File:66168 Margam to Dollands Moor 6O32 (17039308780).jpg

66168 WBAT MARGAM TC 796O32CG21 4 * DOLLANDSM N 3D A

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/124228356@N06/">Treinfoto Belgie</a> has said that the trains to Belgium work to the port of Rotterdam Botlek. I've not had time to chase this up yet.

DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd's class 66 (JT42CWR) number 66168 in maroon with zigzag gold band rebranded into DB livery at minimal cost by removing the large letter EWS from the side of the locomotive and applying a DB sticker to the cabside working 6O32 hauling loaded (GE Rail Services?) IHA bogie covered steel coil carrier wagons on 21 April 2015 transporting steel from Tata Steel Limited's Port Talbot steelworks to Dollands Moor ultimately destined for Broekman Group in Rotterdam or Myriad in Maubeuge France via Calais Fréthun (for a map of the route taken <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/99279135@N05/14092887923/">click here</a>). For just over half the year 6O32 is timetabled to reach here in the twilight or dark so cant be photographed easily. From Dollands Moor the wagons continue through the Channel Tunnel to Calais Fréthun hauled by a class 92. From Calais-Fréthun they are thought to continue to Broekman Group in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays or to Myriad in Maubeuge France on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Nicolas B photographed class 66 number 052 passing <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/14454791461/">Staple</a> (department 59 France) heading to Maubeuge on 19 June 2014 (including two wagons <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/14271918247/in/photostream/">numbers 37 84 4667 127 and 37 84 4667 184-4</a>), Laurent Knop photographed a similar set of wagons at Landas (department 59 France) hauled by two locomotives including class 77 number 008 (previously HLD 5709) also working from (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/x4644/13983513315/in/faves-99279135@N05/">Calais Fréthun to Maubeuge</a>) on 17 April 2014 and another similar set of wagons was photographed by Tarek Marouane at La Chapell D'Armentieres France returning to the UK from Maubeuge being hauled by class 66 number 062 on 5 April 2014 (photo and account now removed from Flickr). The service from Calais Fréthun to Rotterdam was photographed by Laurent Knop at (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/x4644/13376721024/in/photolist-mo4c87-6TKfHN-mRuxU6-efEd4W-eUPAWR-niFaka-f7Ebnf-cXCV2s-e6hGdj-e6c3Ng-e6c3Mn-e6c3NM-7p7y2n-5RJ8oH-eemxF6-5SUyMK-9wfo6t-9wfp7r-efEnRb-eHWMoe-db1s5G-k432Uv-daUQHj-8RqgW5-6TFecK-fBc53p-nnfY9h-njNTt9-d9g7W5-npPZMM-no4p3H-8a19qx-dpmTB4-5H3TjQ-nrjkBX-njNZUf-nmz2yt-nmRva2-nr5dxn-npiuzR-e5UdcY-nfvdEL-ahJaQZ-9wfmvn-ciQA9A-fKAcPm-8RnaDD-8RnaHr-8RqgY3-8RnaBM">Merris</a>) (department 59 France) going via Mouscron Belgium. 66168 (works number 968702-168) was built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division, London, Ontario, Canada in 1999 and unloaded from the Heavy Lift Ship MV "Jumbo Challenger" at Newport Docks on 19 November 1999.

The steel flow from South Wales to Maubeuge (France) and to Broekman (Holland) stopped running through the Channel tunnel at the end of November 2015. The flow to Maubeuge was cancelled as the cold mill which produced this material was mothballed as part of the Tata Steel strip downsizing programme. Instead Maubeuge is supplied from Tata Steels Limuiden plant (Holland). 2 grades of steel were also supplied by Tata Steel to Broekman Group to make oil drums. With one grade being sourced from elsewhere the remaining 700 tonnes per week of the second grade was not sufficient to run a block train.

According to Realtime Trains the route and timings were; Margam Terminal Complex...1000...........1008..................8L Margam Moors Junction........1005...........1021.................16L Stormy.........................................1014.............1032................18L Bridgend [BGN] 2.....................1020...........1036 1/2..........16L Pontyclun [PYC]........................1033............1047.................14L Cardiff Central [CDF] M...........1057............1103 1/2.............6L Marshfield..................................1108.............1114....................6L Ebbw Junction..........................1113..............1118....................5L Newport [NWP] URL................1116..............1121....................5L Maindee West Junction..........1118..............1122...................4L Llanwern West Junction.........1122.............1126...................4L Llanwern Exchange Sdgs......1137/1237...1142/1202......35E Llanwern Steelworks East......1247............1243..................4E Severn Tunnel Junction 4......1300............1259...................1E Severn Tunnel West................1301.............1303..................2L Severn Tunnel East..................1307............1307..................RT Pilning [PIL] 1..............................1310.............1310..................RT Patchway [PWY] 1.....................1319 1/2.......1317 1/2............2E Bristol Parkway [BPW] 3.........1322............1319 1/2............2E Westerleigh Junction..............1328 1/2.....1327....................1E Hullavington UGL.....................1400/1416..NoRep/1418.....2L Wootton Bassett Junction......1437............1439..................2L Swindon [SWI] 3........................1445............1450 1/2............5L Uffington (Oxfordshire) U........1529............1527 1/2.............1E Challow.......................................1532............1531....................1E Wantage Road..........................1537/1557..1558/1559........2L Didcot Parkway [DID] 4...........1609/1614..1610/1614.........RT Didcot East Junction...............1616.............1615....................1E Reading West Junction..........1634............1634.................RT Reading [RDG] 15.....................1635............1636 1/2.............1L Kennet Bridge Junction..........1636 1/2.....1637..................RT Twyford [TWY] 4.......................1643 1/2......1642 1/2.............1E Maidenhead [MAI] 4................1651 1/2......1649 1/2...........2E Slough [SLO] 5..........................1659............1657.................2E Heathrow Airport Junction....1713.............1713...................RT Southall [STL] L.........................1718.............1717.....................1E Ealing Broadway [EAL]............1742............1742 1/2...........RT Acton West................................1744............1744..................RT Acton Wells Junction..............1757............1753...................4E Mitre Bridge Junction..............1811..............1810....................1E North Pole Junction.................1812 1/2......1811 1/2...............1E Kensington Olympia 3............1816.............1815....................1E Latchmere Junction.................1823 1/2.....1821..................2E Voltaire Road Junction...........1832 1/2.....1833..................RT Brixton [BRX].............................1835............1837 1/2............2L Herne Hill [HNH] 3...................1836 1/2.....1839..................2L Beckenham Junction 3...........1845............1848..................3L Shortlands Junction.................1847 1/2......1849...................1L Bromley South [BMS]..............1850............1851....................1L Bickley Junction[XLY].............1853............1855..................2L Petts Wood Junction...............1914.............1911....................3E Orpington [ORP] 3....................1916 1/2......1915....................1E Sevenoaks [SEV] 3...................1929............1928...................1E Tonbridge [TON] D..................1937............1936...................1E Paddock Wood D.....................1943............1942...................1E Headcorn [HCN] DM...............1954............1956..................2L Ashford International 6...........2009..........2009................RT