Hired Freightliner locomotive 90 146 prepares to propel the Virgin Trains 'Welsh Dragon', 17.30 London - Holyhead, at Euston station on 14 February. Unfortunately this loco failed on departure ... full story coming soon! Picture by John Murray

Compiled by Charlie Hulme.  Regular Contributors:  Dave Sallery , Alan & Rowan Crawshaw, Dave Skipsey, John Lewis, John Murray,  John Humphries, Tony Flusk,  John Dawson , Derick Norman, Tony Miles and Tim Rogers.  Items for inclusion are welcome at charlie@dweb.u-net.com.

LAST UPDATE:  14 February 2000

To the North Wales Coast main page : To the January 2000 Noticeboard

The afternoon Holyhead - Manchester and return working (Mon - Fri) remains with Class 37 haulage for another week, 37 401 Mary Queen of Scots took charge on 14 February. Try tuning in to the BBC Manchester Weather Camera at about 15.52 and you might even glimpse the eastbound train waiting in Platform 4 at Oxford Road! - 14 February

37 503 and 37 521 with the bogie ballast wagons from Penmaenmawr Quarry at Warrington Bank Quay, 9 February. A very good station to visit if you want to see freight trains. Picture by Dave Skipsey.

ChesterWatch - 14 February by Dave Skipsey

14:05 175 002 runs into platform 3 and waits at the Crewe end until 15:07 when it worked  a crew-training run to Altrincham.
14:15 175 005 runs half-way out of road 8 on the depot.
14:54 37 401 Mary Queen of Scots on the Manchester Piccadilly

15:07 175 002 departs and 47 703 appears on the depot ? - presumably parked inside or on the Birkenhead side ?
15:30 47 703 pulls 175 005 out of road 8 and propels it back into road 6
15:44 43 088/43 078 arrive on the 15:22 to London Euston (!) late due to "problems between Chester and Prestatyn"
16:00 6911/73 906/6910 arrive and depart (The Merseyrail Sandite train)
16:15 47 703 and 175 005 run from road 6 and then 47 703 propels 175 005 back into road 8 where the unit is uncoupled and 47 703 has a "not to be moved" sign affixed to the buffer beam.

16:25 47 768 hauls 56 109/56 064/56 043/56 036, they spend about 10 minutes waiting on the up/down main at the Holyhead end, then proceed towards the coast on a "Green with an M" - presumably to set back into the Wagon works. (Train 0P12 15.55 Crewe - Chester , a convoy of Class  56 locos for safe long-term storage at the now closed Wagon repair shops.)
16:38 66 191 hauls 2 timber wagons on a Warrington - Chirk trip: there are now morning and evening workings each weekday to the Kronospan works, which was just twice a week a couple of years ago.
16:40 37 426 heads the 16:43 - Bangor. - 14 February: special thanks to Tony Flusk.
 

Holyhead 13 February by Alan and Rowan Crawshaw

Rowan Crawshaw at  Holyhead on 13 February, about to load his bicycle into the 16:10 to London Euston, having cycled from Bangor. The rear power car shown here is 43 078 Golowan Festival Penzance. Only the front
power car was operating but there was no delay in getting to Bangor.

37 401 and 37 426 were stabled with their trains - one of these would  form half of the evening double header while the other must wait  until Monday morning. - 13 February

Deltic Haulage to Holyhead on April 1

David Russell of the Deltic Preservation Society writes: 'There will be a Deltic working a DPS tour to Holyhead on April 1st (no, this isn't an April Fool!) Briefly, the tour starts at Crewe, then picks up at Manchester Victoria, then via the Calder Valley to Wakefield (pu) & Sheffield (pu) before going via the Hope Valley & Altrincham to Chester (optional setdown) and Holyhead. It returns via Warrington to Man Vic, via Diggle to Wakefield, Sheffield
then via Stockport to Crewe. The train is all First Class, using the Regency set, limited to 252 seats. Full details and booking forms are on the DPS Website. - 13 February

On Saturday 12 February First North Western services were Class37 hauled as follows:
 
37 401 5K53/1K53/1D60/1K61/1D69/1K71/1D79/1D85/5D85
37 429 1G91/1D62/1G97/1D75/1G79
37 426 1G95/1D67
 
The other three locos in the Coast fleet were undergoing attention:

37 415 Crewe DMD N/435 (Main or Auxiliary Compressor)
37 421 Crewe DMD N/656 (Window Wipers & Washers)
37 408 Toton DMD N/600 (Body, Bogie & Underframe)
 
Leaving no spare 37/4s available for coast duties. 37 402 is now inside Crewe DMD being prepared for a return to service, rumours abound that it could return to the Coast but we'll have to see.

