br2975

. Pam torri'r arfer o fywyd ? .

. In my case it was touching the bar of an electric fire immediately it was switched on !

. No, far from it, a lot was BR hauled. . eg In many valleys there were 'central' washeries which (obviously) washed coal, from several collieries in that area and brought to the washery by BR, there was for example the AVCW (Aberdare Valley Central Washery) at NCB Deep Duffryn, Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley, or another in the Ogmore Valley above Bridgend, or Maesteg above Bridgend, or say Hafodyryrnys on the former GWR Vale of Neath line, above Pontypool. . BR would work trainloads of coal from various pits to these washeries, and then take block trainloads of the now washed coal to various industrial customers, or for export. . BR would move 'household coal' or 'concessionary coal' around from one pit to another pit's Landsale Yard. . If a pit could or did produce coal suitable for domestic use locally, then the NCB pit loco would shunt NCB internal user wagons from the washery screens to the pit's Landsale yard in the course of its days work. Right up until the mid-70s and later this could often be in wooden bodied ex-PO wagons.

. Stove (Stovesse), Beans, Fren are different grades and qualities of coal produced by the pit. . Paul Bartlett has numerous photos of the Cynheidre internal users at:- https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/cynheidreinternalwagon . I suspect "Fren" is an abbreviation for "French Nuts" more common in the west Wales coalfield. . Different coal seams in the same coalfield could produce different types of coal, which when graded as to size, and washed would be identified by further different names. . There were literally dozens of such names across the South Wales coalfield, sometimes including the name of the pit, other times not; eg Taff Merthyr Washed Small Ebbw Vale Washed Small Quality B washed Cobbles Group 4 Large Nuts Abercynon Dowlais washed Smalls Penallta Washed Cobbles Washed Peas Ocean Small Tirbach Anthracite Beans Trebles Cardiff Small Boiler Nuts Cardiff Large Boiler Nuts Cardiff Dowlais Large Boiler Nuts 2A Grains 1 Grains Rheola Small Hafodyrynys Washed Large Untreated Small Ocean washed 3/4" Small Oriental Washed Cobbles Banwen Washed Grains Waterloo Raw Small................... . etc, etc, etc . Another anomaly is the movement of coal to Landsale Yards. . Most household coal in the South Wales valleys was sourced by coal merchants from pithead Landsale Yards, there were far fewer coal merchants based at local railway stations than elsewhere in Britain. S.J. Lewis located at Nelson & Llancaiach, on the Vale of Neath / Taff Bargoed was a prime example. . Let us say that NCB Twll Cach Colliery is in the Rhymney Valley and produces mainly washed and blended small coal for industrial use, shipped out in block trains of MDV wagons. . That product would be unsuitable for use as house coal, yet the pit has a Landsale yard. . Therefore house coal could be brought into the NCB Twll Cach Landsale Yard from NCB Aberflyarff in the Cynon Valley, a pit which produces house coal. . The house coal would be shipped out of NCB Aberflyarff in a household coal train as far as say Radyr Yard, where it is then attached to a trainload of empties going up to NCB Twll Cach in the Rhymney Valley . The same would happen with 'concessionary coal' - as all miners had an allowance of free coal each year. . As NCB Twll Cach doesn't produce household coal, 'concessionary coal' for the miners there may originate from, say the NCB Efflew Valley Central Washery, and reach Twll Cach via say Tondu, Margam and Radyr. . Unlike coal merchants who delivered to the customers door, in 1cwt bags, and tipped the contents into the customers 'coal house' (ty glo in Welsh) concessionary coal was (generally) dumped loose in the street outside the miners home, or in a lane in the rear and it was down to the miner, or his family, to bring it in. . The movement of coal in the South Wales Valleys was not just a case of loaded trains down to the coast, and empties back up the valleys; it was far more involved than that. . And I haven't mentioned the movement of coal to and from washeries, or to and from stocking or blending sites (for sweetening). Or The uses or restrictions of certain types of wagon, in certain areas of the coalfield. . Hope this brief insight helps. . . PS Tomorrow, Thursday, 30th. November, 2023 sees the enforced closure of the Ffos-y-fran opencast mine above Merthyr Tydfil. This is the last coal forwarding site in the South Wales coalfield Coal is only permitted to leave by rail, using the Taff Bargoed branch from Cwmbargoed through Nelson to Ystrad Mynach and then down the Rhymney Valley to cardiff and eventually Tata Steel at Port Talbot. There is but one train a day, Class 66 hauled HTAs from Cwmbargoed to Margam yard. When any stockpiled coal is exhausted, and there isn't much. That will be the end of coal trains in South Wales. RIP - Welsh coal . .

More Landsale nonsense, this time Cynheidre, Five Roads, near Llanelli. .

. And, it's on a wheel skate ?

. Well at least it turned up

. Don't let the TfW punters hear you praising their 'proper DMUs' . And 156s on TfW ? . Did you mean 150s or 158s ?

. I'm not too sure Rob. . I'll check some of my books, there may be some distance shots in John Hodges' tomes.

My photo of the 'classic' Thames Valley parcels lash-up, Reading 1974ish. . Cl.128 DPU Blue star through wired GUV (either W86174 or W86572) Cl.116 DMS SR 4-wheeled 'swinger' on the rear. . A closer look confirms the GUV is one of the pair formerly used in the 'Railair Express Parcels' unit (between W51137 and W51150) - as there is a gap in the lettering where 'air' has been painted out to now read "Rail Express Parcels"

When I was first married (1978/1979) , I used to walk my Border Collie 'Ninian' through the landsale yard at NCB Cwm (Llantwit) and it was very much like the stereotypical coal merchants siding(s) in most goods yards. The yard was adjacent to the BR exchnage sidings and was shunted by the two distinctive NCB Bagnall / Brush 0-6-0DE shunters. In the photo we see NCB No.2 WB3074/1955 taking empty MDVs from the exchange sidings (right) to the pit (left) . The landsale yard was behind the bushes on the right. The yard is still there, overgrown - and a colliery dram stands beside the road, with a bench called 'codgers corner'

. The wagons were emptied into an underground pit and the coal lifted using a conveyor system, if I remember correctly. . B.

