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Green Yellow Panel, Western Region Class 37's surviving into late '69 and 1970


Leyburn Kid
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6 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:


You sound like a man after my own heart Tony. Operation of Abbotswood is based on the 71/72 wtt with stock and locos as close as we can get it. A lot of our freight was to/from S Wales hence my interest in your post

 

Cheers

Hi Phil. I will see if I can get that picture of 1912 to you, even if it's just a photo from my phone, at the moment my scanner is not working properly.

I've seen Abbotswood in mags, and on the internet before now and it looks absolutely fab. Very much my era.

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7 minutes ago, Leyburn Kid said:

Hi Phil. I will see if I can get that picture of 1912 to you, even if it's just a photo from my phone, at the moment my scanner is not working properly.

I've seen Abbotswood in mags, and on the internet before now and it looks absolutely fab. Very much my era.


Ah many thanks Tony just a mobile photo via pm would suffice am sure. Thanks for the kind words , for me a railway is about all aspects ... infrastructure, motive power, operations and landscape ... hopefully the new layout will give us even more scope for all of this. Have also made many friends as a result including the main criminals on this thread! 

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1 hour ago, br2975 said:

Nothing shouts "The Valleys" louder than a GFYE "Ingi".

.

On Saturday 1st May, 1971 those of us who frequented Cardiff General were amazed when 8 (eight) Healey Mills (55C) allocated Cl.37s passed through as follows; 

6918+6923+6929, followed by 6917+6939, then bringing up the rear came 6914+6927+6930.

.

All eight were in the process of being transferred to Canton.

 

As they were all former WR locos that had been transferred around 4 years earlier, to the North East to eliminate the Q6s and J27s, I didn't 'cop' any.

.

They were all fitted with "EQ" brakes, and were intended for use in the Western Valleys, from Ebbw Junction and Aberbeeg.

.

That didn't preclude their turning up elsewhere.

.

The photo shows one of the eight, 6923, at Newport Ebbw Junction depot shortly after their transfer; still displaying its red and white 55C shed stencil and local (Newport area) 9A77 headcode..

.

Photographer unknown.

.

Brian R

 

6923-unknown-undated-2-ebay.jpg

With 8 Cl.37's being transferred in one go it's exceptional. But when there are perhaps two or three locos being transferred between depots it always amuses me when you look at the pattern, because some locos seem to pass back and forth. Presumably these are ones with poor maintainence records. You can almost hear the depot managers, when there's a request for extra locos from a neighbouring depot, let them have X,Y and Z, they're always causing problems.

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2 hours ago, br2975 said:

 

.

The photo shows one of the eight, 6923, at Newport Ebbw Junction depot shortly after their transfer; still displaying its red and white 55C shed stencil and local (Newport area) 9A77 headcode..

.

Photographer unknown.

.

Brian R

 

6923-unknown-undated-2-ebay.jpg

Nice photo Brian, thanks for posting it. Just one point, the shedcode stencil is tangerine and white (the region’s signage colours pre corporate colours). Use of stencilled codes in these colours seems to have been for a brief period in the late 60s (with examples lasting into the early 70s), however I can’t find any examples dating from before the NER was absorbed into the ER.

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Of course, it wasn't all coal in South Wales; as this image shows.

.

A dozen or so miles west of Cardiff on the SWML was a mini-universe with Llantrisant Yard as its' hub.

.

Branches from Llantrisant (which was actually in Pontyclun) served several local industries, including Coed Ely colliery and coke ovens on the Ely Valley Branch, and Cwm (Llantwit) colliery and coke ovens on the former TVR line to Treforest. 

These plants produced foundry coke for local steel works, predominantly Margam, but for many years a train ran each evening from Llantrisant to Kingswinford (for Pensnett) using a pool of modified 20 ton coke hoppers; and initially a Hymek, and later a Cl.37 as power.

Two Canton Cl.37s outbased at Llantrisant shuttled back and forth along these branches, and to Creigiau Quarry q.v.

When first married in 1978, the throaty roar of a 'six-eighter' climbing through Cross Inn and Common Branch Junction towards Cwm Colliery  at 7:45am told us it was time to leave for work !

