br2975

Oi ! . I resemble that remark . Brian R

Some things just stick in your mind.................. . Saturday 30th. April, 1966 - en route to Bristol, Bath Road Open Day I saw 33027, my only ever Q1 0-6-0 waiting at Severn Tunnel Jct. shed for movement to Cashmores, Newport; one of the last three in service (33006/20/27) , withdrawn in January 1966. . I remeber too seeing the likes of 46521 on the move by rail, away from Woodhams, and the no longer withdrawn 5322 being towed past Newport, Ebbw Jct. on its way from the Caerphilly Works preservation site to the GWS at Didcot. . My only USA tanks 30067/69/71 lined up at Cashmores, Newport as I sailed by aboard the sand dredger 'Isca'. . Nearly decapitating myself in the doorway of a withdrawn BR(WR) "Noah's ark" brake van from Branches Fork/Pontnewynydd (stabled in front of a BR 'Crosti' 8F) an in use as a yard office at Buttigieg's, Newport Docks I believe the last BR steam loco cut at Cashmores was 73069 in March 1969. . Brian R

"Steam for Scrap" Volumes 1,2 & 3 by Nigel Trevenna, pub. by Atlantic would be a worthwhile read. . There were concentration points around the network to which condemned locos would be towed and then held until moving on to the scrapyards. . The movements would normally be advertised in advance in the relevant Weekly Traffic Notices. . Occasionally a yard would buy a loco of a class with a route restriction that forbade its movement to their yard e.g. the two Kings that were stored for years at Woodham Bros. barry Docks had initially been sold to a West Wales scrapyard but were prohibited from working west of Cardiff, and were diverted to Barry Docks (still possibly restricted, but overlooked due to the short distance involved?) These places included Gloucester (Horton Road) MPD, Severn Tunnel Jct MPD and Shrewsbury which were staging points for locos destined for the South Wales scrapyards. . Condemned locos would be towed singly, in two or threes sometimes with open wagons as spacers and a brake van bringing up the rear. . Normally a BR 'caretaker' or 'rider' would accompany the locos whilst being moved. . Such convoys could be steam or diesel hauled; in some cases they would be hauled by a withdrawn loco - the late Alan Jarvis photographed a withdrawn SR Mogul in steam at Cardiff East Dock shed having hauled a convoy destined for one of the South Wales yards. . Withdrawn ocos and stock were regulars through cardiff during the late 60s and early 70s - producing such sights as 2-Bil, 4-Cor, Cravens diesel hydraulic units, M.S.J & A electric units, London Transport stock and diesel Pullman sets. . Brian R

Top man . (D)3747, 3748, 3749 & 3753- the inevitable Cardiff General station pilots of my youth. . Brian R

There are some at Whitmore Bay on Barry Island now Steve. . Brian R

I have followed this thread with interest - the location, South Wales valleys being close to my heart. . Even better - located at the buffer stops stands a building which can be found at the end of my street - literally. . Keep it up Chris. . Brian R

Once had a holiday job in connection with the then Cardiff Searchlight Tatto. . My dad, who I laboured for, told me to watch how other blokes worked as the military bands practised. . Everyone worked faster when the bands played quick marches, then when they played Scipio and the chorus of the Hebrew Slaves all the workmen slowed down........ . As for me, my favourites are (i) the overture to the Marriage of Figaro, and (ii) Elgar's Nimrod. . Brian R

Remember how if you didn't stir it there would be lumps that resembled sawdust in the middle of your curry - which also contained the odd raisin ! Remember how if you didn't stir it there would be lumps that resembled sawdust in the middle of your curry - which also contained the odd raisin !

. How I miss rhubarb tart. . Brian R

How about a sound chip with a function that produces rattling droplights ?

Newton Abbott was still an important location at the start of the 70s. . I only ever 'bunked' the place once, and that included the shed and repair shops. Sunday 22nd. August,1971. Newton Abbot 83A 93, 107, 130, 132, 157, 158, 807, 814, 818, 822, 839, 842, 851, 853, 855, 1027, 1648, 1737, 1840, 1905, 1917, 3808, 4022, 4167, 6337, (50865+59372+50918), (51313+51328), (51335+59487+59543+51377)+(51372+59479+51414), B8W (Wickham Trolley). . Brian R

The only other time I recall seeing a Cl.22 the Welsh side of the SEvern Tunnel, was on 25th. April, 1970 as my Cardiff - Eastbourne 'Mystery Trip' passed Severn Tunnel Jct. and there was D6343 together with D141, D814, D1756/1911/1938 and D3596. . Brian R

