Searle
Established Member
Inspired by some other reports, I thought I might as well do my own :P
Ages ago, I bought a couple of cheap advances for Hertford North (my local) to Cardiff Central for Thursday 21st March, as I've never been over to South Wales before. Checking the weather the day before, I wasn't best pleased to find out that there was a huge raincloud covering the whole of South Wales from about midday onwards, but there wasn't much I could do about that!
An early start for me with a 6:30am alarm, leaving the house at 6:55. Grabbed something to eat at Hertford North station (the shop has recently been done up and now sell pastries by Delice de France, which is appreciated by me). Walked up onto Platform 1 to wait for the 07:16 to Moorgate. 313060 + 313063 turned up for a semi fast service, and I got off at Finsbury Park, to quickly run across to 365521 + 365531 + 365513 which were waiting to leave for King's Cross, after being 3 minutes late and allowing me to make a -2 connection. After the short run down to King's Cross, I made my way over to the Circle line platforms. Without thinking, I boarded a Metropolitan line service, and only realised that it doesn't go to Paddington as we pulled into the Metropolitan line platforms at Baker Street, which meant a quick run over to Circle line platforms to get a Circle line train for the rest of the journey to Paddington.
After buying a bit more food from Delice de France (the bacon and cheese croissants are to die for) at Paddington, before boarding the 08:45 to Swansea, run by 43136 + 43071. I was particularly interested in seeing the work at Reading, and the new bridge was looking quite impressive as I waited to depart.
Reading by Mikez2605, on Flickr
We carried on through Reading, Swindon and Bristol, before making our way down towards the Severn Tunnel, which was really fun to watch. We quickly made our way through and emerged on the other side, quickly arriving into Newport, and then Cardiff Central after that, where I alighted. I bought a Valley Lines Day Explorer from the ticket office, which allows unlimited travel on all the Valley lines, including over to Bridgend, up to Maesteg and Ebbw Valley.
I decided to get a bit of Photting done before it started to rain, so I wondered around the station. For if you don't know Cardiff station, it's set out in two halves. Platform 0 is for the new Ebbw Vale services, which is next to Platforms 1 and 2, which are solely for departing FGW and XC services into England, or ATW services up to North Wales/England. On the other side of the station, platforms 3 and 4 are used for Terminating services from England (they then go out of the station and reverse back into Platforms 1 or 2). Finally, Platforms 6 and 7 are used for the Valleys services (I just noticed there's no Platform 5!).
I started off on Platforms 1 and 2 and took some pictures, before moving over to 6 and 7, where I was planning on catching my first Valley service of the day. Rarely for these trips, I hadn't actually set out a schedule for the day, I just knew roughly how long things took. Fortunately, I had noticed that I could do the short branch down to Penarth, then come straight back up, change at Grangetown to do the branch down to Barry Island.
I was planning on getting the 11:46 to Penarth, from Platform 7, but as I was waiting for it, a train to Bargoed pulled into Platform 7 instead, prompting incredibly loud announcements from a garishly sounding man, shouting 'The train on platform 7 is for BARGOED. Do not board the train on platform 6 this is NOT FOR PUBLIC USE', about 5 times, which had me in stitches. This ended up meaning my train to Penarth would be delayed, so I waited another 15 minutes for the next service down there.
Cardiff Central by Mikez2605, on Flickr
Cardiff Central by Mikez2605, on Flickr
My first train of the Valleys was 142083 + 143610 forming the service to Penarth, my first pacer run since last September. I wasn't too bothered about the Pacer though, it was completely empty (I think about three people on the whole service), and it was an incredibly slow service, taking 14 minutes to do 3.5 miles. I then made my way back up to Grangetown on the same units, before joining 150231 for the slightly longer run down to Barry Island. This service again was dreadfully slow, having seven stops in just about as many miles. One person along with me alighted at Barry Island, I rejoined the service for the return service along with someone else, one minute after we pulled in. I bailed at Barry, where I saw that there was a service to Bridgend in 7 minutes time, so I decided to get the track done, before getting the mainline back in to Cardiff.
