It’s the weekend, but there’s no rest for the wicked. Well maybe just a little bit as I could have a lie-in this morning! The rest was short-lived as (after the past couple of days work) I’ve an even bigger queue of pictures to edit, so much of the day’s been dedicated to doing just that.
I did tear myself away from my computer long enough to get my daily steps in, first by a trip to do some shopping (and a swift pint in my local) before returning home to collect Dawn so the pair of us could get out to stretch our legs and enjoy the local woodlands now the autumn’s hear – although the vast carpet of fallen acorns does make it fell like you’re walking on marbles sometimes, especially on slopes.
Now we’re having a quiet night at home. We’ve eaten home-made chicken curry from the freezer so no elaborate cooking was required, which has allowed us to relax. Now, whilst Dee’s watching ‘strictly’ on TV I’m back to editing pictures. Not exactly the ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle, but it works for us!
Today’s picture? It’s from my trip to South Wales. The evening light’s been spectacular, as this shot shows as the evening sunlight glints off the side of one of Stadler’s new Class 756s, throwing into stark relief the outline of the engine compartment compared to the rest of the train.
I’ll be adding more pictures to different galleries on my Zenfolio website tomorrow.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’ve indulged myself with a lie-in after a series of ‘silly o’ clock’ starts and lots of exercise, but now I’m getting ready to spend much of the day exploring the changes to the rail network in the South Wales valleys which are seeing a massive investment in electrification and new trains. I’ll blog throughout the day and on my journey back to West Yorkshire later, so stay tuned…
Here’s a sample. These are the new bi-mode trains from Stadler which have replaced 40 year old diesel units built by British Railways.
13:20.
I’m back! I’ve not been blogging as I’ve been busy station-hopping on my way up the Welsh valley’s to (as I decided on a whim) Merthyr Tydfil. It’s been a really interesting trip as there are so many changes since I was up here for RAIL magazine last year. Now, the elderly BR built Class 150s are in the minority. Most services are worked by bi-mode Class 769s which are a step-change in comfort and environmental-friendliness. The valleys really are becoming green again.
Admittedly, the wires are discontinuous, with large gaps, including at important junctions like Pontypridd. At Merthyr I had chance to have a quick chat with the lovely woman driving my train, so I asked her how drivers cope with the electrification gaps. As I suspected, ‘pan up, pan down’ is automatic, and controlled by balises in the four foot, which takes the stress off drivers. These bi-mode trains can seamlessly switch between diesel and electric power on the move.
Right now I’m heading back down the valley towards Cardiff – final destination uncertain as it depends on the weather, which is clouding up. I’ll add some more pictures and update this blog later.
Sorry about the squashed pigeon. I’m sure it’s a metaphor for something…
16:45.
A weather front has approached from the West, costing us the sunshine – although it’s allowed me to get a few other shots. Even so, after a busy few days, I’ve decided to begin the trek back to West Yorkshire.
Right now, I’m aboard the 15:53 from Cardiff to Manchester Piccadilly, which consists of a pair of class 197s (2+3). The odd thing? My TfW wifi connection works beautifully on the rest of the fleet, but on 197s it’s an erratic nightmare – hence me typing this on my phone
Whilst I’m doing this, my laptops kept busy downloading pics from my camera, so time isn’t wasted.
17:15.
We’re now North of Leominster and the passenger composition’s changed. The Cardiff/Newport commuter belt seems to end at Hereford. Now, we’re left with more long-distance travellers – including a gaggle of women who’re off God knows where to celebrate a friends 50th. They’ve settled into two table bays and spread out tablecloths, which they’ve anchored with a variety of snacks and several bottles of fizz! Oddly, they’re all blondes, what are the chances of that?
Now we’re into Shropshire, which I’ve always maintained is one of England’s least discovered gems. Church Stretton and the hills around it have been an old stomping ground for many, many years.
20:15.
I’m now on the last leg, having made it to Manchester and traversed the city then made it on to the 19:55 to Leeds. The difference between Cardiff and Manchester city centres is interesting. In Cardiff, nearly every shop and pub has security guards stood outside. Manchester? Nah….
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’m prepping for a day at the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway, where the PWI delegates are going to be learning practical skills trackside from experienced rail staff and volunteers, whilst I document the day, but first, it’s time for breakfast before we all climb aboard the minibus taking us to the railway from our hotel.
