9th August 1998

Cardiff Railway Company
Class 50 Railtour

Loco Used 50031 "Hood"
Stock Used 17086 "Georgina" + 5373 "Felicity" + 5275 "Wendy" + 5365 "Deborah"

Route :
1Z10 : 09.55 Rhymney - Cardiff - Treherbert
1Z11 : 12.33 Treherbert - Cardiff - Merthyr Tydfil
1Z12 : 14.38 Merthyr Tydfil - Cardiff - Rhymney

Loco Route
50031 Rhymney - Caerphilly - Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Central - Radyr Branch Jn - Penarth Curve North Jn - Radyr - Pontypridd - Treherbert
50031 Treherbert - Pontypridd - Radyr - Penarth Curve North Jn - Radyr Branch Jn - Cardiff Central - Cardiff Queen St. - Radyr - Pontypridd - Abercynon South - Merthyr Tydfil
50031 Merthyr Tydfil - Abercynon South - Pontypridd - Radyr - Penarth Curve North Jn - Radyr Branch Jn - Cardiff Central - Cardiff Queen Street - Caerphilly - Rhymney

Notes :
(1) The train was booked to run with the same traction and the same route on the two following Sundays, 16/8/98 and 23/8/98.

Source : Richard Hughes (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by Gary Thornton)

05.40 : bleep-bleep, bleep-bleep, groan! my alarm clock says "time to get up"...

By 8am I was near Worcester where I had arranged to pick up a friend and by a little after 09.15 we were at Rhymney, starting point for Sundays entertainment. Cardiff Railways had decided to lay on a relief train using 50031 "Hood" in an attempt to lure enthusiasts away from the commuter trains that used the 50 on weekdays (commuters apparently were complaining about enthusiasts taking up seats on "their" train).

For the very reasonable sum of £5.40 which was exchanged for a Valleys Day Ranger ticket, the entire journey could be made behind "Hood". The route and timings are given below. We were all pleased to see the train was formed of the four Forward Trust Rail mark 2a's rather than the air-conditioned rake that "Hood" normally tows up and down the Rhymney line. At least we could have all the windows open and enjoy the sound of the "Hoover" powering up the gradients.

The train was quite well filled, but not packed, by the time we stopped at Cardiff Central which was the last "sensible" pick-up point for those wanting a decent mileage behind "Hood". As we passed the EWS Cardiff Canton depot we could just catch a glimpse of 66001 stabled amongst the other locomotives. Also noted was one of the British Steel blue class 60's. We ran pretty well to time all the way to Treherbert where "Hood" ran round the train before we headed for Merthyr Tydfil via Cardiff (Central and Queen Street) and Cathays. All went well until we approached Central station where we were halted for some time due to a points failure. By the time we were moving again we were around 25 minutes late. The run-round at Merthyr was completed with the minimum of fuss and by reducing a planned half hour layover at Pontypridd we caught back virtually all of our arrears. Arrival back at Rymney was only around 5 minutes late.

Gary Thornton.

Timings (Booked and Actual)

 

Location Booked Actual
Rhymney 09.55d 09.55
Bargoed 10.05a ~ 10.07d 10.06 ~ 10.07
Ystrad Mynach 10.17a ~ 10.18d 10.14 ~ 10.18
Caerfilly 10/28 10/26
Heath Junction 10/36 10/36
Cardiff Queen Street 10.40a ~ 10.41d 10.39 ~ 10.41
Cardiff Central 10.44a ~ 10.49d 10.44 ~ 10.50
Radyr Branch Jn 10/50 10/51
Penarth Curve North Jn 10/51 10/53
Ninian Park 10/52 10/54
Radyr 11/00 11/00
Taffs Well 11/03 11/03
Pontypridd 11.09a ~ 11.10d 11.11 ~ 11.13
Porth 11.17a ~ 11.22d 11.21 ~ 11.22
Ystrad Rhondda 11.30a ~ 11.33d 11.29 ~ 11.32
Treherbert 11.40a ~ 12.33d 11.39 ~ 12.34
Ystrad Rhondda 12.40a ~ 12.43d 12.40 ~ 12.43
Porth 12.51a ~ 12.52d 12.50 ~ 12.52
Pontypridd 12.59a ~ 13.00d 12.59 ~ 13.00
Taffs Well 13/09 13/08
Radyr 13/13 13/11
Ninian Park 13/19 13/22
Penarth Curve North Jn 13/20 13.24 ~ 13.29
Radyr Branch Jn 13/21 13/42
Cardiff Central 13/22 13/45
Cardiff Queen Street 13/24 13/49
Radyr 13/30 13/56
Taffs Well 13/32 13/58
Pontypridd 13/38 14/06
Abercynon South 13.43a ~ 13.44d 14.14 ~ 14.15
Merthyr Tydfil 14.01a ~ 14.38d 14.33 ~ 14.58
Abercynon South 14.52a ~ 14.53d 15.11 ~ 15.12
Pontypridd 14.59a ~ 15.29d 15.18 ~ 15.31
Taffs Well 15/36 15/40
Radyr 15/39 15/42
Ninian Park 15/45 15/48
Penarth Curve North Jn 15/46 15/48
Radyr Branch Jn 15/47 15/49
Cardiff Central 15.49a ~ 15.50d 15.51 ~ 15.55
Cardiff Queen Street 15.53a ~ 15.54d 15.54 ~ 15.59
Heath Jn 15/57 16/02
Caerfilly 16.03a ~ 16.04d 16.08 ~ 16.10
Ystrad Mynach 16.13a ~ 16.14d 16.20 ~ 16.21
Bargoed 16.23a ~ 16.24d 16.30 ~ 16.31
Rhymney 16.36a 16.42


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