.

From the latter branch, a twig ran from Common Branch Junction to Creigiau Quarry which supplied lime and limestone, in hoppers, to British Steel East Moors works (formerly GKI&S New Dowlais Works), until just before East Moors closed in 1978.

.

Another twig left the Treforest Branch at Maesaraul to reach the ICI explosives magazines at Brofiscin, onetime a pannier tank, latterly a Cl.08.

.

Finally, another short branch left the SWML at Llantrisant to reach the Glamorgan Haemetite Mine at Llanharry, on a stub of the former Cowbridge Branch.

.

Llanharry was served by the Llantrisant pilot, a Class 08 until the mine closed circa 1976.

.

A daily trip from Radyr to Llantrisant was unusual in that the WTT allowed for a stop at Miskin Crossing SB , to collect empty water churns from the bobby. These were filled at Llantrisant, and another entry in the WTT allowed for a stop on the return to drop off the water.

.

During the day/night both Llantrisant Cl.37s ( diagrams O96 and O98 ) would work ore and limestone to Cardiff East Moors and return with the empties.

A reversal was required at Pengam to reach Cardiff Docks via Tidal Sidings.

The one duty involved a night time trip to Severn Tunnel Junction, the return of which conveyed loaded 'GPVs' from Penrhyndeudraeth to Brofiscin.

.

The iron ore and limestone workings along the mainline were for years unfitted, until redundant banana vans became available for use as 'fitted head' and were renamed 'Tadpoles'

.

Which brings us to tonight's photo, a well worn, but in typical condition 6990 is seen at Pengam, Cardiff.....having arrived with iron ore from Llantrisant, the loco has run around its' train and is setting off on the last mile or so of its journey, probably to the Dingle Sidings near Tidal.

The fitted head is now at the rear, so the train has dropped from Class 8 to Class 9.

As was common with this job, the train ran with two brake vans to speed up the run round.

.

Photographer unknown.

.

Brian R

6990-Pengam Junction-xx0872-mod-1.jpg

Edited by br2975
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10 minutes ago, 50A55B said:

Nice photo Brian, thanks for posting it. Just one point, the shedcode stencil is tangerine and white (the region’s signage colours pre corporate colours). Use of stencilled codes in these colours seems to have been for a brief period in the late 60s (with examples lasting into the early 70s), however I can’t find any examples dating from before the NER was absorbed into the ER.

Nothing unusual for BR - using up old stocks of paint.

.

When BR adopted 'rail blue' - Swindon  Works was ( understandably ) awash with green paint; which was disposed of by continuing to paint ex-works WR Cl.08s in green, and keeping the blue for SR Cl.08s....until the stock either ran out, or management noticed.

.

Brian R

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1 hour ago, br2975 said:

Of course, it wasn't all coal in South Wales; as this image shows.

.

A dozen or so miles west of Cardiff on the SWML was a mini-universe with Llantrisant Yard as its' hub.

.

Branches from Llantrisant (which was actually in Pontyclun) served several local industries, including Coed Ely colliery and coke ovens on the Ely Valley Branch, and Cwm (Llantwit) colliery and coke ovens on the former TVR line to Treforest. 

These plants produced foundry coke for local steel works, predominantly Margam, but for many years a train ran each evening from Llantrisant to Kingswinford (for Pensnett) using a pool of modified 20 ton coke hoppers; and initially a Hymek, and later a Cl.37 as power.

Two Canton Cl.37s outbased at Llantrisant shuttled back and forth along these branches, and to Creigiau Quarry q.v.

When first married in 1978, the throaty roar of a 'six-eighter' climbing through Cross Inn and Common Branch Junction towards Cwm Colliery  at 7:45am told us it was time to leave for work !

.

From the latter branch, a twig ran from Common Branch Junction to Creigiau Quarry which supplied lime and limestone, in hoppers, to British Steel East Moors works (formerly GKI&S New Dowlais Works), until just before East Moors closed in 1978.

.

