Short lived reprieve…
The Coal Industry act of 1987 created British Coal as a successor to the National Coal Board, seeing out the end of the nationalised industry before privatisation just ten years later, Thatcher had won…
At Pont-y-dulais in South West Wales, little changed at first, steam had been gone for a few years, seeing a series of industrial diesel replacements and hired in BR shunters, with coal traffic between the colliery and washers following the same pattern as it always had. The summer of 1988 sees the ex BR Class 07 on duty at the weigh bridge, the era book marked clearly by the re-labelled works van…
Of course, Pont-y-dulais, my little slice of industrial South Wales exists in my workshop and during wet days during the school holidays, like today, provides a welcome short distraction from the myriad of family and child related demands! Normal service will be resumed next week. More soon…
It must be a kind of cautious excitement the railfan feels trackside in a moment like this. Change is good in a place that's important to us because it could be an early indicator that someone else sees something good in a place we hold so close to our hearts. Of course, that same powerful emotional moment is also where we defend that same thing hoping that those who bring the change are investing in a future similar to the ones we dream of. Nothing is always but sometimes it's nice to postpone things just a little longer. How long were the 07's working here? Most of the photos I've seen published from Pont-y-Dulais focus on the steam era and that becomes how I see this place. Sometimes I wonder if the end of steam caused a few fans to turn their cameras away as one last effort to protect what felt familiar, right. It all makes me wonder if there are other photos of diesels at PyD and what happens in this post-steam era.
ReplyDeleteChris
Through the ages, Pont-y-Dulais lasted until the 21st century, just, before the PiChem plant was finally mothballed. In it’s earlier history, the coal mine and washery lasted beyond the end of steam, but diesels served far less time than their fire breathing brethren. It provides a lot of joy, this 1m long creation.
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