European Railroad Discussion > New-ish South Wales freight

Steel is big business for the railways, especially DBS, here in Wales. Trains shuttle between the steelworks at Port Talbot and the specialist rolling and plating works at Llanwern (Newport), Trostre (Llanelli) and Dee Marsh (Shotton on Deeside in NE Wales) as well as to end users and warehouse facilities in the English Midlands and North of England. Steel is also exported from Newport Docks on the west bank of the River Usk and from Birdport on the Usk's east bank as well as from Tilbury on the River Thames, east of London.

But there are other things moved by train too, not just steel. Here are a few

1: Cement; for many years the cement works at Aberthaw shipped everything out by road. Today there are two or three trains a week to distribution centres at Westbury in Wiltshire and Moorswater in Cornwall. They're operated by Colas who have recently taken delivery of more class 70s for traffic such as this. On May 26th 70815 on the 6C36 Westbury to Aberthaw empty cement tanks leaving Hillfield Tunnel in Newport.

2: Timber; after a six month or so absence timber trains have returned to South Wales, and the Marches Line. Running once a week at the moment between the loading point at Baglan Bay, near Neath in West Wales, and the Kronospan factory at Chirk in NE Wales. The loaded train passes my neck of the woods on a Thursday evening, the empties returning the following morning. This is last Friday's empty train, Colas 70811 is in charge.

3: Oil; domestic oil is delivered by train from the Murco storage facility at Robeston to terminals at Westerleigh, just outside Bristol and Theale, just outside Reading and both serving large centres of population. The Westerleigh can run twice daily and the Theale five or six times a week, depending on the season. Motive power is invariably a 60 as both trains can load up to 30 of the 100 tonne tank wagons, which is beyond the capability of a 66. Yesterday's Theale to Robeston empties approaching Miskin on the South Wales mainline west of Cardiff. Only 12 tanks so not much of a challenge.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/17 13:06 by 86235.

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4: Coal; a few years ago a loaded coal train wouldn't have been a big deal but today a train of coal hoppers actually carrying coal is as rare as hen's teeth, especially when it's carrying indigenous Welsh coal. But here is such a train, Freightliner's new weekly Onllwyn Washery to Scunthorpe 6E11 carrying coal for the British Steel steelworks, supplementing imported coal from Immingham. Yesterday 6E11 consisted of 25 loaded hoppers and was routed over the Marches Line, quite late at night. It would have made an entertaining sight climbing the grades to Llanvihangel and Little Stretton.

5: Tar; now this is the first time I've seen tar carrying tanks, I understand normally a few are tacked on the end of steel trains to either Middlesborough or Hartlepool, both in NE England. But yesterday the 6E30, in theory carrying steel for the pipeworks at Hartlepool, consisted entirely of intermodal flats with tank containers carrying tar and bound for Tees Yard, Middlesborough

Both these shots were taken at Miskin

6: Finally, today saw another Neath Abbey Wharf to Washwood Heath (Birmingham) carrying gritstone for adding to road surfaces, I think this is the third or fourth such train which Colas has run in the past six weeks or so. One of their new 70s, 70817 was in charge. Railfans were hoping for 56s, as a 56 moved the empty wagons to Neath for loading yesterday but no such luck, Colas have enough 70s now not to rely on the 56s whose age and reliability are suspect. This is the third and last picture I took of the train, entering Dinmore Tunnel between Hereford and Leominster.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/17 11:35 by 86235.

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Always like your photos. Your composition is always great as well as your choice of subjects and locations. Thanks for posting.
ALLEN

Thanks very much.

Thanks for the beautiful photography and the education on the movement of various types of goods.

Thanks, Nick, for the images and the stories. Gerry

Thanks Gerry

Another fine selection, Nik. Looks like you're settling in pretty well down there. Those tar tank containers are a first on me as well. Chris uk