NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 40
Y Glyn Crwydryn Railtour - 24.04.1965
Michael L. Roach
This was one of two railtours that I participated in, with the other being covered in three months time. This one was organised jointly by The West Glamorgan and The Monmouthshire Railway Societies and ran on 24 April 1965. It started and finished at Cardiff General and the route was Pontypridd, Aberdare LL, Hirwaun, Neath Riverside, Colbren Junction, Pontardawe, Swansea Eastern Depot, Jersey Marine, Felin Fran, Swansea High Street and Cardiff General. The tour lasted from 11.10 to 18.10 and was one of those rare occasions when RST (railtour standard time – an hour late) did not arise as the tour returned to Cardiff 1½ minutes early. This was despite leaving Colbren Junction 11L due to low water pressure and losing 20 minutes at Pontardawe when an enthusiast fell from a door and needed medical attention.
The load was five well filled corridor coaches. Large prairie 6116 of Radyr Shed hauled the first leg (Cardiff to Neath Riverside) and the last leg (Swansea High Street to Cardiff); the engine was condemned at Radyr two months later. The middle sections from Neath Riverside to Swansea High Street, lasted exactly three hours, when the train was double-headed by pannier tanks 4612 and 9675 both of Neath Shed with both engines being withdrawn within six months. 4612 was one of 16 panniers to enter preservation and now resides on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway in Cornwall.
This was a well-organised railtour which was a credit to the Societies organising it. I was grateful that it kept to time because I travelled from and to Plymouth to be there that day. The railtour fare was 40 shillings (£2) and it cost me a further 48 shillings to reach Cardiff. In the seven hours the railtour was en-route, I only noted one steam engine, and that was 2-8-2 tank 7248 of Llanelly Shed at Stormy Down Sidings.
The English name of the tour was The Valley Wanderer.
GWR Saint 2931 'Arlington Court'
Paul Barlow
the nameplate from GWR Saint Class 2931 Arlington Court.
This loco was built in October 1911 and first allocated to Exeter. It
was withdrawn in February 1951 and covered over 2 million miles.
Penzance Ballast Train
Alan Peters

Classic traction at Pinhoe
Jack Burchill
More units for storage
Colin Pidgeon
Merthen Farm HST
Craig Munday

Severn Tunnel Junction
Phil 'Shattered' Smith
Par Down Loop
Jon Hird
Trains seldom go into the loop nowadays, personally the last time I photographed anything in there prior to tonight was back in 2010 (although trains have been in there more recently than that).