Day 147: Wednesday 03/08/2022 - Explore South Wales Pass - £45.55 - 4 in 8 days - Day 1. Taffs Well to Trehafod - £2.20 - Anytime Single. Trehafod to Tonypandy - £3.90 - Anytime Return. CP Taffs Well, Cogan + Cwmbran all free.
Total time today 1027 mins - Time on trains 438 mins and time waiting 589 mins. Stations completed today 17. Total completed 886.
How much trainage can you fit into a day? A lot it turns out. Maximum trainage!
It all started out as a way of attempting the Maindee/Usk Junction PSUL moves (both directions) that occasionally pop up just East of Newport. There have been examples of these pretty much every month this year with the next batch at the end of the month. The downside is that these are the few late night/first train of the day moves, The 04xx moves don't always happen as possession has been given back early on quite a few occasions so late night it was. More of that later, but with South Wales targets reducing rapidly i wanted to see how much i could fit into the day before relocating to Cwmbran late in the evening.
In the end i ripped up part 2 of my planned itinerary as i realised the less predictable (and therefore tricky) part of the remaining South Wales targets would be the 3 remaining Cardiff platforms where i would have to do a lot of waiting there, and needed to generate some spare capacity for this. I started out way too early as it turns out as i made it down in one go save for a brief pit stop 30 miles or so from my chosen base of Taffs Well. The downside was i got there 50 minutes early, the upside was i got the last spot in the car park. There is a lot of activity going on at Taffs Well with closed access roads, loads of rail related construction connected with the Metro upgrades, and a reduced capacity CP all adding to the fun. On a whim i got an extra ticket for Trehafod to start earlier than planned, but maybe i was a bit hasty as will be seen from my first few moves which were not well planned!
I had to be on the very rare P1 arrival at Pontypridd (10.30) and so Trehafod and track to the North of there were the goals before that, but it wasn't happening so i swapped my original plan and did the track requirement first which left a more comfortable connection at Trehafod as a 2 minute gap between services is very much squeaky bum territory, especially if later connections rely on this happening. A leisurely trip up to Tonypandy via Tehafod to get a feel for the connection there, started proceedings therefore before returning to base and waiting for the Pontypridd terminator. I have a short memory because swapping platforms to/from p3 at Pontypridd takes way longer than you think especially with lethargic chaps and chapesses on gateline duty. Those stairs too! I made it, but only courtesy of a shouted appeal to the guard as i struggled to get through said gateline in anything like a satisfactory way. It's the achilles heel of Rover tickets as its a slim chance they will work where intended. A quick word about the return platform at Trehafod which was patrolled by a hi-vized security officer, guarding a very dubious bit of the platform deemed unsafe. Not in my book but then i would make a terrible safety officer in this day and age. Someone will be there from start to close of service untill fixed apparently and already we are a chunk of the way into week 2 of this. Also in the early morning blur that yesterday now takes was the appearance of a Northern liveried 150 and in a rash of unwarranted excitement i took a pic so welcome to the Valleys 150270.
The return turned out to be a non stop service from Radyr so i bailed at Pontypridd once more and waited a very acceptable 7 minutes for the next stopper as i needed Llandaf before returning North for Trefforest. Nothing of note here comes to mind so it was i alioghted at Queen Street to either do Cathays or Cardiff Bay whichever turned up first. Given its frequency no prizes for guessing Cardiff Bay and what an oddity this short piece of track is. Slightly bemused by it but the single coach did have quite a few passengers each way, but given todays motto i didn't explore which i might have done otherwise. A short wait thenm for my last Queen Street requirement of P5 and the very short hop to Cathays, althought there was an uncharachteristic wait of 20 mins here so i could catch my breath. That completes the Valley lines so hurrah for me and on to the next target, so back to Radyr one more time and a wait for the shuttle to/from Coryton via Ninian Park. Also a single car affair and the next 2 hours would be spent going back and to on this line calling at Fairwater, Danecourt, Ninian Park, and Waun-Gron Park before landing in Cardiff Central for the first time today, and waiting t=for the return to Rady to complete track requirements. I was getting famished by this time as there was either no time or nowhere immediately to hand to do a supply run - that is until swapping platforms at Ninian Park found me purchasing an excellent and cheap Cheese and Onion sandwich and a few other nick nacks.