Fuelling…
I’ll blog sporadically through the day. At the end of it I’ll be heading back to Cardiff where I’ll be spending the night before heading back North on Friday, so expect more blogs and pictures.
08:12.
We’re at the railway (which has an interesting collection of old cabs), waiting for some of the trainers who’ve been delayed by the closure of the M4.
12:30.
We’ve had a busy morning where I’ve taken a huge number of trackside pics of people carrying out surveying, spot sleepering and ballast packing, amongst other activities. I’ll add some pics. I’ve also found more old cabs.
15:50.
The event’s finished and it’s time for us all to scatter to the four winds, including a team from Germany, who’ve thoroughly enjoyed the event, as have people from Systra, the ORR, RSSB and others- including the professionals from main sponsor Colas. To put the icing on the cake, it’s stayed sunny!
Oh, and the railway has gained an extention to its running line.
I’ve enjoyed it too as there’s always something to learn from chatting to the guys who do this stuff every day – especially as the pressure is off (there’s no possession to hand back on time) so they’re happy to talk.
21:00.
I’ve made it as far as Cardiff where I’m kicking back in my hotel, charging up various devices and downloading a sh*t load of pictures. When I arrived in Cardiff the light was just right for a few pictures. Here’s a couple of samples from the day.
Tracklaying the old fashioned way with bullhead track. It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t – but it’s a great lesson in some techniques which are still applicable today. Admittedly, lifting and securing bullhead rail to old track chairs isn’t an everyday experience on the modern railway. One of TfW’s new Stadler units catches the setting sun at Cardiff Central. The protruding section contains the diesel engines in these bi-mode units.
Whilst I let pictures upload and devices to recharge I nipped out for a drink along St Mary St, where I’m staying. How to describe it? Well, it’s lined with bars and pubs and seems to be a magnet for revelers, street drunks and Ne’er-do-wells, as well as ordinary people just trying to navigate the chaos. The giveaway is how many places have to have security on the door – including shops. It’s a far cry from where I’ve just been in Portugal -and the energy is very, very different. Portugal please.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’m stood on a chilly Sowerby Bridge station waiting for a late-running 07:22 to Manchester Victoria, rueing the fact I hadn’t rushed to jump on the earlier TPE service that called here due to the Huddersfield blockade.
On the bright side, I have plenty of time to get from Victoria to Piccadilly, even though I have a suitcase full of PPE in tow…
07:30.
On the move! In its wisdom, Northern have provided a 2-car Class 195 to work this peak-time service, so it was rammed on arrival with no chance of getting a seat.
Not the best start to a long day, which will see me travelling all the way to Llanelli in South Wales. I’m on my way to meet up with colleagues from the Permenant Way Institution (PWI) who’re running a practical challenge where office-based rail staff get chance to experience working trackside, carrying out tasks like spot re-sleepering, platform surveys and maintaining rail joints. The work will be taking place on a preserved railway nearby.
07:44.
We’ve now left Todmorden, and this train resembles a sardine can! Next stop is Rochdale, which is going to be ‘interesting’ as there’s always dozens of passengers waiting. I suspect we’re going to ve leaving folk behind.
08:00.
Luckily for Rochdale passengers, a large group of students disembarked, making room for all but a few folk who decided to catch the Headbolt Lane stopper running behind us, which starts here.
09:00.
My dash across Manchester got me to Piccadilly in plenty of time for my next train. I’m in no great rush to get to Llanelli, so I’m taking the ‘scenic’ route to Crewe via Manchester Airport aboard the North stopping service, which is being worked by a former West Midlands Class 323. The North-West is now the last refuge for this fleet of trains, which are popular with passengers and crews alike. They’ve got great acceleration and comfortable saloon interiors despite not having air-conditioning or plug sockets.
11:30.
My trip ‘around the houses’ to Crewe reminded me that there’s still a few stations along this line I’ve yet to photograph. I covered over 30 SE Manchester stations for a commission last year. I’ve visited many others due to my involvement with the community rail movement.But there’s still one or two I’ve missed, like Styal and Sandbach. Maybe soon…
My stop at Crewe was brief and interrupted by bumping into an old rail colleague (Graeme Bunker), so the camera saw little action. Now I’m on Transport for Wales 10:10 to Fishguard Harbour. We’ve just left Leominster after passing through Shrewsbury and the gorgeous Shropshire hills AONB and the Long Mynd, an area we were walking in earlier this year.
