16th January 1988

Hertfordshire Railtours / N.S.E. (Watford)
The Glamorgan Valleys Explorer

Locos Used 37162, 37427, 50042 'Triumph' & 86404

Route :

Loco(s) Route
86404 Milton Keynes Central - (via WCML) - Willesden No.7
50042 Willesden No.7 - Mitre Bridge Jn - Acton Wells Jn - Ealing Broadway - Reading - Swindon - Bristol Parkway - Severn Tunnel Junction - Cardiff Central
37427 (1) Cardiff Central - Llantrisant - Bridgend - Tondu Middle Junction - Llynfi Jn (Maesteg Washery)
37162 (2) Llynfi Jn (Maesteg Washery) - Tondu - Newlands Jn - Margam Moors Jn - Port Talbot - Court Sart Jn - Dynevor Jn - Felin Fran - Clydach-on-Tawe
37427 (3) Clydach-on-Tawe - Felin Fran - Jersey Marine South Jn - Swansea East Depot
37162 (2) Swansea East Depot - Neath & Brecon Jn - Onllwyn
37427 (3) Onllwyn - Neath & Brecon Jn - Swansea Burrows Sidings (4)
37427 Swansea Burrows Sidings - Dynevor Jn - Court Sart Jn - Port Talbot - Bridgend - Llantrisant - Cardiff Central
50042 Cardiff Central - (reverse of outward route) - Willesden No. 7
86404 Willesden No. 7 - (via WCML) - Milton Keynes Central

Notes :
(1) 37162 on rear from Tondu Middle Jn.
(2) 37427 on rear.
(3) 37162 on rear.
(4) Train was due to reverse at East Depot, but stopped short due to late running. 37162 was removed at Burrows Sidings and 37427 ran round to the other end of the train.

Source : Gary Thornton (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by Gary Thornton)

All my photos from this trip can be found in this album on my Flickr Website

This was my first railtour for a couple of years (getting a qualification at Coventry Polytechnic having taken priority since 1982) and it was also my first outing with Hertfordshire Railtours. Starting from Milton Keynes the tour employed a rake of mark 1 coaches which was normally used on the commuter services from Northampton to Euston (the "Cobblers"). Indeed, the tour was run jointly by Hertfordshire Railtours and Network SouthEast (Area Manager, Watford).

86404 took us to Willesden yard where 50042 'Triumph' took over for the run along the WR to Cardiff Central. At Cardiff we lost the 50 in favour of 37427. We took the mainline to Bridgend and shortly after we took the freight line to Maesteg. At Tondu Middle Junction we stopped to have 37162 attached to the rear of the train. We got as far as Llynfi Junction and, during the 15 minute stop, were allowed off the train to take photos.


37162 in misty conditions at Lynfi Jn (photo: Gary Thornton)

37162 now led the train onward towards Swansea, though only as far as Briton Ferry where we took the freight line towards Morlais Junction. e continued to Clydach-on-Tawe where another photo-stop was taken. I recall some of the stops were however taken in thick fog!


37162 (above) & 37427 (below) at Clydach-on-Tawe (photos: Gary Thornton)

With 37427 leading we retraced our steps as far as Jersey Marine North Junction where we curved off and continued to Swansea East Coal Depot, but we were not allowed off this time and we soon reversed to take the line to Onllywn. For me this was the days highlight - I was in a compartment in the leading coach behind 37162 and the thrash was quite superb. At Bleanant we slowed to exchange tokens and then slipped very nearly to a stand on the wet rails! Some good driving however got us moving again (no doubt also with some assistance of 37427 on the rear). I remember that one of the other passengers in my compo managed to sleep right through the thrash...his mate's commented he was only really on for this stretch, but none of them woke him until after we were free-wheeling back down the grade!

It was dark by the time we got to Onllwyn but still a chance to get off - not much to see though I recall.

Although we had been on time earlier in the day, along the way we had lost some time and, to catch some back, we reversed at Burrows Sidings rather than East Depot as booked. Here we lost 37162 and 37427 ran round to the other end of the train. Our route homeward was via the curve to Dynevor Junction thence the reverse of our outward route all the way to Milton Keynes. 37427 handed back to 50042 at Cardiff and, in turn, the 50 gave the tour back to 86404 at Willesden for the last few miles home. Further time was lost en-route from Cardiff, resulting in a 42 minute late arrival at Milton Keynes.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gary Thornton)

M.C

Location

Booked

Actual

 

Booked

Actual

M.C

0.00

Milton Keynes Central

07.22d

07.27

 

