The Pembroke Coast Express

This is a rare opportunity to travel by steam train over the scenic branch line from Whitland through Tenby to Pembroke Dock. The “Pembroke Coast Express” recalls the 1950s days of named steam trains on the former Western Region of British Railways. The train ran from London Paddington through South Wales to the Pembroke Coast. We recreate this train hauled by Jubilee class locomotive No.45596 Bahamas.

The Pembroke Coast Express, hauled by Bahamas leaves Bristol Temple Meads soon after 08:00. It heads for West Wales and stops at Newport and Cardiff to pick up further passengers. We pass through Bridgend and stop at Port Talbot for the steam locomotive to take on water. At Briton Ferry, we take the Swansea District Line to Llangennech. From Llanelli we run by the sea wall for most of the way to Carmarthen.

Our train will be diesel-hauled when we leave Carmarthen for Whitland, where we join the scenic branch line to Pembroke Dock. We pass through Kilgetty and Saundersfoot before stopping at Tenby to set down passengers who may wish to spend time at this attractive seaside resort. There will be just over an hour to visit the walled town, which is famous for its sandy beaches and its nearby offshore monastic Caldey Island. Our train continues through Penally, with fine views over the Bristol Channel, to Pembroke Dock.

We leave Pembroke Dock hauled by our steam locomotive and return to Tenby to pick up passengers who left the train there. We continue to Whitland where we join the main line from Fishguard Harbour. We avoid the terminus station at Carmarthen by taking the south curve. We pass through Kidwelly and Llanelli before tackling the steep ascent of Cockett Bank, a 1 in 50 gradient. Our train avoids the terminus station at Swansea High Street and passes through Neath to join the main line at Briton Ferry. There should be some fast running en route to Cardiff, our first set down stop. We stop at Newport to set down further passengers before continuing through the Severn Tunnel and onwards to Bristol, our journey’s end.

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