Another twig left the Treforest Branch at Maesaraul to reach the ICI explosives magazines at Brofiscin, onetime a pannier tank, latterly a Cl.08.

.

Finally, another short branch left the SWML at Llantrisant to reach the Glamorgan Haemetite Mine at Llanharry, on a stub of the former Cowbridge Branch.

.

Llanharry was served by the Llantrisant pilot, a Class 08 until the mine closed circa 1976.

.

A daily trip from Radyr to Llantrisant was unusual in that the WTT allowed for a stop at Miskin Crossing SB , to collect empty water churns from the bobby. These were filled at Llantrisant, and another entry in the WTT allowed for a stop on the return to drop off the water.

.

During the day/night both Llantrisant Cl.37s ( diagrams O96 and O98 ) would work ore and limestone to Cardiff East Moors and return with the empties.

A reversal was required at Pengam to reach Cardiff Docks via Tidal Sidings.

The one duty involved a night time trip to Severn Tunnel Junction, the return of which conveyed loaded 'GPVs' from Penrhyndeudraeth to Brofiscin.

.

The iron ore and limestone workings along the mainline were for years unfitted, until redundant banana vans became available for use as 'fitted head' and were renamed 'Tadpoles'

.

Which brings us to tonight's photo, a well worn, but in typical condition 6990 is seen at Pengam, Cardiff.....having arrived with iron ore from Llantrisant, the loco has run around its' train and is setting off on the last mile or so of its journey, probably to the Dingle Sidings near Tidal.

The fitted head is now at the rear, so the train has dropped from Class 8 to Class 9.

As was common with this job, the train ran with two brake vans to speed up the run round.

.

Photographer unknown.

.

Brian R

6990-Pengam Junction-xx0872-mod-1.jpg

I've had my rail atlas out again! LOL. Yet more great info.Talking about STJ, I imagine the majority of WR freight workings to/from would be Cl.37s in 1970/1, and perhaps the majority of inter-regional freight would be Cl.47s. Were there any regular workings for Cl 42/3, or Peaks (whether WR/LMR or ER)?

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1 hour ago, br2975 said:

Nothing unusual for BR - using up old stocks of paint.

.

When BR adopted 'rail blue' - Swindon  Works was ( understandably ) awash with green paint; which was disposed of by continuing to paint ex-works WR Cl.08s in green, and keeping the blue for SR Cl.08s....until the stock either ran out, or management noticed.

.

Brian R


Maroon too if D838 is anything to go by!

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5 minutes ago, Leyburn Kid said:

I've had my rail atlas out again! LOL. Yet more great info.Talking about STJ, I imagine the majority of WR freight workings to/from would be Cl.37s in 1970/1, and perhaps the majority of inter-regional freight would be Cl.47s. Were there any regular workings for Cl 42/3, or Peaks (whether WR/LMR or ER)?


The Tunstead-Margam limestone working with CBAs was of the first AB Workings in the area and was a regular Peak turn. 
 

Sm sure Brian will be along with more fantastic details,particularly on the Warships. STJ was the only place I copped the unique Paxman engined D830...

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Tony, it would take an age to describe Severn Tunnel Junction, and what went on there.

.

Consider it to be a sort of 'frontier post' where some changes of loco took place.

.

A lot of inter-regional workings brought both Eastern and Midland locos to STJ; and until the reorganisation of the late 60s,  and pre-TOPS, some could "disappear" into the Valleys for days.

.

Apart from the dedicated Cl.08 pilots, you'd find Cl.14, 20, 22, 25, 31, 33, 35, 37, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 52 there at least, during the time we are discussing, with some weird and wonderful things passing through, en-route to local scrapyards, so you could throw in the odd Class 11, 12, even Cl.70.

.

I could describe briefly the workings through the yard, but it would take some time.

.

Here are some spotting records, to show what could be seen on shed.