Barry by Mikez2605, on Flickr
150253 took me to Bridgend, via Rhoose, where I jumped off and ran over to Platform 2, where I was expecting the 13:38 to Cardiff, via Pontyclun. This pulled in, so I jumped onto it, but we were soon met with an announcement that this train couldn't leave due to an 'obstruction on the line' at Llanharan, which later turned out to be a person hit due to a train. Because of this, everyone ran over to Platform 1 to get the 13:52 to Cardiff, which was diverted back via Rhoose, ruining my idea of getting both lines done. What made it worse is that we left 13 minutes after a stopper from Bridgend to Cardiff, meaning we had an unbearably slow entrance into Cardiff. What made it worse is that the service that was indefinitely held in Bridgend arrived 5 minutes before us. We eventually arrived in Cardiff at 14:45, 30 minutes late (that reminds me, I need to see if ATW will do a delay repay).
My train back to London was at 17:55, so I worked out I had 3 hours left to do the Valleys to the north of Cardiff. I caught 142077 up to Coryton, before the return service back down to Queen Street. Taking a few pictures in the fading light there, I was disappointed to see 153353 on the shuttle to Cardiff Bay, but not surprised, as the bubble car seems to always be broken, and is has now been taken permanently off this service, I think. I did the shuttle, before catching 150256 up to Pontypridd, on the 16:10.
Cardiff Queen Street by Mikez2605, on Flickr
The run up to Pontypridd was really enjoyable. We went pretty quickly, and had quite a good view of the valleys we passed through. If I return, I'll definitely make the complete journey up to Merthyr Tydfil or Treherbert. I caught the next service back down to Radyr, which was 143604 + 143607. At this point I decided that I didn't really mind Pacers. They're not the best unit, but their flaws give them a kind of cute personality. Granted, I wouldn't want to spend hours on them, but they're kind of fun in short bursts (please don't hate me for this!).
I alighted at Radyr to do the City line via the best named station ever (Waun-gron station), before finishing back at Cardiff Central at 17:21. I had 30 minutes before my train back, so I hung around the station, watching someone getting shouted at for trying to board a HST as it was moving away, before jumping on board my service back to Paddington on 43194 + 43053, arriving back into Paddington exactly two hours later. I ran across over to McDonalds to grab a meal before the rest of the train arrived (within two minutes of me getting there, the queue was out of the door!). I ate a bit, before running off to the Bakerloo line, changing at Oxford Circus for the Victoria line, up to Finsbury Park. My last train of the day was 20:44 service back to Hertford North, on board 313031 + 313040, getting back in at 21:20, to finish the day.
Thanks for reading (if you did), I might write up about a recent London Travelcard after I upload some pictures, and if people want it. Thanks!
Ages ago, I bought a couple of cheap advances for Hertford North (my local) to Cardiff Central for Thursday 21st March, as I've never been over to South Wales before. Checking the weather the day before, I wasn't best pleased to find out that there was a huge raincloud covering the whole of South Wales from about midday onwards, but there wasn't much I could do about that!
An early start for me with a 6:30am alarm, leaving the house at 6:55. Grabbed something to eat at Hertford North station (the shop has recently been done up and now sell pastries by Delice de France, which is appreciated by me). Walked up onto Platform 1 to wait for the 07:16 to Moorgate. 313060 + 313063 turned up for a semi fast service, and I got off at Finsbury Park, to quickly run across to 365521 + 365531 + 365513 which were waiting to leave for King's Cross, after being 3 minutes late and allowing me to make a -2 connection. After the short run down to King's Cross, I made my way over to the Circle line platforms. Without thinking, I boarded a Metropolitan line service, and only realised that it doesn't go to Paddington as we pulled into the Metropolitan line platforms at Baker Street, which meant a quick run over to Circle line platforms to get a Circle line train for the rest of the journey to Paddington.
After buying a bit more food from Delice de France (the bacon and cheese croissants are to die for) at Paddington, before boarding the 08:45 to Swansea, run by 43136 + 43071. I was particularly interested in seeing the work at Reading, and the new bridge was looking quite impressive as I waited to depart.
Reading by Mikez2605, on Flickr
We carried on through Reading, Swindon and Bristol, before making our way down towards the Severn Tunnel, which was really fun to watch. We quickly made our way through and emerged on the other side, quickly arriving into Newport, and then Cardiff Central after that, where I alighted. I bought a Valley Lines Day Explorer from the ticket office, which allows unlimited travel on all the Valley lines, including over to Bridgend, up to Maesteg and Ebbw Valley.
I decided to get a bit of Photting done before it started to rain, so I wondered around the station. For if you don't know Cardiff station, it's set out in two halves. Platform 0 is for the new Ebbw Vale services, which is next to Platforms 1 and 2, which are solely for departing FGW and XC services into England, or ATW services up to North Wales/England. On the other side of the station, platforms 3 and 4 are used for Terminating services from England (they then go out of the station and reverse back into Platforms 1 or 2). Finally, Platforms 6 and 7 are used for the Valleys services (I just noticed there's no Platform 5!).
