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Timetable for Cardiff Celsa trips
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littledude
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To add to this query - is there any internal traffic in the docks area that can be viewed from public land, either traffic between works or traffic from Celsa to the docks for export?
Adrian Barr
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The internal Celsa movements don't have a timetable as such, I think they are basically "as required" shunt moves fitting around the requirements of the steelworks. While not completely random, I think a bit of luck or patience would be required to photograph the movements. As far as I know the rail movements are operated on shifts more or less around the clock, as required, Monday to Saturday, with Sunday movements less common.
Earlier this year I spent some time figuring out the internal Celsa movements and vantage points based on photos posted online. I intended to make a post but never got around to it, so I'll add this info below. Although I have some background knowledge of rail movements at Celsa, I've not actually visited this location, so any further info would be appreciated. The track layout shown in my Trackmaps book (Western - 6th edition) appears to be a bit out of date, so I drew a schematic map (attached) based on Google Maps imagery. In some places it can be hard to tell whether sidings are still in a usable state, especially when they are embedded in concrete. There's an element of educated guesswork to much of the info below, but it's surprising what you can work out from information online...
Loco fleet
As far as I know, the current shunter fleet comprises 08389, 08630 (Celsa 3), 08924 (Celsa 2) and 09106 (Celsa 6). It looks like 08630 has replaced 08877 in recent months (08877 was reported at Worksop in October). The fleet appears to be stable at 4 locos, with locos occasionally moved away for overhaul or repair - presumably they bring a replacement loco using the same road transport, to keep a balance of 4 locos on site. There were a couple of Hunslet locos used at Celsa in the period around 2012-2015 (DH50-1 and DH50-2) but these later moved to Trostre.
Three of the current shunter fleet can be seen stabled near the weighbridge (note the sign for the 4mph restriction over it) in this August 2023 photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/turners_pics/53116616766/
This appears to be the main stabling point for the fleet. GBRF 66s are also stabled and presumably fuelled here, arriving light engine after working services to other South Wales locations such as Margam or Trostre. DB locos do not stable here, after arriving on trains at Tidal Yard they normally run light engine to Newport AD Junction for stabling.
I think during normal operations there are up to 2 shunt locos active, one shunting billet and the other shunting scrap or finished product.
This drone shot gives an overview of the weighbridge area, with Tremorfa works behind and Tidal Yard to the left. The road running parallel to the internal railway at the right of the picture is Rover Way: https://www.flickr.com/photos/187647554@N02/52374736978/
There's also some drone footage of the weighbridge area on YouTube:
Video: Aerial Views of Cardiff Tidal TC, Yard & Celsa Steel Works | Channel: DestinationTrainsPlanes
Scrap shunt
Scrap is delivered to Cardiff Tidal Yard on DB services. Current sources and usual headcodes are as follows:
- Sunderland, adjacent to Londonderry Sidings (6E55 / 6V33)
- Rotherham Masborough (6E49 / 6V81)
- Saltley (6M27 / 6V27). This flow (re)started in recent months, usually running once a week.
- A trial scrap train ran from Swindon last week (8th November) as 6B28 / 6V28. Scrap from Swindon is not new but has generally been running to Liverpool EMR in recent years.
These shunts between Tidal yard and Tremorfa works can be seen from the bridge on Ocean Way: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmc1987/29787529902/
Each incoming scrap train (an average of roughly one per day) will require splitting into 2 or 3 portions, with each portion being tripped for offloading and then back empty to Tidal Yard. This gives some idea of the number of scrap shunts per day (although shunt movements also take place at night).
In this photo the scrap shunt is seen near the weighbridge: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmc1987/29607335950/
Note the fabric on the fence - judging from a comment on a recent photo, the security staff are not especially keen on people taking photos through or over this fence by Rover Way (which is a public road).
This short video shows the MBAs being offloaded by grab:
Video: Scrap metal train being unloaded at Cardiff Tremorfa works | Channel: poshingtonno1
Steel Slag (Steelphalt - slag processed for reuse as aggregate during road construction) was loaded into MEA wagons (presumably at the same location) for despatch to Rotherham, but this traffic has ceased within the last year or so.
At one time I believe the scrap wagons were offloaded under cover in the large building parallel to the track alongside Rover Way (on google streetview, two sidings can just about be made out entering a covered bay marked "15"). Before that, the old scrap bay was further around the back of Tremorfa works - piles of scrap can still be seen in this area on google maps, near where Rover Way meets Seawall Road
Billet Shunt
Scrap metal is melted down in Celsa's electric arc furnace and cast into billets in the melt shop at Tremorfa (billets are defined as lengths of semi-finished steel with a square cross section of up to 155mm; roughly 6 inches). The billets are then moved on internal user wagons to the section mill at Tremorfa, or to the Rod and Bar Mill at Castle Works.
This is a rare shot of 08925 shunting the melt shop in 2011 (I've marked this location with a red star on my map). The track seen on the left alongside the building, which continued around the back of the works, has since been removed: https://www.flickr.com/photos/77541583@N00/6410239909/in/photostream/
At the Section Mill within Tremorfa, the two bays where I think billets are currently offloaded are marked with green stars on my map. The one marked as the East Bay can be seen in a photo at the top of this article (you should be able to see the picture, although the full article requires a subscription): https://www.railfreight.com/busines...shunts-off-with-new-contract-for-celsa-steel/
Although DB run the scrap trains to Cardiff Tidal, GB Railfreight have the contract for internal rail movements (I assume they provide the drivers and hire in the shunt locos).
