Sugar Loaf Mountaineer II: 7/09/19

No letter or email from Pathfinder yet (I'm sure one is on the way) but I've noticed Sugar Loaf Mountaineer II is now on their website:

https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/events/the-sugar-loaf-mountaineer-steam-hauled/

Saturday 7th September, same itinerary as the one originally planned. Diesel to Shrewsbury, 45231 from there to Carmarthen and back

 

Together with a heading picture of a nice green loco !

 

Sensible time of year, and no clashes with anything else I'm doing. Willing to give it a whirl. Pantyffynnon or bust...

*Spent eight years of my life living a couple of miles up the road from there, so it really would be nice to finally tick this route off.

 

With the original version there was concern about getting there and back in the time, and in the event (besides being diesel-hauled) the train only got as far as Bynea. The (presumably provisional) times for this September show it starting nearly three hours earlier.

 

Cheers Bleeder4 ive tried my luck again to book this pathfinder tour rerun. Hopefully 45231 will more than likely to be fit to run after having its minor overhaul and airbrakes fitted. and recommend to anyone who think they lost out on last years class 37 hauled last minute tour.
Davo56F

 

Timings now available for this:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54581/2019/09/07/advanced

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54594/2019/09/07/advanced

 

Actually doable from Newport by Service train - on a wing and a prayer though with TfW. We'll probably drive to Shrewsbury.

 

On the southbound run is there only one water stop at Llandovery as I can't see any other stops long enough for water

 

I'd say there's just time for a splash and dash at Knighton.

 

And with only an hour of the journey gone that would probably just about do as you'd probably need it topped for the climbing thereafter. No units to pass at Knighton either.

 

A first time on this tour and also with pathfinder tours im looking forward to next saturday, i pressume if 45231 is coming from crewe either at crewe heritage centre or shrewsbury s going to be the 1st watering point cos 45231 has to go light engine + support coach via Nantwich to shrewsbury and then a water stop at llandovery not sure about knighton if thats a op stop or water and 3 hours servicing time in carmarthen and a waterstop at llandeilo. On the return to shrewsbury And maybe a quick ride up gwili r,way or a quick look roud at bronwydd arms if theres time to get up that far.

 

Just make sure you watch your times. Whilst three hours is pretty reasonable for 'doing' Carmarthen, unless @JWKB can confirm otherwise, apart from a brief out and back by taxi, the 460 is probably your only bus service to Bronwydd. Also bear in mind it's a 5 to 10 minute uphill walk (did it myself back in the day as a prospective volunteer once - decided it would be better if I learned to drive!) back to the bus stop on your return from Bronwydd Arms station. However, if there is time, the extension is well worth doing.

 

Was the heart of wales L.N.W. line once double track as it always been a single track with passing loops?

 

Singling in the Beeching era, and a drink in the Arvon will be tight on the return journey.

 

Are right its like what happened to the esk valley line to whitby and the line near where i live from huddersfield to barnsley via penistone to save running costs cos freight on those rural lines wasent as common through the 1970,s and 1980,s and so only left with a hourly DMU service on such lines and so B.R. rationalised them to single line systems and a passing loop somewhere halfway down the single track section like from huddersfield its between stocksmoor and shepley and gets to barnsley exchange and back to double lines.

 

I'd always thought the line was single track with passing loops from Craven Arms through to a short section in South Wales. While I don't claim in depth knowledge of every mile of the line the major structures of Cynghordy and Knucklas viaducts and Sugar Loaf tunnel are definitely single track as can be seen quite clearly on the arial views on Google Maps. I did a quick look and couldn't see any evident double track structures until south of Llandeilo where the arial view shows a double track bridge across the Towy, only one side of which is in use and another south of Pantyffynnon across the Loughor.

* edit - the bridge south of Llandeilo is at the junction where the Central Wales headed to Carmarthen and the GW line south to Pantyfynnon.


This map extract seems to show the Central Wales single north of Pantyfynnon and double to the

https://maps.nls.uk/view/135193807south.


Well worth looking at old maps if you won't get depressed by how much the railway has contracted over the years.

 

Some sections were originally double track: Craven Arms to Knighton, Llanbister Road to Llandrindod Wells (apart from a single line section through Penybont tunnel), and south of Pantyfynnon as you say.

 

The only reason why the line survived at all in the Beeching era was because it passed through several marginal constituencies.

Unfortunately I can't make the trip next Saturday, it would have been good to travel over the line again as I've not done it since the last minute 37 on last year's tour. Has there been any word from Crewe yet about whether the Black 5 will be ready to go?