 

Sunday, 24th. May, 1970                                                                                     

11, 54, 120, 169,                                                                                                                 

856, 858, 862,                                                                                                                     

1024,                                                                                                                                 

1597, 1601, 1608, 1642, 1651, 1754,                                                                                     

3190, 3808, 4162, 4170, 4184, 4185,                                                                                 

6981, 6988,                                                                                                                                  

7035, 7038 (82A), 7048, 7056, 7057, 7060, 7073, 7079, 7087, 7091,    

 

Sunday, 13th. December, 1970

68, 87, 114, 157,  

817, 820, 831,                                                                                                                   

1002, 1009, 1016, 1053,                                                                                                   

1593, 1713, 1739, 1824, 1843, 1911,                                                                                 

3189, 4001, 4006, 4162, 4170, 4182,                                                                                        

6944,   

7004, 7057, 7069, 7088,            

 

Thursday, 8th. April, 1971

836, 839, 841, 842, 852,         

.

Brian R                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Edited by br2975
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3 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:


The Tunstead-Margam limestone working with CBAs was of the first AB Workings in the area and was a regular Peak turn. 
 

Sm sure Brian will be along with more fantastic details,particularly on the Warships. STJ was the only place I copped the unique Paxman engined D830...

It's interesting that the WR used Peaks on freight workings around this time, because you would imagine the main purpose of a Bristol Bath Road allocation was to help create a seamless Cross Country service

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Early 1971 and 8F37 12:01 Severn Tunnel Jcn. – Margam passed through the former Ely (Main Line) station west of Cardiff just about 1:00pm, as I ate my sandwiches in the  school lunch break.........

From my notes, some examples were:- 

25/02/71 - 864, 865;

26/02/71 - 846;  

27/02/71 - 846,

02/03/71 - 837,

03/03/71 - 808;

05/03/71 - 865 

06/03/71 - 809;

10/03/71 - 844;

11/03/71 - 807;

13/03/71 - 857;

15/03/71 - 857;

16/03/71 - 833;

23/03/71 - 859;

05/04/71 – 841                                                                                                                                              

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13 minutes ago, Leyburn Kid said:

It's interesting that the WR used Peaks on freight workings around this time, because you would imagine the main purpose of a Bristol Bath Road allocation was to help create a seamless Cross Country service

 

Tony,

 

Bath Road Cl.46s were the usual power for the Avonmouth - Radyr coke empties, and the loaded return; they would also work to Llantrisant when the coke came from there.

.

A Cl.45 ( usually D16 allox ) was rostered to work a train of empties from STJ to Bargoed Pits in the Rhymney Valley ( via Radyr and 'The Big Hill' ) returning with a block train to Penshaw or Middlesbro'

.

During its lay-over at Margam, the Peak off the Tunstead lime that Phil referred to above, ran light to BP Llandarcy and collected a raft of 100 ton 'railcars' (bogie tanks) and worked them to Waunllwyd for Ebbw Vale steelworks, returning with the empties to Llandarcy, before running light to Margam and returning north with the empty lime hoppers.

 

The Edinburgh - Cardiff  'Freightliner' apparently changed locos at Follingsby ?? and brought Gateshead 'Peaks' to Cardiff.

.

Brian R

 

 

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8 minutes ago, br2975 said:

Early 1971 and 8F37 12:01 Severn Tunnel Jcn. – Margam passed through the former Ely (Main Line) station west of Cardiff just about 1:00pm, as I ate my sandwiches in the  school lunch break.........

From my notes, some examples were:- 

25/02/71 - 864, 865;

26/02/71 - 846;  

27/02/71 - 846,

02/03/71 - 837,

03/03/71 - 808;

05/03/71 - 865 

06/03/71 - 809;

10/03/71 - 844;

11/03/71 - 807;

13/03/71 - 857;

15/03/71 - 857;

16/03/71 - 833;

23/03/71 - 859;

05/04/71 – 841                                                                                                                                              

STJ was a veritable melting pot! Two things come to mind, how many Warships would've worked deeper into South Wales, when they were increasingly concentrated on Devon/Cornwall, and increasingly unreliable when BR seemed to be skimping on maintaining them?

Also what a wonderful period we were spotting in, with great variety, but just how understandable it was that BR wanted to rationalise.

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Tony,

 

Did you mention you had a Pullman set ?

