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

[Rivercider]

8 minutes ago, Ramblin Rich said:

I can see that's including TPO vans. I think I remember reading that the TPO ran to/ from Carmarthen with connecting trains to Milford and Pembroke Dock, but went to Swansea for servicing during the day; presumably this is the 'empty' working running to Carmarthen to begin it's run to London in the evening.

Yes, that would be right.

I have had a quick look, but although I have one or two WTTs and public timetables from the 1980s, I don't have that year so can't  say precisely the details,

 

cheers 

[Fat Controller]

The two 100t tanks had probably come from Marcroft's workshops in Burry Port.

[Rivercider]

Now a few views of Llanelli itself. There was a traincrew signing on point here, and locos were stabled in and around the goods shed to the east of the station. Others will know the area better than me, but as well as petroleum traffic coming up from the refineries Robeston Waterston and Herbrandston there were also the collieries at Cynheidre, Cwmmawr, and Coedbach washery. I believe Llanelli Old Castle steel works closed around 1981,

 

Not strictly a freight train photo, but this view from the east end of Llanelli shows the stabling point at Llanelli goods yard. 47059 is standing on the left, and there is a class 37 inside the shed. Set 140001 was on a Swansea to Shrewsbury working.  24/6/82.

 

37266 heads west through Llanelli with empty mineral wagons 24/6/82

 

47059 is seen again, this time heading west through Llanelli with a mix of empty HTVs and MDVs. 24/6/82

 

cheers

 

  

Edited January 3, 2021 by Rivercider
Grammar

[Rivercider]

The small yard at Pembrey and Burry Port was the hub for traffic to and from the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway to Coedbach washery and then up to Cwmmawr. This route suffered from poor drainage and limited clearance, a relic from the fact that the route partly followed a former canal. A number of class 03s had been modified with cut-down cabs, and multiple working gear and allocated to Landore to operate over the branch. There was also a Marcroft Wagon Repairs depot at Pembrey, and just to the east was Carmarthen Bay power station that had also received coal by rail.

Resting in the yard at Pembrey and Burry Port are 03145 and 03141 in multi with 03152 which was acting as the banking loco. 15/6/83.

The yard pilot at Pembrey and Burry Port that day was 08354. The cartic car carrier has been to the Marcroft wagon repair depot, 15/6/83.

 

cheers

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

In September 1983 the branch from Kidwelly to Coedbach was re-opened, (it had been closed in 1965) this allowed main line locos to reach Coedbach. This in turn allowed the section from Burry Port to Coed Bach to be closed. Subsequently the modified class 03s were also withdrawn, and replaced by modified cut-down class 08s which then worked from Coed Bach to Cwmmawr. 

It was three months before the closure of the section to Coedbach that I visited the area.

A general view of the yard at Pembrey and Burry Port looking east, the start of the PB&GV branch veers off to the right. Class 101 set C813 is working a westbound service from Swansea. 15/6/83.

 

 

A couple of basic photographers errors have been made here. I was unprepared for the departure of the trip up the branch and found myself wrong side for the sun, and with little thought for the composition and the background - they are not large exhausts!  

03145 and 03141 make a smoky departure from Pembrey and Burry Port with banking loco 03152 at the rear. The branch up to Cwmmawr was as steep as 1 in 40 at one point. On the return trip down the branch all three locos were at the front. The chimneys of Carmarthen Bay Power Station are in the background. 15/6/83.

 

cheers

Edited January 3, 2021 by Rivercider
Grammar

[rob D2]

Great photos !

I often wonder what it would have been like to take a trip up the Welsh valleys in the heyday of the 37s and coal, probably a lot worse for the lungs than today !

[corneliuslundie]

I have been trying to find a drawing of the cut down 08s but the conclusion reached after a lot of searching is that they were probably done at Canton without drawings. I found  a drawing of the cut-down 03s (on the Barrowmore website if I remember correcrly). I am saying this in the hope of being proved wrong.

Great photos. Please keep them coming.

Jonathan

[Fat Controller]

I think I'm correct in saying that the semaphore next to the DMMU would be the first that a driver heading west would encounter; from Paddington until Pembrey was all M.A.S.

My first train-watching would have been from the back-yard of my great-aunt's pub, which is just behind the bushes to the left of the picture.

[Rivercider]

I made a few trips further west over the years but took very few photographs, so cannot illustrate very much.

