Freight Trains Hilly Landscape Wales and South West?

[cosi]

Hello

I'm trying to get video footage of a freit train snakes through a hilly landscape in South Wales preferably. Willing also to go somewhere within a 2 hour radius of Bristol, including Snowdonia

Any help much appreciated

It's for my student project

James

 

[TGVDUDE]

The freight only lines around swansea, onllwyn, gcg and Cwmgrach are located in hilly surowndings, maybe someone on here can help with workings.

There is a bridge west of bridgend located at llangewydd which is a favoured spot of mine, and not long after ten in the morning the Margam - redcar come train passes, if there are shots in my flikr stream below that can help with your project location wise, let me know

 

[Gareth Marston]

Llanvihangel Bank North of Abergavenny there's a bit of freight in daytime on Marches route.

 

[Michael.Y]

Llanvihangel Bank North of Abergavenny there's a bit of freight in daytime on Marches route.

Yup, and somehow I always get stuck behind it!

You'll want any time between 7am and 12midday.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Yup, and somehow I always get stuck behind it!

You'll want any time between 7am and 12midday.

Either the regulation is poor or there is restricted capacity to loop esp southbound. However I ere on the side of poor regulation.

 

[50010 Monarch]

Either the regulation is poor or there is restricted capacity to loop esp southbound. However I ere on the side of poor regulation.

I witnessed a classic poor regulation situation on the Marches last week. I arrived at Bromfield crossing just as the 6V18 New Cumnock - Aberthaw coal was passing & seemingly being checked at each signal presumably because the preceeding Manc - Cardiff was still in the section to Woofferton.

The freight in turn then caused the following WAG express to be severely checked at Bromfield.

I assume the the coal train was running late (not sure of its booked passing time at Bromfield) but I wondered why it wasn't looped at Craven Arms. This would then have given the WAG a clear run.

Does anyone know what instructions the signallers have in these situations?

 

[D1009]

I witnessed a classic poor regulation situation on the Marches last week. I arrived at Bromfield crossing just as the 6V18 New Cumnock - Aberthaw coal was passing & seemingly being checked at each signal presumably because the preceeding Manc - Cardiff was still in the section to Woofferton.

The freight in turn then caused the following WAG express to be severely checked at Bromfield.

I assume the the coal train was running late (not sure of its booked passing time at Bromfield) but I wondered why it wasn't looped at Craven Arms. This would then have given the WAG a clear run.

Does anyone know what instructions the signallers have in these situations?

Regulation policy is to minimise overall delay, irrespective of the train. There can be exceptions to that which are agreed between the TOCs/FOCs involved and Network Rail.

 

[a good off]

With many of our late running freight trains on the North & West route, once they have passed Crewe Gresty Lane, unless they are shorter than the platforms at Shrewsbury the first place for them to go inside is at Craven Arms. The loop there isn't the longest and quite often the first place a train will fit is at Hereford. By then the carnage has ensued...

 

[Michael.Y]

The last couple of times, the guard has announced it as a "slow-running freight train" - whether this means the train itself is having difficulties or, like you say, it's being poorly signalled, I've no idea. However having had an EWS 66 break down in front of us before now, I tend to think of it just having a hard time getting going.

 

[50010 Monarch]

Interesting answers. I know this thread has gone off topic a bit but it never crossed my mind that Craven Arms loop might be too short for some of the Marches line freights. I suppose its a good reason why the coal train I mentioned wasn't held there!

 

[Track Basher]

Back to the original question.

GCG has one train per day but much of the branch is in trees with very few good vantage points. Pantyffynon station, Glanamman old signal box and at GCG.

Cwmgwrach is similar on train per and again only only a couple of good locations Aberdulais and Resolven. The remainder of the branch is in trees.

Onllwyn is better and more trains several locations Cefn Coed Colliery, Seven Sisters two locations in the village and by the rugby club and up at Onllwyn a couple of locations.

Hirwain has very few trains.

Cwmbargoed is not a bad location and normally had a train in from 11:00 until 13:00 and when it leaves it crosses the next arrival at Ystrad Mynach so you should have two within an hour. It is also on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

There is quite a few steel trains during the day between Margam and Llanwern and the daily oil train between Robertsons and Westerleigh.

Have a look at the link below and it you see any good locations I have used let me know by PM.

 

[cosi]

Thanks for the great help gentleman. You are a kind bunch

TGV, particularly interested in the Berwyn train and the Furnace Sidings, where is that located?

Track Basher, the Briton Ferry Yard and The Onllwyn Coal Washery. Do you know how often the Onllywn trains run?

When i first posted, i was after a vantage point similar to the one seen below

It's for a MA video art installation. If i use these locations, you will be credited

 

[TGVDUDE]

Berwyn is a station on the llangollen preserved railway, and furnace sidings is the yard used by the pontypool and blaenhavon railway at blaenhavon

 

[Track Basher]

Onllwyn has been a bit hit and miss.

There has not been anything on a Saturday for a while. No trains Sunday.

Mon - Fri

You have an arrival at Onllwyn about 06:20 (loaded) shunts the wagons and normally returns about 30 mins later. Has been running most days recently.

Next arrival is at at around 11:00 - 12:00 (empty) but does not run every day and leaves between 13:30 and 14:30 normally takes about 1 and half to two hours to load the train.

Next arrival is about 17:30 (empty) and departs 20:00 but can leave as early as 19:00 again departs when loaded. This runs most days M-F.

This is in theory a 21:00 (loaded) arrival and 21:30 departure but this had hardly run lately. Only tend to run if the 06:30 the following morning arrival is not going to run.

Hope this helps.

 

[cosi]

Thank you again Track Basher and TGV, you have helped me a great deal. Tomorrow i leave for the Beacons, P2 and Super 8 in hand