Track bash July 2021

Day 2 (Monday)

Pembroke Dock to Cardiff Central

Last updated 2021-11-18

Unlike day 1, day 2 went almost completely to plan.

After breakfast, a taxi got me to Pembroke Dock, where the terminus is a rather forlorn platform and abandoned-looking building. Covering the Pembroke and Fishguard branches was no problem, with time between at Whitland to go and buy some food for lunch. The late departure from Carmarthen was because our train was in the eastern platform and had to wait for the late Manchester train to arrive into the western platform, change ends, and depart eastwards, crossing our path both times. There was a long 20 mph TSR west of Clarbeston Road which meant even later arrivals at Fishguard Harbour and a delay to Clarbeston Road on the way back, though as can be seen, we caught up again.

It was here that I had the one minor setback. The train from Fishguard Harbour (1B97) was one of the three a day (all eastbound) booked to take the Swansea District. Back in my teens, I'd been on a "Merrymaker" from Rayleigh, close to where we lived, to Tenby (but not all the way to Pembroke, requiring me to do most of the branch again). I've never been able to find a description of our route and, in particular, I don't know whether we went along the main line past Swansea or along the Swansea District, or even one each way. So I have both the Swansea triangle chord and the Swansea District on my "to do" list. Though 1B97 was booked for the latter, it turned out that the driver had lost his route knowledge because of Covid-19 issues, so we went along the main line instead. At least that got me the Swansea chord (though I haven't counted it as "new" mileage).

The rest of the day went fine. There is an oddity on the Aberdare branch: Mountain Ash station has a different ELR for the down side of the loop than the rest of the line. The late return from Maestag was, at the time, the only train that didn't continue past Cardiff towards England; instead, it took the Leckwith Loop from the main line to Ninian Park station and thence into the southern half of Cardiff Central.

Combined with previous visits to the area, that just leaves the Cardiff Bay and Ebbw Vale branches for another visit.

Chatting to a driver, I discovered something odd about the last train the previous day: the driver takes a single-line token that he doesn't use. The train splits at Whitland, with the Milford Haven part at the front and the Pembroke Dock part at the rear. The driver pulls up opposite Whitland signal box, which is on the opposite side of the level crossing from the platforms, takes the (red) token to Tenby from the signaller, and pulls into the station. The Pembroke Dock driver, who has been "on the cushions", splits the train and then walks up to the front to collect the token from the Milford Haven driver, who can then proceed along the double line. After which the second driver, with token, takes the train along the single line to Pembroke Dock (switching to the blue token at Tenby).

Today's trains table

Today's route table

New lines today

• Pembroke Dock branch west of Tenby
• Fishguard branch
• Vale of Glamorgan line west of Barry
• Penarth branch
• Aberdare branch
• Mountain Ash down line
• Cardiff City line
• Maestag branch
• Leckwith Loop

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