Just for you Wayne, here's the Mountain Ash (Abergorki) Landsale Yard being shunted in the late 70s by Barclay 0-6-0ST "Llantanam Abbey" (the loco with the misspelt name) . By this time, the Landsale took in only hoppers. . Landsales would regularly bring in coal from other pits, as the coal produced at a particular pit may not be suitable for domestic use. . In addition wagonloads of 'concessionary coal' would be moved around the valleys from one pit to the landsale yard of another, to be delivered to miners homes. . I took the shot off the top of a 'tump' and we're looking up the Cynon Valley towards Mountain Ash. . The line is the mainline from NCB Penrikyber at Penrhiwceiber, and the Pontcynon stacking and blending site that went through Mount, past the central Workshops, diesel shed, sidings, steam shed and then deep Duffryn Colliery on its way to the Phurnacite Plant at Abercwmboi. . The whole system was considered a public right of way by the locals, as seen here with two old biddies bringing their shopping back to Newtown from Oxford Street. . I'm watching your progress now......................

. A book so good, I bought it twice. . The second time was when "NHY581" whispered to me "have you seen what's on the shelf over there ?" . Oh ! and will you be getting Modelu to produce this bloke for your layout ? .

A selection of images taken at Taffs Well this morning, Saturday 25th. November, 2023. . Excellent views of the TfW Depot can be gained from the Taffs Well station footbridge, and also the road to Ty Rhiw where it crosses the A470. .

Hard to believe I haven't stood on this platform for 18 years, and before that it was in the 70s to watch a brace of Cl.20s pass en-route to Treherbert ! . Answers on a postcard please. .

My local station - Waungron Park. . Platform extensions underway yesterday, Friday 24th. November.. . "Tin Rockets" are still the transport of choice on the City Line

. My 1970-1971 WTT shows . 1B43 23:00 Cardiff - Bristol, 'conveys POS vans' and WTT identifies the train as not being permitted to convey four-wheeled vehicles with a wheelbase of less than 18' 0" . I'm off to check my other WTTs and any CWNs that may be relevant.

As you'll have noticed, you will get any number of answers to your question. . However, the best place to start your research is either relevant WTTs (Working Time Tables) , CWN's (Carriage Working Notices) or Passenger Train Working notices for the stations of your interest. . BR WR WTTs would show the restrictions on 4-wheeled stock by using symbols in the column relating to a specific train . The symbols would usually be in the form of the 'spades' symbol, as shown on playing cards. . 2 'spades' symbols = "Four wheeled vehicles must NOT be conveyed on this train" or 1 'spade' symbol = "Four-wheeled vehicles with wheelbase of 18 feet or less must NOT be conveyed on this train" NB - see images below . Most Class 1 passenger trains by the early 70s were barred from conveying four-wheeled stock. . CWNs will show you what vehicles made up specific trains, and where those vehicles should be marshalled in that train; as well as their previous and next workings. . As for GUVs, they were common in BR (WR) passenger trains in my day, early 70s some examples were 1B16 08:10 Padd - Worcester. 1B25 08:30 Padd - PZ 1C76 15:15 Padd - Hfd. 1C97 18:00 Padd-Swansea and how about....... . 1C23 21:30 Padd-Cdff via Gloucester would be formed (from the front) Siphon G - detached Glos Siphon G - detached Glos GUV - Cardiff Siphon G - Cardiff SK - Cardiff CK - Cardiff BCK - Cardiff SK - Cardiff SK - Cardiff BG - Cardiff GUV - detached Swindon . The Padd - Fishguard "Boat Trains" could, and did, carry two or three GUVS. . I cannot recall CCTs, PMVs of six-wheeled stock commonly running in regular passenger workings by the early 70s, albeit one should never say 'no' - I doubt it was a regularity.

. Western Avenue in Cardiff is a busy, major, east - west artery that avoids the city centre. . Until a year ago, it was 40mph along its' whole length. . Then, the speed limit was reduced to 30mph along the entire road. . In order to remind drivers of the new lower speed limit, red signs were placed at strategic locations, proclaiming "New 30mph speed limit in force" . The Welsh Assembly Government has since reduced one section of about 3/4 mile in length that runs past the Cardiff Met. Uni. to an even lower 20mph. . So in twelve months the speed limit on this one stretch has dropped from 40mph to 20mph. . However, no one has removed the "New 30mph speed limit in force" signage from the now 20mph section. . Only in Wales !

. And don't forget, stick to 20mph. . You wouldn't want to get caught doing 22mph, be thrown in a gulag on Steep Holme island, and then deported.

Behold, a wise man cometh from the south, bearing gifts for a Hippo . Not frankinsence, not myrrh, not gold - something of far greater value. . Feast thine eyes upon thy gift, o heathens !

. 37143 was recovered from the Ebbw River, in August 1975, using Kelbus gear to draw it up the temporary, sleeper built roadway. . 1200 'Falcon' was one of the locos used in the recovery. .

. RAF St. Athan. .

. Back in the 1980s, when I was fitter, and would run to and from work - I would pass daily a house in Penygarn Road in the Ely area of Cardiff where the (decorated) Christmas tree stayed up, all year round.