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.

A very colourful Wessex Trains class 150 sprinter 150246 departs with the 1320 from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central class 2 service. I was unable to find any headcodes for these Bristol to Cardiff trains.

66063 returns to STJ with 6C02 1406 Bristol East Depot to Newport ADJ empty steel flats. The green area to the right was the site of the hump yard.

A pair of type 5 class 66 locos front 6B66 the daily engineers working from Westbury, 1115 off, to Newport Alexandria Docks Junction Yard. The 12 vehicles were mainly empty.

A tug at work on empty steel coil wagons from the steel plant at Corby heading back to Margam for reloading. 6V92 left the Corby plant at 1010 this morning. Class 60's used to be found on every steel train due to their weight but the class 66s are making serious inroads.

A healthy train of mainly JSA steel wagons approaches with 66177 at the head end. 6M44 is a Llanwern to Round Oak working consisting of finished steel for various uses.

43161 and 43015 have powered their train out of the depths of the Severn Tunnel and into the sunshine on the Welsh side of the river. The service is 1B40 1345 from Paddington to Swansea.

The guard stands by the rear door of 153326 as he watches his passengers. The Regional Railways liveried bubblecar forms 2G68 1510 Cardiff Central to Gloucester. These units were built from some members of the class 155 sprinter sets.

The sun shines down and makes a great day that little bit better. Once this steel working was once a solid class 60 turn but the new boys are making their themselves known on these heavy trains. 66133 powers 6V40 0557 Lackenby to Llanwern loaded steel slabs through the station

It was my intention to leave STJ and go to Newport and I was meaning to be gone by this point, but various blokes turned up and asked me if the class 37 had passed. As one hadn't, and in a pre mobile phone internet age, I wasn't aware of one running so I stayed. Working of the day is 37408 taking a break from Rhymney Valley duties and working 5Z66 Great Usk to Caerwent ECS. The ten mkIIs are destined for the MOD site at nearby Caerwent for storage. Time to move on.

This is a new location following directions from a bloke at STJ. Looking over the fence in Newport's McDonalds carpark (!) down onto Alexander Docks Junction and Yard. 66079 brings in 6F56 1435 Uskmouth Power Station to Newport Docks empty MGR and will take the road to the left and run down to the docks.

On the other side of the wide road bridge and looking back towards Newport station and 66156 is seen on 6V45 1026 MO Banbury to Cardiff Docks empty LaFarge stone hoppers.

Back in McDonalds and a great view is obtained from getting right up to the fence. Just a few minutes after its booked departure time, 66110 eases out with 6M17 1636 off Newport ADJ to Wembley enterprise working.

And back over the road and we see the shadows are starting to lengthen on the left. Adelante unit 180105 speeds away from Newport with 1B48 1515 from Paddington to Swansea. To the right 66015 creeps into the shot.

With the class 180 unit now clear, 66015 approaches the road over bridge in lovely early evening sun with empty steel coil wagons. This empty train is 6V92 1010 from Corby to Margam. On arrival the wagons will be reloaded with hot coils of rolled steel.

I believe this working is correct, 6F57 1600 Newport Docks to Aberthaw Power Station. Due to the direction of access to the docks the train has to go east I believe to run round before heading west. 66131 provides the power for the loaded rake of HAA hoppers.

The loco stabling point is at Godfrey Road beside Newport's station. Here 60030 runs as 0H83 from Godfrey Road to Newport Docks for its next duty.

The loaded steel trains from Lackenby runs several times a day and I have photographed three this day. 66005 hauls another loaded train passed ADJ destined for Margam where the others have been to Llanwern. The train is 6V35 0817 from the North East steel works and is running about 50 minutes early.

The early evening is showing its longer shadows as sunlit 66213 wheels and empty rake of HTA coal hopper past the yard at Newport running as 4G45 1530 Aberthaw Power Station to East Usk Yard.

Yard pilot 09015 goes about its business shunting the yard and making up trains. Here it moves a string of YSA, YWA and YOA engineers flats which I believe were brought in earlier by 66088 and 66157.

The up and down main lines will soon be lost to the shadows as a down working including power car 43149 passes by with a Paddington to Cardiff Central service.