br2975

JOB DONE !

Here is a photo of a sand wagon at Laira, dated 1967 - note the return to Margam brand. . http://www.flickr.com/photos/glevumblues/6492952369/in/set-72157623160462696/ . And a photo of the sand house road at Canton. . http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark-walker/8053139196/ . Brian

Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic Cardiff City Stadium Tuesday 16th. April 2013 . One small step for man - a giant leap in football . Almost there ..... just one more point !

In this link is a modern aerial view of Canton TMD. http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/v/wales/cardiff/CardiffCantonTMD-db73393.jpg.html . The South Wales main line is to the left, the first building to the right of the SWML is the former servicing shed - and in the bottom corner closest to us the sand shed juts out - close to where the Arriva Mk.2 coach is parked. . Brian R

Steve - do you intend to include the aged railwayman, with a lame leg that lurked beneath the footbridge; only to emerge now and again to politely ask trainspotters to "go away" ! . Brian R

In short, yes. . In 1968 when the 'nine-fivers' (Class 14 to the younger generation) were in their last days, several were stored on the sand house road at the west end of Canton's servicing shed. The road also accomodated a couple of BR sand wagons (bauxite liveried) with supplies for drying. . There is a photo somewhere on the web of D9500 taken here in March 1968 parked with two tipplers. . Brian R

I should chuckle - the location is at the end of 'my street'. . Brian R

Could I have a better Saturday ? . Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Cardiff City (takes us seven points clear, with a game in hand). . Swansea City 0-2 Arsenal . Wales 30-3 England . And a nearly complete full size plan for my 'magnum opus' across the shed floor .......... . Brian R . "Every day, when I wake up. I thank the Lord I'm Welsh"

"Can we cab you mister ?" Brian R

Brian. . He's still there, oil can in hand ! . Brian . PS chaps, I can vouch for the overwhelming atmosphere generated by Abercynon (Fach).

The 1971/72 WTT shows two local Llantrisant trips "O96" and "O98" allowed three daily return trips to the 'Dowlais Works' Cardiff - most likely conveing limestone from Creigiau Quarry and iron ore from Llanharry . The vans based at Llantrisant would be added to provide a 'fitted head' for thses trains, which reversed at Pengam running unfitted for the last mile or so to the Dowlais (East Moors) Works. Brian R

And how about these bedraggled specimens ? . http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_salter/4929485959/sizes/l/in/pool-99267925@N00/ . Brian R . PS . Re- The photo of "Sir Gomer" at NCB Mountain Ash above, those aren't sixteen tonners, they were specially built for the NCB as end tippers only, on a variety of underframes, mainly redundant tank wagons.

The sort of thing that leaves me confused ...... buffer shanks look a bit too long - but it does accomodate tension lock couplers ..................................

From Rob Daniels excellent Flickr site:- Porth http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/5372218800/in/photostream/ And especially for 'Danemouth' Dave some interior shots of Radyr Jct. http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/5370454794/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/5370454128/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/5369846239/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/5370442528/in/photostream/ Brian R

I forgot to mention in my earlier post, one other inspirational layout (for me). . D.E.Lloyds' - "Augher Valley" . Featured in the RM during the early 60s, but apart from me, who remembers it, where was it set and what scale ? . Brian R

Looks like I wasn't alone, and the "Inter City" bag was also popular in the West Country. http://www.flickr.com/photos/auchlander/5978032539/in/photostream/

Some snaps of Cowbridge Road (Bridgend), taken 10th August 2006 during final works for the Vale of Glamorgan line re-opening to passenger service. . Brian R

".... Yes Brian - that is the standard ground level version at Llantrisant West (didn't include the 'Level Crossing' in its title at one time) - very similar to the one at Cowbridge Road in your part of the world (well nearly)......." . The delapidated structure at Llantrisant West is still in situ alongside the crossing which holds me up every time I visit my daughter ! . Cowbridge Road is less than half a mile from where I am typing this, but I don't know if the box is extant ? . Brian R

Does this one count as well ? . http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=south%20wales&page=2&serial=36&img=G-104-07 . Brian R

