European Railroad Discussion > A foreigner returns to Newport, South Wales: Finale

Upon return to Newport from Abergavenny, I again remained within the station to photograph trains, sometimes in sun! I do need to issue a disclaimer about high red DB 66-class content. There was a lot more freight activity than the prior afternoon and it was all steel-related. Quite amazing. Even though I was in Newport the following day until my 4 PM train to London, I had a specific time ticket and therefore could not enter the station until 20 minutes prior to the scheduled train time. I could only watch from outside between periods of downpours. As I recall, there was not a lot of freight activity but I did see some non-steel action like container trains and another tank unit train.

1. Right off the bat, a nice surprise in the form of ex-EWS 66-class #66142 that DB painted for Maritime Intermodal on a westbound with covered coil steel cars (empty in that direction?). Or is it cold-rolled inbound and hot-rolled outbound?

2. Followed by an even bigger surprise that even the locals did not know about. The Midland Pullman HST rolled through the station without stopping.

3. That is an attractive train. I had not seen it the prior day when traveling from Swansea to Newport so not sure where it was or where it came from.

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4. Only Nick will be able to explain how this is the same train that I photographed three hours prior in Abergavenny. I never saw it on the trip from Abergavenny to Newport.

5. This view takes on a new look in sunshine. A typical Great Western Railway BMU arrives. I liked the bright orange rail clips.

6. A GWR 166-class three-unit DMU set arriving.

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7-9. This series shows an eastbound hot-rolled coil steel train behind the usual DB 66-class diesel. Almost all freights used these two tracks between the platform tracks and with good visibility of signals in both directions I usually had a pretty good idea when a freight was coming. The coils appeared to be larger in diameter but narrower than what we see in the US.

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10. I've lost the sun for the moment but this is a rare time where I photographed a TfW train with the control/cab car leading. This is a black trainset with plain silver/grey 67-class pushing.

11. The TfW train is making its stop at Platform 2 while a GWR DMU set is at Platform 1.

12. And departing. Probably my least favorite DB 67-class scheme.

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13. The same TfW train that I photographed in Abergavenny southbound around 1 PM is now eastbound through Newport at 5:38 PM. This was the one with the black DB 67-class locomotive.

14. On the right, a TfW DMU set is arriving in filtered sun.

15. Back to full sun, a westbound empty coil steel train rolls through at speed while a GWR BMU is arriving for Platform 2.

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16-18. In this final series, another loaded hot-rolled coil steel train passes eastbound through the station behind a bit smokier DB 66-class diesel. This series is nearly identical to that of 7-9.

Thanks for traveling around England and Wales with me. The trains were great and accompanied by nice people, good food, and my beloved hand-pulled, cask-aged, real ales.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/25 09:35 by NMlurker.

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The size of steel coils is specified by the customer.

NMlurker Wrote:
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> 4. Only Nick will be able to explain how this is
> the same train that I photographed three hours
> prior in Abergavenny. I never saw it on the trip
> from Abergavenny to Newport.

6V75 normally stops at Llanwern steelworks east of Newport, to drop and/or pick up wagons.

NMlurker Wrote:
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> 1. Right off the bat, a nice surprise in the form
> of ex-EWS 66-class #66142 that DB painted for
> Maritime Intermodal on a westbound with covered
> coil steel cars (empty in that direction?). Or is
> it cold-rolled inbound and hot-rolled outbound?

Most probably empties from Round Oak via Llanwern (6V05) or possibly loaded steel coil imported through Newport Docks for tinplating at Trostre Works, Llanelli. Since the closure of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot in 2024 there's been an increase in the number of workings through Newport, slab imported via Portbury and coil & slab imported via Newport. Coil also comes in via Cardiff. This is temporary until the completion of the EAF at Port Talbot in 2027.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/25 14:43 by 86235.

Thanks for this great show.  Gerry