European Railroad Discussion > Flaming June

As June has given way to July our ongoing heatwave shows no sign of letting up. For those who have experienced the vagaries of weather in the UK, and especially Wales it's a sobering fact that Porthmadog in NW Wales, home to the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland railways was on two days last week the hottest place in the British Isles, on both days in excess of 30C. And its been like that for much of the month. The most notable goings on down here in Wales has been the closure of the South Wales Mainline through the Severn Tunnel / Twnnel Hafren since Saturday 16th June, to allow Network Rail to lower track through the single track bores of the two Patchway Tunnels on the English approach. That work is due to finish this coming weekend, in the meantime London to Swansea trains have been diverted via the original Great Way Round (the name the Great Western Railway's detractors gave to its rather circuitous routes) down the GW mainline to Swindon, turning right through Kemble and Stroud to Gloucester and then down the west bank of the Severn to enter Wales at Chepstow. Freight train shave also been diverted the same way or, in some cases, over the Marches Line. It's made for an entertaining few weeks, accompanied by warm and sunny weather. What's not to like?

1: June 1st dawned misty, being a Friday there was the prospect of the Colas operated 6V54 timber empties from Chirk to Baglan Bay in the early morning light. And here they are, behind 70806 after a few weeks of 60 haulage. And owing to unloading issues at Chirk seven of the 20 wagons remained loaded.
A Colas driver on another forum remarked that the squirrels who have taken up residence in the unloaded wagons would have been able to sign the route as they would have seen it enough times :-)
The following week Kronospan took no deliveries by rail from either Baglan Bay or Carlisle whilst they tidied up their act.

2: On June 4th I drove over to Patchway on the outskirts of Bristol as this is where much of the forthcoming engineering work was to be concentrated, the 12:29 Swansea to Paddington is emerging from Patchway no.2 tunnel. The higher line was the original single track of the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway to New Passage Pier in the days before the Severn tunnel was opened. The line was doubled when the tunnel was opened in the 1880s. A pair of the new Hitachi built class 800 bi-modes emerges.

3: That evening the 6E11 Onllwyn Washery to Scunthorpe BSC steelworks, which normally runs in the wee small hours was rescheduled to pass Abergavenny at 20:00. No idea why, it's not happened before or since. Freightliner 66504 in what they dubbed Powerhaul livery, on 2000 tonnes of best welsh metallurgical coal.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/18 09:29 by 86235.

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4: June 5th started damp and misty in the Black Mountains, the sun slowly burning the mist off as the day went on, in mid afternoon 66129 on the regular 6B35 Acton to Moreton on Lugg empty stone train is approaching Abergavenny as seen from the towpath of the Mon & Brec Canal
5: The previous weekend West Coast Railways, the charter company, had run a Statesman Rail charter from Swindon to Scotland and back, the ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) returning to its base at Crewe on June 5th topped and tailed by 57314 and 47826 and here passing Penpergwm. the train set is just first class Mk 2 d/e/f cars plus a kitchen and dormitory car, patrons stay overnight in hotels.
6: On Wednesday June 6th I took myself off to Birmingham for the day, Riding the train from Abergavenny to Hereford and from Hereford to Birmingham New Street. This is one of the new CAF Urbos type trams on the Midland Metro on Bull Street as it approaches New Street station

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7: From Birmingham city centre I caught the bus out to Water Orton, something of a hotspot to the NE of the city. There was one train in particular that I wanted to see, the empties of a new flow of steel from the Celsa steelworks in Cardiff to Burton on Trent. It first ran towards the end of May and since then has been running weekly or twice weekly. Assumed to be steel wire as Celsa doesn't produce coil. I like it because it consists of 1980s VGA twin axle vans. Here it is, crossing the junction just to the east of Water Orton station.
8: On the way back into Birmingham I stopped off at Saltley for another flow where there's been a change of operator, from DBC to GBRf, the Clitheroe (which is a town in Lancashire in NW England) to Avonmouth (near Bristol in SW England) 6V35 cement tanks. I was pretty lucky to get this as it was over 30 minutes early whilst it circumnavigated Birmingham (it eventually arrived at Avonmouth a few minutes late).
9: And finally from a most enjoyable day out another Urbos tram on an inbound working. I caught my train back to Hereford and from there to Abergavenny although I had almost an hour to wait at Hereford as the connections are not that good. When you search for Abergavenny to Birmingham the various websites always route you via Newport, catching the Cardiff to Nottingham XC service. But it's at least 50% more expensive than booking via Hereford and West Midlands Railway, which is a pretty route through the Malvern Hills much of which is controlled by semaphore signals.

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10: On June 17th, after we got home from our week on the Oxford Canal I was on my way into Abergavenny to the supermarket stopping at Llanvihangel summit for the diverted 4V44 Daventry to Cardiff Wentloog Tesco Express, the closure of the Severn Tunnel was accompanied by closure of the alternative route through Gloucester over the weekend, permitting ongoing electrification work
11: On my way home I stopped off again in Great Triley Wood this time for what I thought would be the 6E47 Margam to Middlesbrough steel coil, but which today consisted entirely of tank containers carrying tar.
12: And so to Monday, June 18th and the first weekday of the diversions. I'm at Gatcombe on the banks of the Severn. I've already posted the Freightliner with the driver giving me a thumbs up so here instead is one of the diverted passenger trains, the 07:30 from Carmarthen, and another pair of the bi mode 800s.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/18 13:23 by 86235.