 

How about 5C99 (FO) 22:50 Swansea - Canton ECS which took the set to Canton for servicing.

.

It has been known for only a 'half set' to run.

.

It was also not uncommon to see the Canton carriage shed pilot towing a Pullman power car, from canton into Cardiff General, then around the Penarth Curve to Grangetown, then around the other side of the triangle to PCN (Penarth Curve North) before running back into the depot, thereby turning the power car.

.

I have sightings of that in my books

.

In early 1971, one lunchtime, I watched a Hymek towing the 'dead' Swansea Pullman set through Ely (Main Line) bound for Canton.

.

There were two Pullman services a day between Swansea and Paddington, one was known as 'The South Wales Pullman' the other 'The Swansea Pullman' - not a lot of people know that !

.

Brian R

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2 minutes ago, br2975 said:

Tony,

 

Did you mention you had a Pullman set ?

 

How about 5C99 (FO) 22:50 Swansea - Canton ECS which took the set to Canton for servicing.

.

It has been known for only a 'half set' to run.

.

It was also not uncommon to see the Canton carriage shed pilot towing a Pullman power car, from canton into Cardiff General, then around the Penarth Curve to Grangetown, then around the other side of the triangle to PCN (Penarth Curve North) before running back into the depot, thereby turning the power car.

.

I have sightings of that in my books

.

In early 1971, one lunchtime, I watched a Hymek towing the 'dead' Swansea Pullman set through Ely (Main Line) bound for Canton.

.

There were two Pullman services a day between Swansea and Paddington, one was known as 'The South Wales Pullman' the other 'The Swansea Pullman' - not a lot of people know that !

.

Brian R

On those afternoon's at Swansea station there was a set there each day, I was taken by just how stylish they were. When they came out recently it was a no brainer, and easily my most expensive purchase.

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53 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

STJ was the only place I copped the unique Paxman engined D830...

 

Blimey Phil, I had no idea D830 was allowed to travel that far!! Presumably the 'insurance policy' was on board :D

 

I recall getting all excited in 1967 when I spied an ex-works Class 08 in Truro Yard from a distance. Here comes my first blue 08 I thought.........only to discover up close that it was D4007 newly repainted into......... green! D'oh!!

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14 hours ago, br2975 said:

Of course, it wasn't all coal in South Wales; as this image shows.

.

A dozen or so miles west of Cardiff on the SWML was a mini-universe with Llantrisant Yard as its' hub.

.

Branches from Llantrisant (which was actually in Pontyclun) served several local industries, including Coed Ely colliery and coke ovens on the Ely Valley Branch, and Cwm (Llantwit) colliery and coke ovens on the former TVR line to Treforest. 

These plants produced foundry coke for local steel works, predominantly Margam, but for many years a train ran each evening from Llantrisant to Kingswinford (for Pensnett) using a pool of modified 20 ton coke hoppers; and initially a Hymek, and later a Cl.37 as power.

Two Canton Cl.37s outbased at Llantrisant shuttled back and forth along these branches, and to Creigiau Quarry q.v.

When first married in 1978, the throaty roar of a 'six-eighter' climbing through Cross Inn and Common Branch Junction towards Cwm Colliery  at 7:45am told us it was time to leave for work !

.

From the latter branch, a twig ran from Common Branch Junction to Creigiau Quarry which supplied lime and limestone, in hoppers, to British Steel East Moors works (formerly GKI&S New Dowlais Works), until just before East Moors closed in 1978.

.

Another twig left the Treforest Branch at Maesaraul to reach the ICI explosives magazines at Brofiscin, onetime a pannier tank, latterly a Cl.08.

.

Finally, another short branch left the SWML at Llantrisant to reach the Glamorgan Haemetite Mine at Llanharry, on a stub of the former Cowbridge Branch.

.

Llanharry was served by the Llantrisant pilot, a Class 08 until the mine closed circa 1976.

.

A daily trip from Radyr to Llantrisant was unusual in that the WTT allowed for a stop at Miskin Crossing SB , to collect empty water churns from the bobby. These were filled at Llantrisant, and another entry in the WTT allowed for a stop on the return to drop off the water.

