br2975

J409 - the Peak and the Pram ! . That chassis could make a real good 'bogie' (Cardiff phrase) or 'gambo' (Valleys term). . Keep 'em coming Dave. . Brian R

The Barry Docks pilot, parked in its' then usual position alongside Atlantic Mills on the south side of No.2 Dock. . Brian R

Continuing on from the previous post ....... . No.6... 09003 emerges from its lair on the quayside and cautiously approaches level crossing No.4. The tail end of 37402s train is in the foreground. . No.7...09003 crosses the road with the shunte sporting some snazzy shades. . No.8...09003 couples onto the rear half of the train - 37402 is just visible in the far distance. . No.9...09003 propels the one half of the train across level crossing No.4 and ono the south arm of the dock. . No.10...with 37402 having been released, 09003 marshalls the return train. . Hope these help explain the working as it was then. . The pilot duty here was later withdrawn and the train engine performed the shunting. . Brian R Cardiff

For those unaware of the area, the branch currently in use leaves the Cardiff - Barry line just west of Cadoxton (pronounced by locals as CadUXTUN not CadOXton !!) and running west and parallel to the main line drops down and near Barry Dock station describes a 180' curve to turn back east, crossing Woodham Road on the level then runs eat alongside the dock before passing through the site of the short lived Dunne Bros. scrapyard, over another level crossing and then describing another 180' curve to reach the south side of the dock. . The branch ended in two sidings alongside one of the dock roads and formed a loop, but at the time of these photos the main line loco on the trip from Newport ADJ was uncoupled from the train and ran forward to the blocks. . The Cl.08/09 was normally stabled on the dockside adjacent to the Rank-Hovis silo - and this then ran out, crossed the road and took half of the train onto the dock, where the containers were unloaded, most going by road into the Dow Corning site. . The shunter would then fetch the other half of the train onto the dockside, allowing the main line loco to be released and stable out of the way, as the shunter then placed the wagons (with empty containers, or no containers) back into the loop that wasn't a loop and then it retired to the dockside and shut down. . The main line loco then dropped back onto the train and returned to Newport ADJ. . These manoeuvres could take all morning. . The following ten photos are dated August 2002 - but I am not 100% that the date is correct. . The locos involved are 37402 'Bont Y Bermo' and 09003 'Tattoo' . 1...37402 approaches Woodham Road crossing. The Cardiff - Barry line is above and behind the loco. . 2...37402 runs east along the north side of the dock. . 3...37402 negotiates the thid road crossing as it approaches the south side of the dock . 4...37402 having uncoupled from its train stands almost at the blocks. The crossover that formed the loco release or the loop can be seen in te foreground - rusty for August. . 5...09003 stabled as it awaits the arrival of 37402. . Five more shots in the next post. . Brian R Cardiff

Brother, a few to get you started. . A shot across the dock of the Rank / Hovis facility - Polybulks were handled here in the 'Speedlink' era, with grain from East Anglia - usually in one's or two's. . And two shots of 09003 'Tattoo' shunting 17th. April 2003. . If you want some more, let me know. . Big Bro Bri.

I recall the excrement hitting the air circulation device one evening when one of the tanks derailed at Cadoxton, albeit I don't think it was the Baglan Bay service.. . There may be references on-line. . Brian R

Yo ! . The picture of the Cl.60 sitting in Dunne Bros. scrapyard (featured in Post No.17) was taken by yours truly ! . ( I lost the original set of photos, when my computer suffered a fatal crash before I could store them on my seperate hard drive ) . I have some more shots of the area - I'll have to check. . Brian R (aka 'big brother)

unable to post updates and photos at the moment due to deficiencies in my Spanish internet connection. Updates etc from next Monday / Tuesday. Brian R

