br2975

I wondered how long it would take a polyglot to work it out. It's more a 'literal' translation than an accurate one - but hopefully the name will reflect the industrial setting ? Brian R

Hence the contruction of a new shed to house my proposed 4mm 1971/1972 South Walian empire aka "Twll Cach" Brian R

(i) It bears a striking resemblance to the inside of an Eccles Cake (ii) They must be tame sheep grazing in a field - in most of South Wales they graze where they bl**dy well like, and deposit their excrement in a similar manner. "In a previous life" my daughter attended a neighbourhood PACT meeting in the Garw Valley - where the most contentious issue was a flock of feral sheep terrorising Pontycymmer - mob handed they would enter gardens and back yards, rip open bin bags, knock over bins, cr*p everywhere and weren't scared of humans shouting and waving their arms ! Brian R

Two days late - but what the heck ! . On 5th. January, 1973 I recorded the following (some of which were ex store at OOC) at the Barry Docks West Pond site of Woodham Bros. awaiting scrapping. . I have included the Regional prefixes; E96310, S96399, S96359, S96389, S96366, S96379, S96390, S96382, S96365, S96414, S96398, S96362, S96360, S96411, E96337, S96408, S96376, S96377, W96355. . The following locos were awaiting rescue, and 'marked up' with their respective society / prospective purchasers details, as follows; 75069 Severn Valley Railway 41312 South Wales Fund 34039 S.G.Tawes, Leicester. 41313 Ivatt Trust 80078 Swanage Fund 34081 92 Squadron 80064 Dart Valley Railway 80080 Steamport Brian R

I can only add that it's even better in the flesh. . Brian R

Could this actually be the Talywain 'paddy train' that ran from Big Arch - employing ex-GWR and ex-LMS 12 ton vans ? Which, along with the similar Pontardulais - Graig Merthyr working further west, were the last two such trains to operate in the South Wales coalfield. Brian R

I can't speak too badly of her indoors either - surprised me with a G.F.Y.E. Brush Type 4 - how did she know ? Brian R

Bah ! Humbug.

B*ll*cks - I didn't see them on Sunday, and Peter didn't mention them; and there was me with money burning a hole - lucky I didn't buy the green Peak ! . Brian R

"CHANGING FACE OF BRISTOL" eh ! . Well if one of you is closer to the City Fathers than I, please congratulate them on causing the mother of all traffic queues this evening along the Portway. . In future, when mending the swingbridge thingy they may wish to put advance warning along the inbound carriageway of The Portway and not rely on the three cones placed across the two lanes at the foot of the ramp onto the elevated section. . The traffic was better during the Balloon Fiesta . Now I know why the Severn Estuary is too narrow ! . Rant over . Brian R

Excuse my ignorance ... but what is a 'ring stiffness tester' used for ? Brian R (I wonder who'll be first to bite ?)

Wayne, . Industrial Railway Record No.166 Contains an illustrated account of the ARC branch from Hirwaun to Penderyn Quarry, by Adrian Booth. In it he states that ARC had lost the ballast contract with BR and the ARC branch would close at Christmas 1982. Brian

A bit before your time Wayne, circa 1978 - and an unidentified Cl.37 slows for the token at Abercynon en-route to Hirwaun with empty ballast hoppers. . Brian

Just for you Wayne. . A poorly cropped view of 37796 on Aberthaw - Cwmbargoed empties crawls thro' Cogan, circa 1989/1990. . Brian

"Sixty-eights" was indeed a term used by South Wales railwaymen, derived from the GWR practice of referring to locos as a 'forty-two' (42XX) or 'twenty-eight' (28XX) etc. . Many of my spotting chums of the late 60s and during the early 70s referred to them slightly differently as 'six-eighters', the terms 'growlers' and 'tractors' were unheard of. . Here I've attached a (much reworked) slide taken from the roof of a rickety PW hut of an unidentified 'six-eighter' (by now a TOPS Cl.37) free wheeling downhill through teeming rain from Cwm Colliery passing Common Branch Jct toward Cross Inn and eventually Llantrisant - taken early 1979 on my then morning commute into Cardiff. . Brian Rolley

