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Since Freightliner have served Cardiff - Pengam in the old days - shunting has always been done by train engines. Often done though with incursions on the lines toward Cardiff Tidal - so terminal to reception in the days of Pengam Flt used to so so , to avoid the main lines..........(done it...

From my experience with Freightliner a very long time ago , there was very little container traffic from South Wales to Felixstowe / Harwich - bar lumps of imported Canadian nickel pellets to the Inco Plant at Clydach (Swansea area) , which went via Stratford Flt. The odd load for Europe via...

A very good friend , and a highly competent time served manager , on WCML South who used to dream of an overnight sleeper from Cambridge to Cardiff (say two cars and a couple of open standards , maybe some parcels vans) , routed this way. Course , only a fantasy :rolleyes: , but maybe his idea...

There was an extra charge - even recalling posting a letter onto the "Haughley Mail" at Ipswich ! (that was in the last century)

To be fair , all of the three Chairmen I have mentioned were stamped with those attributes IMHO. As were some of the General Managers - I can recall as a young person getting stuck in (which one could do in those days) , and helping out in problems on an operatitional basis (not really part of...

Met both Sir Bob's and of course Sir Peter Parker in my "career" - all gentlemen IMHO , Sir Peter especially so. (of course , one had to be prepared for questioning on these occassions , which was no problem if you had done your homework and were totally honest !) 91 is a very good age ! - RIP

Kynaston's books are an excellent read to get "the feel" of Britain in those day , very well researched. Reading the few comments on the rail industry at the time (by contributers) , indicates a level of dissatisfaction with the service , and certainly views on economic poor value for money...

Not really ! - electric tramways in London certainly caused a massive loss of traffic , on for example , the South London line serving London Bridge , Peckham etc but the railway companies countered this by electrifying the route (initially on overhead) , and drastically improving the service ...

London tram routes in the 19thC were largely prevented from accessing the City by and large , but there were some odd , if not comprehensive steam suburban services such as Cricklewood to Victoria via the Dudden HIll line , as well as the tranche of services to Moorgate , some starting back at...

Watford Junction to Croxley Green - before it was withdrawn......... Often empty , apart from pax who got on at Watford High Street intending to go towards Euston , and we therefore dissapointed !

I am reminded of an occurence many years ago when an "all hands to the pumps" block at certain North London line stations. A rich harvest of bail issues, wanted people etc resulted. One particular individual was asked to just pay his fare , - something like £3.00 or so , he got quite nasty so...

Short of 313's a couple of days in 1996 , so I put a 117 DMU on (a) Euston - Watford DC line (b) Camden Road - Stratford peak shuttle. Both lost time , partly because passengers were not used to having to open /close slam doors. Still , saved some cancellations otherwise........

You need to express your displeasure to the various levels of TfL , (of course they know about it) - not just "HQ" but surely there is some sort of General Manager for the line , knowledge of which used to made clear to customers. As well as the other insterested parties such as London...

Dapol made kits of said wagon !

Father Deiniol , I believe a Russion Orthodox from Manod in Blaenau Ffestiniog , was very involved in matters of Welsh Railway development a few years back.

Indeed an inter library load would be best - modest charge in my experience , and it is a "high calory" read so you need a fair bit of time to make notes and digest it. A magesterial work.

Many of the North London Rlys 321 fleet received a C6 overhaul well into the privatisation era , and we turned out in NSE livery , minus their bespoke branding.

Certainly in South West Wales we had a travelling ironmongers business , which the owner used to ring a large handbell to announce his arrival. Known in true Welsh style as "Trevor the Oil" - he had 2 large tanks built into the van , from which he would dispense paraffin and parazone -bring...

Brilliant and very well done you and the kids ! - Impressed.

Talking of PO coal wagons in the Amman Valley area (my birthplace) - a large percentage of the wagons in the 1930's would have been AAC (Amagamated Anthracite Collieries) , which as a combine took over many of the more valuable mines. The rich legacy of smaller mines with their own wagons would...