br2975

. Tell them not to hold their breath. . Even if action is taken regarding the 'alleged' lack of a Test Certificate, the punishment will be minimal.

. An RTA (Road Traffic Accident) in a car park can be a difficult one. . The wording of Section 170 of The Road Traffic Act, 1988 includes - "............ owing to the presence of a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road, or other public place, an accident occurs by which— (a).................... or (b) damage is caused. . The difficult one here is defining a 'public place' to suit the RTA . A 'public place' is 'a place to which the public has access (at the material time) whther upon payment, or otherwise. . e.g. A football stadium is private property, but once the turnstiles open, and during a match, that private property becomes a public place. . Similarly, a Retail Park car park is private property but can be deemed a public place when the stores are open. . This scenario is a minefield, when it comes to the law - take for example Max-Power Rallies on Retail Park car parks when the Retail Park is closed for business ? . This is compounded by the police failing to train their (civilian) call handlers in the finer points; and these undertrained 'call handlers' are under pressure to real with as many callers as possible. . Sadly, many police officers are now no longer trained in such matters either . My brother was victim of a FTS (Fail to Stop) RTA very recently (on a public road) and despite having the VRM of the offending car, was told the same 'it's not a police matter, report it to your insurance' In his case it was a clear offence contrary to Sec.170 of The Road Traffic Act. He made a formal complaint to the local force, who have admitted their 'call handler' was in the wrong and labelled it as a 'misunderstanding' and a 'training issue' - which means the force concedes they have failed to train, or supervise their 'call handlers' . Whether the circumstances described actually do form a reportable road accident as described under the Road Traffic Act and associated legislation is not for me to determine; but I would always 'demand' to know how the call handler, or officer arrived at their decision. . And remember, the telephone conversation with a police control room or contact centre is always recorded.

Considering Swansea is some 40 miles 'deeper' in to Wales than Cardiff, it provided a greater variety of pre-grouping presence with former Midland Railway and L.N.W.R. accessing the town, albeit the MR employed some running rights to get there. . The capital only managed the odd LNWR 'Coal Tank' based at the Rhymney Railway's Cardiff Dock shed to shunt the LNWR Tyndall Street goods depot and warehouse, an agreement that ended after the grouping. . The Central Wales Line has seen its' fair share of diesel variety also, especially the lower end where Classes 03, 08, 14 (briefly), 35, 37, 41, 47 to name but a few reached there in the late 60s / early 70s. More recently, diversions away from the North & West brought diverted steel trains from Margam over the Central Wales with more up to date power.

. Reminds me of an incident involving a former colleague (police sniper) on uniform foot patrol in Bute Street (Tiger Bay) seeing a car parked up with four suspicious looking white males sat therein. . "Beechy" didn't recognise the car, or men, who stood out like sore thumbs. . A conversation took place between 'Beechy' and the driver, whilst the other three occupants remained 'schtum' . "Beechy" swiftly reached in and grabbed the car keys from the ignition, and said to the driver "Let's have a look in the boot" . Calmly the driver said "You don't want to open the boot" . "Beechy" opened the boot, which was an arsenal of weapons ! . "Call you control room, tell them Operation ??????? and give them this telephone number..........." . The strangers were on their way in a matter of minutes. . . Then there was my pursuit of a Mitsubishi Gallant around the Riverside area of Cardiff - . . Then the multi-agency anti-terror operation in the late 90s which ended with a hostage situation on a train at Jersey Marine (Swansea). . A relative and colleague in our Tactical Firerams Unit was part of the polce team securing the train, and was holed up in some bushes; awaiting the arrival of certain military personnel who would take over from the police and storm the train. . As time dragged on....'Gerry' (the officer) grew bored waiting for the military to arrive and relieve him and his colleagues, and started moving from one knee to another, squirming as his body began to ache. . Eventually a voice from the shrubbery beneath him said tersely "For f**** sake, can't you keep still for two minutes !" . .

. I bet he's happy after tonight's result at Villa Park.