First - "The Fiction" . As a trainspotter in the late 60s and early 70s the ultimate aim was always to 'clear B.R.' . But, sitting in a BRUTE at Cardiff General logging Westerns and Brushes would never achieve such an ambition. . "If you want to clear BR, you need to get the shunters" extolled my spotting mentor, Doug. . So, instead of undertaking lone wolf shed bashes to Birmingham (for Bescot & Saltley) or Manchester (for Longsight, Newton Heath & Reddish) I joined a local railway society that ran weekend coach trips to such out of the way places as King's Lynn, Westhouses, Northwich and Frodingham. . A browse through my 1971 and 1972 locoshed books would show my Brushes (now Cl.47) and "H-Bombs" (now Cl.20) looking decidedly healthy ................ but those shunters, the lack of lines under their numbers stood out like a sore thumb. . The only way to track the shunters down would be to find out where they worked, and where they stabled at weekends - all this in the days before the indespensible "Shunter Duties" was an idea, yet a publication. . Shunters could spend weeks away from their home depot, and they could work many miles from that depot e.g. a Canton shunter would be outbased at Aberdare (only 25 miles) whereas a Landore shunter could be at Carmarthen, Whitland or worse,F ishguard Harbour ! . Those shunters not under repair on shed, or working as shed, yard or station pilots lurked in dingy urban environments, small yards or sidings hidden away amongst engineering works, factories and depressing streets where access was impossible unless you were either 'in the know' or had special forces training. . Such a place was Rosamund Street, actually Rosamund Street (Low Level) Sidings. . By the turn of the 1970s this industrialised inner-city yard was but a shadow of its former self, ( a group of sidings serving local industries and businesses ) on a freight only branch that left the mainline at Riverside Junc. a mile or two away and which, via Rosamund Street (Low Level) eventually served several riverside yards and industries further along the line from Rosamund Street. . The Rosamund Street pilot job was withdrawn a year or so ago, and the branch was tripped 'as and when required' by the Riverside Junc. pilot. . But recently NCL (National Carriers Ltd.) have had their eyes on at least part of Rosamund Street (Low Level). . To be continued ...................... with Rosamund St. - The Fact. . Brian R

30506 hauling 30499+30841+30847 left Feltham for South Wales on 18th August, 1964. Some reports suggest 30506 failed at Staines and returned to 70B to be replaced by 30824 as train engine. . What was pulling it by the time it reached Cardiff General, where the photo was definitely taken, is not known (by me, at least) Brian R

You've broken my heart treating a 2-Bil like that. . Big Brother

I don't remember sanctioning your annual leave ? Remember the chain of command !

I remember ex-BR Cl.03 shunter D2123 in Birds yard, Stapleton Road - it stood there for years, never saw it move, and suspect it was in use as some sort of generator ? . As for Stapleton Road, the pictures sent a shiver down my spine .................. was relieved of £5 by Nelson St. Magistrates in the early 70s after a BTP bod nabbed me leaving a moving train, such was my haste to see Cardiff City beat 'the Gas' !! . Brian R

My daughter moved out years ago .................... but her twin sons have all but moved back in ! . But they can tell a 60 from a 47 from a 37 from a 20 and a Beyer Garrat and greet the Colas log trains to and from Briton Ferry with great excitement (they're 4 yrs old). . Brian R

Over 4yrs for yours truly, and I have less time to myself now than I ever did ! . Brian R

My notes suggest this was Saturday 8th April, 1972; and amongst the locos we recorded at Severn Tunnel Jct.that day included :- 141, 1047 Western Lord, (1051 passing), 1691, 1740, 1906/30/96, 3189, 4001, 5180, 5842, 6782, 7512, 7513/15. . Brian R

Radyr - Normanby Park was coal (for Appleby Frodingham Steel Co. ?) in 'pools' (16 tonners) and 21 tonners. . As for the others, I can't really say . Here's another service for a 'split box' Cl.37 . 8V25 03:30 Bescot-STJ as shown here on Brian Tuckers Flickr site:- . https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/8684313424/in/set-72157635910618504 . Brian R

6E53 1543 Llandilo Jct. - Whitemoor. - not sure what the inbound working was tho' . What about the daily 6M83 Llandilo Jct - Langley Green and 6V15 return Brian ? . Any ideas as to what it's 'stock in trade' was ? . Have recently acquired all three 1971-72 WTTs for (i) Swindon / Awre Jct - Swansea; (ii) Cardiff Valleys Branches and (iii) West Wales - so I'm on a buzz at the moment. . Brian R