I started off on Platforms 1 and 2 and took some pictures, before moving over to 6 and 7, where I was planning on catching my first Valley service of the day. Rarely for these trips, I hadn't actually set out a schedule for the day, I just knew roughly how long things took. Fortunately, I had noticed that I could do the short branch down to Penarth, then come straight back up, change at Grangetown to do the branch down to Barry Island.
I was planning on getting the 11:46 to Penarth, from Platform 7, but as I was waiting for it, a train to Bargoed pulled into Platform 7 instead, prompting incredibly loud announcements from a garishly sounding man, shouting 'The train on platform 7 is for BARGOED. Do not board the train on platform 6 this is NOT FOR PUBLIC USE', about 5 times, which had me in stitches. This ended up meaning my train to Penarth would be delayed, so I waited another 15 minutes for the next service down there.
Cardiff Central by Mikez2605, on Flickr
Cardiff Central by Mikez2605, on Flickr
My first train of the Valleys was 142083 + 143610 forming the service to Penarth, my first pacer run since last September. I wasn't too bothered about the Pacer though, it was completely empty (I think about three people on the whole service), and it was an incredibly slow service, taking 14 minutes to do 3.5 miles. I then made my way back up to Grangetown on the same units, before joining 150231 for the slightly longer run down to Barry Island. This service again was dreadfully slow, having seven stops in just about as many miles. One person along with me alighted at Barry Island, I rejoined the service for the return service along with someone else, one minute after we pulled in. I bailed at Barry, where I saw that there was a service to Bridgend in 7 minutes time, so I decided to get the track done, before getting the mainline back in to Cardiff.
Barry by Mikez2605, on Flickr
150253 took me to Bridgend, via Rhoose, where I jumped off and ran over to Platform 2, where I was expecting the 13:38 to Cardiff, via Pontyclun. This pulled in, so I jumped onto it, but we were soon met with an announcement that this train couldn't leave due to an 'obstruction on the line' at Llanharan, which later turned out to be a person hit due to a train. Because of this, everyone ran over to Platform 1 to get the 13:52 to Cardiff, which was diverted back via Rhoose, ruining my idea of getting both lines done. What made it worse is that we left 13 minutes after a stopper from Bridgend to Cardiff, meaning we had an unbearably slow entrance into Cardiff. What made it worse is that the service that was indefinitely held in Bridgend arrived 5 minutes before us. We eventually arrived in Cardiff at 14:45, 30 minutes late (that reminds me, I need to see if ATW will do a delay repay).
My train back to London was at 17:55, so I worked out I had 3 hours left to do the Valleys to the north of Cardiff. I caught 142077 up to Coryton, before the return service back down to Queen Street. Taking a few pictures in the fading light there, I was disappointed to see 153353 on the shuttle to Cardiff Bay, but not surprised, as the bubble car seems to always be broken, and is has now been taken permanently off this service, I think. I did the shuttle, before catching 150256 up to Pontypridd, on the 16:10.
Cardiff Queen Street by Mikez2605, on Flickr
The run up to Pontypridd was really enjoyable. We went pretty quickly, and had quite a good view of the valleys we passed through. If I return, I'll definitely make the complete journey up to Merthyr Tydfil or Treherbert. I caught the next service back down to Radyr, which was 143604 + 143607. At this point I decided that I didn't really mind Pacers. They're not the best unit, but their flaws give them a kind of cute personality. Granted, I wouldn't want to spend hours on them, but they're kind of fun in short bursts (please don't hate me for this!).
I alighted at Radyr to do the City line via the best named station ever (Waun-gron station), before finishing back at Cardiff Central at 17:21. I had 30 minutes before my train back, so I hung around the station, watching someone getting shouted at for trying to board a HST as it was moving away, before jumping on board my service back to Paddington on 43194 + 43053, arriving back into Paddington exactly two hours later. I ran across over to McDonalds to grab a meal before the rest of the train arrived (within two minutes of me getting there, the queue was out of the door!). I ate a bit, before running off to the Bakerloo line, changing at Oxford Circus for the Victoria line, up to Finsbury Park. My last train of the day was 20:44 service back to Hertford North, on board 313031 + 313040, getting back in at 21:20, to finish the day.
Thanks for reading (if you did), I might write up about a recent London Travelcard after I upload some pictures, and if people want it. Thanks!
