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

[Rivercider]

I remember that on one of the visits I made to Ebbw Junction with my dad when he was on duty chasing civil engineers wagons

that the through shed was occupied by a rake of empty sealions/seacows from the Machen fleet undergoing maintenance,

though I cannot remember what year that might have been, (seems it may have been around 1976)

 

edit - here is a copy of an article by I Woolley published in a Cardiff and Avonside Railway Society newsletter from July 1976  

cheers

Edited January 14, 2018 by Rivercider

[The Border Reiver]

While on a Railrover in 1966, I payed a visit to Newport diesel depot and took this photo on 18th August showing the depot with classes 08, 14 and 37. The clock shows 0715 so I must have been an early riser.. or the clock was broken.

I also made a nostalgic visit next door to see the remains of Newport Ebbw Junction Shed. I was there the previous August and the shed was bustling. A very sad sight indeed with the beams of light shining through the shed...

 

 

 

 

[The Johnster]

That brought back a few memories!

[Clive Mortimore]

While on a Railrover in 1966, I payed a visit to Newport diesel depot and took this photo on 18th August showing the depot with classes 08, 14 and 37. The clock shows 0715 so I must have been an early riser.. or the clock was broken.

 

I also made a nostalgic visit next door to see the remains of Newport Ebbw Junction Shed. I was there the previous August and the shed was bustling. A very sad sight indeed with the beams of light shining through the shed...

 

 

RRD4_07A_20170211_0009_1200_wm.jpg

 

 

RRD4_04A_20170211_0006_1200_wm.jpg

Why hasn't anyone modelled Ebbw Junction diesel depot? Two Bachmann sheds, as the model is a hybrid of both Ebbw Junctions sheds, and the job is done.

[Rivercider]

We can now go back up onto the bridge at the west end of A D Junction to see a few more trains.

I seem to remember there were two adjacent bridges, one of them carrying a major road into Newport Docks.

 

37266 runs past light diesel, the concrete bridge carried the road south into Newport Docks, 25/1/82

 

Now two views looking west towards Cardiff taken from the bridge seen in above photo.

A train of coal for BSC Llanwern loaded in MDVs approaches A D Junction on the Up Relief line behind  37302.

The loco is just about to cross the Ebbw River, 19/5/82

 

Another freight approaches A D Junction this time on the Up Main. 37277 has charge of a mixed freight from Radyr

to Severn Tunnel Junction. The load includes domestic coal from the Cardiff Valleys, some engineers wagons and at the rear some presflos

and tank cars probably after repair at Powell Duffryns Radyr works, 19/5/82

 

cheers  

Edited January 15, 2018 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

The final two photos from A D Junction are of the well known iron ore trains that ran between Port Talbot and BSC Llanwern.

 

56043 and 56038 Western Mail are crossing the Ebbw River as they head back towards Port Talbot with an empty set, 19/5/82

 

Heading the other way towards Llanwern with a loaded iron ore set are 56035 Taff Merthyr and 56044 , 19/5/82

 

 

Between Newport and Cardiff were Marshfield sidings, but they were long out of use by the time I knew them

and can only remember a few rusted and overgrown sidings. I believe this is now the site of Wentloog Freightliner Terminal.

The next stop on this 1980s trip will be Pengam,

 

cheers  

[Fat Controller]

The final two photos from A D Junction are of the well known iron ore trains that ran between Port Talbot and BSC Llanwern.

 

scan0174.jpg

56043 and 56038 Western Mail are crossing the Ebbw River as they head back towards Port Talbot with an empty set, 19/5/82

 

scan0175.jpg

Heading the other way towards Llanwern with a loaded iron ore set are 56035 Taff Merthyr and 56044 , 19/5/82

 

 

Between Newport and Cardiff were Marshfield sidings, but they were long out of use by the time I knew them

and can only remember a few rusted and overgrown sidings. I believe this is now the site of Wentloog Freightliner Terminal.

The next stop on this 1980s trip will be Pengam,

 

cheers  

I thought that Marshfield was the siding on the Up side where milk tanks used to be loaded- it's now a small haulage yard.

The sidings at Wentloog served a huge stocking-ground for pit-props

[Rivercider]

I thought that Marshfield was the siding on the Up side where milk tanks used to be loaded- it's now a small haulage yard.

The sidings at Wentloog served a huge stocking-ground for pit-props

You are probably right about the name Brian, the disused sidings I am thinking about were on the down (south) side of the line,

they were very overgrown (and mostly lifted), I do remember piles of pit props though.

I can't remember the milk sidings.

edit - the TOPS location handbook dated October 1977 still lists location 76701 Marshfield Cardiff - Cambrian Dairies.

 

I expect to be corrected about some of my location names along the way as I am in a foreign country as it were,

I will be relying on my Baker rail atlas a lot!

 

cheers

Edited January 16, 2018 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

Landore allocated 47082 Atlas accelerates past Pengam with discharged 100t tank cars for one of the South Wales refineries, 17/9/81

 

Back in the 1980s the two Freightliner terminals in South Wales were at Pengam east of Cardiff and Danygraig east of Swansea.

45015 indulges in a spell of shunting to form up evening departures from Pengam terminal, in the reception sidings Gatesheads 47405 was an unusual (to me) visitor which had recently arrived with a service from Danygraig, 17/9/81

 

45015 carries out a shunt move outside Pengam Freightliner terminal, 17/9/81

 

cheers

[Fat Controller]

Pengam's changed a bit; all that is now covered by flats. A question; the two cranes appear to serve just the three rail tracks; how were containers transferred to lorries?

[Rivercider]

Pengam's changed a bit; all that is now covered by flats. A question; the two cranes appear to serve just the three rail tracks; how were containers transferred to lorries?