Well 41 years ago yesterday ...... . Sat. 02/12/72 Cardiff General 1692 (1Z43) ex Swansea 1654 (1Z45) ex Hereford 1730 (1Z44) ex Carmarthen 1686 (1Z47) no further details 1848 (1Z4?) no further details 1903 (1Z46) no further details Excursions run in connection with Wales v New Zealand, which Wales lost 19-16. 7098 (1Z18) Cardiff – Swindon Cl.45/46:- 138, 155, 156, Cl.52:- 1040/49, Cl.47:- 1605/54/62/77/92, 1730/46, 1924/28 (2C38), Cl.08:- 3753, 3960, Cl.25:- 5182, Cl.37:- 6605, 6841/86/90, 6997+6998 DMU:- (50674+59278+50723)+(50735+59294+50683)+(55025) Crewe/Cardiff service Brian R

Allied Steel & Wire started as a co-operation between British Steel and G.K.N. to cast mainly billets from scrap metal, following the clousre of the BSC East Moors plant in 1978. . The closest source of processed scrap metal to Tremorfa was the Bird's, Forty Acre Site located near where the Cardiff Heliport is now located. . Birds moved to a site directly opposite the Tremorfa steelworks alongside Rover Way, and which was connected to the plant by the AS&W internal railway system. . GKN (later ASW) would buy redundant 16 tonners and Iron Ore tipplers from BR and use them as internal scrap carriers until (a) some would need rebodying, or ( B) if beyond repair following their load into the EAF. . These would be the wagons operating in the early 1980s. and were in a batch numbered between MP105 - MP395, with a handful surviving until 1990 at least. MP253 16t Mineral B563192 MP258 rebuilt tall body B385441 MP271 27t Tippler B380487 MP309 16t Mineral B181886 MP310 16t Mineral B247189 MP385 16t Mineral B254427 MP387 16t Mineral B583435 MP389 16t Mineral B217722 MP390 16t Mineral B172458 MP392 16t Mineral B581647 MP395 27t Tippler B387139 Another batch, numbered SW801 - SW803 were former BR 21 tonners, I have no details of when these were purchased from BR, but all were gone before 1990. Some were even examples of the BR Shildon rebodied 21 tonners AS&W also built their own IU scrap wagons using Warflat (bogie wagons, some being ex-BR coil wagons) wagons as a basis. . They also obtained a batch of four wheeled scrap wagons based on the AS&W 'Black Adders' but without running gear suitable for mainline operations, these were known as 'Red Adders' . Finally a large batch of POA wagons rendered redundant by the then new JNA boxes were bought by AS&W and renumbered, but retained their original number plates. . AS&W went into liquidation in 2002 and were later bought by Celsa (UK) a Spanish company. All the scrap wagons in existence at 2002 have been scrapped, and there is no internal movememnt (by rail) of processed scrap these days other than reject coils being returned from the Castle Works (Cardiff Rod Mill) for melting down and recasting. Brian R

Rivercider's post shows the WR must have had a logical rethink in the mid-70s when renumbering the Derby Cl.116 sets at least, as his scan shows these sets had been renumbered into an almost numerical order, based on the original batches eg. 500xx, 508xx and 511xx series. . Brian R

Well, that saved me a lot of typing ! . In 1971 L340-L343 were 'parcels units' . Sets in the 100 series were initially single cars, and also 50090 and 50132 . Those in the 200 series were the former LMR Park Royal twin-sets. . The 300 series were mainly Derby Cl.116 sets. . Those in the 400 series were Pressed Steel and Gloucester RCW high density units. . 500 series were Cross Country units, Cl.119 and 120 units. . 600 series were the six Swindon Cross Country twin sets allocated to Canton but used in West Wales and on the Central Wales route. . 700 series sets were Cl.123, Swindon Inter-City units. . 800 and 900 sets came much later and were Met-Camm and Derby sets. . Brian R Brian R