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13: Not a diversion but a train always worth shooting, the Robeston to Westerleigh loaded oil with pioneer 60001 upfront on 3000 tonnes.
14: One of the consequences of GBRf winning the cement flow to and from Avonmouth is that they recess the empty wagons at their depot in Cardiff over the weekend, on the 18th this resulted in empties from Cardiff Pengam to Clitheroe being routed over the Marches Line, running as 6M35. GBRf traction has been as rare as hens teeth on the Marches Line but may become more common as they win more traffic to and from South Wales. 66750 has just passed Abergavenny station
15: June 19th, and another diversion, the 6V32 Tilbury to Trostre empty tinplate vans behind 66724 Drax Power Station passing underneath the M48 Severn Bridge / Pont Hafren. The two axle vans are VGAs the bogie Cargowagons are IWAs.

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16: On Monday June 25th, having spent the weekend in North Wales, I took my bike down to Chepstow to cycle over the original Severn Bridge / Pont Hafren - today the M48 - but which has a cycle / foot path on either side of the roadway. I timed my ride, to New Passage Pier where the ferry took passengers over the Severn, for the diverted 4O70 Wentloog to Southampton which was passed by the 07:15 Paddington to Swansea
17: The heat was creating problems for Network Rail, CRT (Critical Rail temperature) being reached forcing temporary speed restrictions in places. Remember when it comes to weather we don't do extremes. This team had just placed a 20 mph TSR (Temporary Speed Restriction) on a piece of track which had seen some work previously so maybe the ballast hadn't been repacked.
Either that or they'd been given a treasure map by Blind Pew.
18: On June 26th it was again approaching 30C in Newport, I'd seen in the days schedule an STP (Short Term Plan) working from the tinplate works at Trostre (near Llanelli) to Birdport. It was due to recess at East Usk Yard so I hurried down as I hoped it would be more vans, VGAs and IWAs, which is indeed what it proved to be. Topped by 66124 it was tailed by 60001

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19: Off to Pont Hafren for another diversion, this time the 6B35 Hayes and Harlington to Moreton on Lugg.
20: June 27th; another day of unbroken sun and soaring temperatures. The heat haze down at Sedbury, on the English side of the Wye from Chepstow was very pronounced as the 4V44 approached
21: It was followed by a train which I thought was also running as 4V44 - a GBRF STP from Acton to Cardiff Tidal, former coal hoppers being used for stone and aggregate. 66724 Drax Power Station is the power.

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Final trio
22: From Sedbury I drove up to Purton and Gatcombe where the railway hugs the shoreline of the River Severn, on the cliffs above Purton I shot firstly the 6V92 empty coil carriers from Corby, in the East Midlands, to Margam
23: And in the opposite direction with the 16th century Purton Manor overlooking the tracks and the river, the 6M41 Margam to Round Oak, a steel terminal in the West Midlands.
24: And finally another shot of the Burton on Trent to Cardiff empty steel vans, today coded as 4V50 which means, in theory it could run at 75 mph.

This is the link to June's gallery for any gluttons for punishment
https://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/2018/June-the-summer-is-upon-us/i-Cgww4N2

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Excellent ! As soon as I see your name I click on it right away ! You never disappoint!!!  Thank you for sharing !!! :):):)
P.S. by the way here in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada., this Long weekend ( Canada Day) our temps were 34 & 35 C on Saturday & Sunday! The Humidex reading was around 45 C :(:(:(
I understand you! :):):)

Great series. "England's green and pleasant land."
 

Thanks Nick, another great set of photos, much appreciated.

Malcolm
New Zealand

Great series as usual!  I see the view we had in East Usk Yard is starting to get obscured by catenary poles.  Ah, progress!

Always enjoy your work, Nick. Thanks for posting some fine images from interesting locations.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan USA

Thanks everyone, I had a ball taking them.

dwatry Wrote:
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> I see the view we had in
> East Usk Yard is starting to get obscured by
> catenary poles.  Ah, progress!
Sadly yes, I'm afraid so. The Birdport line won't be wired so there may still be a broadside view, but I'm not holding my breath :-(

Excellent selection, Nick. A good variety of trains and power. The tar containers is totally new to me. As usual in the summer in the UK, we have to battle with uncontrolled lineside growth. There has been a blitz up here in the north, making life alittle easier. Chris uk

Nice variety with good description for those with less familiarity.
Bob

What a great series of pictures. And some very nice locations also. Congratualtions on IOTD.
John

Thank you for the wonderful group of photos and congratulations!

Rich

Thanks, glad you like 'em.

ironmtn Wrote:
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> Always enjoy your work, Nick. Thanks for posting
> some fine images from interesting locations.
>
> MC
> Muskegon, Michigan USA

And now IOTD, to boot! Congratulations, Nick!

MC
Muskegon, Michigan