One stop to Taffs Well rounded out part one of todays extravaganza and as i seemed to over 30 mins up on schedule, i thought i could go for other targets in the late afternoon/evening than planned. Cogan was my next base - just bacause its free and close to Cardiff and also what prompted me to look at the line to Bridgend via Barry. I had planned to be in Bridgend for the 21.30 as there was a good chance it would land at P6b and then go staright to depot - it didn't by the way so i have still to do this. I quickly scoped i could do the tougher bits of the line and still be on time so for track i did Bridgend first then back to Rhoose where my spidey sense told me to run for the crossing given only 6 minutes for the return. A blooming good chance i did because i just squeaked through before the beeps. Pics of the station/train were taken from the barriers therefore and one of only a couple of times i haven't waited to take a pic or two. A mini evening supply run followed at Llantwit Major with an excellent local supermarket close by to assist with this and if the return was on time i could do all the Barrys! Barry, Barry Island, Barry Docks and then Barry again to wait for the Bridgend service and get the more elusive of these - P2. Barry Island was in full swing when i arrived as the station is very close to the funfair action, and again in less pressing times i would have spent time here having a mooch. Would i have resisted the candyfloss though??
A good old wait at Bridgend was my reward and a bout of people watching ensued. My favouritre game was guessing how many times punters would try the (by now) locked toilet doors before realising they were actually locked and not just themselves inexplicably malfunctioning in their door handle using abilities. i think the record was 8 and the average at least 4. Not one left after one try - and there were many. So a bonus of Leckwith once more and a bonus stop at Ninian park before landing in P7 for a platform alteration. In the scheme of things i think this was the only thing that didn't go as expected today - drat that's a spoiler alert.
A quick phone home once back at Cogan and then off to Cwmbran where Maindee/Usk both ways was the main attraction. It all went to plan - what else can i say, although i am not sure we ended up in the Usk sidings for the first move before reversing the short distance into Newport. Only P1 and P2 were open there and Stop boards/signs were much in evidence off the other platforms. The orange army were out in force, predominantly at the Cardiff end and a hive of industry. The last move of the day was the reverse. From info over the tannoy, the dispatcher and the guard on the train i gleaned there was just one road open so that meant we would sit within the South side of the Maindee triangle awaiting the arrival of another Southbound service which duly arrived after 20 mins or so. It could be seen quite easily as it traversed the eastern side. Once it had passed us it was our turn and we for definite were put into the sidings this time before reversing across the main lines and onto the single line up to Maindee North.
A big tick for this one. I will return next midsummer for Ogmore and the Builth special going North but for now my question to myself is can i do the remaining targets on Sunday/Monday or will i need another half day to be sure. I will be having a close look at this later. As usual there was an overnight closure on the Motorway - this time the top end of the M50 and i had the devils own job finding my way back to the M5 after it became apparent that it wasn't just one junction that was closed. No heroics then and a couple of naps either side of Birmingham ensured i was back before 6.30.. Sunday and Monday in South Wales for one last hurrah and then it will be time for other parts of the country to get a look in.
