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A Railwayman's View - BR Western Region by Peter Collins > Wales

The photographs in this collection are from the Wales section of Peter Collins' Railwayman's View Book Volume One - BR Western Region.

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Images 1-11 of 11 displayed.

LPPC DSL BW 0785
An un-fitted rake of coal hoppers clatters through Cardiff General station on a centre road headed by an English Electric Type 3 Class 37 6988 (later 37288/37427)and watched by a clutch of spotters on the platform. The loco is filthy. So much so that it is difficult to discern the yellow nose. However, the Class 37s were worthy replacements for all the various GWR tank locos when it came to shifting many thousands of loaded and empty four-wheeled open wagons around the valleys and lines of South Wales for the best part of two decades. With the disappearance of vacuum-braked passenger rolling-stock, it was always interesting to check the formation of parcels trains. In the left background can be seen both ex-SR and LM vehicles as part of the consist of just such a working.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Class 37, Cardiff Central, 6988, 37288, 37427, Coal, Freight, Spotters

LPPC DSL BW 0572
A Saturday in the mid-1970s at Cardiff General station and an unusually smart English Electric Type 3 number 6972 (later 37272/37431) trundles empty coal hoppers along the up through centre road, probably returning from Aberthaw, using the triangular junction behind Canton MPD. These locos were numerous in South Wales for many years and as ubiquitous as their predecessors, the 56XX 0-6-2 tank engines. As always, a number of empty Brutes clutter up the platform in the background. Sometimes these left little room for passengers to make their way to their trains.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Class 37, Freight, Coal, Cardiff Central, 6972, 37272, 47431

LPPC DSL BW 0985
This is another scene where, if it wasn’t for a diesel loco, the shot could have been taken in steam days, with a fine array of GW drop-arm semaphores on view. One of the very competent, South Wales English Electric Type 3 Class 37s (possibly 37 217) negotiates the trackwork approaching Radyr station, prior to heading off up the valley towards Pontypridd.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Class 37, Radyr, 37217, Coal, Freight

LPPC DSL BW 0984
Whilst an 08 350hp shunter forms an engineer’s train in the yard, a light English Electric Type 3 Class 37 comes off the Radyr loco stabling point and heads off up the valley. Behind the two locos, the line to the left runs directly to Cardiff Queen Street station whilst that to the right also goes to Cardiff, but it is freight only and, once there, becomes the avoiding line behind Canton depot, 86A, to give access to the Barry line or ahead towards Newport.
Keywords: BR, Radyr, Western, Wales, Coal, Freight, Class 08, Class 37, Shunter

LPPC DSL BW 1290
For the bobby, it’s all happening one lunchtime at Radyr as two English Electric Type 3 Class 37 workhorses (37225 is seen on the left) of the Welsh Valleys are brought to a stand, ready for the road. On the right, the secondman is on the phone probably making clear the fact that he considers he has priority over the sibling machine on the left and could someone do something about it asap.
Keywords: BR, Radyr, Western, Wales, Class 37, 37225, Coal, Freight, Class 08

LPPC DSL BW 0627
During a Branch Line Society tour of South Wales, the DMU formation stops at Alexandra Dock Junction, Newport for the crew to change ends and reverse. Although it looks like imminent disaster might occur with the Class 08 just ahead, it was a Saturday and the latter was shut down and stabled. The then vast site of Newport Docks is clearly visible on the horizon.
Keywords: BR, Newport, Alexandra Dock Junction, DMU, BLS, Branch Line Society, Railtour, Class 08, Docks, Passenger

LPPC DSL BW 0625
From the BLS DMU heading from Park Junction, Newport further up the valley towards Ebbw Vale, we can see two Sulzer Type 2 Class 25s (led by 5181 - later 25031) setting out from Ebbw Junction towards Bassaleg Junction and Newport station and the east with a long train of empty loose-coupled hopper wagons. The sheer scale of British Rail’s continued involvement with loose-coupled wagons can be seen by the number in service in the docks sidings in the background and this was in the 1970s, by which time there had been a considerable reduction in industrial activity in South Wales.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Class 25, 5181, 25031, Coal, Newport, Ebbw Junction, Freight

LPPC DSL BW 0221
Craven Arms in the Welsh Marches on a Saturday 5th June 1971. The RCTS ‘The Heart of Wales Rail Tour’ ran on 5th June 197l is waiting for the right-away before heading right onto the Central Wales line, with Barry Docks being its next goal so that the participants can spend time exploring Woodham’s scrapyard and all the derelict steam locos stabled there. 6931 is a Class 37 English Electric Type 3 (later 37231/37896) and one of a large number allocated to South Wales at the time. This one’s home depot is Landore as can be seen by the code on the bodyside sticker. The train had started from London Kensington Olympia and travelled by means of the Great Western South Wales main line as far as Maindee Junction at Newport, where the EE Type 3 was waiting. It then turned north up the Western Region North and West route via Hereford to Craven Arms. The Class 47 (1675 ‘Amazon’ - later 47089) that brought the train from London ran light to Cardiff Canton for servicing whilst 6931 attached to the stock and was here forced to make a reversing move to gain access to the Central Wales line.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Railtour, 6931, Craven Arms, 1971, 'The Heart of Wales Rail Tour', RCTS, Passenger

LPPC DSL BW 0274
Leaning to the curve, English Electric Type 3 Class 37 number 6931 (37231, 37896) runs cautiously onto Knucklas Viaduct, over the Teme valley with the railtour from London, on the way to Llanelli and Barry Island. Once onto the viaduct full power needed to be applied to haul the train up from Knucklas station and on to Llangunllo. A photographic stop was laid on, further down the line, at Llandrindod Wells. The RCTS railtour (‘The Heart of Wales Rail Tour’) ran on 5th June 1971 from Kensington Olympia, returning to London Paddington.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Railtour, RCTS, 'The Heart of Wales Rail Tour', 6931, 37231, 37896, Class 37, Knucklas Viaduct, Passenger

LPPC DSL BW 00723
The desolation of Pembroke Dock station is well defined on this miserable wet morning after the arrival of a WR Swindon Class 120 (Set C504) Cross Country DMU from Whitland. An English Electric Type 3 Class 37 waits to follow the DMU on its return journey. I often wondered whether anyone in Marylebone Road ever stopped to wonder whether their miraculous ‘economies’ actually caused potential passengers to turn away from using rail, faced with what a dump this and many other stations had become with zero investment.
Keywords: BR, DMU, Wales, Western, Class 37, Coal, Passenger, Pembroke Dock, Class 120, C504

LPPC DSL BW 00722-Edit
Fishguard Harbour station was never a particularly attractive place to have to spend time and on an early autumn weekday afternoon it certainly doesn’t look at its best. It really only existed as an interchange point for travellers to and from the Rosslare Irish ferries, but it was possible to visit as an ordinary, inquisitive, passenger. Fishguard and Goodwick station, less than a mile up the line, was more appropriate for local travellers. Here the afternoon ferry connection has arrived from London Paddington in the late 1970s and the Brush Type 4 Class 47 has run round the stock and is ready for an imminent departure. It was a simple in and out job, with minimal waiting time. Under the current timetable there are two round trips to the station per day to connect with the ferries. The late evening train meets a ferry and departs around 23.00pm, but terminates at Carmarthen, leaving passengers with a five hour wait if they wish to travel further east on the first service of the day.
Keywords: BR, Western, Wales, Class 47, Fishguard Harbour, Passenger

Images 1-11 of 11 displayed.