Canton heads for Severn Tunnel Junction with ten empty seacows and a shark plough van probably returning from a midweek ballast drop, 10/2/82 

 

cheers

Edited May 1, 2016 by Rivercider

[hmrspaul]

A final pair of photos at Llanwern West featuring another two class 37s, one of them is a South Wales allocated loco while the other is a bit of a stranger, a split headcode loco from the Eastern Region.

 

As well as receiving raw materials for steel making Llanwern also sent and received semi-finished steel to and from other plants.

Llanwern West 37069 a.jpg

Thornaby allocated 37069 was an unexpected sight that day, and is seen about to go into Llanwern with a train load of semi-finished steel, I think these are ingots of steel(?) 10/2/82

 

 

cheers

Loaded on Boplates. They were restricted to 42tons so the pair of ingots were positioned over the bogie.

 

Paul

[dvdlcs]

Loaded on Boplates. They were restricted to 42tons so the pair of ingots were positioned over the bogie.

 

Paul

 

Perhaps it is me, but the loads seem off-centre - closer to the left rather than the right edge of the wagons, as facing the camera.

[Arthur]

They are indeed ingots Kevin, those particular ones are bound for the stabbing mill being rectangular in cross section. Difficult to be sure but they are probably around 15 tons each.

 

 

Edit, to clarify that they're going to a stabbing mill, not from one.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Arthur

[Rivercider]

They are indeed ingots Kevin, those particular ones are the products of a stabbing mill being rectangular in cross section. Difficult to be sure but they are probably around 15 tons each.

Thanks Arthur,

I did not get any details of the train, so don't know where the ingots may have come from,

 

cheers

[Arthur]

 

Most probably Port Talbot though any of the other integrated works at the time could have cast such ingots, Redcar, Ravenscraig and Scunthorpe (as well as Llanwern and Port Talbot). No other works at the time had the capacity.

[The Stationmaster]

Most probably Port Talbot though any of the other integrated works at the time could have cast such ingots, Redcar, Ravenscraig and Scunthorpe (as well as Llanwern and Port Talbot). No other works at the time had the capacity.

 

Port Talbot is a possibility although they could have come from 'up north' via the North & West Line especially in view of there being a 'foreign' diesel on the train.  I can't think of any flow of ingots from Port Talbot to Lanwern in earlier years (I left South Wales in 1974 and the steel industry changed considerably after that) although there were inter-works movements of slabs in my time there.

[Rivercider]

Perhaps it is me, but the loads seem off-centre - closer to the left rather than the right edge of the wagons, as facing the camera.

I agree, they do look to be loaded to one side, I also took a going away shot, but it is too distant to be helpful,

this is a crop of the original photo

37069 at Llanwern West 10/2/82

 

cheers 

[Rivercider]

Now three distant views of a variety of trains passing Lliswerry Pond with Llanwern Steelworks forming an industrial backdrop.

 

There was plenty of petroleum traffic in South Wales in the early 1980s, originating from the three refineries at Milford Haven as well as from the BP refinery at Llandarcy. 

47082 Atlas, a Cardiff Canton loco at the time heads east on the Up Relief past Lliswerry with what may be a train of bitumen tanks from Llandarcy, 10/2/82 

 

Another unidentified working passes Lliswerry on the Down Main 

31149 of Toton hauls eight loaded BDAs of steel bars westwards, 10/2/82

 

Finally a loaded MGR set passes on the Up Main 

46016 is one of a dwindling number of class 46 locos, by this time all allocated to Gateshead, and is in charge of an loaded MGR set from Oakdale to Scunthorpe, 10/2/82

 

cheers

 

[bazjones1711]

Just wondering if the class 46 would have worked to Oakdale and back ? Having gone to 0akdale comprehensive school from late 70s to early 80s , I seem to possibly remember seeing peaks at the colliery although I could be wrong, only once saw a box head class 37 which was poss 37053, plus a class 31 on a weedkiller.

Edited May 5, 2016 by bazjones1711

[clarkea1]

They are indeed ingots Kevin, those particular ones are bound for the stabbing mill being rectangular in cross section. Difficult to be sure but they are probably around 15 tons each.

 

 

Edit, to clarify that they're going to a stabbing mill, not from one.

 

Arthur, I wonder if you mean a slabbing mill.  I have not come across a stabbing mill before - sounds painful :-)

 

Cheers

 

Alastair

[Arthur]

 

Er, ...it's a mill for rolling blades for daggers!

 

Indeed Alastair, slabbing mill it should be. (Damn spellchecker, it just translated that into stabbing!!)

[Paragon]

Kevin,

Many thanks for taking the time to compose this topic and the West of England freight around Bristol thread as well, it's out of my region of interest from a modelling aspect but it certainly makes for an informative and enlightening read.

Paragon

[simon47603]

They could be Unprocessed Aluminium Ingots. They look to be abit too white and shiny to be Steel Slabs.

Edited May 6, 2016 by simon47603

[Arthur]

 

I wouldn't say they are shiny, they look to have a mixed patina of rust, scale and powdered lime which is used as a release agent in the moulds.

 

Also, if they were Aluminium they'd only be around 5 tons each and I would presume they'd load four or five per wagon.

[The Stationmaster]

I wouldn't say they are shiny, they look to have a mixed patina of rust, scale and powdered lime which is used as a release agent in the moulds.

 

Also, if they were Aluminium they'd only be around 5 tons each and I would presume they'd load four or five per wagon.

 

Agree absolutely - to me they have the appearance of steel ingots (and I saw more than a few of them in my time at Port Talbot).  And were aluminium ingots actually cast that large and to that shape because I have the impression that they were far smaller than that?

[Arthur]

 

I couldn't say for certain Mike but I'd agree with your observation about the size of aluminium ingots.

 

I cannot think of any need or end use that would necessitate aluminium ingots that big, certainly not in significant numbers.

 

The steel ones cast that big were generally bound, eventually, for continuous hot strip mills where it was most efficient to roll the longest lengths possible. Finished coils of 15 tons and more were common. Ingots of that size became much more common with the increase in the number of such mills. They'd previously been cast in smaller numbers for rolling into heavy plate.

[simon47603]

I have transported large Aluminium Ingots which were roughly that size by truck though. That's what got me thinking. I used to pick them up from Warrington and take to Newport and Swansea. Both sites are now long gone!

[Arthur]

 

Do you know what they were being used for Simon? Who were they being delivered to?

 

I would imagine that being rolled into continuous strip most likely.