At Carmarthen two of the regular freight customers were Aberthaw cement receiving cement in presflos from Aberthaw, and the UKF depot at Carmarthen Junction which received train loads of fertiliser from Ince and Elton.

There had been milk traffic from Whitland, but I think it had ceased by 1980, and I never saw it.

In addition to the petroleum traffic there was a daily Speedlink working from Margam that went to Fishguard Harbour and served the MOD depot at Trecwn, and also a trip to Haverfordwest which I suspect may also have visited either of the refineries to collect or deliver tank cars going to or from repair.

As I am desperate for content for this area I will sneak in a couple faded instamatic snaps from 1979.

 

A five car DMU headed by a class 120 set departs from Carmarthen, there is a class 08 pilot in the yard, and the Aberthaw cement silo can be seen. 15/5/79

 

 

I have a book hopefully due to be published by Amberley in March 2021, covering 'Freight Trains of the WR in the 1980s', this is a photo from the forthcoming book.

From the 1960s the refineries provided a lot of traffic for BR. One service which ran for many years ran to Albion in the West Midlands. At Whitland 47245 accelerates through with 6M50 15.30 Waterston to Albion. 15/6/83

 

Heading west Clarbeston Road is the junction where the Fishguard Harbour and Milford Haven lines diverge. On one trip with my dad in 1979 we changed trains there after visiting Fishguard before going to Milford Haven.

 

A loaded train of 100t tank cars heads through Clarbeston Road behind 47002 15/5/79.

 

cheers

Edited January 3, 2021 by Rivercider
spelling

[Rivercider]

36 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

I have been trying to find a drawing of the cut down 08s but the conclusion reached after a lot of searching is that they were probably done at Canton without drawings. I found  a drawing of the cut-down 03s (on the Barrowmore website if I remember correcrly). I am saying this in the hope of being proved wrong.

Great photos. Please keep them coming.

Jonathan

Thanks, although I am now nearly coming to the end of the line, almost literally.

I have asked the cut-down 08 question on another forum, so we will see if anyone has an idea,

 

cheers  

[Northmoor]

33 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

I have been trying to find a drawing of the cut down 08s but the conclusion reached after a lot of searching is that they were probably done at Canton without drawings. I found  a drawing of the cut-down 03s (on the Barrowmore website if I remember correcrly). I am saying this in the hope of being proved wrong.

There is an article in the latest Model Rail on converting a Hornby 08 to an 08/9, using a 3D-printed cab.

 

25 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I think I'm correct in saying that the semaphore next to the DMMU would be the first that a driver heading west would encounter; from Paddington until Pembrey was all M.A.S.

I think there might have been an intermediate block signal near the old Cynheidre Branch Junction, the first old-fashioned 'box is/was Llanelli West.  I can't remember if this was colour light though.  Whatever, this pocket of semaphores from Pembrey to Ferryside, remains to this day.

 

26 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

Heading west Clarbeston Road is the junction where the Fishguard Harbour and Milford Haven lines diverge. On one trip with my dad in 1979 we changed trains there after visiting Fishguard before going to Milford Haven.

 

A loaded train of 100t tank cars heads through Clarbeston Road behind 47002 15/5/79.

If you'd taken that shot five years later, I might have been on the opposite platform.....

This is a few years before (for reasons unknown) the Down platform was shortened, with the East end ramp roughly in line with the cab of the 47.

[Rivercider]

1 hour ago, rob D2 said:

Great photos !

I often wonder what it would have been like to take a trip up the Welsh valleys in the heyday of the 37s and coal, probably a lot worse for the lungs than today !

Thanks Rob

 

As I mentioned before I enjoyed my trips 'under the Severn'. I met a lot of friendly folk there.

However much as I would have liked to live in a area with a lot of heavy freight there were probably quite a few downsides.

 

cheers 

[Rivercider]

Well like the Travelling Wilburys we are coming to the End of The Line, although Pantyffynnon is not of course the end of the line.

Pantyffynnon was the centre of freight operations for collieries at Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen (GCG) and Abernant, and the newer Betws Drift Mine which all produced anthracite. Coal from these locations was taken to Wernos Washery for processing, from there much went to Swansea Dock for export, though there was also considerable domestic traffic to depots across the BR network. Later several years after I visited Pantyffynnon became part of the Speedlink Coal Network.