In the late 60s there was an oil working to Cardiff Tidal that was Cl.33 hauled, the loco would return immediatley and we, at Cardiff General/Central were blissfully unaware. . They did eventually appear for several years on the summer dated 10:20 and 11:20 from Pompey Harbour. . By 1971 the only Fawley - SouthWales oil working was a WO Fawley - Penarth Curve North and return - weekly fuel oil for Canton TMD, so this could well have changed locos at STJ; as it arrived and departed Canton in the wee small hours this is one 15 year old who didn't quit his pit to go and check what was on the front ! . Anyway, can my fellow hydraulic worshippers forgive the following shot of an Eastleigh 33/1 arriving at Cardiff General in the summer of '71 with a Pompey working. . Brian R

Phil . There were a handful of workings that brought 'split box' 37s to South Wales about that time - but very much the exception rather than the rule. eg 8V66 0320 Normanby Park - Cardiff Tidal Sidings or Cardiff Long Dyke Jct. which returned as 8E46 1250 Radyr-Normanby Park. . But as for STJ, how about 7V63 1115 Tinsley STJ and 8E51 0100 MO STJ Tinsley . 'The Stationmaster' mentioned that a system known as 'blockplan' meant coal empties arriving in South Wales were run to East Usk or Jersey Marine and not necessarily STJ, which meant light engine movements with foreign power picking up return workings from other yards, or stabling at STJ etc. . I've seen mention of a Warship being employed on an STJ - Ebbw Vale and return steel train during a weekend layover, how I wish I'd seen that. There were a number of paths each day for workings between STJ and Washwood Heath - where the Saltley men 'may' have used a 37 instead of their own locos ???? . Passing STJ (when using the SSC - Second Severn Crossing) nowadays and seeing but an expanse of weeds tugs at the heart strings. . Brian R

It's 11th. July, 1973 at what had recently become Cardiff 'Central' . 1939 is in Platform 2 on a Swansea - Paddington working . 6876 waits for the road on the 'up' relief as 6990 & 6991 draw up behind on an oil train from Waterston bound for the Birmingham area. . Aaah those warm sunny 'Instamatic' days. . Brian R

At this time the majority of South Wales-West Mids oil trains were worked by pairs of "six-eighters" ( Cl.37s to the youngsters). . Such air-braked modernity as 100 ton tankers didn't pass my school (Cantonian), even vac-fitted 21 tonners were in the minority when compared to the unfitted 'pools' - 21ton hoppers and coke hoppers. . But, there was the infrequent MGR working, hauled by one of Canton's SSF Cl.47s in the low D1900s. Brian R

With the Murco refinery at Robeston up for sale, and its future in jeopardy - interest heightens in the only regular oil train out of South Wales the Cl.60 powered Robeston - Westerleigh / Theale. . Hard to believe how many paths were catered for during 1971/72, but this is what the WTT contained back then:- . 6M33 1715 Coy Hebrandston-Shrewsbury 6M34 2325 MX Coy Tidal Sidings-Soho Pool 6M37 2100 Coy Llandarcy-Rowley Regis 6M38 0600 Coy Llandarcy-Rowley Regis 6M39 1840 Coy Llandarcy-Rowley Regis 6M40 0335 MX Coy Llandarcy-Rowley Regis, Witton, Wednesbury or Spring Vale 6M41 1140 Coy Llandarcy-Rowley Regis 6M49 0955 Coy Waterston-Albion 6M50 1510 Coy Waterston-Albion 6M51 0500 Coy Waterston-Kingsbury 6M52 2025 Coy MX Waterston-Albion 6M53 0048 MX Coy Waterston-Albion IIRC Llandarcy was 'BP', Waterston was 'Gulf' as was the traffic from Cardiff Tidal. Not so sure about Hebrandston - Salop (Shrewsbury Abbey ?) . Brian R

(i) - Agreed - the poor unfortunate soul destined to teach me 'tech drawing' had one of the derivatives, the registration being RWO ???G. (ii) - Or in my case, the rear sub-frame of my Clubman YTX551H - broken whilst negotiating roadworks in Cardiff (and fracturing the hydrolastic pipes as well) . I approached the contractors about covering the cost of my repairs - they refused - I then let them know I worked for South Glam Highways, and our records showed they didn't have an 'opening up order' and had dug up the carriageway without permission - reluctantly, the reimbursed me the cost of the replacement, which came very cheaply care of Bill Way (a Cardiff legend). . Brian R

Apparently not Steve. . Paul will be my relief operator on 'Rosamund Street'. . Brian R