NEWS 2008 – page 2

2008 has been a phenomenal year for the railway, with news coming in buckets, aided and abetted by our keen member-photographers.  In order to limit the size of this page we have divided 2008’s news into two smaller (but still large) pages – up till 31 June 2008, and the latest news.  The latest news continues on this page, but for earlier news we ask you to click HERE

 

 

IVOR THE ENGINE’S VISIT, 9-10 AUGUST (added 20 August 2008)

In contrast to the Diesel Gala a few weeks earlier, Ivor’s annual pilgrimage back home to Wales was met with a spell of real Welsh weather – incessant rain.  Not that such weather has been confined to Wales this month, and neither did it dent the passenger figures too badly.  Idris the Dragon was absent this year (his rear end was the subject of a major flare-up last year, when he sat too close to the fire-box, so this year he decided to give it a miss).  Alice the Elephant was there again, holed up in the box-van and trumpeting regularly from the box van (she has been let out recently, but we can’t have her crashing about during special events).  Bluebell the Donkey put in an appearance, together with her sisters, at the Whistle Inn, courtesy of Greenmeadow Farm, and was accompanied by a small collection of various rabbits, delivered for the purpose of being cuddled by small (and not so small) passengers.

 

                       

Rain or no rain, passengers gather round Ivor in excited groups to say ‘hello’ to their favourite engine, to have a few words with Jones the Steam, and to pull Ivor’s whistle.

(photo: Alistair Grieve).

Inside the first carriage, arrangements have been made for passengers, large and small, to peer directly into the little engine’s cab, whilst Mrs. Porty, in flower-bedecked hat, reads stories of Ivor’s adventures to the children   (photo: Alistair Grieve)

 

Ivor is, of course, intended for younger enthusiasts, but the following nine-minute embedded Youtube clip, produced by one of our younger members ‘Rhysicus’, will, perhaps unexpectedly, touch at the ‘hiraeth’ of older enthusiasts, despite being filmed in awful weather.  Try it, we think you’ll be impressed, especially the last two or three minutes.

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This technique is a bit of a leap in the dark for us, and we’re not sure how this will behave on various browsers.  It has been tested on three browsers and with a fast connection.  However those with ‘heritage’ dial-up internet connections may find the experience less satisfying.  Please let us know what you think.

 

DIESEL GALA, 26-27 JULY (added 31 July 2008)

On the final day of a spell of blisteringly hot and dry weather, PBR got all its toys out – big and small – for public display.  It was rewarded with an excellent visitor turnout – especially on Saturday.  Without doubt this was PBR’s most sensory event to-date – visitors not only saw them, and heard them, but most felt them (or at least the vibration), and nobody could miss the smell!  In a year peppered with firsts for the PBR, the weekend made its contribution as being the first time PBR was able to field two main-line locomotives together – when for twenty years or so, we were unable to demonstrate even one!  A slightly less obvious, but arguably more important first, was the sight of trains being pulled up the bank to Whistle Inn rather than pushed.  This has profound implications for the future since it will permit the use of loco-worked trains to operate from Blaenavon (High Level) when it is opened in 2010, and without the need for run-round loops.  It will be several years before it will be possible to fit loops at both ends of the line.  We show below some images of the event, taken by our resident ace photographer, Alistair Grieve.

 

          

It’s a glorious summer morning and a really warm day is promised as the new train, comprising Class 73 leading a 3-Cep freshly painted in Rail Blue, accelerates from Furnace Sidings and past the platelayers hut.