. Despite being a 'traditionalist' I have to say that much of the 'traditional' uniform associated with the typical British 'Bobby' is nowadays thoroughly impractical. . On my last night I wore a cape, but ended up struggling with two warring partners, and the cape was a bl**dy nuisance, and only got in the way. However, it did conceal from view a couple of digs that were necessary to subdue my male prisoner. . The modern police officer is entitled to the best kit his/her force can provide and that includes things such as ASP, PR24 or other baton. CS spray, or other incapacitant. Rigid bar handcuffs TASER Disposable rubber gloves Faceguard for administering 'mouth to mouth' Stab proof, or ballistic vest. PR (Personal radio) and PDA device. Torch . All of these items (and more) have to be worn, and carried about the officer's person. . They're no use in the boot of a patrol car twenty yards away, as officers aren't issued with crystal balls so cannot anticipate when it will 'go off'. . The traditional 'Custodian' helmet is an anchronism and looks out of place when worn with a long reflective anorak, or wicking jacket, combat pants and Hi-Tec boots. . The helmet is the first thing to go flying when the officer gets into a struggle, and the helmet will invariably be stolen by an 'interested bystander' thereby generating much additional paperwork for the officer. . The traditional uniform looks so nice, so Dixon of Dock Green, but then looked what happened to PC 693 Dixon in "The Blue Lamp". . . .

. If I had a pound for every time I used that phrase.................. . . Local (and other) knowledge is everything - but it's a luxury the job now thinks it can do without . Stop and talk to people, listen to chit chat, read every collator's bulletin, read every prison release, read every bail report etc etc . "Knowledge is Power !" . . When I retired the second time (as a civvy) I was working 'flexi' and calculated that I could finish at midday on 'Black Friday' (last Friday before Christmas). . Told my D.S. I was leaving the nick at 11:45am, as it took ten minutes to get to the pub (opposite my house), and I intended to have a pint in my hand before midday - as the last thing I wanted to do was have a pint on duty ! . She joined me ! .

. Elementary my dear Scratching.

. I wasn't smiling at 02:00hrs. . I was expecting to finish then, having paraded for duty at 18:00hrs. - but was 'persuaded' to stay on and ended up with two 'bodies' (prisoners) and didn't finish until 06:00hrs. . Any other occasion I would have taken it in my stride; BUT, I was going for lunch, and then to the Wales v New Zealand Autumn International that afternoon.

. Hence the lack of experience of those (apparently) policing our streets.

. Yours truly prepares for his last shift on the street, Friday 6th. November 2009 - nights, Cardiff city centre. . Decided to look like a real copper and wear my cape. . The old 'horse blanket' was the best bit of kit ever issued................ and being obsolete in South Wales by that time, caused quite a stir amongst the revellers, and many younger colleagues who 'had to come and have a look' . True to my beliefs, I had two prisoners that last night - the control room staff, watching on cctv thought it was a remake of the famous BBCtv 'Only Fools & Horses' Christmas Special as I came running down Charles St. out of the gloom !

. "Why aren't those kids safe at home, with their games console ?" .

They are British Railways built Dia. 1/411 45 ton 'Slab / Coil' wagons - written 'SLABCOIL', of which 58 were built at Swindon in 1962 to Lot 3424.. . The wagons were numbered B949551 - B949608. . Under TOPS they became 'JZV' . In the photo they are carrying steel slabs, (not concrete sections) for re-rolling at a works other than where they were cast. . They could also carry steel coils 'eye to the sky' both over the bogies and in the well. .. Once their BR life had ended, during the 1980s several passed into the ownership of 'Allied Steel & Wire" and with the framework cut down became 'internal user' wagons at ASW's Cardiff plants. . They were scrapped after ASW went to the wall in 2002. . For once I may concur with 'Johnster' and feel the location 'may' be the SWML at St. Georges-super-Ely - with the train heading in the up direction (east) toward Cardiff, and would suggest the destination is the then Spencer Works (Llanwern) as opposed to Ebbw Vale. . My photo was taken a few yards to the left of the original image above. . .

. 'tis I, and the twin's other, late grandad Alistair, who both are blamed for Dan's obsession with railways. . Now, if I ever need an excuse to 'go lineside'.................... . There can't be many 13 year olds intrigued by the workings of a Westinghouse brake pump.............

Who, in their right mind stands in torrential rain, on a windswept platform (Pontyclun) at 22:30 on a Saturday night, to supervise their 13yrs old grandson filming the passing of a Cardiff Canton to Port Talbot, Notwork Rail rail grinder movement ?

. Nice one Dave, here is a photo of it derelict at Cwm, in the winter of 1984/1985 awaiting collection by Charlie Strong. . . The pit was silent as this was at the height of 'The Strike' and only one 'scab' (strike breaker) was there. . This meant my colleagues and I had the run of the place. .

. Pam torri'r arfer o fywyd ? .

. In my case it was touching the bar of an electric fire immediately it was switched on !

