Cab ride: Cardiff Tidal Sidings to Derby Chaddesden Sidings.
This is a cab ride from Cardiff to Derby via Newport, Gloucester, Lickey and Tamworth filmed on a fine early spring day in March 2015.
Starting from the sidings opposite Cardiff Central station we run light engine to Tidal Sidings and couple to the wagons. The train itself is a rake of 17 JNA bogie boxes that had arrived here with loaded scrap from Stockton a few days earlier and this was the return journey as far as Derby. This was one of many scrap trains operated by DC Rail during 2015 using Class 56 locomotives.
From Cardiff, running along the South Wales mainline, the train passes Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, along the banks of the River Severn to Lydney, then Gloucester, Cheltenham, up the Lickey Incline and onto Kings Norton, Water Orton, Tamworth and Derby. 56312 provides the power.
The journey was quite eventful as on the approach to Gloucester the loco needed attention to a minor fault. To make the job easier, it was detached from the train on the centre road at Gloucester, running into the adjacent sidings for repair!
Filmed with the full assistance of DC Rail, the entire journey is shown. A special ‘thrash cam’ in the back cab records the locomotive in full effect including the slog up the 1 in 37.75 Lickey Incline. Part narration, on-screen captions and maps.
Produced by - Train Crazy
Running time - 240 minutes
Format - 16:9 widescreen
DVD (2 discs) and Blu-Ray (1 disc)
Released - August 2015