European Railroad Discussion > Springtime 2018, did you miss it?

Spring has been a stop start season this year, in some places winter almost segued into summer with no spring at all. It certainly felt like that around here. On April 1st we went walking on the Brecon Beacons in snow which at times was knee deep, the following day it snowed around us for much of the morning and yet two weeks later we were basking in temperatures in the mid to high 20s centigrade, but only for a few days and then it was back to overcoats and open fires again. I had to pay a couple of visits to London too, which coincided with some bright and warm-ish conditions. Last weekend was the Early May Bank Holiday, which turned out to be the hottest since the public holiday was created 40 years ago. And so the climate roller coaster continues.

1: On April 4th I drove up to the coal washery at Cwmbargoed as there were two trains running, an early morning arrival operated by Freightliner which loads coal for the steelworks at Port Talbot (scheduled to depart 14:00) and a mid day DBC arrival from the Hope Cement Works in the Derbyshire Peak District in Central England. Luckily for me the train from Hope passed Bedlinog in the sun!

2: On my previous visit on Good Friday (March 30th) I had chatted with a local who recommended a spot down the valley, which you reach on a footpath from outside the Bedlinog Inn. Like much of the line it is rather overgrown but I waited for the outgoing Port Talbot train which duly turned up at 12:46, about 90 minutes early. I never understand why they leave Cwmbargoed early as the 14:00 departure is almost always held at the junction with the mainline at Ystrad Mynach until scheduled time (14:52).

3: Back to the washery to watch 66047 slowly drawing the hoppers through the loading apron

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4: On April 5th Spring was most definitely in the air so on my way into Abergavenny I stopped at Llanvihangel for a broadside of the 6M86 Margam to Dee Marsh loaded steel behind 66544. As you can see the trees remain in their late winter state, little or no spring growth was apparent.
5: The following day, Friday, dawned overcast but it brightened and started to warm up too, I went to the footpath crossing at Triley for this shot of the 6V75 empty steel coil carriers from Dee Marsh to Margam. This daylight southbound run, which passes Abergavenny at lunchtime, is very hit and miss, normally only runs one or two days a week when the additional overnight loaded train (6M76) runs north. 66951 didn't have much of a load.
6: The 6M86 loaded train taken about an hour later on the approach to Abergavenny, with 66544 up front once again. Freightliner tend to allocate a single locomotive for a week or more at a time to this one duty, which starts at Margam M-F at 10:29, stops at the steelworks at Llanwern outside Newport to pick up between 12:14 and 13:13, and arrives at Dee Marsh (which is near Chester in NE Wales) at 18:52. The return sets off at 20:39, stops to drop wagons off at Llanwern between 01:06 and 02:23, recesses in East Usk Yard, Newport (which is next to Llanwern steelworks) from 02:48 to 04:14 and is scheduled to arrive back at Margam at 05:50, ready to start again.

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7: On April 9th I was back at Cwmbargoed, same routine as last time. Late morning a Freightliner working loaded with coal for Port Talbot is in the exchange sidings awaiting the arrival of the twice weekly DBS train from Hope. But today I'm testing a new feature of the Freightmaster realtime maps application, Mark Rawlinson the webmaster has extended the Cardiff Freightmaster map to include the Cwmbargoed line as there's a signal and track circuit, controlled by the South Wales Signal Control Centre at the beginning of the line beyond the exchange sidings, which will indicate when a loaded train has set off and a track circuit at the Ystrad Mynach junction with the mainline which tells when a train enters the branch. So no more surprise appearances! This is the (supposed) 6C93 14:00 departure sitting at Cwmbargoed at about 11:30

8: And here comes the train from Hope, again taken at the overpass just outside Bedlinog, but looking down the valley. It's backlit but I rather like the effect of the tree branches over the line, sort of Ent-ish.

9: Off to Gelligaer Common which is between Bedlinog and Trelewis, once this valley was home to the Taf Merthyr Colliery but no more, it closed in 1993. This is 6C93 and again it ran early, but using the maps app I knew when it had left Cwmbargoed. In the event it took about 25 minutes from the track circuit berth being activated to the train appearing, loaded trains descend the 2% grade at between 20 and 30 mph.

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10: April 10th was freezing cold, I had to go to Newport and stopped off on Lime Kiln Bridge overlooking Alexandra Dock Junction Yard just in time for the sun to illuminate the 4V44 Tesco Express intermodal service from Daventry to Cardiff (Wentloog)

11: It was April 18th when things started to warm up, and I was lucky that there were two extra freight workings over the Marches Line. The first was one of the 'as required' 6M54 carrying gritstone, used for safety coatings at road junctions, from Neath Abbey Wharf to Washwood Heath outside Birmingham. As usual Colas rostered one of their class 70s, 70804. It's passing Llanvihangel and about to cross the road along the Vale of Ewyas.