 

The main facilities at Pantyffynnon were based around the passenger station, with the loco stabling point along side to the east. This is the view looking north, the freight only running line continues north and east to Cwmgorse Branch Jn, then splits for GCG and Abernant. 24/6/82.

 

The shoc-van standing in the yard was an 'internal user' and contained bagged loco sand. I would imagine the train crews got through a lot of sand controlling the heavy (mostly) unfitted trains up and down to Swansea and beyond.

 08660 was one of two class 08 locos at Pantyffynnon that day, 37304 and 37267 are also stabled. 24/6/82.

 

cheers 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Rivercider
clarification

[SED Freightman]

1 hour ago, corneliuslundie said:

I have been trying to find a drawing of the cut down 08s but the conclusion reached after a lot of searching is that they were probably done at Canton without drawings. I found  a drawing of the cut-down 03s (on the Barrowmore website if I remember correcrly). I am saying this in the hope of being proved wrong.

Great photos. Please keep them coming.

Jonathan

The D of M&EE, BRB issued Revision Letter No.12 (dated Novemeber 1988) to Vehicle Diagram Book No.120 which included a new diagram 08-9dA which was stated to be for locos 08462 and 08687 with height reduced to work BPGV line.  Copy of diagram below.

 

 

[SouthernBlue80s]

Thanks for the shots of Pantyffynnon. I only went there a few times and was so focused on getting numbers I never took any pictures (idiot).  I now have record of what it looked like.

 

Of passing interest - My last visit there was Sunday 6th of October 1985 with 08394, 37176 and 37231 present.

[rob D2]

When you think how many places just in wales locos were stabled it’s amazing 。

 

Its like the desert now - more colourful granted .

 

Some of these locations are crying out to be modelled 

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, rob D2 said:

When you think how many places just in wales locos were stabled it’s amazing 。

 

Its like the desert now - more colourful granted .

 

Some of these locations are crying out to be modelled 

Carmarthen in particular is an obvious one for modelling, although you'd have to compress it quite a lot:

• At the headshunt end, the overbridge forms a scenic break (or for before about 1982, you could model the line disappearing under it to the old goods yard;
• At the West end, the by-pass bridge forms a scenic break over the two lines forming the triangle;
• As the photos above show, there used to be a decent variety of freight (although the main traffic in West Wales - oil - avoided the station);
• There have often been locos or DMUs stabled in the station;
• Through the BR Blue era of this thread, diesel classes seen at Carmarthen could routinely include 08, 33, 35, 37, 47, 52 plus HSTs and DMUs (101, 108, 116 and 120 at various times).

Thank you very much Kevin for all the memories you've brought back with this thread.

 

Rob

Edited January 3, 2021 by Northmoor

[rob D2]

8 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Carmarthen in particular is an obvious one for modelling, although you'd have to compress it quite a lot:

• At the headshunt end, the overbridge form a scenic break (or for before about 1982, you could model the line disappearing under it to the old good yard;
• At the West end, the by-pass bridge forms a scenic break over the two lines forming the triangle;
• As the photos above show, there used to be a decent variety of freight (although the main traffic in West Wales - oil - avoided the station);
• There have often been locos or DMUs stabled in the station;
• Through the BR Blue era of this thread, diesel classes seen at Carmarthen could routinely include 08, 33, 35, 37, 47, 52 plus HSTs and DMUs (101, 108, 116 and 120 at various times).

Thank you very much Kevin for all the memories you've brought back with this thread.

 

Rob

HSTs ? Impressive somewhere like that .

I was thinking more pantyffyon... ffyyon... fun on .... pantyhose... you know where ...

 

how often do you see a small station modelled with a stabling point full of diesels ? Now you could do it legitimately 

[SED Freightman]

Kevin, many thanks for posting your South Wales photos and to everyone else who have provided additional comments and explanations, my old Rail Atlas (3rd edition) has also been of great assistance.  It is many years since I have travelled beyond Cardiff although I did manage to travel on all the passenger lines then open in the late 70's / early 80's so your photos have reminded me of what were then simply fleeting glimpses of the sidings, factories and mines that were still active at that time. I think I sampled my first pint of Brains Dark in the BRSA Club at Barry after my only visit to Barry Island and Woodhams Scrapyard in the late 70's, like others I wish I had taken more photos at the time.  South Wales was not a place I subsequently had cause to visit for work other than one meeting with Ford Motor Co reps which included visits to their Swansea and Bridgend plants, but mainly consisted of a lengthy lunch in a pub near Bridgend station !  Strangely, in much more recent times, work did require regular visits to the Celsa Tremorfa and Castle Works by which time sadly freight traffic and facilities in the area were just a shadow of what had existed previously.  I found the views showing former the complex of yards and sidings around Long Dyke particularly interesting having walked the Long Dyke Jn to Castle Works section a few times.