This is what I find confusing ? / annoying ? (not sure which) ...... in that the WR starts to paint set numbers on the front of its (say Cl.116) units when a number of those sets are being transferred away to (predominantly) the Eastern and Scottish depots, whilst a few still contained a composite trailer and others weren't yet gangwayed, regardless of being in the 500xx, 508xx or 511xx series and doesn't take the opportunity to have a rethink and condense the set numbers into an almost consecutive block. But, what I'd give to see a 'Derby sub set' roll into Ninian Park 'Halt' spewing exhaust fumes, frames sagging, windows rattling. Then to climb in and sink into a seat breathing in the exhaust fumes and doze off because the heating was excessive (summer) and after two blasts of the buzzer and with a farty raspberry sound (from the DMU, not me !) slowly accelerate the one stop to home. Brian R

I suspect the relevant Western Region prefixes L, B, P, C etc may have referred to operating divisions initially e.g. London, Bristol, Plymouth, Cardiff etc. . Unlike most other regions, the Western were quite strict as far as keeping their DMU sets in the same formation. Locally (to me) Cardiff area units started to receive their set numbers painted under the right hand cab window during 1971. . What has confused me was the way the WR allocated its' DMU set numbers. . e.g. Although WR sets had set numbers for sometime prior to 1971, when they were applied to the cab fronts I began to take notice and record them. . However, there was no apparent set pattern to the numbering of say the Derby suburban units (later Cl.116) which ran 300, 301, 303-311, 314-316, 318, 320, 321, 327-329, 331, 337, 338, 344, 346, 351. . At the time the set numbers began to be applied the fitting of through gangways within these WR sets was coming to an end - but, as was the issue with the Ian Allan pocket books in those days, the published information was at variance with reality, and my 1971 Combined Volume for example, whilst not showing details of the composition of the region's sets, shows some sets I identified, as having only one or two cars in a set gangwayed. . There were some weird and wonderful 'set' numbers as well e.g. 50090 was 'set' 101, and 50132 was 'set' 104 having been split from their trailer (59040) which went to Bristol and was at one time formed between Swindon Cross Country cars 50665 and 50715 to work local Diagram 27 (whatever that was). 50090 & 50132 were used as additional power cars on the 'North & West' Cardiff-Crewe route locked out of use, and coupled to buffet fitted Cl.120 Swindon Cross Country sets. Canton single cars were also used as additional power and some were numbered:- 55023 - 'set' 103 and 55026 as 'set' 102, I am sponge for information about WR DMU sets in the early 70s - so if anyone has other gen, please feel free to post it. . Brian R

A number of LMS hoppers, fitted with rooves were once based on Llantrisant and employed on the Creigiau Quarry - Cardiff East Moors limestone and open tops on the Llanharry - Cardiff East Moors iron ore workings - the latter becoming redundant in the mid-1970s and the roofed versions soon after. . Quite likely this is where the GKN (later ASW) wagons originated ? Brian R

Saturday 11th. November, 1972 Cardiff General Cl.45/46:- 16, 163, Cl.52:- 1041, Cl.47:- 1609/10/36/72/76, 1749, 1907, Cl.08:- 3595, 3606, Cl.25:- 5179+7510, 7520, 7657 Cl.37:- 6600, 6837/81, 6908/13/30/32/36 (8V49)/41/54/55/56/73/78/82, Cl.35:- 7055, DMU:- B574 (51056+59415+51xxx), C320 (50901+59356+50848), C308 (50128+59036+50086), 347 (50126+59373+50084), 126 (55026)+C512 (50648+59296+50706), C520 (50674+59278+50723), C303 (50122+59030+50080) 86A Canton Cl.46:- 169, Cl.52:- 1025, Cl.47:- 1557/88, 1613, 1951, Cl.25:- 5246, Cl.37:- 6936/96 Observations5246 at Canton – a ‘foreign’ visitor ‘may’ have been from the 4V10 Guide Bridge - Cardiff parcels working (unconfirmed). Brian R

The comparison of photographs, taken during the era in which you are interested is always a help. Brian R

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, It's more important than that !" . Bill Shankly.