BR Blue 37147 at Blaengarw on September 10, 1985.

This particular evening stands out for so many reasons. This was day two of a three-day trip to the Valleys to record Class 37s on unfitted coal workings. The day had been cloudless – ideal photographic conditions – but there was a total lack of trains. In those pre-internet days, the only way of finding out what was going on was to ask in the nearest signalbox.

It was getting late in the day when we finally stumbled into Tondu ‘box and the signalman told us he had a train in the Garw valley. Driving up to the head of the valley, we were met with the sight of 37147 in front of the colliery village in glorious evening light, with Mynydd Llangeinwyr as a backdrop. Not only that, we were then treated to a display of what could only be described as railway acrobatics – the only time I have ever encountered both fly shunting and gravity working on BR.

The Class 37 fly-shunted the guard, clinging firmly onto his brake van veranda up the last few yards of the branch towards the colliery sidings. The locomotive then collected half its loaded rake of traditional four-wheel unfitted coal wagons and dropped down to where this picture was taken.

The second set of wagons – seen in the distance – is actually on the move, rolling downhill by gravity and checked by the previously fly-shunted guards van. 37147’s driver has his brakes full on and looks back as the second half of his load arrives under its own power. Was fly shunting still permitted in the 1980s? Not sure, but no harm in telling the tale nearly 40 years later!

Everything in this scene is long gone, with part of the railway in this view now beneath the waters of a landscaped lake.

(Taken using an Olympus OM2)