This particular train is a 5-car unit made up of a 3 and 2 car class 197, TfWs superior version of the CAF built 195s used by Northern. Unlike the 195s (which were specified ‘plain vanilla’ by DfT) the 197s are more luxurious internally.
12:45.
After a lovely run from Hereford we’ve made it to Newport, never my favourite town. 30 years ago, Lynn and I stayed at a B&B near Chepstow, which was run by a larger than life woman whose husband ran an airport out in the middle-east somewhere. We enquired about Newport and I’ve never forgotten her reply ‘if ever I want to be depressed, I go to Newport’ (if you live in Newport and you’re reading this, sorry/not sorry).
14:20.
I’m currently busy around Cardiff, recording scenes like this. The place (and many of the trains) have changed a bit since I was here last year..
16:15.
Having enjoyed documenting chances around Cardiff I continued on to Swansea, where I managed a few more shots before beginning my last leg. I’m now on TfL’s 16:04 to Llanelli and soaking up the lovely afternoon sunshine.
It’s funny how things come around. I’d never really explored the lines West of Swansea until 10 years ago. Since then, I’ve traversed all three lines (Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour). Now I’m back again.
The old…
The 1980s British Rail built Sprinter diesel trains still hang on in the valley’s but in reduced numbers. Here’s one leaving Cardiff Queen St earlier.
The new. Stadler built bi-mode Class 756s have taken over many services, albeit operating on diesel until electrification of the valley lines is complete.
Meanwhile, over in Swansea. I found one of the old Class 153 sets which have been converted to ‘active travel’ trains for use on the heart of Wales line. Journey’s end (by rail at least). This CAF built unit dropped me off at Llanelli.
17:40.
I’m now having a wash and brush up at the hotel after walking here from the station, which was ‘interesting’. Llanelli has seen better days and the 30 minute walk through the centre of town was an eye-opener. I passed several pubs, none of which looked the slightest bit inviting. You couldn’t see into any of them. Most had high, opaque glass windows. I wondered if that was so you can’t be thrown out of one during a fight? But, the hotel is lovely, now it’s time to go and meet everyone else. Catch you later…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Apologies for absence these past few days. It’s because of a variety of reasons which include work, the weather and my father-in-laws 90th birthday party. Like Royalty, he’s had two birthdays, the official one (his date of birth), then on Saturday he held a party for family and friends at a local cricket club. Dawn and I stayed over at Platt Mansions so there’s been little time to blog as I’ve had so many pictures to edit from various events. Yesterday, I’d half-hoped to have headed up to Ashington in Northumberland for the reopening of the railway line to passengers after a gap of 60 years, but the weather and intermittent trains here in West Yorkshire dissuaded me. I’m really not too bothered about first and/or last events anyway. I’d rather pay a visit when the service has settled down to see how well it’s being used.
Unusually, I never even set foot outside the house yesterday as we’ve had several days of gale-force winds and driving rain. Instead I decided to put my feet up, recharge my batteries and clear the picture editing decks. Dawn did much the same (bar the picture editing of course) which led to a relaxing day. Now it’s the start of a new week and I’ve various things planned that’ll see me out and about to make up for my indolence. I’ve not ventured far today other than a trip to the local shops as I’ve been waiting in for a new battery for my laptop to arrive. It was ordered from China a couple of weeks ago and finally arrived today, just in time for Christmas. The last one was 5 years old and life expired as it wouldn’t hold a charge longer than 45 minutes. Now, with this new one installed I’m getting indications that it’ll last for around 7 hours or more, which is plenty of time when I’m travelling and takes away the anxiety of getting caught somewhere where I can’t plug it into the mains. It’ll also mean that I can hang onto this laptop for a little while longer before I renew it as it’s still a fine machine for my requirement. Now I just need to replace/upgrade my mobile which is also reaching the end of the line…
OK, it’s time for me to go as I’ve more writing to do before the evening ends. I’ll leave you with today’s picture, which is one I took whilst I was away in Wales. We had some incredibly moody light over the Brecon Beacons, as this shows.
Looking North into the Brecon Beacons from atop GCRE’s Nant Helen opencast site. GCRE liked this picture so much they’ve posted it on their LinkedIn page!
