European Railroad Discussion > Diversions and One offs - the first couple of weeks of September

It has been quite an eventful couple of weeks railway-wise here in South Wales. The ongoing closure for electrification work of Bristol Parkway has meant a significant number of diversions - freight, Cross Country and Great Western - and we've also had a number of one offs, some more interesting than others.

1: On September 2nd the Branchline Society and 565 Railtours ran the 565 Special from Carnforth in North West England to Carmarthen (in West Wales) and back. Outward it travelled down the Marches Line whilst on the return it was routed via the Heart of Wales Line. Colas 37254 and 37175 was the motive power for most of the journey, here they are speeding through Abergavenny

2: Cross Country's NE-SW services (from Scotland and North East England to South West England) are diverted through Newport where they reverse direction, most are the execrable Voyagers but some are HSTs, far preferable. These diversions come to an end on Sunday (September 17th), Bristol Parkway reopens on Monday and normal services will be resumed. On Monday September 4th a Cross Country HST leaves Newport.

3: Tuesday 5th saw the start of a second Portbury Docks to Fiddlers Ferry to East Usk Yard (and back to Portbury) circuit, carrying imported coal for Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. Here's the 'new' train on the FF to E Usk leg of the circuit, 4V20 passing Caerleon-upon-Usk, a suburb of Newport with Roman connections.

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4: The 5th also saw Deutsch Bahn Cargo (DBC) replacing Freightliner on the 6M86 Margam to Dee Marsh steel train, which Freightliner have been working on behalf of DBC since early July. Here it is climbing past Ponthir, between Newport and Abergavenny. 66066 Geoff Spencer is in charge of today's train.

5: Wednesday 6th saw Colas operating another of their gritstone trains from Neath (Abbey Wharf) to Washwood Heath (Birmingham). Gritstone is used for road dressing at accident locations, Colas has been shipping it out off and on to Washwood Heath, Stourton (Leeds in Northern England) and more recently, Ely in East Anglia. Taken north of Pontrilas in Herefordshire (England), 70811 was running some 80 minutes late.

6: The weather started to go downhill on Thursday 7th, but before it did here is inspection saloon Caroline, being pushed by 37422 on a Crewe to Crewe circuit via the Marches and the Heart of Wales lines. Caroline used to be the BR General Managers saloon, and had a starring role in the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. It started life as a buffet car in a 6B Hastings DEMU before being plucked from obscurity.

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7: So what could top Caroline. Well this possibly, diverted away from Bristol Parkway it's the 6M63 Bridgwater to Crewe (and on to Sellafield) nuclear flasks, carrying material from Hinkley Point A nuclear power station, which has been decommissioned. Two class 68s may seem like overkill for a couple of flasks but DRS are obliged to ensure that there is redundancy built in to reduce the risk of a failure out on the road. Despite the deteriorating light I wasn't going to miss this. The ensemble is passing Pandy, between Abergavenny and Hereford.

8: Throughout the summer the flow of timber from Baglan Bay in West Wales to the Kronospan factory at Chirk has been very hit and miss. But now, just as the day's shorten, traffic is picking up, Colas operated an extra on Monday behind a 60. I managed to miss the return but I wasn't going to miss this, Friday's 6V54 Chirk to Baglan Bay when it was clear that Colas had allocated 40 year old veterans 56087 and 56113 to the loaded train on Thursday evening. Here are the empties passing Llanvihangel just before 08:00 on Friday morning.

9: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th saw a number of one off engineering trains on the Marches Line, this on Saturday is the 6Y63 Crewe to Ystrad Mynach on the Rhymney Line (one of Cardiff's commuter operations). The train was topped and tailed by 66560 and 66514

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10 & 11: On Sunday in some pretty atrocious weather another engineering train, this time Colas powered, the 6C29 Crewe to Cardiff Queen Street with 66849 Wylam Dilly up front and 60056 tailing

12: On Monday 11th I paid another visit to Newport, leaving the station is the 12:24 Exeter St Davids to Glasgow Central, which takes exactly 10 hours with 24 stops.

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13: Later on Monday the 4V22 empty coal train Crewe to East Usk (originating at Fiddlers Ferry on Saturday morning, it recessed at Crewe over the weekend), what set this out from the normal run of the mill was the presence of two extra 66s, DIT (dead in train). 66560 was hauling 66514 and 66523 as well as the coal hoppers. It's approaching Caerleon-upon-Usk

14 & 15: On Tuesday I drove over the River Severn to Bristol to sample some of the diversions, here's one, the 4O57 Cardiff (Wentloog) to Southampton intermodal. Normally routed from the Severn Tunnel via Bristol Parkway and Badminton to Swindon, for the past three weeks it's been re-routed through Bristol via Dr Day's Junction and North Somerset Junction, on to the original Great Western mainline through Bath, regaining its normal route at Wootton Bassett Junction, west of Swindon. Two shots of it, coming off the spur from Dr Day's Junction at North Somerset Junction, and accelerating away from the city towards St Anne's Park Tunnels. A Great Western 150 on a local service to Filton Abbey Wood heads towards Bristol Temple Meads.

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Last three

16: September 13th. Not such a good day for the patrons of Wales only internal 'prestige' train, the 05:33 Holyhead to Cardiff and 17:16 Cardiff to Holyhead, the Gerald of Wales / Y Gerallt Gymro'. The loco hauled set, complete with restaurant car developed a fault at Holyhead and instead punters had to put up with a bog standard class 175 DMU; no breakfast, no executive class, no wi-fi just a perambulating trolley :-(

17: Later in the day the 6V35 Bescot to Avonmouth loaded cement tanks, one of the freights diverted away from Bristol Parkway, approaching the M48 bridge over the Rivers Wye and Severn

18: And finally, yesterday (Thursday 14th) saw another Bridgwater to Crewe nuclear flask train, passing Penpergwm on the outskirts of Abergavenny, the building is the old station house, the station itself closed in 1958.

More from September in the usual place: https://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/2017/September-217-the-advent-of-Autumn/i-QCRFJW4

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Most excellent photographic compositions, every one is outstanding. Assembled in this journal, they make a great report. One question: how do the Brits make it look like spring all year long?

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> Most excellent photographic compositions, every
> one is outstanding. Assembled in this journal,
> they make a great report. One question: how do
> the Brits make it look like spring all year long?

Thanks. You can't see the wind chill in photos.

Excellent photos. It took me a few scrolls through to understand that the 'diversions" referred to rerouted trains, and not the pleasant pastime of photographing them.

Great variety. I must get out more in my own backyard!

All of your photos are excellent. However, Photo 1 is super excellent. The Class 37 units are definitely a favorite.
ALLEN

Great variety! Thanks, Nick. Gerry

Nice set, the Colas livery looks good on older diesels.

Jim

Nice pics!!