European Railroad Discussion > Freight returns to Abergavenny

A day to remember in Abergavenny, Wales yesterday, the first revenue freight train to unload in the yard in almost 20 years, carrying timber from SW England for Pontrilas Sawmills.

There have been persistent rumours of a trial of rail borne timber for the large modern sawmills at Pontrilas, about 10 miles north of Abergavenny on the main trunk road (and railway line) to Hereford. Last week a path appeared for the movement of empty timber carriers from Baglan Bay in South Wales (another timber loading point) to Hackney Yard, Newton Abbot in Devon on Monday 17th, which those in the know confirmed was for the trial. The train loaded on Tuesday and left at 08:55 Wednesday morning, arriving at Abergavenny, slightly early at 14:45. Just eight of the large KSA timber carriers hauled by a Colas class 70, 70803. Unloading started almost immediately with a convoy of Pontrilas Sawmill trucks shuttling the timber up the A465 to Pontrilas. Just after 21:00 the empties departed back to Baglan Bay, running some five hours early. I guess the late schedule had been agreed in case of any glitches, but apparently there weren't any. Pontrilas used to receive timber by train, back in 1999 and 2000 I have shots of trains carrying timber for the sawmills. That was unloaded in the siding at Pontrilas itself, which is the first block post north of Abergavenny on the Marches Line, but using the short two axle OTA wagons. Today the siding at Pontrilas could only hold three of the larger KSAs that were used yesterday.

Whether this transpires into a regular or semi-regular flow only time, and the economics, will tell. 

1: On Monday I went down to Baglan Bay to see the empties leave, these are the KSA wagons which are used, formerly cube box cars used for auto body parts
2: From the Baglan Bay loading point the train runs into Briton Ferry Yard where it reverses before heading east. It's overtaken by the 14:22 Swansea to London Paddington.
3: As it was early at this point I headed a few miles east to Margam Yard, this is it passing the BOC plant at Margam 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/22 14:23 by 86235.

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4: On Wednesday afternoon the train, coded as 6Z61, approaching Abergavenny Yard.
5: Until yesterday the yard had been used by Network Rail for MoW purposes, it consists of one through track. 70803 brings the train to a halt. There were plenty of Network Rail, Colas and Pontrilas Sawmill staff on hand to oversee the operation.
6: The train was split for some reason or other, 70803 and the front two wagons moved away from the back portion whilst unloading started.

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7: I still think the 70 is an appalling piece of industrial design, whlst not being hugely reliable. Hopefully if they do this again they may use a 56.
8: A class 175/1 on the 13:00 Carmarthen to Crewe arriving, the DMU and 70803 exchanged blasts on the horn.
9: Unloading proceeded apparently smoothly, with two or three trucks being loaded simultaneously.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/22 03:12 by 86235.

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Interesting photos. Whoever sells the safety vests, pants, hats, gloves, etc. in the U.K. must be rich. They seem to be overly obsessed with them.

Train29 Wrote:
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> Interesting photos. Whoever sells the safety
> vests, pants, hats, gloves, etc. in the U.K. must
> be rich. They seem to be overly obsessed with
> them.

Elf 'n' safety init?!

Very interesting new working, I hope it continues!

I'm one of the relatively few class 70 fans... They're not pretty but then few freight locomotives are. I actually really like them from a more front-on perspective. They're different, whoch is good when class 66s are so dominant! Also, they sound far better than a 66, with a deep bass thump and a high pitched scream, often at the same time! They are pretty reliable by UK standards, and the non-Colas ones perform at high levels in terms of speed and tonnage, because they are basically tthe UK's top performing freight diesels in terms of shear grunt/haulage capability.

Ghastly diesel livery, so uncomplimentary. But nice series, thanks for sharing.

Great series of the unusual move, hopefully it becomes a regular run.

Rich

Nick - great series!

Those cars would make a fascinating modeling project. 

kurtarmbruster Wrote:
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> Ghastly diesel livery, so uncomplimentary. But
> nice series, thanks for sharing.

I disagree. ;-)

Man, that is one ugly lokie.

Nice that you captured the logs being loaded.  Great series!

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> Man, that is one ugly lokie.
>
> Nice that you captured the logs being loaded.
>  Great series!

But better looking than a GP30...

exhaustED Wrote:
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> WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Man, that is one ugly lokie.
> >
> > Nice that you captured the logs being loaded.
> >  Great series!
>
> But better looking than a GP30...

Maybe to you...

Very good coverage, but #6 is really a fantastic photograph. 

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> Man, that is one ugly lokie.
>

If a GE dash 9 and one of those Talgo cab cars had a child......

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
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> WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Man, that is one ugly lokie.
> >
>
> If a GE dash 9 and one of those Talgo cab cars had
> a child......
>
> Dave

And a GG1

Posted from iPhone

Thanks for explaining this new service and taking the time to show and tell us about it.