Severn Tunnel Junction and Newport

Monday morning and after a 2 1/2 hour drive from Dorset I'm back in Wales and a day at Severn Tunnel Junction and Newport planned. To kick things off is 60004 fronting 6M96 0555 MO Margam to Corby loaded steel coil.

A Wessex Trains three car class 158 express sprinter 158968 runs towards the station at STJ with class 2 working 2C13 0800 Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads.

The sun favours east bound trains at this time of the morning. 43149 leads its Paddington train onto the lines for the Severn Tunnel. The tracks straight ahead go to Gloucester and the Midlands. This working is 1L34 0730 off Swansea to London Paddington.

Central Trains Turbostar 170103, in a new version of their livery, speeds north on the Gloucester line with 1M56 0850 off Cardiff Central to Nottingham. The train is not booked to stop here.

An up fGW HST bears left onto the tunnel with 43063 leading 43145 with 1L38 0800 Swansea to Paddington. 43063 was previously in use with Virgin Cross Country.

43144 and its train has come out of the tunnel and crossed onto the down main line at the east end of the station. The train is 1B10 0745 from London Paddington to Swansea.

Arriva Trains Sprinter 158820 takes the Up Tunnel Road with 0900 off Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads. I believe the working to be correct but I couldn't find the headcode.

With 158820 making its station stop, a down service gets away formed by single bubble car 153312. It is working 2G59, 0850 off Gloucester to Cardiff Central.

EWS type 5 66063 heads for the gloom of the tunnel with a light engine run from Newport ADJ to Bristol East Depot. There is no load to take to Bristol so the working is 0C01.

This was a real surprise, 60071 fronts a rake of 24 loaded TEA bogie tanks on a day this train was not booked to run. The working is 6B13 0533 MWX Robeston to Westereleigh loaded tanks.

A class 180 Adelante unit, 180104, takes the Up Tunnel Road with a working from Cardiff to London. The train is 1L46 0955 Cardiff Central to Paddington. These sets are rated at 125mph and are said to be very comfortable. I have not been on one so can not vouch for this.

A heavy steel train approaches with 66128 at the head of a rake of 21 BBA flats loaded with steel slabs from Lackenby steel works to Llanwern steel works. It left at 0051 as 6V35 and runs daily.

It always amazes me how a one vehicle unit stopping at every station on a journey that lasts for an hour can be given a class 1 "express" headcode. This is an example of just that, 153312 is diagrammed to 1G58 1010 Cardiff Central to Gloucester.

Turning round to see the bare station and 153312 makes its station stop. On the next road is 158747 with another class 1 working making a stop with 1B16 1020 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central.

This turn, 4O51 1003 Cardiff Wentloog to Southampton Millbrook Freightliner, is booked for a class 57 (in 2005) and today is no exception. It is often a lightly loaded working and this day is running about ten minutes down. Possibly as a result it was put inside the up loop on the approach to the Severn Tunnel for some 20 minutes.

The sun is making its presence felt as the day heats up. The fGW livery looks good on the HST and it is lit well as 43135 fronts 1L48 0930 from Swansea to London Paddington.

I do like the bubble car and will always photograph one if it comes along. 153361 wears the deep blue with gold star at each end livery of Arriva Trains. This is the 1050 off Gloucester to Cardiff Central and is a class 2 service, 2G61. Earlier we saw a working in the opposite direction as a class 1!!

Another orange bubble car departs Severn Tunnel Junction station with the 1120 Bristol Temple Meads departure to Cardiff Central. This is another train that I can not find a headcode for.

Parked up in its own secure compound at STJ on the site of the former diesel depot is a former class 121 DMU. 960201 is the Tunnel Rescue Train and would be used in the event of an emergency or problem within the 4 mile 628 yard long tunnel.

This is another Mondays Excepted working that is running on a Monday. 66097 wheels a rake of 15 empty BDA and BBA steel flats as 6E35 1114 MX Llanwern Steel Works to Lackenby Steel Works deep in the Eastern Region.

This is the second time this set has been seen this day. 43021 leads with 43174 at the rear of 1L52 1030 Swansea to Paddington fGW service.

The Down Relief Road gets a bit of use as 66118 slowly runs round the back of the station with a train made up of empty FCA, BYA, JSA steel carriers. The train is 6V05 0939 Round Oak to Margam empty steel.

Severn Tunnel Junction is a shadow of its former self with all of the yards and sidings and the diesel shed now lifted or demolished and much of it returning to nature. 43168 is the lead powercar of 1L54 1155 Cardiff Central to Paddington. 43020 is on the rear. All that remains is the single road diesel exam shed seen above the yellow rescue train. It was VAST here up until the 1980's.

A long lens shot of 43134 leading its train onto the Down Main having just come out of the Severn Tunnel with 1B25 1045 Paddington to Swansea with 43143 on the rear. During any of my visits to STJ I never went to the bridge which faces down onto the Welsh Portal....stupid boy!!

Pacer unit 143618 departs the station at STJ having bounced its way from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central, it left at 1220.

A piece of On Track Plant, No 73912 scurries east and takes the Up Tunnel road. It will recess in the Up Tunnel Loop for a while to allow other trains to overtake.

A more side on view of an up HST with powercars 43138 and 43144 rostered to 1L55 1130 from Swansea to Paddington. The scrubland in the foreground was once a mass of sidings forming part of the huge yards here.

With the numbers of class 60s being stored getting higher and the working fleet getting less and less, it is always good to see a tug even if it is running light. 66028 heads west with an unknown movement.