br2975

I remembered why 1979 was such a memorable year for my noting parcels stock......... . E70670E the last LNER designed siw wheeled BZ was withdrawn on 28th June at Haverfordwest. . M32978M the last LMS Styove R or BGZ was withdrawn the same day at Canton, the last six-wheeled NPCCS vehicle (save milk tanks) on BR . The last LMS design CCT vans (a la Hornby) were withdrawn on 6th June. . The last SR designed BY van S713 was withdrawn at Coventry on 8th August. . The last GWR designed 'Monster' (?) W600 was withdrawn on 31st August at Peterborough . The last LNER designed CCT, E1307 was withdrawn on 11th September at Stranraer. . Brian R

I used a redundant 7mm scale 1/8" dia wagon axle and a couple of top hat bearings. . Brian R . BTW After posting earlier, I decided to rummage for and watch a DVD of South Wales industrials................ it shattered as I took it out of the case !

Marc . On the sector plate for "Rosamund St" - I've used styrene sheet, about 0.100" for the base and side walls, together with two fillets fitted between the end of the sleepers and the side walls. . The side walls prevent the sector plate from warping lengthwise . I've had no problems (fingers crossed) . The sector plate holds a loco (Cl.08 / pannier / jinty ) and three 12 ton vans. . No detailed photos of the sector plate as yet, ................ Brian R .

Do you mean " faux pas " ?

Photos of D1671 & D6983 and the tragic Bridgend crash of 17th December 1965 can be found here....... http://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/8678845422/in/photostream/ Brian R

67005 at the head of 1X01 bringing H.M. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall to Cardiff for the state opening of the Senedd - 7th June 2011. . I nipped out of work to catch this and whilst taking one photo, I could see through the viewfinder a member of the entourage greeting the royal party kept waving at me - I put the camera to one side to see it was my (big) boss ! . I made my way along the train snapping every coach 2 or 3 times, and not one member of security staff bothered me, even those who have in the past when snapping something humdrum like a Pacer ! Brian R

37419 enters the viewfinders of a pair of 'tractor devotees' as it rolls into 'The Taff' (a term used by station staff years ago when referring to Platforms 6 & 7) at Cardiff Central with the ECS for a Rhymney working, Saturday 12th August, 2005. . Brian R

37405 on an evening Cardiff - Rhymney working restarts from Llanishen; 3rd June, 2005. . Brian R

Snap ................ "Rosamund Street" has two - and I've just had a pig of a time with one going 'dead' every time the switch was thrown to the right hand road. Took me a couple of days to get to the bottom of it, initially I thought it was my home made "frog polarity switches", but all it needed a dropper down to the busbar - simple, but bl**dy annoying. . Before laying the remainder of the granite setts around the pointwork, I think a few more droppers will be called for (don't want it all going Pete Tong this October !). . Brian R

Here are some extracts from my notes for 1979, all at Cardiff Central . At this time there were invariably several rakes of parcels stock stabled in and around the station area, either alongside "eight and nine" or alongside the "fish jetty" I've included a few other items of interest at the time e.g. sightings of XP64 stock, and the Newport District Managers saloon which was in one rake. I'll leave it to yourselves to identify the origins of the vans from the numbers (including the Siphon and the SPVs). Mon. 140579 Cardiff Central 1115hrs. Rake 1:- 81085+80868+81032+85507+85517+85528+85512+85503+85521 Rake 2:- W2942+94445+S4289+81184+94190+94541+86227+S1855+M31252+81328+S1633 Tues. 150579 Cardiff Central Rake 1:- 85512+85503+85521, 86376+86574 Rake 2:- 86152+86910+81007+S1349+S2075+94541+94190 31286+94443+S1795+S1816+94765+M31004+94793+81070+94144+S1758+S1578+S1415+S1887+S1493+S1354 Weds. 160579 Cardiff Central Rake 1:- S1671+94314+80766+M31923 Rake 2:- 85503+85512+85521+86391+86209 Rake 3:- 35134+94633+S1411+ 86328+S1640+S2096+86255 37289+94899+87897+94522+94232+80616+86580+S1865+94221+86359+94503+S1333+ 94882+ Sat. 190579 Cardiff Central 1200hrs. – Rake 1:- 87897+87742+S2163+94613+81171+ADB999509 Rake 2:- 81032+80868+86383+86198+86951+86439+86566+M31422+86413+86342+81277+86856+86180+80901 180879 Cardiff Central Rake 1:- 81014+94785+94111+94699+S2540+S2073+80768+86626+86958+94539 Rake 2:- 94540+S1773+S1818+94292+94612+94570+S1373+86915+86649 Rake 3:- 86652+80970+86338+86153+86087+94801+S2111+94341+94497+86894 47109+4367+255734728+4433+4773+26133+13407+26070+25508+80542 Note the XP64 stock (4728, 13407, 25508 in the rake hauled by 47109, unfortunately I did not record details of the working) Tues. 280879 Cardiff Central Rake 1:- M31293+87948 Rake 2:- 80752+86147+S1776+S1770+94384+S1745+86534+80747+81315+86310+81515+S1990+ S1461+ Rake 3:- 86610+94406+S2107+94838+S1604+S2511+94247 Sat. 010979 Cardiff Central Rake 1:- M31307+M31408+M31255+80699+S1278 Rake 2:- S272+80899+86776+86491+M31368 Rake 3:- 86975+86671+86824+M31089+94752 47280+24427+25509+4433+4773+26133+13407+26070+25508+80542 47283+M31125+80984+86848+94462+94672+81202 31135+31123+35027+26127+26132+15864+26108+26088+35357 (1Z43) More XP64 stock (incl. 25508/09) in the rake hauled by 47280, again no details of the actual working were recorded. 37178 on a ten coach working, and a pair of Cl.31s on an unidentified excursion. Brian R