 

 

 

(photo: Alistair Grieve)

 

Little and... well, at least medium sized!  0-4-0 Ruston ‘Gower Princess’ decides to add her two penn’orth – all of 48hp in fact, to the 550hp provided by 104 ‘Llanwern’.  ‘Llanwern and the three loco-hauled coaches represent the standard fayre on busier days

 

 

(photo: Alistair Grieve)

On a hot, still, Saturday afternoon, Class 73 No.73126, with its rear blinds turned to red, starts on its return journey back to Furnace Sidings.  Its coaching stock is the recently arrived Class 411 ‘3-Cep’ EMU.  On this return journey the train will be driven from the coach furthest from the loco in this view, with ‘through control’ providing the necessary control of the locomotive

(photo: Alistair Grieve)

          

Lined up for inspection, the railway’s varied collection on industrials, some ready for operation, some in the process of restoration.  It is left to you, to inspect our ‘Rolling stock > Diesel locomotives at Blaenavon’ to see if you can identify them all!  Whilst it looks like every loco has its own mini-platform, its all part of Furnace Sidings’ new Platform 2, and due for completion before the end of August.

(photo: Alistair Grieve)

 

Fuel crisis – what fuel crisis?  In a blatant display of political incorrectitude, Class 73 and 37 smartly -  and effortlessly - accelerate our three-coach ‘loco-hauled coaching stock’ (LHCS) with increasing speed, past the ruined Ty Rheinallt Farm, and on up the bank to the Whistle ‘Inn.

 

 

(photo: Alistair Grieve)

There are rumours circulating that there a bit of a BR(S) takeover going on at the PBR.  Fingers have been pointed, even.  It’s not true of course, but we do seem to doing rather well in the Southern Region stakes.  Above is seen, left to right, Class 205 ‘Thumper’ or 2H, Class 421 or 3-Cig, Class 73 or ED, and Class 411 or 3-Cep.  Takeover or not, see or Events Diary for our ‘Southern with Altitude’ event on 27 and 28 September

(photo: Alistair Grieve)

 

DEVELOPMENT – DOWN EXCHANGE SIDINGS (added 29 July 2008)

Quite apart from busying itself on the extension to Blaenavon (High Level), that is, getting longer, the railway is also getting fatter.  You might even say it’s both extending and expanding.  The reason for this expansion is the inclusion of the Down Exchange Sidings into the PBR’s fenced compound.  The Down Exchange Sidings were so called, as these sidings provided the facility for trains brought from Big Pit over the rail-over-rail bridge (which spanned the main line underneath) by National Coal Board Engines, before they were handed over the locomotives from the national network to work down the valley.  The rail-over-rail bridge is just out of sight in the lower right hander corner of our image.  For many years the area containing an array of four sidings, well over 600ft long was occupied by a few rather down-at-heel wagons in which we had rather lost interest.  When pressure grew in the main yard due to our ever increasing stock levels the Down Exchange Sidings we looked had how the exchange sidings could be bought into use.  Even with considerable help from our support group the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Society (who run the shop in Broad Street, and Eric’s Emporium on site), and loans from our members, we still could not afford the cost of getting contractors in to lay a security fence.  But we were blessed with an embarrassment of riches – two sidings would satisfy our needs.  So we took in paying tenants.   – EMUPS and ‘Save the Cigs’.  Details of these groups, and the story of the rescue of their units from the Dartmoor Railway appear under Rolling Stock.  There have been some unexpected spin-offs from this arrangement, especially of being able to ‘form-up’ stock quickly in the mornings from the yard.  Perhaps most ironically, is that the sight of displaced and down-at–heel wagons to the main yard has focussed interest remarkably, and with some complex ownership re-arrangements many of these aging wagons are finally receiving some TLC.

 

 

Photographed in high summer when the willows and heather are at their most verdant we see part of the main yard, with the bottom shed in the upper centre, around which the existing fence is shown in cerise..  Below that are the sidings, also delineated with a cerise line, with a few wagons scattered towards the lower right.  The hook shaped area to the lower right of the image enlarges the south east end of the yard and greatly eases the capacity for lorries to manoeuvre when they bring in stock to the south end of the site.

