It is about 7.20 in the morning and the sun is shining warmly as 43181 leads 43127 past Llandevenney with 1L20 0600 off Swansea to London Paddington.
An unknown class 220 Voyager unit passes by Llandevenney with 1E37 0700 Cardiff to Newcastle cross country service. The only VXC working from South Wales.
Looking east into the bright and warm morning sun with 43179 leading a Bristol Temple Meads to Swansea HST. Train 1B02 left Bristol at 0703.
Pacer unit 143602 bounces its way along the up main heading for Gloucester on the first trip of the day for its roster on the Gloucester to Maesteg circuit. This train is 2G52 0712 Cardiff to Gloucester.
The first Central Trains working to Cardiff passes by with turbostar 170505 forming 2V55 0530 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff service. This class 2 service makes many additional stops to cater for the morning commuters. Maybe a three car unit would be better.
Class 180 Adelante units make a couple of forays into South Wales each day. 180104 heads west with 1C01 0543 Paddington to Cardiff.
Three car sprinter 158968 heads for Cardiff with 1F04 0626 off Salisbury. It will return later bound for Portsmouth.
EWS type 5 67014 leads The Northern Belle, 1Z72 0800 Cardiff to Kensington Olympia poshex. The FGW down HST is unknown but the train is 1B05 0645 Paddington to Swansea.
On the back is sister loco 67020. These trains are usually top and tailed.
The daily Southampton to Cardiff Wentloog freightliner is usually very lightly loaded. This day is no different and 66537 has an easy job with its train 4O50, 0500 from Southampton.
Turbostar 170505 returns passing Llandevenney with 1M58 0845 Cardiff Central to Nottingham.
A very long engineers train ambles along the Down Relief line at Llandevenney with 6Z33 0745 Reading - Cardiff Wentloog and Freightliner Heavy Haul 66620 at the front.
On the rear of the train is Heavy Haul sister 66617, shut down.
A second up Swansea service speeds by with 43142 with 43151 forming 1L38 0800 off to Paddington.
I believe this to be 2B09 0728 Highbridge and Burnham to Cardiff Central service running about 20 minutes late. The train is made up of Pacer 143611 coupled to a class 153 sprinter bubble car 153369.
On the Up Main line is bubblecar 153377 with a class 2 local working from Cardiff to Taunton, 2C67 0900 off the Welsh capital.
In 2006 First Great Western still ran named trains and this is the down "Saint David", 1B10 0745 Paddington to Swansea. It is running about 30 minutes late.
Sprinter 158968 is seen for a second time having passed below Bishton Flyover and forms 1F09 0930 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour.
Other than the earlier engineers train, this is the first freight train of the day, at last, but where's the sun?
60004 snakes down from Bishton Flyover with 6B13 0533 Robeston to Westerleigh loaded bogie tanks. Most of the 25 TEA tanks are brand new having been delivered a few weeks previously.
180104 returns to London Paddington with 1L46 0955 from Cardiff.
These units all seem to be running with the cover over the coupling missing.
With the sun shining warmly 66121 crosses Bishton Flyover with the early running 4C55 0858 Aberthaw Power Station to Avonmouth Docks empty coal train.
The empty coal train drops down the twisting descent from the Bishton Flyover at a slow speed.
With the tail of the previous train visible in the background, 66074 approaches with a loaded rake of HTA coal hoppers. The train is 6B68 0926 Avonmouth Docks to Aberthaw Power Station.
This HST set has been seen earlier this morning. The sun has come round to light the side of the train nicely. 43015 and 43179 power east with 1L48 0930 Swansea to Paddington. It passed by 2 hours and 15 minutes previously.
158965 is employed on the Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour diagram. Here it forms 1F11 1030 off and still retains its silver Alphaline livery despite now it being a First Group working.
Down trains are a tad tight to get the sunward side due to the tree very visible on the right! 43124 fronts 1B17 0915 Paddington to Cardiff Central and has 43024 giving it big licks at the back.
