Marcus' Model Railway Journey

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Nancy, Jonathan and Henry​

1st

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Tuesday 13 Jan 2026

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Passengers urged to check before travelling as vital track and viaduct refurbishment works take place in Swansea area​

Region & Route: Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

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Landore Viaduct Swansea


Buses will replace trains between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea for 11 days from the end of January as Network Rail carries out essential upgrades to the railway.

From Monday 26 January to Friday 6 February, and again all day on Sunday 8 February, engineers will be working around the clock to renew the railway near Landore Viaduct, close to Swansea Football Stadium.

To allow the work to be carried out safely, the railway will be closed between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea during these periods.

The work includes the renewal of rails, sleepers, switches and crossings, and points, as well as the refurbishment of Landore Viaduct, which supports the railway as it crosses the River Tawe.

These upgrades are vital to keeping the railway safe, reliable and resilient for passengers and freight services.

During the closures, Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway services into West Wales will be affected, with buses replacing trains between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea, for the duration of the works.

Key alterations
  • Rail replacement buses will run between Port Talbot - Swansea - Llanelli for the duration of the works. Arrangements will vary depending on the date of travel, particularly for customers using Gowerton.
  • Great Western Railway services to and from London will start and terminate at Port Talbot, with amended timetables in place.
  • Heart of Wales Line services will operate to and from Carmarthen, with additional changes on 27 January.
  • Services between Llanelli - Carmarthen - Milford Haven / Pembroke Dock / Fishguard Harbour will run to amended timetables.
  • Swansea Station will remain open, with access to ticketing facilities, toilets and refreshments.
Additional weekend changes
  • Saturday 31 January - Sunday 1 February: Rail replacement buses will operate between Cardiff Central – Bridgend - Swansea. Maesteg - Cardiff services will call at all local stations between Cardiff and Bridgend.
  • Sunday 8 February: Rail replacement buses will operate between Cardiff – Bridgend - Port Talbot.
Passengers are urged to check their journey details before travelling, as journey times may be longer and connections may differ from normal.

Up to date information will be available via the TfW website, the TfW app, journey planners, station notices or at nationalrail.co.uk.

Nick Millington, Route Director at Network Rail Wales and Borders said, “We’re carrying out vital track renewal work and refurbishing Landore Viaduct near Swansea to improve the reliability of the railway for passenger and freight services.

“To complete this work safely, we need to close the railway between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea from Monday 26 January to Friday 6 February, and again all day on Sunday 8 February, with buses replacing trains during this time. This work has been planned well in advance, and we’ve been working closely with train operators to ensure alternative travel arrangements are in place for passengers.

“We’re sorry for the disruption this will cause and would like to thank passengers for their patience while we complete these essential improvements.”

Colin Lea, Transport for Wales Planning and Performance Director said, “These essential works by Network Rail are an important investment in making the railway more reliable for years to come.

“We know that any disruption can be frustrating, and we’re really grateful to our customers for bearing with us while this vital work is carried out.”
 
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13th January, 2026

Update on Ffestiniog Railway steam locomotive Mountaineer​

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The Ffestiniog Railway has issued a report on the latest work to overhaul Mountaineer, which is a 2-6-2T locomotive built by ALCo in the USA.

A break in the weather allowed the frames to be steam-cleaned, and they are now ready for shot blasting.

The horn cheeks and adjusters have been removed and stored alongside the wheels, which were cleaned last month.

Also, the bearing surfaces have been protected.
 
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Steam cleaning Mountaineer’s frames.


Cleaning of the tube plate holes in the boiler has been completed, and the superheater flues are due to be fitted later this month, to be followed soon after by the small tubes.

To ensure the boiler is ready for hydraulic tests when the time comes, suitable blanking plates have been obtained and machined ready to fit.

To improve access inside the boiler, the smokebox door ring and blast pipe have been removed.

Work has started on designing a superheater header.


The tube plates have been measured, and as the lengths of the tubes vary, the first tube has been cut as a test.

New outer bearings have been fitted to the brake shaft, and the ends have been turned to suit, with only a sleeve to be fitted to the handbrake drive before that part of the overhaul is complete.

The cylinder covers are being fettled to fit, and materials for the water tank and the frame stiffening plates have been ordered.

Work has started on the drag boxes, boiler barrel expansion plates, and new side windows for the cab.
 
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Cleaning Mountaineer’s tube plate holes


Finally, although not strictly part of the overhaul project, new parts have been made to make Mountaineer‘s rerailing jacks functional again.

A talk on the project to overhaul Mountaineer will be given at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 13th January at the Mountain Rangers Football Club in Rhosgadfan, Gwynedd.


Last April, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways were named the ‘Best Attraction in Wales’, and won another award in December for the redevelopment of Boston Lodge works.
 
13th January, 2026

Work starts on refurbishment of rare Irish railway carriage​

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CIÉ 'laminate' carriage No. 1918


The Downpatrick & County Down Railway has started the restoration of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) ‘laminate’ carriage No. 1918.

This is one of the first carriages the railway acquired, arriving at Downpatrick in the late 1980s.

It is now looking weather-worn and has not carried passengers for some time.

The carriage, in maroon livery, has been sitting unused next to the station platform for some considerable time, but is now being prepared for a complete refurbishment.
 
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Stripping out the interior of carriage No. 1918


The major task is to completely replace the roof, which has caused its weather-worn appearance, and, in preparation, the interior is being stripped back to the frame.

This has entailed removing fixtures such as lamps, tables, and seats, as well as a wooden bar structure installed many years ago for use as a temporary buffet that is no longer needed.

The space created from the removal of the wooden bar will be converted into a wheelchair-accessible area, facilitated by a double door to this part of the carriage.


Built in 1957 at CIE’s works at Inchicore in Dublin from laminated wood, it is one of only a few carriages built of laminated wood to survive.

The carriage is one of the last designs to be completely constructed from scratch at Inchicore, as later carriages were assembled from kits of parts.
 
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Stripping out the window frames


Work on the carriage has taken over from the restoration of 80 Class power car No. 69, since January’s ambient temperatures are unsuitable for paints and fillers, which cannot be used at temperatures below 5°.

Until space becomes available in the workshop, probably after the 80 class is moved out, volunteers will be working on preparatory work for the overhaul of carriage No. 1918 by dismantling its interior.

The Downpatrick & County Down Railway also has restored Edwardian carriages originally used by the Belfast & County Down Railway.
 
Large-logo Hoover 50 033 "Glorious" at Highley SVR, 29/12/25

The main nickname for the British Rail Class 50 diesel locomotives is "Hoovers," given by railway enthusiasts due to the distinctive, loud sound their engine cooling fans made, similar to a vacuum cleaner, before the fans were modified during refurbishment.

The locomotives had powerful centrifugal air filters, and the noise from these fans was compared to a Hoover vacuum cleaner.

Even after the noisy filters were removed during refurbishments in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the "Hoover" nickname stuck.

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