European Railroad Discussion > October in South Wales

If one word can characterise October 2019 here in South Wales (and elsewhere in Britain) it's WET. By the end of the month we had well over 150% of average rainfall across both England and Wales, the worst being Friday and Saturday 25th and 26th when it rained continuously from 10:00 Friday to 15:00 Saturday, causing serious damage to the Marches mainline between Abergavenny and Hereford which took a week to rebuild. But despite that there was still much to record and I guess I don't mind getting wet every now and again.

1: On October 1st on the Marches mainline between Newport and Abergavenny 66065 on the daily 6M86 train of steel coil from South Wales to Shotton on Deeside in North Wales.

2: Autumn means the appearance of Network Rail's fleet of Railhead Treatment Trains (RHTT) which spray the railhead to get rid of leaf and other waste which causes all sorts of problems for the modern railway. This is the Gloucester Horton Road based set, passing Portskewett on the Severnside Line from Gloucester to Severn Tunnel Junction. The horse wasn't paying much attention.

3: Later that same afternoon 66094 climbing out of the Usk Valley between Caerleon and Cwmbran on another 6M86 carrying steel coil to Shotton. Still plenty of leaves to fall.

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4: October 8th and the Bristol based RHTT (3S59) which sprays the Marches line between Newport and Moreton on Lugg in the early morning, returning after breakfast. This was taken from just round the corner of the previous shot at Ponthir, between Cwmbran and Caerleon

5: Now I mentioned rain, after I took the previous picture I headed west into the Rhymney Valley for the Margam Yard RHTT. It was running rather late on this occasion but before it showed there was a monumental downpour just as this pair of class 142 Pacers left Bargoed.

6: And here it is, about 58 minutes late. It turns round at Bargoed, returning to Margam via Cardiff, Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan line.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/19 11:21 by 86235.

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7: The following day at Pontlottyn in the Rhymney Valley and one of the loco hauled set crew training runs. To provide extra capacity Transport for Wales (TfW) currently operate two peak hour loco hauled trains hauled by 55 year old class 37s between Rhymney and Cardiff in each direction (M-F). They also run a couple of crew training runs during the day. Sadly, since the clocks changed at the end of October, the peak hour trains now run under the cover of darkness. 37418 is in ersatz BR large logo blue livery

8: October 11th was a pretty wet day, but it brightened up mid afternoon just in time for the 17:01 Cardiff Central to Rhymney leaving Cardiff Queen Street with 37421 in Colas livery at the helm.

9: Taken the same day at Cardiff Central this illustrates TfW's problem; too many passengers, not enough rolling stock. This is the 17:37 Cardiff Central to Ebbw Vale Town, a busy commuter service which on this particular day consisted of a solitary 142 Pacer. When it eventually pulled out it was rammed with passengers.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/19 08:53 by 86235.

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10: On Sundays the Severnside RHTT pays an afternoon visit to Hereford, the 13th was a decent day so I drove the 25 miles across into England hoping the sun would stay out. It did but first a couple of West Midlands Railway Bombardier DMUs on a Birmingham to Hereford service

11: The DMU was followed by the 3S31, now hauled by a pair of Colas class 56s

12: October 16th promised to be a decent day so I took my bike with me on the car and went for a ride in the Rhondda Valley. This is a Treherbert to Cardiff service between Porth and Trehafod

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Coal trains - a dying breed

13: 6C93 from the coal washery at Cwmbargoed joins the Rhymney mainline at Ystrad Mynach at 14:50, this is taken above the village

14: A few days later on October 21st the coal washery is in the background as 66034 descends the 2% grade with 21 loaded hoppers on 6C93. it's passing the site of an abandoned drift mine which was worked until about 10 years ago.

15: Up at the coal washery the day's other train has finished loading and is heading for the exchange siding where the loco will run round in preparation for its descent to Ystrad Mynach later in the afternoon.

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Last lot

16: October 23rd 6C93 is descending past the former mining village of Bedlinog...

17:...and passing the former entrance to the Taff Merthyr colliery at Trelewis

18: On Monday 28th my partner and I were off to West Wales for a short break walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, we stopped alongside the River Neath for the Cardiff Docks to Neath Abbey Wharf approaching Dynevor Junction. The lightship is a D Day veteran.

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Thanks, Nick, for the tour of the beautiful, if also soggy, countryside.  Gerry

Beautiful photos.  Thank you very much for sharing.

Gotta love those Pacers. Looks like the crowd just can't wait to board.

GPutz Wrote:
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> Thanks, Nick, for the tour of the beautiful, if
> also soggy, countryside.  Gerry

Thanks Gerry

cjvrr Wrote:
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> Beautiful photos.  Thank you very much for
> sharing.

Thanks

prrmpup Wrote:
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> Gotta love those Pacers. Looks like the crowd just
> can't wait to board.

They were hiding their love well as it pulled away :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/19 08:50 by 86235.

And wasn't it just four months ago you guys were sweating out a hot, dry summer?

PHall Wrote:
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> And wasn't it just four months ago you guys were
> sweating out a hot, dry summer?

It's been a crazy year weatherwise, 60F plus in February, hot Easter, dismal May and early June, dry July, damp August, dry and warm September. I'm fully expecting a heat wave at Christmas :-)

Outstanding series, Nick. It's always a pleasure to view your images. You did well in catching some very nice scenes....and some sunshine, too. Well done!

MC
Muskegon, Michigan USA

Great shots as always!  I thought the Pacers were on the retirement block?

ironmtn Wrote:
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> Outstanding series, Nick. It's always a pleasure
> to view your images. You did well in catching some
> very nice scenes....and some sunshine, too. Well
> done!
>
> MC
> Muskegon, Michigan USA

Thanks MC

dwatry Wrote:
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> Great shots as always!  I thought the Pacers were
> on the retirement block?

Thanks Duncan, yes they are, supposedly by 31st December but in reality early in 2020 as and when replacement stock becomes available. A number of ex-Greater Anglia (GA) 170s have arrived in Cardiff for crew training, more are expected as GA take delivery of their new Stadler bi-modes.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/19 13:47 by 86235.

Nick as always gorgeous photos from South Wales. Also I was wrong about the Stadler railcar. It is indead a "Flirt" and not a GTW, as I mis-identified. I found a close up phot is a Swiss magazine showing the railcar and giving specifications. It uses Jacobs bogies rather than the simpler articulation system used on GTW railcars and Stadler calls it a "Flirt UK" so that's difinitive. 

Thanks Nick another great set of photos, much appreciated.

Malcolm
New Zealand

When I Look on the "European" board and see "Author: 86235" I start drooling because I know it is going to be "Awesomw"
Thank you for sharing !!! :):):)

Thanks very much, pleased you like them.

Definitely like each and every photo in your excellent series.  The Class 66 action photos are awesome.  The Class 37 photos are a real treasure.  Thanks for your great photo posting.
ALLEN