22.37a

23.19

514.41

3.19 Bletchley 07/26 07/31   22/32 23/13 511.22
18.12 Tring 07/36 07/44   ? ? ?
32.30 Watford Junction 07.46a ~ 07.48d 07.57 ~ 07.58   22.08a ~ 22.08d 22.44 ~ 22.46 482.11
41.61 Wembley Central 07.56a ~ 07.58d 08.07 ~ 08.08   21.58a ~ 21.59d 22.26 ~ 22.31 472.60
44.44 Willesden No.7 08L08a ~ 08L18d 08L12 ~ 08L32   21L28a ~ 21L38d ??L?? ~ 22L22 469.77
44.79 Acton Canal Wharf 08/22 ?   21/25 21/51 469.42
45.39 Acton Wells Jn 08/24 ?   21/22 ? 469.02
46.11 Acton Main Line 08/27 08/44   21/17 21/45 468.30
47.46 Ealing Broadway 08.30a ~ 08.32d 08.46 ~ 08.48   21.09a ~ 21.11d 21.41 ~ 21.43 466.75
50.76 Southall 08/37 08/54   ? ? ?
60.26 Slough 08.49a ~ 08.50d 09.02 ~ 09.03   20.56a ~ 20.58d 21.25 ~ 21.26 454.15
66.09 Maidenhead 08/57 09/09   20/51 21/18 448.32
72.71 Twyford 09/01 09/14   20/47 21/10 441.50
77.68 Reading 09.06a ~ 09.08d 09.18 ~ 09.20   20.39a ~ 20.41d 21.02 ~ 21.04 436.53
95.00 Didcot Parkway 09.24a ~ 09.25d 09.36 ~ 09.37   20.23a ~ 20.25d 20.45 ~ 20.46 419.41
105.56 Challow 09/35 ?   20/15 ? 408.65
119.13 Swindon 09.50a ~ 09.52d 10.06 ~ 10.07   20.02a ~ 20.04d 20.24 ~ 20.27 395.28
124.77 Wootton Bassett Jn 09*58 ~ 10*02 10/14   19/56 ? 389.44
136.00 Hullavington 10/10 ?   ? ? ?
149.02 Westerleigh Jn 10/19 10/33   19/35 ? 365.39
153.52 Bristol Parkway 10.23a ~ 10.25d 10.37 ~ 10.38   19.28a ~ 19.30d 19.51 ~ 19.53 360.69
154.74 Patchway 10/27 10/40   ? ? ?
158.40 Pilning 10/33 10/44   19/20 19/46 356.01
164.26 Severn Tunnel West 10/38 10/48   ? ? ?
165.36 Severn Tunnel Junction 10/39 10/49   19/14 19/37 349.05
175.25 Newport 10/48 10/59   19/04 19/28 339.39
187.05 Cardiff Central 11L04a 11L12   18L51d 19L15 327.36

 

M.C

Location

Booked

Actual

187.05

Cardiff Central

11L16d

11.21

207.20 Bridgend 11c36 ~ 11c38 11.45 ~ 11.48
210.22 Tondu Middle Jn 11.48 ~ 11.50 11L59 ~ 12L08
215.73 Maesteg (Llynfi Jn) 12.20 ~ 12.35 12.28 ~ 12.44
221.44 Tondu Middle Jn 12t57 ~ 12t58 13t04 ~ 13t07
228.14 Newlands Jn 13/28 13/28
228.45 Margam Moors Jn 13/38 13/37
232.40 Port Talbot Parkway 13c43 ~ 13c45 13.41 ~ 13.44
236.38 Court Sart Jn 13/51 13/51
237.47 Dynevor Jn 13/53 13/53
240.64 Felin Fran 14t00 ~ 14t10 14t05 ~ 14t10
242.04 Clydach-on-Tawe RR Loop 14.18 ~ 14.28 14r33 ~ 14r44
243.24 Felin Fran 14t36 ~ 14t37 14/57
245.65 Jersey Marine North Jn 14/42 15/02
246.67 Jersey Marine South Jn 14/44 15/07
250.57 Swansea East Depot 15.00a ~ 15.10 15r37 ~ 15r40
254.47 Jersey Marine South Jn 15/26 16/00
257.49 Neath & Brecon Jn 15/38 16/07
261.43 Blaenant 15t49 ~ 15t50 16/18
267.68 Onllwyn 16.10 ~ 16.25 16r40 ~ 16r50
274.13 Blaenant 16t45 ~ 16t46 17/13
278.07 Neath & Brecon Jn 16/57 17/23
281.09 Jersey Marine South Jn 17/09 17/31
? Swansea Burrow Sidings ? 17.40a
284.79 Swansea East Depot 17.25 ~ 17.35 DIV
? Swansea Burrow Sidings ? 18.05d
288.69 Jersey Marine South Jn 17/51 18/13
289.77 Dynevor Jn 17/54 ?
291.60 Briton Ferry UFL Jn 17/57 ?
295.07 Port Talbot Parkway 18c03 ~ 18c05 18.25 ~ 18.26
307.21 Bridgend 18/18 18/41
327.36 Cardiff Central 18L39a 19L02

Timings continue in 1st table.

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