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Let’s start at Fairwater. It’s a wet day here in south #Wales. Newly electrified, I wonder what my first train will be… 2/n

It’s a single car Class 153! Let’s see if I can buy a ticket… 3/n

Oh yes! Struck gold! The conductor was being trained, and the supervisor had never sold one of these before, but I have an Explore the Capital, sorry, EXPLORE THE CAPITAL day ticket. #WinningAtTrains 4/n

I need a wee (no toilets on a Class 153, so I hop off at Cardiff Central. I could have hopped straight back on again, but where’s the fun in that? Next train is to Barry Island (my tickets valid as far as Eastbrook), but I do that route often, so…5/n

Transport for Wales have a fleet of new trains, but I haven’t been on one yet - they’re not running out to #LlantwitMajor yet. Let’s see if my luck is in. My constant companion today is, of course, #RealTimeTrains which usually lists the rolling stock. Not this time tho. 6/n

Winner! It’s a class 231. Let’s go! #UKRail #geek 7/n

It has that new train smell! First impressions - smart, light, info screens, step that slides out to close the platform gap. I didn’t take a photo of the screens, but the #Cymraeg version is missing a space between the “…next station is…” and the name. Also, not using the treigladau (mutations) “…i Penarth”. Anyway, there’s a clue where I’m off to next. #Penarth 8/n

What #rail hashtags should/could I use? 9/n

This is my kind of day. It’s pissing with rain and there’s nobody else around. 10/n

Here’s a quick #ActiveTravel digression. This image shows a missing link between Cardiff and its hinterland in the Vale of Glamorgan. The Penarth headland is a very steep haul up from Cardiff, or a ~200m jaunt along the beach. There’s no formal route, although a headland link is been proposed and scrapped.11/n

Refreshments 12/n

Back on the 231 (008). I’ll ride this bad boy as far as my ticket lets me. 13/n

Geek fact. On these 231’s, the power sockets are awkward to reach between the seats. Intriguingly, the usb sockets are portrait on one side, landscape on the other. Keeps you guessing! (Geoff Marshall could never compete with this kind of high quality train- fact content.) 14/n

By popular request, here’s Canton depot. Bad luck for you that the camera focussed on the raindrops, not the trains 15/n

Here’s one boundary of my ticket validity at Llanishen. It’s still raining. 16/n

Fairly immediately back again on 231011 (for the second time today) to Heath High Level, then a walk across the Heath Low Level. I may come back here later, but for now, I’m on a mission 17/n

Now onto 153910 up to #Coryton. Why do modern trains no longer have yellow fronts? 18/n

Here’s the end of the line at #Coryton.
There’s a little reminder in the sign (see photo) of the times before all this, when our European ️ was still shining. One day it’ll shine again.
Anyway, it’s still raining, and you know me, let’s keep exploring. 19/n

If you look at a map, you’ll see that the line from Cortyon once continued. I’ve been here before, several times, and know the connection down to Llandaf. Let’s see if there’s any industrial heritage on the way… 20/n

#IndustrialHeritage alert! It’s the Melingriffith water pump, which once supplied water to the now redundant Merthyr-Cardiff canal 21/n

@rhysw Dim ond dysgwr ‘dw i, ond dyma'r worst bit of Cymraeg rydw i wedi'i weld ar #TrafnidiaethCymru. Fel arfer, dwi’n defnyddio announcements to practice.

@womump Wyt ti wedi bod i "Troideroo"?

@rhysw Rwy'n mynd yn nerfus beyond “abber sigh non”

@womump mae'n ychwanegu cyffro ato y daith