Bargoed 'box can be seen here in a former life. . http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&serial=1&img=Y-36-17A http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-36-21A&serial=3 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-36-35A&serial=6 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-35-34A&serial=8 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-35-35A&serial=9 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=Cymmer%20Afan&img=Y-35-36A&serial=10 A location just begging to be modelled. Brian R

".... Fitzalan Technical High School ....." .......................................... Does that mean it wasn't really a 'high school' just 'technically' a high school ? .......................................... Brian R

So we won't be seeing one with "DANEMOUTH BEACH ROAD SIGNAL BOX" emblazoned across it in the forseeable future ? . Brian R

A selection of layouts that have inspired me over the years. ................ "BURNFOOT" by Ian Futers, again blue diesel urban grot. ................ "MILL DALE" the first plausible 009 layout I recall seeing, in the late 60s. ................ "PENHYDD" nothing more to say there (yes I know it's up to date). ................ "BUCKINGHAM" a complete concept. ................ "TETFIELD" - archetypal GWR BLT, you have to be of a certain age to remember this. ................ Brian R

My mind drifts back to 14th. May, 1971 and passing the classroom window trundling back and forth to Radyr I noted ....... . Cl.35:- 7063, 7078, 7087 Cl.37:- 6601, 6603+6998, 6606, 6607, 6879, 6956, 6958, 6977, 6978, Cl.45:- 80, Cl.47:- 1712, . Funny, my parents always expected more of,academically. I wonder what went wrong ? . Brian R

In 1967 I was overtaken by a sense of foreboding as 'the big school' approached. ......... A trip to the premises of "Donald Knight" in Canton, Cardiff confirmed my fate was sealed as we left with a blazer, cap, short grey trousers and a satchel ! ......... What made it worse, the 'big school' was directly across the road from home, so my mother could watch me leave, line up in the yard and traipse into the building. ......... What amazed me were the things she never noticed such as virtually no other child was attired in the same way, or that the most popular playground pastime was playing ‘touch and pass’ using some unfortunates headgear as a rugby ball !. ......... Any protestations were met with "that uniform cost me a lot of money" and was compounded by mothers trait of buying everything too big so that I could "grow into it" ! ......... As for what I wore when spotting . . . . . . . Our school covered three sites, with the Lower School, Forms 1 & 2 opposite my home, but the Middle School (Forms 3 & 4) and Upper School (Forms 5 & 6) were about a mile away, and alongside the Cardiff - Radyr freight line which allowed me (by now in only semi-uniform)to record the continual procession of Peaks, occasional Warships, the odd Western, Brushes, "Ingis", "Type 2s" Hymeks and "nine-fivers" travelling to and from Radyr Yard and beyond. ......... For 'trips' to distant spotting locations I was presented with another piece of iconic spotting attire ....... a duffel bag, like most other things - a hand me down, that cramped my style – unfortunately, it was ruined when I left a harvest of conkers in it over the winter one year. ......... And so, armed with some left over Christmas money I bought an "Inter-City" bag from the travel centre at Cardiff Central (it had just been renamed from Cardiff General) . . . . does anyone remember those dark blue shoulder bags ? This proved just the thing to hold my Heinz Sandwich Spread sandwiches and unflavoured salt 'n' shake crisps, the basic sustenance on journies that always seemed to start on the 07:05 Cardiff-Gloucester, which invariably turned out to be a Swindon Cross-Country unit.. ......... My 'combine' remained at home, only a 'Locoshed' accompanied my notebook on awaydays. ......... For notebooks, many of us who frequented Platform 3 7 4 at Cardiff General/Central standardised on a small black 'referees' notebokk with elastic to hold the used pages in place as you moved through the book. ......... Over forty years down the line (yeeeuch, I should be a journo !) I still have all my 'combines' - 'Locosheds' - 'Locoshed Directories' and all the notebooks that never fell apart. ......... I've no doubt a Los Angeles based 'psycho-analyst' could make a fortune out of the treatment he believes I so desperately need ! Brian R