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[Lizzie_Zoom]

Yeah......a few years ago, a casting foundry made a load of copies in aluminium of the "Flying Scotsman" nameplates that were curved and went over the wheel profile. They were made just for fun, but amazingly, after a year, they were turning up on Ebay as "Genuine Flying Scotsman" name plates at stupid money!!!

It wasn't until 3 of them were on the site at the same time somebody twigged............obviously there were ever only TWO ever made..............

Oh yes!  There are plenty of (very good) fakes going around

[Andy H]

Aye - it's got to be the oldest 'working museum' around!
 
A driver colleague is heavily involved there, and has asked me to coach-paint his Class 14 'Teddy Bear' loco.
 
Time will tell - literally, even though he's a most persuasive character.
When I joined the railway and passed-out as a rookie guard, Austin was my first-ever driver. We booked-on at 0355 on that first turn and got on really well, so I guess I'll always be grateful for his introduction to the industry.
 
ATW was some way off then, we operated as 'Valley Lines' - happy days indeed!
 

Me must have pictures please Byron once complete!

Why is it though that the Welsh lines motive power i.e. DMU's have not been updated to the latest classes?  Is the future of the lines in doubt and therefore not getting the investment seen on other lines? :-/ :-/

Me take the photos Lizzie?
 
I'll have a word with Austin, and see if we can arrange for you to come down and do the honours!
Perhaps an OOF meet could be arranged there too - now there's food for thought eh!
 
Regarding the present DMU motive power on the Welsh lines:
The longer-distance services such as West Wales-Holyhead/Manchester are generally worked by Class 158s and Class 175 'Corradias' and these are to be refurbished soon.
The 'Valleys Fleet' of Class 142/143 Pacers and the brilliant maid-of-all-work Class 150 Sprinters were similarly treated a few years back.
The single-car Class 153 Sprinters, which generally work in West Wales and along the Heart of Wales route are presently undergoing refurbishment at Canton.

There's presently no 'new build' replacements planned I'm afraid.
That said, the Class 150s, at over twenty years old, are perfectly fit in wind and limb - and they have total route availability too.
Given the punishing Valleys schedules, they are extremely reliable and very popular with crews and passengers alike!
 
Investment has been substantial though, including a new depot at Machynlleth, as well as a massive programme to lengthen platforms on the Valley Lines to accommodate six-car train formations.
Punctuality = 98.1% with 99.7% reliability - and we've never been busier!

Click:  http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/AboutUs/
 

You may think that the 150 & 153 units have been sent away to be refurbished but they seem to have been sent down to Cornwall to see out their days. Rumour has it that there is a fleet of new trains that were destined for the South West but I haven't seen them.

[Seth]

We presently have a full allocation of 150s and 153s Andy.

The ATW fleet of 150s were refurbished a few years back.
The 153s are currently undergoing a refurb programme at Canton.
 

[Marks DTM Calib]

You will like this then Lizzie:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dZIFKVEFlI&feature=related[/media]

[Lizzie_Zoom]

You will like this then Lizzie:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dZIFKVEFlI&feature=related[/media]

Oh what a historically fantastic piece of film Mark! 8-) 8-) 8-)

The 1960s style of loose goods trains took me back to seeing such sights with my dad when I was a little girl; how quickly it all went, and especially the latter 'hump' yards that were obsolete as soon as they were built!

Still container freight had to be the way to go for the railways, shipping, and road transport; a new age indeed!!

It is so good to see that the old Tinsley yard in the film has been redeveloped as part of the new freight and general railway era 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

[Marks DTM Calib]

They still hump shunt in most of europe....including germany

[Lizzie_Zoom]

They still hump shunt in most of europe....including germany

Really!  I wonder why Mark they have kept it with container traffic when BR, as was, gave up on that method (as far as I am aware!!) :-/ :-/

[Marks DTM Calib]

They carry more varied goods via rail than us.....hump shunting is very efficient at ordering trains for despatch....bring a load of containers from a port to a yard, hump shunt to final destination and away you go.

They do it with most freight types.

heres Nurnburg yard:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxH94ivveDo[/media]

[Lizzie_Zoom]

They carry more varied goods via rail than us.....hump shunting is very efficient at ordering trains for despatch....bring a load of containers from a port to a yard, hump shunt to final destination and away you go.

They do it with most freight types.

heres Nurnburg yard:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxH94ivveDo[/media]

Thanks Mark