.

During the day/night both Llantrisant Cl.37s ( diagrams O96 and O98 ) would work ore and limestone to Cardiff East Moors and return with the empties.

A reversal was required at Pengam to reach Cardiff Docks via Tidal Sidings.

The one duty involved a night time trip to Severn Tunnel Junction, the return of which conveyed loaded 'GPVs' from Penrhyndeudraeth to Brofiscin.

.

The iron ore and limestone workings along the mainline were for years unfitted, until redundant banana vans became available for use as 'fitted head' and were renamed 'Tadpoles'

.

Which brings us to tonight's photo, a well worn, but in typical condition 6990 is seen at Pengam, Cardiff.....having arrived with iron ore from Llantrisant, the loco has run around its' train and is setting off on the last mile or so of its journey, probably to the Dingle Sidings near Tidal.

The fitted head is now at the rear, so the train has dropped from Class 8 to Class 9.

As was common with this job, the train ran with two brake vans to speed up the run round.

.

Photographer unknown.

.

Brian R

6990-Pengam Junction-xx0872-mod-1.jpg

The Greigiau quarry 'twig' was an entertainment in itself.  i went up there on the trip during my few weeks at Llantrisant in the early 1970s and it was an experience all in its own category with a tendency to very slippery rail conditions which made it difficult enough shoving the empties up to the quarry let alone trying to stop when coming back down with the loads.  Copious hand sanding was often the order of the day, although noyt much use,  and it was-  through experience - one of those places the sensible locoman did not venture without testing the sanders and making sure the sandpipes weren't clogged before setting out with the trip (very much on a par with Cwmbargoed in that respect although nothing like the same distance).

 

Llantrisant was still a great little place in railway terms even in the early 1970s and you could always be sure of a bottle of pop when you wanted one with staff of the nearby Clubs brewery in Pontyclun being well disposed towards the railway folk ;)

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As a Canton guard, my 1970s visits were rare, mostly in connection with the Pensnett coke hoppers from Beddau coke ovens, but it was, as Mike says, a great little place, with a solid traditional railway culture.  If they said they’d prepped a train, you could take that to the bank (Radyr was similar). 

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1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Llantrisant was still a great little place in railway terms even in the early 1970s and you could always be sure of a bottle of pop when you wanted one with staff of the nearby Clubs brewery in Pontyclun being well disposed towards the railway folk ;)

 

Sadly, the site of the brewery is now....a housing estate, as is part of Llantrisant Yard.

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13 hours ago, Leyburn Kid said:

Hi Brian

 

Coming back to your Hymek diagrams west of Swansea, given that loco reliability in those days was perhaps around 70-80% for most classes, there must have been around a dozen Hymeks potentially available west of Swansea each day.

Let's have a look at Carmarthen  and points west in 1969-1970, ...................we can look at Swansea, Llanelli, Burry Port and Pantyffynnon later.

 

Let's start in  February, 1969

 

Landore Depot has 7x Cl.03s allocated, for the following diagrams                                            

Swansea Docks x2,                                                                                                          

Burry Port – Cwm Mawr x2,                                                                                                      

 Fishguard Harbour pilot x1,                                                                                                       

Spare x2

                                                                                                                                       

Carmarthen pilot is Cl.08

 

On Friday, 14th. February, 1969, the following were sighted;

Carmarthen                                                                                                                  

1063,                                                                                                                                  

1654, 1667,                                                                                                                               

3593, 3606,                                                                                                                  

Plus 1x Cl.35 working the Lampeter branch milk train                                                                                                            

Whitland                                                                                                                   

4001

                                                                                                                                        

The Pembroke Branch freight now starts at Carmarthen, 05:45, instead of Whitland and uses the Cl.47 off the Kensington milk empties . In the return direction the freight is extended from Whitland to Carmarthen with the Cl.47 returning light at 19:50 to Whitland to work the Kensington milk.  

 

 The Pembroke-Aberthaw cement is rostered for a Cl.35 and now commences and finishes at Carmarthen with the cement worked forward on the Pembroke Branch freight. The train leaves Carmarthen for Aberthaw at 21:15, returning from Aberthaw at 01:30, running via Cardiff.      