You can find more scenic pictures from my Welsh travels here, whilst the rail orientated one can be found here.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
This will be an intermittent rolling blog as I’ll be spending much of the day at GCRE (see yesterday’s blog) with the team from Furrer and Frey before catching trains back to West Yorkshire, which is a long old trip taking almost 6 hours. Plus, phone reception from the middle of nowhere isn’t the best. Still, I’m sure that I’ll be able to keep you entertained. Right now it’s time for breakfast before we head out to the site to have a play with the variable height catenary that F&F have installed. Catch you later…
Furrer and Frey’s area on the GCRE short test track.
18:30.
I’m back!
As predicted, it’s been a long old day, but better than expected due to the weather picking up. The Baltic winds we suffered from yesterday had abated, temperatures were reasonable and the F&F team pretty much had the site to ourselves. The plan was to get a series of still and videos of the company’s project at GCRE whilst we could. The day went well and we managed to wrap up at a sensible time that meant we wouldn’t be heading home into the wee hours.
Part of my job was to put what F&F are doing into the context of the landscape as well as capture work on the OHL with a MEWP* as a prop. I also had time to show the splendid isolation of the site and how it gives excellent views of the nearby Brecon Beacons. Here’s a small selection of pictures.
Now this is what you call a trainset! Former Heathrow Connect units waiting to be used as test-beds once the 7km long circular test track is complete. Track panels which can be used to build it sit in wait…Here’s an old OS map for context. Many of these pictures were taken around where the lettering saying ‘Nant Helen opencast coal mine’ are. Looking North into the Brecon Beacons. The lighting was very moody today. Coal mining may have finished but there’s still several of these massive Komatsu S3000 diggers on site. They’re gradually being resold to mining operations around the world.
Job done, a group of us got a lift to Swansea off a colleague where we went our separate ways. I caught a train to Cardiff where I had a short break to capture more of the changing face of the city’s railways in the build up to rush-hour. The new Stadler bi and tri modes are putting in appearances, such as this one.
Tri-mode 756117 (the last of the class) picks up passengers at Cardiff Central.
19:00.
Right now I’m on a slowly emptying 16:49 from Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly – only this time it’s going all the way. This 3-car Class 197 was packed from Cardiff as far as Hereford, where it slowly started to empty out. Even so, a healthy number of passengers joined en-route as far as Shrewsbury. It’s only now that I have the table bay where I’ve set up the mobile office to myself.
19:50.
We’ve now left Crewe so I’m getting closer and closer to home. One thing I’ve noticed about this CAF built Transport for Wales train is – it’s cold in here. I’m sat in the table bay next to the gangway in the central car. This 197 is like the Northern 195s, there’s no doors sealing off the gangways which means cold air seeps into the vehicles. Plus, you can’t lock out a vehicle if there’s a problem – you have to take the whole train out of service. Now it’s got so cold I’ve had to put my coat back on.
Another day, another delayed train. I was looking forward to getting home but this service has gradually lost time en-route. We lost 6 minutes approaching Prees, leaving us 10 down. Our Crewe stop didn’t help, but then we got stuck at Sandbach to let other services pass, which is now seeing us running even later. At this rate my hike between Piccadilly and Victoria is looking under pressure to catch the 20:57 back to Halifax. I’ve just checked, we’re now 29 minutes down. I’m beginning to wonder if we’re going to get chucked out at Wilmslow again…
20:25.
I’ve no idea what the issue was around Sandbach but a quick look at other services (in both directions) makes our delay look mild. We’re now 36 mins late so I can kiss my connection goodbye. Looks like I won’t be home until late – again. Maybe a day at home tomorrow isn’t a bad idea…
One small mercy, we didn’t get terminated at Wilmslow so we’re now going to make Manchester. Of course – I won’t make my connection – but I can still get home at a vaguely sensible time. And, as I’m ‘on the clock’ I might even push the boat out and get a taxi home!
21:35.
The last (rail) leg. As I arrived late in Manchester I eschewed the chance to buy hot food en-route from Piccadillly to Victoria as i didn’t want to miss my connection so picked up a sandwich instead. Imagine the curses I muttered under my breath when I got to Victoria only to find the 21:21 to Leeds was running 7 minutes late! Of course, that margin increased by the time it left Victoria. But, at least I’m on the way home.
I’m on another CAF built train but as I’m in the front car of this 2-car unit and it’s reasonably busy the ambient temperature’s rather pleasant.
22:05.