[Rivercider]

11 hours ago, rob D2 said:

When you think how many places just in wales locos were stabled it’s amazing 。

 

Its like the desert now - more colourful granted .

 

Some of these locations are crying out to be modelled 

Agreed Rob.

 

We are all familiar with the depot layout, but a small stabling point can often be done in less space, and less outlay.

All that is required is a couple of sidings with oily ballast. A cabin for the staff and a store building could be provided, but these might be nearby. There does not need to be any covered accommodation for locos, but a former goods shed might be used as at Llanelli and Llantrisant, were there others? Locations where quite a few locos would be gathered at weekends include Aberbeeg, Aberdare, Barry, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Llantrisant, Pantyffynnon, Radyr, and Swansea Eastern Depot. Also Newport Godfrey Road after the closure of Ebbw Junction,

 

I have a few more photos of Pantyffynnon I will scan and upload in a day or two,

 

cheers 

 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Rivercider
Additional info

[Rivercider]

Here are a few more photos showing the stabling point at Pantyffynnon as it was in the early 1980s.

 

 Another view from 1982 looking south.

37304 is stabled at Pantyffynnon, 37267 has just arrived from Llandeilo Junction with a train of house coal, 08660 stands on the right. 24/6/82

 

A general view looking south at Pantyffynnon. 37233 and 37268 are the locos stabled. 4/11/83.

 

In the era when there were still large numbers of unfitted freight wagons it was common practice in some areas for a loco and brake van to stay together for the duration of a turn. 37268 is stabled with brake van at Pantyffynnon. 4/11/83.

 

cheers  

 

 

[Rivercider]

Pantyffynnon lies just south of Ammanford, and in 1974 work commenced on Betws New Drift Mine which looked to exploit coal from the old Ammanford No.1 colliery which had closed in 1925. The first train of coal was dispatched in 1978 with over 500,000 tonnes of anthracite subsequently being produced each year. The coal was initially hauled to the nearby Wernos washery for processing by a class 08 loco outbased at Pantyffynnon.

On one visit I walked along public footpaths out to Betws and took some photos. 

 

Betws Drift Mine sidings and coal loading. 4/11/83

 

Betws Drift Mine coal loader. 4/11/83

 

Rear view of Betws Drift Mine coal loader. 4/11/83

 

cheers

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Rivercider

[Northmoor]

I've just had a thought about modelling Pantyffynon; you can have "main line" freight hauled by an 03!

 

The BPGV 03 pool also ran the regular (daily?) freight up the Central Wales Line, which served the domestic coal depots at Llandeilo and Llandovery until about 1983 and the withdrawal of the 03s.  Even 37s exceeded the allowed axle loading so it had to be operated by the 03s.

[Rivercider]

I have had to look at Google maps to work out where I took some of the photos on my visit back in 1983,

here are some photos of 08662 collecting MDOs of coal from Betws and hauling them off towards Pantyffynnon and Wernos. 

 

08662 brings loaded MDOs out of Betws heading for Wernos. The 'main' line on the left leads east to GCG and Abernant. 4/11/83.

 

 

I had to check this view properly, I am pretty sure it was taken from Quay Street level crossing adjacent to Ammanford station which closed in 1958.

 

08662 passes through the site of Ammanford station. As far as I can tell there was just a single platform serving the nearest line, with the train passing on a  goods running loop. 4/11/83

 

Ammanford signal box stood at the end of the platform, adjacent to the level crossing on Quay Street. 4/11/83

 

cheers

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Rivercider
clarification

[Fat Controller]

25 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

I've just had a thought about modelling Pantyffynon; you can have "main line" freight hauled by an 03!

 

The BPGV 03 pool also ran the regular (daily?) freight up the Central Wales Line, which served the domestic coal depots at Llandeilo and Llandovery until about 1983 and the withdrawal of the 03s.  Even 37s exceeded the allowed axle loading so it had to be operated by the 03s.

I think it was a Tu/Th only working. Apart from coal, there was occasional military traffic to Llandovery; ammunition in Vanwides, and RE Plant on Warwells and Lowmacs.