To the lower left of the image the Coity Tip trail is seen, which connects Furnace Sidings to the nearby Big Pit. Above and to the right, buried in the thick undergrowth are the remains of the four sidings that make up the Up Exchange Sidings.  There are plans to re-instate these in due course.  The main line is also faintly seen, in its cutting, diving down between the Down Exchange Sidings and the Up Exchange Sidings

 

MORE EMU NEWS (added 19 June 2008, updated 26 June 2008 and 29 June 2008)
The PBR’s apparent obsession with EMUs continues.  Having agreed terms with the ‘Save the Cigs’ Group on 14 June, the first car of 3-Cig (TOPS code 421) unit 1399 arrived during the night of 24/25 June after the four-hour trek from Dartmoor.  Early the following morning Driving Trailer Semi-open with Lavatory (DTSoL), car. no.76747 was rolled onto the delivery road before many of us were up, and carriers, Messrs.Allely, were away.  By early that evening, they were back and unloaded the second vehicle , the other DTSoL no.76818.  By an odd quirk during the loading process the two DTSoL had finished up facing each other, though each was ‘the right way round’.  Once again the Allely’s team bedded down for the night and were away at 5 o’clock in the morning.  They then loaded up at Dartmoor,  and were away by ten – there’s no stopping these boys.  Arrival of the third, middle, vehicle, the Motor Brake Second Open (MBSO) car no.62385 arrived at 2.45 on the afternoon of in the delivery road.  With the fencing on the Down Exchange Sidings complete, and with a quick shunt to get the cars in the correct order, it won’t be long before the 1399 is shunted down to the Down Exchange Sidings to join 3-Cep 1198.  

 

We had heard some alarming stories about the condition of 1399 but it was nowhere near in as bad a condition as we had expected.  In terms of restoration it is over two years behind 1198, but with some modest TLC it will become, to parody a well known author, ‘a really useful’ unit.

 

Want to know more?  Then press  HERE.

 

Odd really, that what started as a casual attempt to find some tenants to help pay for a fence to enclose part of our large site, turned out to be a full-scale rescue.  The PBR has now gained six potentially useful vehicles, with three of them very likely to have been cut.  All in all a good day’s (or, rather, a few months) work

 

              

Wednesday morning, 25 June and the first of the 3-Cig cars is unloaded very early in the morning.

Wednesday afternoon and Greek meets Greek!  A shot unlikely to be repeated as 1399 looks face on into 1399!

Thursday afternoon.  Arrived at 1445, on the ground by 1505, lorry clear of the area by 1515.  The Allely’s crew had obviously done this before!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday evening, about half past eight on Saturday 28 June and 1399 waits for the road in the up loop.  Class 73 electro-diesel 73128 ‘Silver Jubilee/ ‘Jubili Arian’, is set to propel the unit across the down main into its new home in the Down Exchange Sidings. Although most recently in ‘South West Trains’ livery, green primer covers the worst of a graffiti attack suffered whilst on the Dartmoor Railway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANOTHER VIEW ON THE EMU FRONT (added 14 June 2008)

Possibly the first time the three vehicles have been shown side-on, and minutes after arriving in the newly cleared and  fenced ‘Down Exchange Sidings’ on 14 June, unit 1198 shines in the setting sun.  She arrived on site between the 1 and 7 May, and after spending just over a month on the delivery siding in the top yard was shunted down to her long-term berth in the Down Exchange Sidings on Saturday 14 June.

AN HISTORIC FIRST (added 11 May 2008)
We were going to title this paragraph ‘EMU flies’, but we thought that we had already pushed that link too far.  All the same we illustrate here a rather poor image taken from a You-tube clip of Unit 1198, still in undercoat, and yet to enter public service powering past Furnace Sidings, non-stop, earlier today. This is the first time an EMU has operated in Wales in preservation or otherwise, and is also the first time ‘through control’ (that is, an unmanned locomotive controlled from the driving cab of an unpowered train) has been used in preservation in Wales – it’s not too common in England either.  The propelling loco was electro-diesel 73 128.  The train started from the yard at 1804 and passed Furnace Sidings at 1811.  At 1815 another record was broken as the train reached Whistle Inn, which at 1304 ft above sea level at the rails, gave 1198 a clear lead in the altitude stakes.  Reference to ‘EMU flies to new heights’ by the webmaster was resisted on personal safety grounds!  It seems very possible that the combination could become a regular performer on the PBR.