The agony and frustration continues. My late-running train followed an all-stations stopper as far as Todmorden which meant we lost more and more time. We’re currently 20 minutes late departing from Todmorden. Now the stopper in front of us has buggered off towards Blackburn leaving our route clear.
*MEWP – Mobile Elevated Work Platform.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
We’ve had a busy day here in the middle of nowhere so there was no point in trying a rolling blog. I’m writing this at the end of the day instead.
Having made it to Cardiff I managed a decent half-night’s sleep before pressing on this morning in order to get to Neath. Fortunately all the trains heading in my direction were running, so I had time to get a few shots of the changing nature of the Transport for Wales train fleet in this neck of the woods.
Old meets new. One of the BR built diesel Class 150s from the 1980s sits next to a brand-new tri-mode Class 756 from Stadler at Cardiff Central.Reaching the end of the line. The Class 150/2s will soon be cascaded or sent for scrap. Here’s 150267 at Cardiff Central with the 07:52 to Bargoed.Many services to Barry Island are being taken over by the new Stadler built Class 231 bi-modes. Here’s 230003.
Having got to Neath my next trick was to get to GCRE, which isn’t the most accessible place in the world right now. The only way for me to make the journey was by taxi, which took half an hour. Unless you know the area you don’t appreciate just how isolated it is. The test track and other facilities are being built on the site of a vast opencast mine, which closed in 2021. It hadn’t run out of coal, but its license to mine had expired and wasn’t being renewed. The whole site is bigger than Gibraltar. In essense, imagine building a circular 7km long test track (with some serious gradients) around the base of a huge, hollowed-out hill.
Now GCRE have taken over the site as well as the old railhead at Onllwyn. Today they were having an open day for guests who were invited to see the site and learn about two of the groups who’re carrying out work here. Both are looking at how to cuts the costs of two major fixed assets on the railways. Signalling and electrification.
Dr Sam Bemment, CE of start-up Universal Signalling talks about their systems which could drastically reduce the costs of resignalling our railways. Noel Dolphin from Fueer and Frey talks visitors through their system for adjusting catenary contact wire heights to prove whether bridges may (or may not) need to be replaced to allow for electrification. Potentially a massive cost saving for the railways. Rob gives visitors a run through of how the F&F adjustable catenary works.
After the presentations and demonstrations we were given a short tour of the site by Land Rover. This really gave people a sense of how vast, isolated (and high up) the site is.
Part of the opencast coal workings which have been filled in and landscaped. One of the old coal seams can be seen to the left. The area’s still rich in coal, but it’s best for the planet that it stays were it is. One of the long term plans for the site inside the test track is a solar and wind farm. Three former Heathrow Connect class 360/2’s are on site. The intention is to use them as mobile test platforms in the future. In the foreground is test track 4. at just over 400m long (and with a steep gradient) this could be used for testing vehicles such as RRVs. A long way from Heathrow…
Right, it’s late and I’m due back at the GCRE site along with colleagues from F&F in the morning. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us, then I’ve got to travel back to West Yorkshire. Hopefully, there’s no buses involved! So, it’s time for bed.
See you tomorrow.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
What? Starting a rolling blog at 18:00 I hear you say? Well, yes, because the day’s taken an unexpected turn…
There was me, quite content to be working from home, when in the space of am email and a whatsapp call I found myself myself agreeing to head off to South Wales on another adventure – and adventure it is! Right now I’m sat on a Northern service from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester in order to catch a train to Cardiff. Of course, nothing’s simple, due to the recent storms. Some trains are cancelled whilst others are running late, including this one. In theory, the 17:23 to Chester would’ve got me to Manchester in time to hotfoot it across the city in order to connect with the 18:30 to Cardiff. Only, we’re running 16 minutes late after leaving Todmorden, so that’s not going to happen. That leaves me waiting for the 19:30 to Cardiff, which will get me to the Welsh capital at 23:09. Only the inbound working from Carmarthen has now been cancelled due to trees on the line. Fortunately, Transport for Wales are running an extra service from Shrewsbury in its path, which means I should still make it to Cardiff today. Just as well the hotel I booked at the last minute is right next to the station.
At this point I must thank my long-suffering wife Dawn, who’s just had her next two evenings changed at very short notice – and who dropped things at even shorter notice to drive me to the station in order to try and catch an earlier train.
