Leyburn Kid

Hi Phil, thanks for your reply. After seeing your reply, I've managed to locate one of the Cl.47s on the Waterston tanks. It's a picture of an incredibly dirty 1912 running through Shrub Hill on 31st July 1970. That fits in nicely with your post about 69-70.

Hi Brian Thanks again. My understanding was that the Whitland- Kensington milk trains were often rostered for Cl.52 haulage. Is that true? Were there any further loco hauled services west of Swansea, or was everything else DMU? The Waterston-Albion tankers have often been featured in railway mags, Most of the time they were double headed CL.37s that went round the loop outside Shrewsbury station. I remember a couple of times going to Shrewsbury shed on Sunday morning and seeing them there, presumably their crews had reached their time limit, and couldn't get back on the same day. There were however periods when these trains worked through Worcester, and a couple of photos I've seen, have both been Cl.47 hauled. Are you aware of when the Worcester route was used? Cheers TONY

Hi Brian. More great info. It's really helpful to see the picture, and the wagons are just as I imagined they would be. My fascination with South Wales started with holidays in Pembrokeshire, and visiting cousins in Camarthenshire. Often you could see 2 or 3 Cl.35's stabled by Haverfordwest and Whitland stations. My understanding was, as you suggested, that in the last couple of years before the cull, Cl.35's carried out most freight in West Wales, and Cl.37's in East Wales. Presumably some usage on passenger services on the South Wales mainline was down to availability. I spent two afternoons spotting on Swansea station with my long suffering mum (she read a book!) and one with my brother, who insisted we find Landore. The split of passenger trains at Swansea on those three afternoons was probably about 40% Cl.52, 30-35% Cl.47 and 25-30% Cl.35. Possibly some of those Hymek workings were local, or the Bristol diagram you mentioned. Was it your understanding that there were definite booked diagrams on the South Wales mainline, or simply availability? My South Wales collection is taking shape, I've got hold of the South Wales Pullman, a Cl.03 shunter used on trip freights to Coed Bach washery. Your photo has now made it clear what I need for Trostre tinplate works. Perhaps my favourite moment as a spotter was standing on the bank behind Landore shed when the Kensington Olympia-Fishguard motorail came roaring round the corner behind a Western with about 6/7 carriages and never ending stream of carflats. So I've got some carflats! On the GSYP Cl.37, it looks like a choice between 6600, D6890 and D6906 as these were the latest available sightings/photos. Thanks again TONY

Hi Brian. Thanks again, this is really helping me to firm up my view of South Wales. I've been looking at my WTT's for the LMR & WR, most of which cover 1978/9. Two of the Radyr freights you mention, still appear in 78/9. Radyr-Glazebrook is still 8M08, but the one I remember on Saturday mornings around 11.00/12.00, must have been Radyr-Shotwick (8M91) which by 78/9 was at 15.10. There are a couple of further things you may be able to help with. Chris Neill's great book on the Hymek's gives detailed workings of the closing weeks of each loco, and really builds a picture of their regular duties. I wonder if you know which (if any) South Wales/ Paddington passenger services were regularly booked for Hymeks, and also Cardiff/Bristol- Portsmouth? My other query is whether you have any info on trains in or out of Troste, near Llanelly. I know this is much further along the main line, but I've never seen any pictures of any freights to/from, many of which went to Margam in the 78/9 WTT. My interest is that my first ever Cl.52, 1055 Western Advocate, was parked up in the sidings. Presumably there were coal trains/mineral wagons in, but what type wagons left, as I believe this was a tinplate works, rather than steelworks. Once again, thanks for your help.

Thanks Brian for that excellent reply on Radyr workings, the level of detail is mind blowing. I'm going to go through it again a bit later on, with my Railway Atlas in front of me, in order to analyse it. I've often seen as many as a dozen Cl.37's stabled by Newport station. Presumably in addition to all those Radyr workings there were several Cl.37 locos outbased there, running regular coal and steel trains to Llanwern? Were there occasionally Radyr hopper workings that went north through Hereford, as we used to see hopper trains going north through Shrewsbury? Many thanks again.

Around late '69 and '70 there were around 60 Class 37's officially allocated to Cardiff (Canton) and about 20 to Swansea (Landore). In a typical day at Radyr, roughly how many different Cardiff and Swansea based 37's would you see?

Completely agree Brian, its been the bedrock of my efforts to track down individual loco info, and generally very accurate

RO has 6995 & 6996 going GFYE in 6/70, and 6997 GFYE in 2/70. So a fair degree of time lag

Yes, perhaps I've just used the wrong terminology. They were probably all GSYP Thanks again TONY

Many thanks Brian. It's interesting that I've not found a GYP/GSYP in 1970 in Flickr, and your comments suggest that Class 37's in late '69 were an endangered species. Perhaps quite a bit of time lag with the Railway Observer sightings?

Thanks for your reply. The implication of your remark is that there were two sizes of yellow panel with Class 37's, namely GYP and GSYP. That was certainly the case with Peaks, and some other Classes, but I'm not aware that was the case with 37's. My reading was that the list of about twenty locos provided by Russell Saxton were all GFYE in TOPS. The caption refers to a picture of 37 225 in that livery, which Russell says is typical. Perhaps someone can clear this one up?

On my forthcoming layout, I'm looking to use a nicely weathered GYP Class 37. My interest is in trying to identify any GYP Western Region Class 37's that survived into 1970 in this livery, as my layout is set in 1970/1. In his excellent recent book, From Green To Blue, Russell Saxton mentions that the last surviving GYP was Scottish based D6841,in the summer of 1970. There is a picture on the internet of D6841 in July '70. So far I've been unable to locate any conclusive info. There are pictures of 6875, 6879 and D6988 in GYP on the internet, from Aug '69. Also similar pictures of 6600, D6890 and D6906 from Sept '69. But so far no Western Region pictures from 1970. Railway Observer suggests that 6876, 6969,6978,6987,6988,6995,6996 and 6997 may have survived into 1970 in GYP, as all were noted going GFYE during 1970. However Railway Observer info always has some degree of time lag. I would be really grateful if anyone has some definite sightings, or pictures of GYP Class 37s in 1970, or indeed late '69. Although I'm mainly interested in Western Region locos, I'd still happily receive info on Eastern or Scottish locos. Many thanks.

Plenty of really useful replies to Clarky1000's original topic. I have a similar request, if this thread is still active. On my forthcoming layout, I'm looking to use a nicely weathered GYP Class 37. My interest is in trying to identify any GYP Western Region Class 37's that survived into 1970 in this livery, as my layout is set in 1970/1. In his excellent recent book, From Green To Blue, Russell Saxton mentions that the last surviving GYP was Scottish based D6841,in the summer of 1970. There is a picture on the internet of D6841 in July '70. So far I've been unable to locate any conclusive info. There are pictures of 6875, 6879 and D6988 in GYP on the internet, from Aug '69. Also similar pictures of 6600, D6890 and D6906 from Sept '69. But so far no Western Region pictures from 1970. Railway Observer suggests that 6876, 6969,6978,6987,6988,6995,6996 and 6997 may have survived into 1970 in GYP, as all were noted going GFYE during 1970. However Railway Observer info always has some degree of time lag. I would be really grateful if anyone has some definite sightings, or pictures of GYP Class 37s in 1970. Although I'm mainly interested in Western Region locos, I'd still happily receive info on Eastern or Scottish locos. Many thanks.