Taffs Well | Depart | 8.23 | ***** | AW | | | stations | platforms |
Trehafod | Arrive | 8.38 | | AW | wait 31m | | completed | completed |
Trehafod | Depart | 9.09 | | AW | | | | |
Tonypandy | Arrive | 9.20 | Single | AW | wait 14m | | | |
Tonypandy | Depart | 9.34 | Single | AW | | | | |
Taffs Well | Arrive | 9.59 | | AW | wait 16m | | | |
Taffs Well | Depart | 10.15 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Pontypridd | Arrive | 10.31 | P1 | AW | wait 4m | | 1 | 3 |
Pontypridd | Depart | 10.35 | P3 | AW | | | | |
Trehafod | Arrive | 10.39 | | AW | wait 16m | | | |
Trehafod | Depart | 10.55 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Pontypridd | Arrive | 11.01 | P2 | AW | wait 7m | | | |
Pontypridd | Depart | 11.08 | P2 | AW | | | | |
Llandaf | Arrive | 11.26 | | AW | wait 11m | | | |
Llandaf | Depart | 11.37 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Trefforest | Arrive | 11.52 | | AW | wait 7m | | | |
Trefforest | Depart | 11.57 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Cardiff Queen Street | Arrive | 12.1812.23 | P3 | AW | wait 5m | | | |
Cardiff Queen Street | Depart | 12.23 | P1 | AW | | | | |
Cardiff Bay | Arrive | 12.27 | Single | AW | wait 2m | | | |
Cardiff Bay | Depart | 12.29 | Single | AW | | | 1 | 1 |
Cardiff Queen Street | Arrive | 12.33 | P1 | AW | wait 6m | | | |
Cardiff Queen Street | Depart | 12.39 | P5 | AW | | | 1 | 5 |
Cathays | Arrive | 12.40 | | AW | wait 20m | | | |
Cathays | Depart | 13.00 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Cardiff Queen Street | Arrive | 13.05 | P3 | AW | wait 4m | | | |
Cardiff Queen Street | Depart | 13.09 | P5 | AW | | | | |
Radyr | Arrive | 13.18 | P2 | AW | wait 13m | | | |
Radyr | Depart | 13.31 | P3 | AW | | | 1 | 3 |
Fairwater | Arrive | 13.37 | | AW | wait 11m | | | |
Fairwater | Depart | 13.48 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Danecourt | Arrive | 13.49 | | AW | wait 17m | | | |
Danecourt | Depart | 14.06 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Ninian Park | Arrive | 14.13 | P1 | AW | wait 36m | | | |
Ninian Park | Depart | 14.49 | P2 | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Waun-Gron Park | Arrive | 14.52 | | AW | wait 20m | | | |
Waun-Gron Park | Depart | 15.12 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Cardiff Central | Arrive | 15.24 | P6a | AW | wait 14m | | | |
Cardiff Central | Depart | 15.38 | P8 | AW | | | | |
Radyr | Arrive | 15.5215.59 | P3 | AW | wait 7m | | | |
Radyr | Depart | 15.59 | P2 | AW | | | | |
Taffs Well | Arrive | 16.02 | ***** | AW | drive + wait | | | |
Relocate to | ****** | ***** | ***** | ***** | 51m | | | |
Cogan | Depart | 16.53 | ***** | AW | | | | |
Bridgend | Arrive | 17.42 | P1a | AW | wait 2m | | 1 | 4 |
Bridgend | Depart | 17.44 | P1a | AW | | | | |
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport | Arrive | 18.09 | | AW | wait 5m | | | |
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport | Depart | 18.14 | P2 | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Llantwit Major | Arrive | 18.24 | P2 | AW | wait 32m | | | |
Llantwit Major | Depart | 18.56 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Barry | Arrive | 19.12 | | AW | wait 6m | | | |
Barry | Depart | 19.18 | P3 | AW | | | | |
Barry Island | Arrive | 19.22 | Single | AW | wait 4m | | | |
Barry Island | Depart | 19.26 | Single | AW | | | 1 | 1 |
Barry Docks | Arrive | 19.32 | | AW | wait 13m | | | |
Barry Docks | Depart | 19.45 | | AW | | | 1 | 2 |
Barry | Arrive | 19.48 | P3 | AW | wait 28m | | | |
Barry | Depart | 20.16 | P2 | AW | | | 1 | 3 |
Bridgend | Arrive | 20.47 | P1a | AW | wait 50m | | | |
Bridgend | Depart | 21.37 | P2 | AW | | | | |
Cardiff Central | Arrive | 22.05 | P7b | AW | wait 8m | | | |
Cardiff Central | Depart | 22.13 | P8 | AW | | | | |
Cogan | Arrive | 22.21 | ***** | AW | drive + wait | | | |
Relocate to | ****** | ***** | ***** | ***** | 80m | | | |
Cwmbran | Depart | 23.41 | ***** | AW | | | | |
Newport (South Wales) | Arrive | 0.02 | P1 | AW | wait 49m | | | |
Newport (South Wales) | Depart | 0.51 | P2 | AW | | | | |
Cwmbran | Arrive | 1.30 | ***** | AW | | | | |