The first location of the day is Woolaston level crossing a few miles west of Lydney. In lovely, short lifed morning sunshine 170518 approaches with 1M58 0845 Cardiff to Nottingham Central trains service.
150256 is an exScotRail unit but has been in South Wales for a few years now. Today, like yesterday, it is employed on Maesteg to Gloucester services and here it forms 2G54 0800 Maesteg to Gloucester train.
The sun had gone by the time the first of the day's freight action appeared. 66124 passes the site of Woolaston station, which closed on 1/12/1954, with 6V35 0050 Lackenby to Llanwern loaded steel slabs.
Within an hour of arriving in sunshine, the rain has arrived. 60004 passes by with the daily 6B13 0533 Robeston to Westerleigh loaded bogie tanks.
Sedbury is on the outskirts of Chepstow and 170112 passes heading for Wales and Cardiff with 1V10 0800 from Nottingham.
In the oppsoite direction 150267 heads for Gloucester with 2G56 0917 from Maesteg. Above the unit is the disused siding to Tidenham on the remains of the line to Monmouth Troy which closed on 5/1/1959.
Seen from Chepstow's Beachley Lane is 170110 crossing out of Wales and into England on the inverted box girder bridge BR built in 1962 to replace Brunel's original 1852 tubular suspension bridge over the River Wye. The train is 1M62 1045 Cardiff to Nottingham.
170102 forms 1V14 0900 Nottingham to Cardiff which is not booked to stop at Chepstow.
66018 wheels through Chepstow station with a mixed rake of BYA and JSA covered steel wagons on 6V05 0939 Round Oak to Margam empty steel.
Chepstow's good shed has found a new use as a builders merchants. 170112 is seen again this time heading back to Nottingham, 1145 off Cardiff 1M64.
Only the class 2 local services between Maesteg and Gloucester are booked to call at Chepstow. 150267 forms one such working 2L55 1158 from Gloucester.
66223 comes through Severn Tunnel Junction (STJ) station with an empty steel flat train. Possibly 6C02 1406 Bristol East Depot to Newport ADJ, if so it is running about 100 minutes early, if not then I've no idea!
158855 promotes the Exmoor area and is utilised on 1F19 1330 Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour, nowhere near Exmoor.
A patch of sunlight breaks just at the right time for 66174 and its rake of 33 empty HGA hoppers heading for Newport's East Usk Yard. It started at Hayes at 1029 and runs as 6C23 TThO.
First Great Western HST service 1L65 1355 from Cardiff to Paddington is led by 43143. The train takes the Up Tunnel line and will pass through the station without stopping.
A late running freight approaches with 66158 in charge of 6C83 TO 1220 Machen Quarry to Westbury. The train has 18 loaded Hanson liveried JHA bogie hoppers and is about 2 hours down.
This departmental train is running about 20 minutes early. 66096 fronts 6C41 1510 Newport ADJ to Westbury Yard passing.......
This departmental train is running about 20 minutes early. 66096 fronts 6C41 1510 Newport ADJ to Westbury Yard.
