Any Steam Train Spotters On Here Today ?

[mikey4444]

This morning a briefly saw a steam train going through Port Talbot, in South Wales, in a westerly direction. Does anyone know of a link that I can access, especially with a view to seeing it come back again ?

[ABerrant]

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t14/t0531a.htm

...from this overview

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs14.htm

[Baldric]

Might be useful site

http://www.beholder.co.uk/steam/

[tonyav]

Watched this program the other night, mikey, about restoring steam engines and the tracks that they run on. Quite a few of the restored steam engines ( that you see nowadays ) came from a massive scrap yard on Barry island.

[mikey4444]

Thanks both...bl**dy hell...how would I manage without AB ?

[wolf63]

My dad was a steam train driver

[tonyav]

That was my ambition as a small boy, wolf, along with being a soldier, a pilot and a racing driver.

[mikey4444]

Thanks to tonyav as well...I passed the Barry place last year and its stuffed full !

[tonyav]

Oh right, mikey, they still have some engines then. Got to be a useful place for spares I should imagine.

[cupid04]

Please can someone put on the link for BBC2 Great British railway journeys [11.30] Torquay to Totnes as Mr C missed it.

[tonyav]

See if this works then, cupes.

[tonyav]

Great car museum in Totnes, cupes.

[New Judge]

Yes, looks like No 5029 ("Nunney Castle") will be stopping to take water at about 6:20 this evening, mikey.

This class of locomotive is a very appropriate choice to work a train through South Wales. They were introduced to work the crack expresses from London to Swindon, Bristol, the West Country and South Wales They were the GWR's most powerful locos until their more powerful cousins the "Kings" were introduced. The Kings were a development of the Castles with a larger boiler and were among the most powerful steam passenger locos ever used in the UK. However, they could not work beyond Plymouth into Cornwall because they were too heavy for the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash so Cornwall was the domain of the Castles when a powerful express loco was needed. More info about Nunney Castle can be found here:

http://www.iconsofsteam.com/locomotives/nunney-castle#about

Dai Woodham's yard at Barry was responsible for you being able to see Nunney Castle in working order today. At least 200 locomotives, including No 5029, were rescued from there by heritage railways across the UK. Ironically it was because steam locos were quite difficult to scrap that led to their preservation. Woodham brothers bought redundant wagons as well as locomotives from BR but because the wagons were easier to scrap he concentrated on them first. Enthusiasts saw the potential at Barry and Dai was happy for them to pay a deposit to secure the locos (which he sold to them at scrap value) and store them in his yard until the full purchase price was paid.

By the way, you won't find too many "Train Spotters" around these days. As we've grown older we've nearly all morphed into "enthusiasts" !!! :-)

[grasscarp]

I used to travel by steam train from Grays to Fenchurch Street. My mother used to pull us all on as it started moving off. We didn't have health and safety in those days.

[New Judge]

Pop singer Joe Brown (of Joe Brown and the Bruvvers) was a fireman on that line (the London, Tilbury and Southend line) before he found fame, grasscarp.

[mikey4444]

Thanks everybody, especially NJ...If I can get my act together, I intend to see it on its way back at about 18.00'ish, and take a photo, if I can !