. No, far from it, a lot was BR hauled. . eg In many valleys there were 'central' washeries which (obviously) washed coal, from several collieries in that area and brought to the washery by BR, there was for example the AVCW (Aberdare Valley Central Washery) at NCB Deep Duffryn, Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley, or another in the Ogmore Valley above Bridgend, or Maesteg above Bridgend, or say Hafodyryrnys on the former GWR Vale of Neath line, above Pontypool. . BR would work trainloads of coal from various pits to these washeries, and then take block trainloads of the now washed coal to various industrial customers, or for export. . BR would move 'household coal' or 'concessionary coal' around from one pit to another pit's Landsale Yard. . If a pit could or did produce coal suitable for domestic use locally, then the NCB pit loco would shunt NCB internal user wagons from the washery screens to the pit's Landsale yard in the course of its days work. Right up until the mid-70s and later this could often be in wooden bodied ex-PO wagons.

. Stove (Stovesse), Beans, Fren are different grades and qualities of coal produced by the pit. . Paul Bartlett has numerous photos of the Cynheidre internal users at:- https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/cynheidreinternalwagon . I suspect "Fren" is an abbreviation for "French Nuts" more common in the west Wales coalfield. . Different coal seams in the same coalfield could produce different types of coal, which when graded as to size, and washed would be identified by further different names. . There were literally dozens of such names across the South Wales coalfield, sometimes including the name of the pit, other times not; eg Taff Merthyr Washed Small Ebbw Vale Washed Small Quality B washed Cobbles Group 4 Large Nuts Abercynon Dowlais washed Smalls Penallta Washed Cobbles Washed Peas Ocean Small Tirbach Anthracite Beans Trebles Cardiff Small Boiler Nuts Cardiff Large Boiler Nuts Cardiff Dowlais Large Boiler Nuts 2A Grains 1 Grains Rheola Small Hafodyrynys Washed Large Untreated Small Ocean washed 3/4" Small Oriental Washed Cobbles Banwen Washed Grains Waterloo Raw Small................... . etc, etc, etc . Another anomaly is the movement of coal to Landsale Yards. . Most household coal in the South Wales valleys was sourced by coal merchants from pithead Landsale Yards, there were far fewer coal merchants based at local railway stations than elsewhere in Britain. S.J. Lewis located at Nelson & Llancaiach, on the Vale of Neath / Taff Bargoed was a prime example. . Let us say that NCB Twll Cach Colliery is in the Rhymney Valley and produces mainly washed and blended small coal for industrial use, shipped out in block trains of MDV wagons. . That product would be unsuitable for use as house coal, yet the pit has a Landsale yard. . Therefore house coal could be brought into the NCB Twll Cach Landsale Yard from NCB Aberflyarff in the Cynon Valley, a pit which produces house coal. . The house coal would be shipped out of NCB Aberflyarff in a household coal train as far as say Radyr Yard, where it is then attached to a trainload of empties going up to NCB Twll Cach in the Rhymney Valley . The same would happen with 'concessionary coal' - as all miners had an allowance of free coal each year. . As NCB Twll Cach doesn't produce household coal, 'concessionary coal' for the miners there may originate from, say the NCB Efflew Valley Central Washery, and reach Twll Cach via say Tondu, Margam and Radyr. . Unlike coal merchants who delivered to the customers door, in 1cwt bags, and tipped the contents into the customers 'coal house' (ty glo in Welsh) concessionary coal was (generally) dumped loose in the street outside the miners home, or in a lane in the rear and it was down to the miner, or his family, to bring it in. . The movement of coal in the South Wales Valleys was not just a case of loaded trains down to the coast, and empties back up the valleys; it was far more involved than that. . And I haven't mentioned the movement of coal to and from washeries, or to and from stocking or blending sites (for sweetening). Or The uses or restrictions of certain types of wagon, in certain areas of the coalfield. . Hope this brief insight helps. . . PS Tomorrow, Thursday, 30th. November, 2023 sees the enforced closure of the Ffos-y-fran opencast mine above Merthyr Tydfil. This is the last coal forwarding site in the South Wales coalfield Coal is only permitted to leave by rail, using the Taff Bargoed branch from Cwmbargoed through Nelson to Ystrad Mynach and then down the Rhymney Valley to cardiff and eventually Tata Steel at Port Talbot. There is but one train a day, Class 66 hauled HTAs from Cwmbargoed to Margam yard. When any stockpiled coal is exhausted, and there isn't much. That will be the end of coal trains in South Wales. RIP - Welsh coal . .

More Landsale nonsense, this time Cynheidre, Five Roads, near Llanelli. .

. And, it's on a wheel skate ?

. Well at least it turned up

. Don't let the TfW punters hear you praising their 'proper DMUs' . And 156s on TfW ? . Did you mean 150s or 158s ?

. I'm not too sure Rob. . I'll check some of my books, there may be some distance shots in John Hodges' tomes.