Carry On Up The Rhymney

Rhymney station lies at the head of the Rhymney Valley and on Saturdays the three train service to Cardiff and return are worked by a class 37 and four coaches. Arriva Trains hires the locos from EWS. 37411 arrives at Rhymney with 2R38 1650 Cardiff to Rhymney on the Friday evening so it is in position for the morning Rhymney departures. 1/4/2005

With the passengers away home, the train is shunted into the yard to lie for the night ready for the next day's services. 37411 carries a very familiar name, "The Scottish Railway Preservation Society."

The next arrival from the Welsh capital is 37405 with 2R42 1711 off.

The final loco hauled service to terminate is 2R46 1750 from Cardiff with 37408 providing the type 3 motive power. It too carries a name with a familiar flavour, "Loch Rannoch".

37408 shunts its stock into the yard to allow all the coaches to be serviced. The loco wears a 40B Immingham shed plate. 1/4/2005

The next day and early in the morning the sun is shining. 37411 slowly reverses into the headshunt to clear the turnout into the platform road. Its train will be 2F14 0915 off Rhymney to Cardiff. The line used to continue to form a junction with the former LNWR Heads of the Valleys line a little over a mile to the north. 2/4/2005

A trip along the line had to be taken. 37405 runs into Pengam station with 2R10 0859 from Cardiff.

The driver stands at the cab of 37411 at Cardiff and waits for the tip from the guard to run ECS to nearby Canton shed for runround as 5F14.

An hour or so later and 37411 heads back to Cardiff Central with the empty stock of 2R18 1059 Cardiff to Rhymney and the morning sun glints off the second man's windscreen.

At the east end of the station and 37405 runs into Cardiff with another working off Rhymney, 2F18 1015 from the head of the valley. This loco also wears an Immingham 40B shedplate.

Back on the road heading north for an hour of uphill "tractor thrash". 37405 meets 37408 heading south with its train at Pengam. The up, northbound working is 2R22 1159 Cardiff to Rhymney and the southbound down working is 2F26 1214 Rhymney to Cardiff.

Having ridden the train in the morning, the afternoon was devoted to photographing the branch. 37405 heads south across Pontlottyn Viaduct with 2F30 1315 from Rhymney. Pontlottyn station is just beyond the viaduct, about a mile from journey's start.

To the south of Rhymney a wonderful vista is obtained from the main road. In glorious hot sunshine 37408 climbs against the grade making a wonderful sound. The train ID is 2R26 1259 from Cardiff.

After a brief pause at Rhymney for the runround, 37408 heads back to Cardiff. It is seen at Troedrhiwfuwch, to the south of Pontlottyn, where an overbridge has recently been demolished. 2F34 1415 Rhymney to Cardiff is the working and the loco carries a white headlamp as the loco mounted headlamp is not working.

37411 runs into the shadows of Bargoed's up platform with 2R30 1359 off Cardiff to Rhymney. Bargoed is the start or end of he double track section with single line from here to Rhymney.

Just to the south of Ystrad Mynach 37405 comes through the reverse curves heading north with 2R34 1459 from Cardiff.

Another down train comes round the curve to the south of Ystrad Mynach station. The last of the trio of locos at work accellerates away from its station stop with 2F42 1615 from Rhymney.

Moving along the road slightly to record 37408 leading an up working, 2R36 1559 away from the Welsh capital. In the distance above the loco is the disused viaduct at Hengoed.

A classic shot at the popular location to the south of the station with the signalbox and up home visible behind the train. 37411 powers away from Ystrad Mynach with 2F38 1515 off Rhymney for Cardiff.

Moving to Ystrad Mynach station itself and sprinter 150279 slows into the up platform with a terminating class 2 working from Cardiff Bay. It departed at 1647 as 2H50.

After a brief pause for the driver to change ends 150279 gets away wrong road to the crossover by the 'box from the staggered up platform. The down working is 2P70 1726 Ystrad Mynach to Barry Island.

Semaphores everywhere at Ystrad Mynach. A short while later 37411 arrives from Cardiff, departing at 1659 as 2R42. The line to the right is the mothballed freight only line to Cwmbargoed. It has since reopened for coal traffic in 2012.

Looking north at the end of the up platform and 37408 arrives framed by the semaphores in both directions. The lower doll on the up starter gantry gave access to a short freight branch to Penrhiwfelin. The working is 2F46 1715 from Rhymney.

A final shot at Caerphilly in the late afternoon sun. 37408 runs into the station with 2R50 1759 off Cardiff for Rhymney. Already a return was planned.