Interesting shunting at Swindon

[edwin_m]

I arrived on platform 1 about 1525 today. Just to the north is a longish siding with a shortish loop on it. There was a DBS class 66 and 15 hooded steel carrier wagons which appeared to be running round its train by splitting it into two portions that were short enough to fit in the loop. When I arrived the loco was in the middle of the train pushing one portion and pulling the other!

I don't know if this is a regular move or where it was coming from or going to, and I had to catch a train before it had finished whatever it was doing. Being steel carriers I would guess to or from South Wales, so was it going to/from Birmingham via Stroud due to some problem with the Chepstow route?

 

[alxndr]

Not sure where they come from, but it would have been going to the Hawksworth steel terminal at the west end of the sidings. It is the large grey metal building with a curved roof.

 

[Freightmaster]

I don't know if this is a regular move

Yes - runs on Mondays and Fridays.

...or where it was coming from or going to, and I had to catch a train before it had finished whatever it was doing. Being steel carriers I would guess to or from South Wales, so was it going to/from Birmingham via Stroud due to some problem with the Chepstow route?

The train itself runs from/to Llanwern, but that is only a staging point;
the wagons convey imported steel from Immingham for BMW(Mini)
at Swindon.

MARK

 

[edwin_m]

Thanks to both for the info.