                                                                                  

The cement train loco formerly remained at Whitland after working the 02:35 ex-Margam – Haverfordwest, or was used on local ballast specials, but the loco now returns to Carmarthen each night. The cement train loco used to return light from Pembroke to Carmarthen to work the 09:55 parcels to Haverfordwest.                                 

As a result a number of the seven Cl.35 diagrams used in the Swansea-Carmarthen-Milford Haven-Lampeter area have been slightly altered

                                                                                                                               

Haverfordwest is shunted by Cl.35s 06:30-11:45 and another 11:45-16:40

 

Commencing 5th. October, 1969

 

Carmarthen – pilot duty has been reduced to one Cl.08, another is kept as spare for other (west Wales ?) failures.

 

Fishguard                                                                                                                 

 (i) formerly served by two, now only served by one freight per day, 08:00 ex Margam and 14:20 return, diagrammed for a Cl.35.                                                                                              

(ii) No Cl.35 now stables at Fishguard. The Cl.35 off the 03:10 Margam – Haverfordwest runs light to Fishguard to work the Trecwn freight,                                        

(iii) The Fishguard Cl.03 pilot duty is now a Cl.08

 

Whitland-  The 05:50 Whitland – Pembroke Dock has reverted to Cl.35 haulage. This train had the locomotive from the Kensington milk, but now it returns to Llanelli to work a Langley Green freight.    

                                                                             

The Cl.46 for the ‘up’ Kensington milk now works down on the 11:25 parcels from Cardiff.

 

Milford Haven – Cl.37 hauled evening Milford Haven – Margam freight now Cl.35 diagram

 

Saturday, 22nd. November, 1969

Carmarthen;                                                                                                                         

3744 – station pilot, 3986 – spare,                                                                                           

1596 rostered to work Whitland-Kensington milk,                                                                

7091 – 16:40 Milford Haven,                                                                                                  

7088 – Newcastle Emlyn branch freight

 

Commencing 4th. May, 1970

 

Only one Cl.35 now works the Pencader, Pont Llanio and Felin Fach branches, departing Carmarthen at 08:00. Newcastle Emlyn traffic is left at Pencader whence the loco returns light from Lampeter to work a trip to Newcastle Emlyn and return before returning to Lampeter to work the 17:20 to Carmarthen.    

.

Brian R                        

 

Edited by br2975
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1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

The Greigiau quarry 'twig' was an entertainment in itself.  i went up there on the trip during my few weeks at Llantrisant in the early 1970s and it was an experience all in its own category with a tendency to very slippery rail conditions which made it difficult enough shoving the empties up to the quarry let alone trying to stop when coming back down with the loads.  Copious hand sanding was often the order of the day, although noyt much use,  and it was-  through experience - one of those places the sensible locoman did not venture without testing the sanders and making sure the sandpipes weren't clogged before setting out with the trip (very much on a par with Cwmbargoed in that respect although nothing like the same distance).

 

Llantrisant was still a great little place in railway terms even in the early 1970s and you could always be sure of a bottle of pop when you wanted one with staff of the nearby Clubs brewery in Pontyclun being well disposed towards the railway folk ;)

 

The Waterhall Junction - Creigiau Quarry - Common Branch Junction route is earmarked for future use by the Cardiff & South East Wales 'metro' system.

.

It's 30yrs since the Common Branch Jct - Creigiau Quarry section closed, and 57yrs since Waterhall Jct - Creigiau Quarry closed, and the only reason I never walk the tracked, is the lack of scuba equipment and a PADI certificate.................. damp is an understatement, but a not insurmountable issue..

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17 hours ago, Leyburn Kid said:

It's interesting that the WR used Peaks on freight workings around this time, because you would imagine the main purpose of a Bristol Bath Road allocation was to help create a seamless Cross Country service

We used them - among other types - n some of the Whatley Quarry trips from Westbury once the new line had opened.  In fact we carried out the clearance tests using one because they were the worst locos of the lot for clearances due to excessive end throw.

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