Vary rare in South Wales (west of Severn Tunnel Jct.) . But not unique, as my spotting notes show:- I've put the whole days sightings in for the sake of completeness nostalgia Saturday 06/03/1971 Cardiff General 53, 183 809, 1003, 1012, 1015, 1045, 1595, 1665, 1677, 1699, 1715, 1904, 1926, 3261, 3266 6354, 6956, 6957, 6975, 6984, 6985, 6991, 7009, 7058, 7069, 7080 NOTE 6354 worked an unidentified ballast train in the down direction. The following month 6327 was employed on a similar working and was photographed looped at Llandough (pub. in Taff Vale Lines to Penarth by Neil Sprinks/Eric Mountford pub. Oakwood Press). Brian R

"Thirded" too . Thanks Gareth . Brian R

British Rail Universal TRAINSPOTTING Equipment !!!!!

Getting back to hydraulics; Bristol, Bath Road - mid 1970s. care of my then Zenit B. . L-R we have Classes 119 / 03 / 08 / 52 / 50 / 46 / 28 / 37 / 03 & 50. . Brian R

From a spot of research, using the aforementioned 1971-1972 WTT's I append a 'train plan' showing the timetabled workings at Llantrisant. . This includes the Cl.08 yard / trip pilot which served the Glamorgan Haemetite Mine at Llanharry; also the two Cl.37 trip pilots for Coed Ely, Cwm and Creigiau as well as the odd trip along the SWML. . Any observations, gladly taken on board. . Brian R Llantrisant train plan-1971-mod140814.xls

Now there's a document I'd love to peruse for an hour or two in my first floor gentleman's retreat ! . Brian R

A-ha . So, the games a'foot See also:- 8B22 10:20 MWFO Radyr Quarry - Avonmouth which I believe, was the balancing working of 7F22 06:45 MWFO Avonmouth - Radyr Jct arr. 09:07 - according to the 1971/72 WTT Sec.9 or 7C22 07:05 Avonmouth - Radyr Jct. MWFO or Llantrisant TThO arr. 09:15 - according to the 1971/72 WTT Sec.7 . Memoirs Pix ? . I trust I find you in rude health sir ? . Brian R .

I've checked with the 1971-1972 WTT and the return working to South Wales was 6V55. . By 1977 the train was only running three days per week and the Kingswinford bound working was still 8M64, but the return was now 7V55. . "andymozza" is correct in his reference to the make up of the Llantrisant train, a glimpse of which can be caught here:- http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Llantrisant&serial=3&img=G-104-10 . Brian R

This is what you need Phil. 8M64 20:06 Llantrisant - Kingswinford 6V55 02:40 MX Kingswinford - Llantrisant 08:35 . https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/13955852032/in/set-72157635910263844 . Unfortunately, not a hydraulic job. Brian R

D9502 - with coke hoppers (again, at least one branded "Pensnett" ) and a few gunpowder vans, and again most probably tripping to Llantrisant. D9527 - also on coke hoppers. . Folk will be thinking there's a common thread developing .......... . Thanks again Gareth . Brian R

Get the chequebook out Phil - and put "Three-Aitch" into Google..................... Trust the South Wales Echo to get a story wrong........ it appears the driver and I lived in the same road at that time; but it wasn't in Ely !

From Gareth's photos above; D9548 was captured at Merthyr some time between 26th. July, 1965 when it was allocated from new, to Cardiff, Canton and December, 1966 when it was transferred to Hull, Daireycoates. . D9502 was probably captured at Long Dyke (the street behind is Cumnock Place) some time between May, 1967 when it was transferred to Canton from Bristol, Bath Rd. and 20th. February, 1969 when it was put into store at Canton, before being withdrawn on 26th. April that year. It left Canton on 30th. June, 1969 along with 9514, 9518 & 9527, towed by D6607 as far as Gloucester having been sold to the NCB; arriving at NCB Ashington on 6th. August,1969. https://www.flickr.com/photos/68861278@N03/8273028430/ . http://britishmainlinegroup.org/community/index.php?topic=108.0 NOTE:- the Coke Hopper coupled to D9502 appears to bear the 'PENSNETT' branding applied to those wagons with modified hopper doors that worked between Llantrisant and Kingswinford (for Pensnett) carrying foundry coke for Lunt, Comley & Pitt. Brian R

"...It is interesting to see a Western on a Taunton-Cardiff service, because for nearly all the time that I was viewing the workings they were in the hands of Swindon dmus...." . A year or two earlier, I think there was one a day loco hauled, I'll have to check - but I don't have a 1973 WTT. . Brian R