The track layout at Tremorfa has been slightly altered over the years. At one time I think the billet shunt accessed some bays at the Section Mill from the south end, whereas they are now kept operationally separate from the scrap shunts by shunting the bays at Tremorfa from the north end. One result is that these internal billet shunts within Tremorfa are unlikely to be visible from any public vantage point (although movements into the west bay might be partially visible in the distance from Ocean Way).
Billet movements from the melt shop to Castle Works are easier to see as they have to pass under Ocean Way, as seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisperkins/49828815301/
I don't think there are any public vantage points around Castle Works itself, although trains on the branch to Castle Works can be photographed from the other side of Ocean Way or from the nearby A4232 link road (see below). The one image of Castle Works (Cardiff Rod Mill) that springs to mind is a carefully lit shot of the interior, full of coils of wire rod with a class 37 at the loading bay behind, used for a Railfreight Calendar around the time the Sub-Sector liveries were introduced. Can't find this image online though!
Finished product
The loco shunting the scrap wagons may also be involved in shunts of finished product from Castle Works to Tidal Yard for onward rail despatch.
https://www.celsauk.com/products/
Tremorfa Works (Section Mill) produces 'merchant bar' for engineering fabrication into various products, and light steel sections (channels, angles) for use in construction, but these products are not transported by rail.
Castle Works (Rod and Bar Mill) produces reinforcing bar (loaded on BDAs) and also 'wire rod in coil' (loaded in VGAs). Wire rod can be used as reinforcing mesh for concrete (thinner and less heavy duty than rebar), for drawing into wire used for fencing, the mesh on supermarket trolleys and so on, or for making small diameter products like screws, nuts, and bolts.
This is the view from the other side of Ocean Way, at Splott Junction: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99220921@N03/48631546571/
Diverging left is the line into Cardiff Docks, with 09106 pulling BDAs loaded with reinforcing bar from Castle Works towards Cardiff Tidal (I think they get weighed on the weighbridge before being shunted into the yard).
In this photo from a similar position, the same loco brings VGAs loaded with wire rod from Castle Works: https://www.flickr.com/photos/turners_pics/48067400998/
The branch can be seen passing under the A4232 link road, from which this view is possible, looking back at the same buildings:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/turners_pics/48067454877/
The piece of track to the right of 09106 here is a disconnected siding, marked as "European Metal Recycling" in my Trackmaps book.
The VGAs and sometimes BDAs are sent in a trainload to Burton for offloading (6M50 / 6V51) but this train is not very frequent at the moment, maybe once a week, meaning the shunts of finished product are not that frequent either.
Main line traffic to Cardiff Docks
Main line locos sometimes venture past Splott Junction heading into Cardiff Docks, but traffic is a bit irregular and hard to predict at the moment.
During September there were several trains of scrap metal from Barking Euroterminal, Ripple Lane (6L03 / 6V39) into the Docks, for Ward Recycling's export terminal rather than Celsa. These trains ran in overnight timings in both directions, so didn't attract much notice. I'm not aware of a dedicated rail terminal for the scrap on the dock, so I assume it was either offloaded at Fletcher's Wharf (see below), or unloaded directly from the dock branch adjacent to the Ward Recycling site. The dock branch continues to a run round loop by Longships Road and terminates at a former tank farm which was used by the Greenergy tanks from Port Clarence, and before that by trains of fuel oil to Aberthaw and elsewhere. This tank farm (previously operated by Minemet and HCB Energy) has now been demolished. This area is inside the boundaries of the dock estate and not accessible to the public - the presence or absence of google streetview imagery is a reasonable guide to public vs private roads in dock areas.
Some Steel slab traffic from Port Talbot was exported through Cardiff Docks during the summer, although this traffic was despatched more frequently via Newport Docks, using the same set of BTA wagons. The Cardiff trains were a bit sporadic and I'm not sure if or when they will resume. These were offloaded on the concrete pad at Fletcher's Wharf.
Incinerator ash has been loaded at Fletcher's Wharf in recent years (for Avonmouth), although I'm not sure if it has run recently. On google maps, Fletchers Wharf is where the dock branch runs through a concrete pad near to "Bemaco Steel Laser Cutting." I think this is where the Ryan's coal blending terminal was located in the 1980s. The ash train (6C02 to Avonmouth) is seen being loaded here in 2021: https://www.flickr.com/photos/70710639@N05/51234286725/
I posted in more detail about the incinerator ash flows here - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rail-freight-flows-and-news-uk.195217/post-5844969
Internal traffic to Cardiff Docks
As far as I know, Celsa do not despatch any finished product by rail through Cardiff Docks. With the current rail layout in the docks I think it would require double handling onto a lorry to get it to the quayside. At one time there was a set of sidings on the north side of Queen Alexandra Dock which I believe were used for steel exports, accessed via the swing bridge on Compass Road. This part of the dock railway is now closed and disconnected, although on google maps there are rails still visible set into the concrete along the dockside, and also crossing the bridge on Compass Road.
In these YouTube clips from 1991, an internal pilot loco is seen in this area, which required a reversal to reach the dock itself. The loco is filmed approaching the buffer stops before reversal, and later passing over the swing bridge heading back towards Tremorfa at Splott Jn. A 37 arrives into the Ryan's terminal with empty HAAs for loading with coal for Aberthaw (welsh coal was blended with imported coal at the Ryan's terminal). After some more views from Ocean Way by Splott Jn, the next shots show shunting operations at Tidal Yard, viewed from the west side. The final sequence shows an 08 at the Minemet terminal shunting fuel oil tanks. Apart from the shots taken from the bridge at Ocean Way, I don't think any of these vantage points are available to the public these days. But at least we can enjoy some historical footage...
Video: Railways inside Cardiff Docks in 1991. Class 37s and various shunters working | Channel: Mike Wilcock
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