Why am I venturing to Wales you may ask? Well, I’ve been contracted for an assignment at the new railway test track near Neath, which is where I’ll be spending the next couple of days. But more of that when it happens. Just getting to Cardiff is going to provide enough entertainment for now!
19:30.
Remember I said about entertainment? My Northern service arrived into Manchester 19 mins late, so – as expected I missed my connection. But more fun was to come. Despite what the National Rail Enquiries said about trains running through to Cardiff, the opposite proved to be the case when I got to Manchester Piccadilly. The main Indicator boards showed a 19:30 to Cardiff, but when I got to platform 9 the 19:30 was shown as only running as far as Shrewsbury. Well, I have to get there so I had no option to board the unit when it arrived and await the next instalment – which was soon provided by the Conductor, who announce that the 19:30 would indeed be terminating at Shrewsbury as the line is blocked between there and Hereford. So, from Shrewsbury we’ll be loaded into coaches which will take us to Hereford, where we’ll be put back on a train to resume our trip to Cardiff. What time will I get there? Who knows? I’ve no problem with any of this – other than the lack of up to date information available when I checked NRES and Real Time Trains. It’s not RTTs fault as they take the information direct from the railway’s systems, but you’d think something would produce a red flag on National Rail Enquiries when you enter the journey.
Right now I’m enjoying a nearly empty train as we head South. I’d planned to have settled down for a few hours of work, but that hope’s out of the window now.
20:00.
I’ve just had a good chat with the conductor who told me what the problems are. Apparently, there’s two sections of track near Craven Arms and Leominster where the ballast has been washed away and level crossing and signalling equipment damaged. Network Rail are doing their best to repair the damage as quickly as possible, but they keep discovering more problems. Ho hum…
20:15.
We’ve arrived at Crewe 7 minutes down due to more disruption around Sandbach. For such a busy junction the station’s strangely quiet. Thankfully, this train is again too as the squalling baby that’s been trying to burst its lungs all the way from Stockport has departed the train here. Maybe my ears will stop ringing by the time we get to Shrewsbury…
20:30.
Whilst I’m stuck on the train, I thought I’d have a look at the NRES website to see what it says about my journey. Now, our Conductor has assured us via several announcements that road transport will be laid on between Shrewsbury and Hereford. But this is what’s on the NRES page.
Looks like my trip is going to get even more interesting when we get to Shrewsbury. This trip’s really starting to feel like a bit of a lottery. Meanwhile, the day draws on…
21:10.
Phew! The coach sevice to Hereford does exist! The few of us travelling were bundled on to a rather careworn coach and left within minutes. I count four other passengers besides me.
23:00.
-…and relax! We made it to Hereford by 22:38. The young lady driving our coach did a sterling job getting us from A-B via all the normal station stops on the route. No-one got on anywhere and only a couple got off leaving three of us to disembark at Hereford. The station was deserted of staff, which wasn’t too reassuring, especially as the building was locked up, but I spied a TfW service with lights on in the platforms and managed to find the night entrance to get across to platform 2. Now I’m sat in the warm, sharing a very dirty train with a handful of others. Admittedly, the bins on these 197s aren’t very prominent (or large) but it’s depressing to see just how many people can’t be arsed to tidy up after themselves, leaving the train looking like a shit-tip.
I’ve now swapped from this….…to this.
I’d hoped to have got to Cardiff by 21:50. Then it was 23:09. Now it’s 00:25, but at least I’ll get there.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Having spent several days at home and with the year fast ticking by I’ve decided to have a trip out to the North Wales coast to get some pictures of the changing scene on that line. Very shortly Avanto West Coast will be withdrawing their last Class 221 ‘Voyager’ trains which have plied that route for the past 20 odd years. They’re being replaced with the Hitachi built Class 805 ‘Evero’ fleet.
As is often the case with these trips, things are already going awry.
To give myself enough daylight hours meant getting up at sparrowfart to catch Northern’s direct 06:23 from Sowerby Bridge to Chester, the gateway to the North Wales coast. Right now the service has just left Manchester Victoria. It’s a quiet train at the moment, only about 20% full after dropping off many early-morning workers in the city. I’m glad I’ve a flask of coffee with me as my train’s freeing. The air-conditioning seems to be on the blink and the lack of corridor doors between vehicles isn’t helping. The Class 195s are a ‘plain vanilla’ CAF product that don’t come equipped with such luxuries as the Department of Transport saw them as an unnecessary expense.
