THE LAST YEARS OF SOUTH WALES PASSENGER SERVICES p1

THE LAST YEARS OF SOUTH WALES
PASSENGER SERVICES . . .page 1
A Personal Account by B.Thomas

(These pages will be added to from time to time, building up the picture of how the class 33's operated on the Solent - S.Wales services in the closing years.)

Diagrams for Cromptons began in earnest from the Summer 1980 timetable, replacing mainly 31's from the duty. Class 25's, 50's, 45's, 46's and 37's would also throw in their hat from time to time, making for quite a watchable service on occasions. Although the Bristol - Solent operation would see their use for just a little longer, the relationship with the Welsh Capital was to last a healthy 8 years, finally coming to an end in May 1988 upon introduction of Class 155 Sprinters. Many a Crompton outlasting some of those when they were converted to single coach units (remember the 'un-coupling in service' problems and the too-small cab on the bubble car variety?).

The final, timetabled Crompton working into Cardiff occurred late on the 15th May 1988 when 33028 brought in the 20.15 Portsmouth - Cardiff on that Sunday night.

33008 'EASTLEIGH' DEPARTS SEVERN TUNNEL JCN.WITH 10.10 PORTS.-CARDIFF, 19/6/86

19/6/86 - 33008 'Eastleigh' on the 10.10 Portsmouth - Cardiff departs from Severn Tunnel Jcn. leaving those train crew who rode the cushions to go off duty. 008 had only been released back into traffic on the 10th after a major overhaul, hence the very good external appearance, before white body stripe.

Setting the Scene
As far as railways go, my Fox-Talbot derivative was pretty well dormant from 1980, until 1985 when the GWR150 rekindled railway interest taking in numerous Open Days and Woodham's yard, Barry, before the last couple of dozen rusting kettles left for pastures less briney. The events of 1985 left oneself on a high (I'm glad I wasn't a miner or I doubt if I would have taken much interest, more pressing matters on that front), however, there came the announcement in February 1986 of the proposed closure of Severn Tunnel Jcn. yards. You know when a chick is born and the first thing it sees it adopts as its mother, well, during my formative years (1970's) I lived a short distance from the Western portal of the Severn Tunnel and therefore by default, within site and sound of a busy marshalling yard ...16.....NUMBER 16...., the tannoy called to the brakesmen on Down Hump. On a clear, frosty, Winter's night the sounds carried for miles - buffer on buffer, slipped couplings, and the comings and goings of freight trains to all points of the compass. Anyhow, if I said it was a damn shame the place was to close and I felt a few visits were in order to capture for posterity, the workings, and the life and soul of more than a few acres of railway heaven in the pastural South East corner of Wales, it would be an understatement. On reflection, it is only by sheer luck that the scene is also set for the Crompton re-awakening.

19/6/86 - 33008 'Eastleigh' viewed on the other side of the bridge as it accelerates away towards Newport. 37217 (left) and 37293 are passed.

Like a 3rd or 4th generation citizen of the good old U.S.of A. having satisfied his desire to find his routes and discover how English his Great, Great grandfather really was, I can trace my 'new', revitalised association and accord with the Cromptons to the exposure that I had to the regular Solent services back in the mid-eighties whilst about the primary business of observing the run down and closure of my dearly beloved STJ. Recorded in the three main media (video, audio + SLR) the closure took a very long 20 months, eventually circuming over the weekend of 10/11 October 1987. In the words of that world renowned entertainer and Rugby guru, Max Boyce, 'I WAS THERE!'. During this non-too considerable time, Agfa and Fuji shares took an upturn as hundreds of transparencies were exposed, a number of which took a literal snap-shot of Crompton activity passing by on the Mainline between Cardiff and Bristol. Not a bad secondary concern. If STJ had not gone the way of countless other yards, branchlines, sidings and freight terminals the length and breadth of dear old blighty, I can safely say I would have had little reason to be there and the rest is history.

Beyond the closure, whilst wide, open tracks of rail and sleeper lay empty and rusting until the scrap merchants moved in and ripped out nearly one hundred years of activety, Cromptons still pressed on regardless but these too had the gathering clouds of doom on the horizon. Just 7 months later, the 8 year association would come to a climax but not before the 20 months of honed railway photographic skills had been flexed yet again. The Cromptons assumed the primary role and the chase began in earnest.

6/1/87 - 33017 stands in Severn Tunnel Jcn station with the 10.10 Porstmouth - Cardiff, the service having taken around 3 hours to reach this point. This was typical weekday 'lunchtime' viewing if I had the van and no great urgency to see my mum. 56050 occupies a Down Hump loop on tanker empties, while DMU set B531 departs with the 12.54 Newport - Chepstow service.

I make no apology for the unrelenting referals to STJ. It's probably spiritual and the condition can only be modified with surgery. From the matrimonial home it was only ever a 25 minute drive away at most, and during the period in question, was a frequent lunching spot on weekdays when working in the area (on occasions in preference to going to mummsies, but please don't tell!).

If pressed I would have a difficult decision to make. Would I rather the accountants have retained STJ and therefore allow me to develop no more interest in Cromptons than anything else box-shaped and rattley or accept that the changing scene rendered such facilities redundant, expensive and a drain on resources used best elsewhere? I wish I could have both.