The full video clip can seen on YouTube by clicking HERE

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1-,   2-,   3-CEP  (added 7 May 2008)
As reported below the PBR has further reinforced its green credentials by hosting the arrival of not one, not two, but three EMU vehicles, in the form of a 3-Cep from the BR Southern Region, painted in something approaching their ‘as built’ green.  Now safely in Wales following the sudden closure of the Dartmoor Railway by Ealing Community Transport, the exercise started on 1 May with the arrival of 61737  as reported blow.  On 6 May the centre car of the set, 70753, was delivered on 6 May, followed by the other motor car 61736 today.  Although formally only at Blaenavon for ‘secure storage’ talks are under way to see if there is a chance for it to run with the railway’s current long-term resident electro-diesel 73 128, using ‘through control’.  Preserved EMU operation (especially with through control) is rare in the UK.  It promises to be a unique attraction in Wales.  For more details on this unusual arrival , click on ‘Rolling stock’ and select ‘EMUPs’ – or simply press HERE.

 

 

With its nearside in shadow, and with its far side basking in the sun, relaxing after its journey, the last car sits tight-coupled to the remainder of unit 1198.  Temporarily berthed  in Furnace Sidings yard, no.4 road, and looking, at first sight, a little incongruous against the mountains, it’s amazing how quickly it ‘settles in’.

 



THE EMU HAS LANDED (added 1 May 2008)
Without question, the arrival of the latest vehicle, a vehicle from an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU), was an historic moment, being the first time an EMU vehicle has set foot in Wales for preservation.  Its arrival stems from an agreement recently reached with the Electric Multiple Unit Preservation Society (EMUPS) to store and maintain their Class 3-Cep (TOPS code 411) No.1198 at Furnace Sidings.  The first arrival of the train of three (the other two are expected on Wednesday 7 May), was No.61737.  The agreement has been made possible from PBRs plan to develop its currently unused Down Exchange Sidings for stock storage.  The undergrowth in the sidings has been cleared in recent months, and a contract to enclose the sidings with a secure fence was let today with a week or two’s work starting on Monday 12 May.  Further work is needed to dig out old tree roots.  With the new fence in place, existing fence can be removed and a larger secure site will result.  In the interim the 3-car set will be housed within the existing secure site.  Although the unit cannot run on 3rd rail (there are no electrified heritage railways in the UK), it can be hauled by suitably equipped diesel locomotives, and it is expected to make an appearance at the Diesel Gala in late July.  Although it is expected to run only rarely for the first year or two, the possibility of more extensive operation once Blaenavon (High Level) is reached is being considered.  EMUPS  have provided a new page on this website telling the story of EMUPS and 1198, which can be reached via the ‘rolling stock’ page.

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Bearing the legendary headcode ‘4’, EMU car 61737 from 3-Cep 1198 touched down on Welsh soil without problems at 0950 on 1 May at Furnace Sidings, in bright sunshine and showers. Headcode 4, seen peeping round the corner of the gangway  was once used exclusively for the famous ‘Brighton Belle’, despite the fact that the Ceps were rarely seen on the Brighton line. Could headcode 4 live again as the ‘Blaenavon Belle’?

 

A view of part of the inside of 1737.  The units were refurbished at Swindon in the late seventies/early eighties, and have given the units an airy modern appearance that qualifies as ‘heritage’ by only a whisker.  Notwithstanding, we think passengers will enjoy their airy ambience and the uninterrupted views these units will provide.