What’s really going awry is that it looks like only one Voyager is running along the coast today, the rest of the Avanti diagrams are using 805s. Bugger! I’ve been told the Voyagers will only last another week or so, meaning this could be my last chance to capture one in action. On the bright side, there’s lots of shiny new Transport for Wales Class 197s out and about, plus – I don’t yet have shots of the ‘Evero’ fleet along the coast. All I have to do now is hope the rain hold off long enough. Let’s see how the day unfolds…
07:52.
On departure from Warrington I had a wander through the train to do a passenger count. There’s 69 people and three bikes aboard. Not bad for this time of day. We’ve now arrives at Runcorn East where another hafl-dozen have joined, including some school students. Dawn’s breaking and the fog we encountered around Warrington is dissipating as we head West. Right now, the day looks quite promising.
08:45.
I had little more than 15 mins to make my connection at Chester, just enough time to grab a couple of shots in the early morning light. Sadly, the skies colours were already getting bleached out by the low sun.
Chester’s the Southern boundary of the Merseyrail network. Here’s 777016 taking a break after ferrying commuters into the city.
The station was a hive of activity with commuters arriving into the city from several directions, including the train I was waiting for, the 08:25 to Holyhead which arrives from Wrexham before reversing. Fortunately, it’s not too busy now so I’ve found a free table where I can set up the mobile office for the short journey to Llandudno Junction. Right now it’s a gloriously sunny and frosty morning, so I’m hopeful of some decent pictures later.
16:00.
Sorry for the gap but I’ve been wearing out a lot of shoe leather around Llandudno and Conwy – and other points East. The primary reason for my visit (catching Voyagers) was a bit of a bust, but the rest of the day’s been really enjoyable even if the weather – like the Voyagers – didn’t play ball. The glorious sunshine I’d experienced through the train window en-route disappeared as soon as I arrived in Llandudno. A lot of my time was taken up exploring picture locations (old and new) to see just how much the lineside is obscured by vegetation nowadays. Having walked from Llandudno to Conwy – a place I’ve a lot of fond memories of with Dawn and her family – I strolled back to the Junction to try a new location. As is often the case, what would’ve been a great location 30-50 years ago is disappearing under lineside vegetation.
On the way back I stopped at Rhyl, where the station was resounding with carols thanks to the Vale of Clwyd MIND charity branch, assisted by their local PCSOs. Now I’m back in Chester, waiting for the ‘blue hour’ whilst having a quick pint as I use the adjacent pub’s wifi to write this and download some pictures. Here we go – I’ll add details later…
When railways had a very different attitude to heritage! Here’s a Transport for Wales service passing through the wall of Conwy castle. The Victorians didn’t let the castle get in their way, they built the railway right up to the base of the castle and built this arch where they breached the wall.
19:00.
I’m on the last leg home, having traversed a very soggy Manchester city centre. That said, it’s always good for pictures (as you’ll see later). The day’s been a mixed one due to the weather which has really played games with me. Even so, I’ve found some new photo locations and managed a few decent shots, not just of the Voyagers I was after, but also of Class 56s on the Railhead Treatment Train (RHTT) – and other bits and bobs.
Tomorrow’s going to be very different day as it’s my Father-in-Laws 90th birthday, so the camer will be put to another use…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
The start of a new week here at Bigland Towers, although a lot of it will be spent elsewhere – beginning tomorrow. Today’s been spent catching up on work, picture editing and writing. Yesterday we received a bit of a battering from the latest storm (Ashley) which brought strong winds that have brought down a heck of a lot of leaves. Today the wind’s abated, leaving behind a colourful carpet along roads, pavements gardens. The weather’s still very mild for the time of year and clear skies and sunshine have re-appeared after all the rain. This is welcome as tomorrow I’ve got to travel down to Swindon to meet up with friends and colleagues ready for an event the Permanent Way Institution (PWI) are holding on Wednesday, which I’ll be working at. When it was held last year it chucked it down with rain which made the job rather challenging. So, today I’ve also been busy brushing down all my PPE as I need be suitably dressed. Expect a rolling blog from me tomorrow as I make my way down to Swindon via a couple of stops on the way which (if all goes to plan) should produce some unusual pictures.
In the meantime, here’s today’s picture which is another from last week’s trip to Wales. Not that you’d guess where the shot was taken as it looks more like Italy, but that’s the beauty of Portmeirion for you!
Be seeing you…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 