Valley Lines Questions

[Loop & Link]

Went to Merthyr Tydfil last year and was so impressed with the area and scenery that intend to return to the Valleys in a few weeks while I'm on A/L.

So a few questions if people don't mind:

1. I take it the Rhymney-Penarth-Bargoed/Ystrad Mynach are all pairs of 142's/143's do 150's make it up the line much in pairs on their own?

2. How come some of the 1Txx/1Fxx services to/from Treherbert are routed via the City Line to Radyr - pathing restraints via Cathays?

3. There are are Valleys Depots at Cardiff/Rhymney/Treherbert. What routes do these traincrew sign, do they sign all the Valley Lines for ease of cross cover and rostering?

4. I take there are also pathing issues with freight too - as some services start/terminate at Pontypridd leaving hourly gaps at Aberdare

Looking forward to my trip anyway

Thanks in advance all.

 

[PHILIPE]

Went to Merthyr Tydfil last year and was so impressed with the area and scenery that intend to return to the Valleys in a few weeks while I'm on A/L.

So a few questions if people don't mind:

1. I take it the Rhymney-Penarth-Bargoed/Ystrad Mynach are all pairs of 142's/143's do 150's make it up the line much in pairs on their own?

2. How come some of the 1Txx/1Fxx services to/from Treherbert are routed via the City Line to Radyr - pathing restraints via Cathays?

3. There are are Valleys Depots at Cardiff/Rhymney/Treherbert. What routes do these traincrew sign, do they sign all the Valley Lines for ease of cross cover and rostering?

4. I take there are also pathing issues with freight too - as some services start/terminate at Pontypridd leaving hourly gaps at Aberdare

Looking forward to my trip anyway

Thanks in advance all.

Rhymneys like the other routes are a mixture of pairs of Pacers or single 150.
150s on the route all day and a pair can be seen in the morning and evening peak. The Treherberts via the City line are to fit a freight path through Queen St, similarly freight pathing on Aberdare line.

Crews work all routes.

 

[Loop & Link]

Nice one for that.

I take it the Radyr-Coryton services are a mixture of 142's/143's and 153's from what I've seen pictures of?

 

[Greenback]

I've only ever been on a Pacer on Coryton services, but I understand that 153's are also diagrammed.

PS I don't know whether that makes me lucky or not!

 

[PHILIPE]

I've only ever been on a Pacer on Coryton services, but I understand that 153's are also diagrammed.

PS I don't know whether that makes me lucky or not!

There are 3 units going back and forward between Radyr and Coryton, 2 of which are Pacers and a 153.

 

[Greenback]

Thanks for that info, Philipe. I had a vague recollection from somewhere that 1 153 was diagrammed, but I wasn't sure!

 

[Parallel]

I have seen a 150 on the City Line twice before, but it's a reasonably rare occurence.

You do occasionally see single 142s or 143s operating to Treherbert/Aberdare/Merthyr/Rhymney, and I've seen 14x/150 combos before too.

 

[ValleyLines142]

The following services are booked for a 150+150:

0744 Rhymney to Cardiff
0745 Treherbert to Cardiff
1701 Cardiff to Rhymney

The 2020 Penarth to Rhymney is booked for a 142+150

 

[PHILIPE]

The following services are booked for a 150+150:

0744 Rhymney to Cardiff
0745 Treherbert to Cardiff
1701 Cardiff to Rhymney

The 2020 Penarth to Rhymney is booked for a 142+150

Have to correct you again, Dan, but I have seen the diagrams. 07 45 ex Treherbert is booked 2xPacers which stay together all day, solely between Treherbert and Cardiff. Not to be pedantic, 20 20 Penarth to Rhymney is 142/143 + 150

 

[WelshBluebird]

In reality of course any combination of pacer / 150 can turn up regardless what is booked (I have once also seen a two pacer and a 150 combo at one point, though 6 carriages are very rare and only generally happen for stock movements or when lengthening some services due to special events)

 

[Greenback]

Indeed, what is booked and what runs are tow very different things!

 

[ValleyLines142]

Have to correct you again, Dan, but I have seen the diagrams. 07 45 ex Treherbert is booked 2xPacers which stay together all day, solely between Treherbert and Cardiff. Not to be pedantic, 20 20 Penarth to Rhymney is 142/143 + 150

It always used to be when I regularly commuted on the 8.55 to London. Unless it's changed since my uni days....sad times!

As for 2R30, I only said 142+150 as I couldn't be bothered to say 143+150 as well; I now had to! Ha! Never mind

 

[PHILIPE]

It always used to be when I regularly commuted on the 8.55 to London. Unless it's changed since my uni days....sad times!

As for 2R30, I only said 142+150 as I couldn't be bothered to say 143+150 as well; I now had to! Ha! Never mind

See Greenbank's Post before this. Same answer.

 

[craigybagel]

3. There are are Valleys Depots at Cardiff/Rhymney/Treherbert. What routes do these traincrew sign, do they sign all the Valley Lines for ease of cross cover and rostering?

.

The two small depots at the heads of the valleys along with the huge (by ATW standards) Cardiff Valleys depot all sign all the valleys routes (Rhymney-Penarth, Merthyr/Aberdare-Barry Island, Treherbert-Cardiff,Coryton-Radyr, Queen Street-Bay),and the traction (142,143,150,153) - although I believe the bay is a relatively recent addition to Rhymney and Treherbert's route cards.

Cardiff Valleys is a separate depot to Cardiff Mainline, who do all the other routes out of Cardiff (including Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan - Cardiff Mainline or Carmarthen crews swap with Valleys crews at Cardiff Central on these services). Cardiff Valleys drivers have recently been learning 158s and 175s however, purely for shunts around Cardiff Central and Canton depot.

 

[PHILIPE]

The two small depots at the heads of the valleys along with the huge (by ATW standards) Cardiff Valleys depot all sign all the valleys routes (Rhymney-Penarth, Merthyr/Aberdare-Barry Island, Treherbert-Cardiff,Coryton-Radyr, Queen Street-Bay),and the traction (142,143,150,153) - although I believe the bay is a relatively recent addition to Rhymney and Treherbert's route cards.

Cardiff Valleys is a separate depot to Cardiff Mainline, who do all the other routes out of Cardiff (including Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan - Cardiff Mainline or Carmarthen crews swap with Valleys crews at Cardiff Central on these services). Cardiff Valleys drivers have recently been learning 158s and 175s however, purely for shunts around Cardiff Central and Canton depot.

Rhymney and Treherbert have trained on 158s in the past round about 2003/5 when they had regular work to Barry Island, Penarth, Rhymney, Penarth and Coryton. (only the odd job). Not authorised to work north of Radyr, though. They were not very popular with some due to the frequency of stops in the Valleys and their slow door opening and closing.

 

[craigybagel]

Rhymney and Treherbert have trained on 158s in the past round about 2003/5 when they had regular work to Barry Island, Penarth, Rhymney, Penarth and Coryton. (only the odd job). Not authorised to work north of Radyr, though. They were not very popular with some due to the frequency of stops in the Valleys and their slow door opening and closing.

Not that popular with those of us who work them now either :-P interestingly enough, the APIS system on the 158's does actually have the Valleys routes programmed in, as I found out one morning when I put the wrong code in......