corneliuslundie

For details of coal mined at collieries in south Wales an invaluable source is Tony Cooke's book and accompanying CD: "Gazetteer of the coal mines of South Wales & Monmouthshire from 1854" (Lightmoor, 2018). For Cwrt-y-Bettws (note spelling) it says: "Minerals worked - Manufacturing and steam coal" For Raglan Slants Bridgend, "Household and manufacturing coal", seam worked from 1908, and for Raglan No 4 Drift, Bridgend "Manufacturing and household coal 1911--1922" So both too late and not anthracite. Garnet slant was worked from much earlier, but seems to have stopped in 1875, starting again in 1880 but no proper records until 1910, again household and manufacturing coal. Anthracite was normally found only at the western side of the south Wales coalfield. I am therefore a bit puzzled by the 1902 photograph. According to Cooke, Ernest Hall Hedley and Henry Moreton Hedley (note the spelling) had interests in Brynwith, Cwmnantllwd & Cwmnantllwyd Old Level, Cwrt-y-Bettws, Garnet, Great Morfa, Gwyn’s Drift, Primrose No. 2, Raglan, Raglan No. 4, Tareni Nos 1 & 2, Tareni Level, Waunycoed, Waunycoed Drifts, Ynysfechan. So not much help for Chris I am afraid. But for anthracite almost any colliery west of Llanelly is likely. One problem with many of the PO wagon kits and transfers is that most are well after 1895. Jonathan

The Dolgelly line was GWR rather than Cambrian of course, so outside the scope of the book. Unfortunately there are no identifiable PO wagons in the book on the Llangollen-Dolgelley line by Rear and Jones - in fact hardly any PO wagons at all.But I would think that the collieries around Ruabon would have supplied quite a lot of coal to the coast line. Wynnstay and Vauxhall for example, possibly Plas Kynaston and Garden Lodge in earlier days. Dapol did a Vauxhall wagon. Jonathan

Not sure about the livery in C9826. Jonathan

Perhaps Mr Moxon has a contract with one of the local businesses to supply coal. As he is a factor the coal could have come from anywhere, even Nantcwmdu, though I haven't seen one of his wagons there. Or maybe it is anthracite from South Wales for the local brewery? But I am glad to see that Mr Parry has a wagon with proper buffers. It'll be Ok for another 17 years. Jonathan

I didn't mean to start a major discussion! And my comment "never again" was related to the temperature of the sea. Give me Durres in Albania for swimming. But to contribute to the resorts, from Cardiff a very popular resort was Weston super Mud. Miles of beach - and that was just looking for the sea when the tide was out. Jonathan

Stayed at Butlins once (A Spring Harvest event) at Easter and swam in the sea. Never again. I assume that the class 20s spent the week hauling mainly coal. Jonathan

In J923 was the track to the right of the line originally another line? It looks very much like it. Jonathan

I assume the soil must be pretty unstable (or is it something else?), to need such deep piling. Jonathan

J4374: that class 31 is looking pretty weatherbeaten. J

Lovely examples of weathering and dirt on those NCB wagons. Jonathan

I am very surprised this one has not been reported before https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cumbria-train-derailment-sinkhole-lancaster-barrow-northern-b2517101.html My sister who lives in Grange over Sands tells me that the line is theoretically due to reopen soon but in un likely to because the embankment in the area ids reported to be made of sand. Sounds unlikely but one never knows. Jonathan

One you probably didn't take when you were there: Zweisimmen from the cablecar up the adjacent mountain. When I got to the top the restaurant was so full of Germans I couldn't get served. Jonathan

Or reinstate the car parking. Much more important!!! J

"just a free bag of snacks." No doubt factored into the contractor's price and therefore paid for by NR, ie by you. Jonathan

So will the HS2 drivers need it? Hat, coat . . . . J

Just to state that HMRS Methfix and Pressfix transfers in 4 mm/ft and 7 mm/ft are currently available from the Society website and at exhibitions where we have a stand. Apparently rumours have been going the rounds that we have stopped selling them. What was have stopped is supplying them to the trade. And of course there was a period when many of them were out of stock while we searched for a new printer after the two we had been using ceased trading. It is rather a specialist process and not many printers can produce the transfers. But now we have a new printer and plenty of stock of most sheets. But we are definitely continuing to supply and are just in the process of taking delivery of a large supply of the special paper needed. Jonathan David For the Historical Model Railway Society

Sorry, I mean the train on the left, or is it just wagons in the4 siding? There seems to be a loco emitting smoke at the far end. Jonathan

In JVol1194 is that a down train on the ex-LNWR line? Jonathan

In view of the apparent damage being caused by social media perhaps they shouldn't install cables. Remember life before the internet and mobile phones? But you remind me of my commuting days on Thameslink. Night after night commuters would join the train at Farringdon and KX and immediately phone home - to be cut off as soon as the train entered the tunnel after KX. And I am sure it was the same commuters each time but the never learned. Jonathan

Yes, to me it looks as if the unit has split and we are seeing the end of one of the centre vehicles. Jonathan

Ah, but are they passing their tests? J

"duel carriageway" - sorry, couldn't resist it, so apt. Jonathan

Bring back those green diesel loco liveries. Nothing has ever looked so good since. Jonathan

"Depending on type, each wagon could be up to 51 tons gross." Yes, you are right. That is my pregrouping mind at work! I'd better shut up. Jonathan

You are right. And I have recently had new glasses. So max 175 tons. Jonathan