2V07 aka 06:59 Rhymney - Radyr seen on 24th January, 2005 at it's destination. . The service carried very few passengers between Cardiff Central and Radyr ( my son, would wait alone at Waungron Park or Fairwater en-route to Uni !) and appears to have been an operational consideration. . The service picked up a Canton shunter at Ninian Park, and then ran around at Radyr, returning as 5V07 - ECS to Canton. . Radyr can be pretty busy in the morning peak and the 37 would need to wait for a lull in order to run around. . Brian R

I may have a few years on you ? . But here's a typical Sunday 'bunk' - without entering the servicing or main sheds or DMU shed (other than the ground lathe bay in the carriage shed to see 1466) !! Sunday 27/06/1971 Cardiff Canton 86A 90, 153, 163, 191, 1050, 1586, 1599, 1649, 1680, 1907, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919, 3263, 3268, 3357, 3429, 3595, 3604, 3759, 3819, 4176, 6603+6982, 6608, 6879, 6907, 6910, 6954, 6956, 6977, 6984, 6985, 6986, 6995, 7007, 7017, 7064, 7069, 7073, 7075, 7077, 7079, 7082, 7083, 7091, 7094, 7095, 7096, 7098, (50653+59268+50707), (50664+50702), (50857+59368+50910), (51339+59543+59492+51382), (51354+59506+51396), (51358+59510+51400), (56293) Steam 1466 (ex-GWR 14XX Class 0-4-2) 68684 ex-GWR ‘Toad’ NOTE(S) 1466 and its attendant ‘Toad’ were stabled in the ground lathe section of the carriage shed. The loco had recently been employed during the filming of “Young Winston” in the Onllwyn area.

Five or so years after the last photo (above) - still 'the home of the thirty-seven" . Brian R

"The home of the six-eighter" - a photo from "back in the day", as they say now. . Spot the interloper. . Brian R

Here's my "two pennyworth" Wayne. . We can swap notes and you can crawl underneath at the Cardiff Show this October. . Brian

Something different at Pengam, 14th. April 2008. . Brian R

For an outstanding couple of minutes of Class 37 'thrash' - this DVD contains a wired for sound cab ride on 37131 & 37229 climbing from Barry through Porthkerry to Aberthaw on a Cardiff Docks - Aberthaw oil train. . Lock the doors, pour a drink, turn up the volume and grip the arms of your chair ................................ . Brian R

Wayne, . The March 1977 Railway Observer reported Landore's 37300 - 37308 having strengthened couplings for the Port Talbot - Llanwern iron ore trains, and that 37269 - 37271 were to be similarly treated. . At this time there were two regular diagrams per day, requiring six locos. . The December 1977 R.O. reports that the locos with strengthened drawgear were 37241, 37298, 37299 and 37300-37308. . The Cl.37s replaced two pairs of Ebbw Jct. Cl.25s that shuttled iron ore hoppers from Newport Docks - Llanwern and a couple of shunter duties at Newport Docks. The redundant hoppers were initially stored at Pontypool and the closed Rogerstone yard. . Brian R

EDIT I've reviewed my notes and the photo was taken on Tuesday 15th. May, 1979. . The locos involved are 37299 + 37304 + 37300 . Brian R

The drawgear mods weren't apparent externally Wayne - I don't even know what they consisted of. . Most (but not all) of the modified locos were in the 37300-308 series and were allocated to Landore, outbased at Margam . I'll dig out my notes. . The one thing I'll always remember of the Llanwern iron ore workings - was the smell - when the brakes were applied. . I shot some video footage between Ely & St. Fagans in the early 90s, by which time the iron ore trains were halued by a sigle Cl.60 - and as one train passed with the brakes coming on the smell was awful. . ISTR the HST sets were modified because the air con intakes were originally near the bogies and the punters were choked when the brakes were applied. . Brian R

Climbing away from Margam, through Kenfig Burrows, Stormy (Down) Bank towards Pyle - Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . And the pairs of Grids that replaced them could scream a bit. Brian R

You youngsters don't know what you missed. . Three of the Margam based 37s (led by 299) with strengthened drawgear roll a Port Talbot - Llanwern iron ore through Cardiff during the late 70s. . Not one of my beter images (care of a Zenit 'B' !). Brian R

30th April 2003, this time the Cardiff Docks - Newport ADJ return working sits inside the ABP Coastal Containers terminal with 37419 biding its time until departure. . Penarth pier can be seen in the background - now recently reopened after restoration, a first class job done too. . Brian R

17th April, 2003 and the daily Newport ADJ - Cardiff Docks headed by 37408 sits on the Cardiff Foreshore, outside its destination, the ABP Coastal Containers terminal on the south side of the Queen Alexandra Dock. . Brian R

Margam - 24th. September 2005. . Brian R