Cab Ride: Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury - Chester via Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool and Wrexham.
After a gap of almost 30-years, commercial freight returned to the Cambrian lines in 2022 in the shape of train conveying timber, running from Aberystwyth to Chirk. Only running occasionally, by the summer and autumn of 2023, it ran up to three times a week, usually empties down overnight, coming back loaded on either a late afternoon path or a daytime path the following day.
Operated by Colas, the flow initially employed 2 x 97s, but latterly has been a 97 on top - for the ERTMS signalling requirement - with a 37 tucked in behind.
This is a cab ride on board the Cambrian timber train, filmed on one of the daytime paths, in August 2023. 97302+37405 provide the power as far as Coleham depot, where the 97 is swapped for 56096 for the run through to Chester via Wrexham.
Although mid-summer this was a classic case of 'four-seasons-in-one-day' and the 97+37 combo struggled up the 10-mile Talerddig gradient, with sections as steep as 1 in 52.
The entire four-hour 123-mile journey is shown. Includes maps, on-screen captions and minimal narration. A thrash cam in the back cab records the locos at work and ambient sounds.
Produced by - Train Crazy
Duration - 246 minutes (2 discs)
Format - 16:9 widescreen
DVD and Blu-ray
Released - December 2023
