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On an August Saturday
morning in 1953, I was heading west from my home in Halesowen,
Worcestershire in the passenger seat of the family Morris Minor. I was
accompanying my father on a Fishing Trip to Central Wales. Now fishing
was not my cup of tea, but I had learned that there was frequently an
element of Trainspotting included in the itinerary. And so we
continued through Bewdley, Tenbury Wells, Leominster, to Pembridge,
where we stopped for a coffee. I had wrongly
assumed that we were going to stop at one of our usual locations on the
Shrewsbury to Hereford Line. Either Onibury, Bromfield, or Woofferton.
But we didn't. It looked like being the Central Wales line. An interesting
route, but hardly a trainspotting paradise. Father found a spot where
the line crossed over the River Ithon, at Cross Gates, close to Penybont. So it was
there that we spent the afternoon. It started raining, quite heavily,
and after about 3 trains and no fish, and with the river now discoloured
and rising over it's banks, father had decided enough was
enough, and we headed off to Llandrindod Wells for a meal. Another
attempt at fishing in the evening was no more successful, and so we
retired to our B & B, the Gwystre Inn, near to Penybont cross roads.
An interesting establishment, the electric supply came from a generator
not a mains supply. But it was comfortable, and we ate a hearty
breakfast. |
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So on the Sunday
morning, with the rain still falling, father had decided to head south
west. The weather should be better in the south. But it
wasn't. We stopped to have a look at the line at Sugar loaf, then
continued onwards. We seemed to be heading towards Swansea. Hardly
likely to be any trout fishing around these parts, I thought. I was
thoroughly fed up and miserable. "Look in the glove
compartment", father said, "And you will find Aidan Fuller's
Locomotive Shed Directory. See if you can find the route to Llandore
shed". |
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I couldn't believe my
ears. It hadn't remotely occurred that we were heading down for what
turned out to be a "South Wales shed bash". We did Llandore,
Danygraig, Newport Ebbw Junction, and Severn Tunnel Junction sheds. And
all full on a Sunday afternoon of rare South Wales
"Cops". |
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On Llandore (87E) shed
were 12 Castles, 1 County, 11 Halls, 1 Grange, 30 assorted tank engines,
and 2 railcars. Total 57. |
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On Danygraig (87C) shed was no 359 Hilda, and an assortment of
24 small tank engines. Total 25
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On Ebbw Junction (86A) shed was 1 Hall, 2 Granges, 16 tender
locos, mainly WD and 28xx 2-8-0's, 78 tank locos, 2-8-2, 2-8-0, 2-6-2,
0-6-2,0-6-0, 0-4-2, and 1 railcar. Total 100.
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On Severn Tunnel Junction (86E) shed were 3 Halls, 1 Grange,
14 tender locos, mainly WD 2-8-0's, and 34 tank locos, 2-8-2, 2-8-0, 2-6-2,
0-6-2, and 0-6-0. Total 55.
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It was now late evening, and we drove on to Chepstow, for a
meal and a night's stay at the Castle Hotel. The following morning we drove up
beside the Severn Estuary to Gloucester, where we would no doubt join the A38, and head
home.
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Or so I thought. But
father didn't join the A38, he headed off towards the Cotswolds. And the
weekend that I thought had finished, had in fact hardly begun. Where
were we heading? Well you will have to wait and see in part 2. But I can
tell you, where we were heading the liveries were certainly green, but
not Great Western green. |
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