When a train ends its life on revenue earning service, its owners have a choice to send it off for preservation or to send it for scrap. Railtrack's Class 37 RLT001 (37216) was sent to the depots where the trains were waiting, the shunter hauled them into Pengam Sidings C, between Newport and Cardiff Central, until they could be finally sent off to Part Mart Recycling, as there was a 2 - 3 week waiting period until vehicles could be scrapped. The look on the passengers as they pass the sidings of rusty rotten trains, was another thing. One of the passengers onboard First Great Western 150926, saw the trains at Pengam Sdgs, he wrote a complaint to Railtrack, saying "Something should be done about these, do you think this is giving South Wales a good name, seeing trains rotting & rusting in sidings?". When the Railway Inspector Nick Butler came over to do an inspection of the lines, he saw what RailTrack had done, and he wasn't happy, he gave RailTrack a warning to clear the trains up, or there'll be consequences.
By the end of the year, Railtrack had nowhere other than the sidings to dump the disused workhorses, when the Inspector came over he closed the curtains on Railtrack, hiring a new manager (Andrew Haines) who rebranded Railtrack to Network Rail, this was introduced with a new look. And straight away, Andrew took one look at the former ATW Class 121 and thought "Those will come in handy as a track inspection unit", he had them taken to to Alfie's Garage (Network Rail) to have them repainted and fitted with the newest up-to-date track recording unit, the first units to be let out of the works were former AT & Connex Class 121s, re-classified as British Rail Class 960s (960001-960011), fitted with special track recording cameras on the front of the unit.
As for the others who sadly didn't make it into preservation or repurposed, sadly ended their lives there and then, as Mr Haines had created a sub company called Sims, later rebranded as Newport Docks SimsGroup, they took the job of sadly scrapping the trains, many companies sent their old trains their for scrap like East Coast, Arriva Northern Rail, MerseyRail & Great Northern. T'was a big hit, every siding was soon cleared, and they had the job of scrapping Northern's Class 142 & 143s, then took the job to do Transport for London's Class 314 & 315 units. Will everything go smoothly for Newport SimsGroup? Let me know what you all think.
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The Wales & Borders Railway
Short StoryBased on Thomas & Friends, but is in wales with different characters, engines and vehicles still talk, but don't have faces
