29th April Exploring South Wales, Day 1
It was time to focus again on a part of the country where my station needs are the greatest (but unit needs not that much), mainly South Wales. Staying overnight gave me an excuse to score a PSUL move over the Leckwith loop, with the first day mainly being spent on the Marshes line. An early morning drive took me to Salisbury where I had a falling out with the car park ticket machines for failing to note that Monday was a bank holiday charging me the regular parking rate, but it was onto the station noting that 158880 was the hire-in unit for the day and 150261 rolling in to collect it to form the 06:03 (ish) to Westbury.
I was the only passenger, and unlike the last time I did this service it appears the 158 now stays on until Bristol (rather that detaching at Westbury), with the SWT unit being unlocked. Needless to say when the guard invited me to sit in the comfy seats I couldnt say no, so I took a seat in the First Class area for the enjoyable run to Bristol Temple Meads. Once at Bristol it seemed that SWT unit would work back to Westbury where I lost track of its movements (goes into the sidings), I had an option of a linear leap on a service from Western Super Mere, which had a set swap from a pair of 153s to a 150/2, so it was a short walk to a waiting 158798 on the next Cardiff service (which is good because this GWR 158 was my lowest mileage example).
Nothing much happened on route to Bristol, passing 150916 (score for sight) around Patchway, as the train terminated at Cardiff Central. The next Manchester service was dud, so was a couple other services heading back towards Newport (this is where I could have planned my moves so much better), so it was onto my first hippo of the day, in the shape of 175105 bound for Holyhead. I noted a design flaw with the overhead luggage racks not being able to take my bag, as I set off eastbound (on a high mileage 175) to score my first shack of the day with
Pontypool & New Inn. Served by these 2-hourly Holyhead trains during off-peak (with additional calls by the Manchester services during the peaks, so I had roughly a 50 minute wait for the next southbound service.
Nothing much in the area of the station, which itself was a pretty basic island platform with a little bus shelter, but I had something to read sitting in the sun before 175002 rolled in to take me to
Cwmbran, where I made use of a nearby Morrisons to pick up lunch. Winner
175008 was up next to take me northbound, a quite busy service where I was lucky enough to get a seat, my plan was thrown into chaos when the 175 came to a stop between Leominster & Ludlow due to a Cow on the line. Eventually the 175 started to moove, a bit at a reduced speed, passing Daisy before rolling into the oddly served
Craven Arms.
I had forgotten how pretty this line is (last time Ive travelled along it was in August 14), and how far the stations are apart. Anyhow at Craven Arms the unit from the Heart of Wales line was running late (RTT had it down as being cancelled due to a train fault), however the PIS had it down as arriving roughly at the same time as the next Holyhead, which got later and later (due to Daisy) eventually rolling in around 15 minutes late. 175112 would be taking me one stop up the line to
Church Stretton, with due to the delay meant my first option had gone, leaving me with 175106 taking me to
Ludlow (another pretty looking town).
After a short wait, 175109 rolled in from Manchester to take me to Hereford, as a mere time wasting move (although first time in scoring Hereford on an ATW service). 175004 was the next service bound for Manchester which took me the bus stop leap (Hereford style) to
Leominster. Another pretty little town, but my time was short before it was onto 175011 to take me to
Abergavenny to clear the line from Newport to Shrewsbury. A place which seemed to bring back memories of various school trips to the Brecons, as the local council owned an old farmhouse which the local school used to do long weekend trips. Anyhow, it wasnt long before 175103 rolled in from Holyhead to take me back to Newport, where I stepped back a train onto a busy 150124 from Taunton to take me to Cardiff Central, which was in a bit of chaos due to various HSTs being cancelled due to a signal failure around Swindon (so Cardiff Swansea was reduced to roughly 1 train an hour, with a lot of passengers from that 150 dashing across the platform to board 175103 which was bound for Maesteg.
The next Swansea bound service was a local stopper from Ebbw Vale Town, which did empty out a lot at Cardiff, and was thankfully formed of 3 coaches. Low mileage 153367 was leading 150230; I found getting a seat in the 153 with ease, not so sure about the 150. This service runs fast to Bridgend and the 153 was very vocal doing some 75 mph running, made better with having the window open due to it being a warm day. I alighted at
Pyle to clear Paddington to Swansea, and had a short walk over the long footbridge (I knew I had time to spare as a 66 had just passed hauling some stuff), before a rammed 175007 rolled up. It was standing to Bridgend where I bailed with the aim of boarding that 175 returning from Maestag, however I noticed a few empty seats in the other coach so instead reboarded 007, asking someone to move their bag and took a seat for the run to Cardiff Central.
A quick walk over to platform 6 to board 143614 for the short hop to Cardiff Queen Street in order to check into my hostel (which for the first time since March 14, I was in a dorm room, mainly due to cost reasons, with Cardiff being one expensive city to stay in). I returned to the station, having checked in, dropping off some weight (mainly clothes) and swinging via Tesco Metro in the Capitol Centre before 150253 returned me down the hill to Cardiff Central. Where due to the lack of HSTs my plans were a bit bare, however the appearance of winner
150265 (final 150/2) on the 19:52(ish) Bristol service, meant a quick hop to Newport was in order, where I intercepted a late running 142082 from Cheltenham, and seeing as this is the service from Maesteg which goes via Ninian Park on its return journey I decided to remain on board all the way to the end of the line, on a extremely vocal 142!
A quick turnaround at Maesteg meant that 142082 got away 10 minutes late, so another vocal performance, passing a pair of 150s waiting patiently at Bridgend for us to clear the line. On approach to Cardiff city, the pacer slowed down, stopping to allow a 175 to pass before turning right onto the single track linking the main line with the City Line, scoring me Leckwith Loop (another PSUL move into my book). Once at Cardiff Central, after a quick check at a couple other units (both dud), it was to Cardiff Queen Street on a busy 150241, walking to the hostel for a semi-good night sleep.
2 new units (which to be honest was 2 more than I was expecting), with 8 new shacks into my book so a good day, here be some pictures, mainly of hippos:
Pontypool & New Inn:
Cwmbran:
Craven Arms:
Church Stretton:
Another hippo at Ludlow:
A hippo:
Leominster:
Abergavenny:
Not a hippo!
Old sign on a road bridge north of Cardiff Queen Street:
Ah 150265 we meet at last:
A picture to wind Jamie up, 142082 at Maesteg