12: Behind 6M54 came a Freightliner working, 4M61 ferrying empty coal hoppers from East Usk Yard, Newport to Crewe, presumably for maintenance. FL Heavyhaul 66616 (the 66/6 class are regeared to 60 mph) is in charge of this nominally 75 mph train! The northern escarpment of the Black Mountains form the backdrop.

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13: April 20th was an extraordinary day, hot and sunny from morning until night. We were visiting father in law in Marlborough. Wiltshire and I took myself off on the bus to Bedwyn and the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal. I saw plenty of freight trains which you can find here
https://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/2018/April-a-harbinger-of-Spring/i-PgS57J2
but this is a look at a rapidly disappearing breed, the HST. First off is the 12:03 Paddington to Penzance passing Bridge 99, the recently restored Bridge to Nowhere, with its explanatory panel. In essence is was built at the behest of the local landowner (the Earl of Ailesbury) to link up to rides on his land, but he never completed them and the bridge, which is a skew bridge designed by master canal engineer John Rennie, never connected anywhere with anything.

14: The HSTs were introduced in 1976, to celebrate their 40th birthday two power cars were repainted in their original and later BR Inter-city liveries. This is 43 185 in the later IC livery, it's at the head of the 15:03 Paddington to Penzance which has just passed through Bedwyn station.

15: And finally from this look at the HSTs is Remembrance power car 43 172 'Harry Patch' on the 16:03 Paddington to Penzance. Harry Patch, who died at the age of 111 in July 2009, was the last veteran of World War One, the HST is decorated with poppies and text from the poem 'The Fallen'. The nameplate says 'Harry Patch - the last survivor of the trenches' and includes the medal ribbons he was awarded. It's passing the turnback siding used by DMUs on the Paddington to Bedwyn outer suburban service.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/18 11:55 by 86235.

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16: On April 25th I was in London, around my old haunts in North London. I had an appointment at 09:45 in Highgate which allowed me just enough time to get to Crouch Hill to shoot the 4V31 London Gateway to Bristol wineliner, which carries 40 1TEU boxes all labelled for the carriage of liquids which is wine, I believe from Chile, which is bottled in the UK.

17: After my appointment I diverted via Canonbury for a Felixstowe to Trafford Park (Manchester) intermodal, 4M85 before heading back to Paddington and my train home to Wales. Wasn't sad to leave London.

18: The following day spring was most definitely in evidence around Abergavenny as the oil seed rape was in full flower. 66095 is on the tri weekly Hayes and Harlington (London) to Moreton on Lugg empty stone train.

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19: April 28th was a wee bit damp, but there was a Colas convoy scheduled along the Marches Line which included two 70s and a 60. As luck would have it the 60 was doing all the work as it breasted Llanvihangel bank!

20: It was cold again, but on April 30th west was best for sun, although it remained bitterly cold, there was a stiff northerly wind. We've been here before quite recently, the approach to the coal washery at Onllwyn with 66562 on the 4O10 from East Usk, conveying hoppers which will load for the steel works at Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.

21: And here is the train arriving in the washery. Loading will commence using a wheeled loader. I had to pick up a parcel later in the day so couldn't wait for the return, loading takes between two and three hours.

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I'll finish off with some shots taken on Monday 7th, the Early Spring Bank Holiday along the Cambrian Line through the mountains of Mid Wales. The trains maybe mundane, they are all class 158s equipped with ERTMS - European Rail Traffic Management System - as there are no line side signals on the Cambrian, but the scenery is anything but.

22: A pair of 158s form the 09:30 Aberystwyth / 07:34 Pwllheli to Birmingham International climbing through Commins Coch

23: Taken from a forest track above the village of Commins Coch the 13:30 Aberystwyth to Birmingham is only a single unit. The Pwllheli portion failed at Barmouth, on the coast line from Dovey Junction to Pwllheli and was consequently cancelled

24: And finally the 12:09 from Birmingham to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli descends from Talerddig summit.

It really did feel as though spring had sprung.

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Excellent series.

An excellent plus photo series!
Great composition, subject matter (especially the Class 66's), and scenery.
Definitely liked them all.
ALLEN

Thanks, Nick, for the wonderful tour. Gerry

Nick #8 is superb!

Posted from iPhone

Veery nice shots.

KG

A terrific selection of photos, Nik. It's good to see there's still plenty of coal action, which must be the last in the UK. chris uk

Thanks everyone, glad you like them.

I am glad that you share your photos. It has been 5 years since I was able to visit the UK. Now I can not see the UK again, (too many birthdays!). Therefore your "work" gives me great joy. Thank you. wag216 (Art Gibson in Topeka, Kansas USA)

Excellent set of pictures.
Thanks for posting them.
Gary