I never went in the terminal, but is that some kind of reach-stacker in the background?

 

cheers

[Fat Controller]

I never went in the terminal, but is that some kind of reach-stacker in the background?

scan0084a (2).jpg

 

cheers

There is, but if that's how the containers are transferred from road to rail and V-V, what purpose do the cranes serve? In most terminals I've seen, the arrangement seems to be that the crane overhangs the tracks on one or both sides, giving the following:-

stacking area; rail tracks; lorry-loading lane. The cranes use a form of the Whyte notation- the one at Pengam looks to be an 0-3-0, whilst the one I described would be 1-3-1.

[Andrew P]

More great pics and info Kevin, Thanks.

[mk1gtstu]

Great photos! Thank you for posting them,

 

Cheers, Stu

[SED Freightman]

Pengam's changed a bit; all that is now covered by flats. A question; the two cranes appear to serve just the three rail tracks; how were containers transferred to lorries?

 

I think you will find that the cranes are actually 0-4-0, with three sidings and a roadway beneath them, the angle of the photos just make it look as though they only have sidings beneath them.  The 0-4-0 type of crane seems to have been quite standard at the early Freightliner terminals, those from the Stratford terminal (pre Channel Tunnel upgrade) ended up being refurbished and installed at Thamesport.

[HGT1972]

Having been there once or twice many moons back I can confirm that the south side of the three sidings was wide enough for the lorries to receive their loads. The cranes were a pair of Morris Goliath 0-4-0 Mk.III examples, which replaced the original two Allen 30-ton cranes.

 

Does anyone remember the fleet of 15 former drop-side Tube wagons that had their sides removed to carry open containers from Castle Rod Mill to Pengam for transshipment? The curves to and from that works were too sharp to take Freightliner wagons. They were converted around the later 1970s and lasted until scrapping in 1984. Always thought they had some modelling potential!

 

Hywel

[hmrspaul]

 

Does anyone remember the fleet of 15 former drop-side Tube wagons that had their sides removed to carry open containers from Castle Rod Mill to Pengam for transshipment? The curves to and from that works were too sharp to take Freightliner wagons. They were converted around the later 1970s and lasted until scrapping in 1984. Always thought they had some modelling potential!

 

Hywel

Hywel

 

Is that what this is? http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brlnertube/e21bc7a3e

 

Paul

[HGT1972]

It is, Paul. The 15 were all to diagram 1/445 and the same as one in your picture. They were in pool 7909 originally then in 7157 and didn't travel very far at all! Nice idea though and would make an unusual addition to a Freightliner terminal model...

 

Anybody out there have a photo of a loaded one?!

 

Hywel

[Rivercider]

Here are some views at Pengam Junction looking the other way, west towards Cardiff.

 

Gateshead allocated 47405 passes Pengam Junction with a Freightliner working from Danygraig to Pengam, 17/9/81

 

One of Cardiff Cantons numerous class 08s 08352 at Pengam Junction with BDAs loaded with steel billets (?)

it will then run-round the BDAs in the reception sidings at Pengam and head back westwards I think along the relief line.

Would I be right in thinking this was a transfer between the different GKN work sites and would have gone via

Long Dyke Junction? 17/9/81

 

edit - thanks Mike (Stationmaster) for clarifying the location.

 

cheers 

Edited January 17, 2018 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

Now two more class 37 hauled trains head east past Pengam Junction.

 

 

37138 is hauling what I suspect is a train from Radyr to Severn Tunnel Junction.

The load includes coal, a coil carrier, highfits loaded with wheelsets, tank cars and track sections. 17/9/81

 

The yard seen on the north side of the line which is Roath Coal Yard (thanks Mike) is still busy with domestic coal in 16t minerals, 17/9/81

 

In contrast with the above picture featuring 37138 a Cardiff Canton allocated loco on home territory

we now see an Eastern Region visitor.

Stratfords 37099 heads east on the Up Main with a train load of coal in MDVs, 1/9/81

 

cheers

Edited January 17, 2018 by Rivercider

[Fat Controller]

Cooke suggests Roath Coal Yard; confusing as there was another Roath yard closer towards Cardiff on the Down side.

[Rivercider]

Now a little further west towards the centre of Cardiff, and another yard for which I need the confirmation of name.

 

Strangely another Gateshead ETH fitted 47/4 is in Cardiff on the same day as 47405 seen earlier.

47416 heads eastwards on the Up Main past Cardiff Newtown Yard, 17/9/81.

I am wondering which bridge I might have been standing on, Splott Road perhaps?

 

cheers

Edited January 16, 2019 by Rivercider

[mk1gtstu]

Again, great photos! Keep them coming!   

 

Cheers, Stu

[andy stroud]

Hi Kevin, I am really enjoying your pictures and informative captions. They depict scenes which I remember from my youth, took for granted, and now miss like crazy!

 

I was wondering if all those unfitted wagons in the background of your last picture are stored out of use.

 

Andy

[Rivercider]

Hi Kevin, I am really enjoying your pictures and informative captions. They depict scenes which I remember from my youth, took for granted, and now miss like crazy!

 

I was wondering if all those unfitted wagons in the background of your last picture are stored out of use.

 

Andy

Thanks Andy.

 

About the unfitted coal wagons in the background, yes I was thinking the same thing that they are stored.

The British Steel strike of 1980 which lasted 14 weeks saw many unfitted coal wagons stored out of use, many to be subsequently scrapped.

I can remember the 'BYRAG' (the following traffic may be accepted by arrangement only) and 'GOSLING' (cease forwarding the following until further notice)

restrictions that were applied to wagon movements during the dispute.

 

cheers