Latest coast engine hours:
37 401 3035
37 402 8078 - is it worth bringing this back?
37 408 2324
37 415 6781
37 421 4380
37 426 6088
37 429 6765
Other notable engines:
37 414 8884
37 409 8918
Next major exams will be B30s at 9000hours - will either survive? - 13 February

Freight report 7-11 February by Tony Flusk
 
Monday 7 February,and things stated looking up after last weeks wall to wall "shed" invasion with a pair of 37's
37 521 & 37 503 powering 6P25 11.38 Guide Bridge - Penmaenmawr.The return 6C10 19.14 Penmaemawr -
Carnforth being cancelled due to a number of defective wagons found in the consist, the locos returning light to
Warrington.
Tuesday 8 February and the same pair returned light again for the loaded train,running as 6Z10
14.45 Penmaenmawr - Carnforth.
Wednesday 9 February had 66 098 on the Mostyn Tanks, 6M62 02.53 Healy Mills - Mostyn and return 6M62 08.09 Mostyn - Saltend. (For Manchester area watchers, this train is routed through Altrincham , c. 09.25, Stockport and Reddish South. Pictures welcome...) Yet again in the afternoon 37 521 & 37 503 made a  return visit with 6D26 14.30 Carnforth - Penmaenmawr, however 37 521 was found to be defective before returning with 6H10 1914 Penmaenmawr - Guide Bridge so another red type 3, 37 688 was dispatched from Warrington as  0H10 18.55 Warrington -Penmaenmawr, all three locos headed the return trip which was diverted via Warrington to drop 37 521 off for repairs (1344 tonnes trailing !).
Thursday 10 February saw 56 025 make the light engine run from Warrington to Holyhead to work the 6E52
07.03 Holyhead  - Humber with the new pairing of 37 688 & 37 503 working 6P25 1138 Guide Bridge - Penmaenmawr and the back working, 6C10 19.14 Penmaenmawr - Carnforth later in the day.
Friday 11 February and things returned to the norm with  37 611 & 20 301 working 7D41 0108 Carlisle Kingmoor - Valley (see picture below) and return 15.09 Valley - Carlisle Kingmoor Flasks,with 66 146 doing the Mostyn Tanks (same Headcodes/times as for Wednesday).  -13 February. Thanks also to Tony Johnson and Dave Skipsey.

The Nuclear fuel flask train, headed by DRS locos 20 301 and 37 611 heads for Valley through Bangor station on the morning of 11 February. The plate on the from of 301 commemorates Max Joule, the managing director of DRS who was killed in a cycling accident in 1999.  Picture Alan Crawshaw.

Ferry News by John Murray
 
The refit of the HSS Stena Explorer  has been completed and it has re-entered service, athough bad weather resulted in the cancellation of most high speed sailings last week.  Stena Line have added an additional conventional ferry to the Holyhead to Dublin route the Stena Invicta which has been transferred from the Dover to Calais route.

This will supplement the existing conventional ferry Stena Challenger
(my picture was taken on 1 February  from the deck of the Dublin Swift) to cope with increasing demand on the route, particuarly for freight.  Is there not some scope for the railways to take a slice of this market?  Considering that in many cases only the trailer unit of lorries is taken over using the port's tractors, a piggy-back service would seem an obvious solution.

Irish Ferries (http://www.irishferries.ie) have announced that their new cruise ferry, currently under construction in Finland, is to be named "James Joyce".  This will be the largest passenger ferry in the world and will be introduced on the route in Spring 2001 to replace the Isle of  Inishmore.  More information may be found at http://www.irishferries.ie/newbuild/about.html. - 12 February

Ian Bowland has kindly sent us this nocturnal view of  37 401 Mary Queen of Scots leading 37 429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol on 1G79 Holyhead - Birmingham, at  Crewe, Sunday  6 February.

Yet more serious disruption to Holyhead to Ireland ferries occured in the week beginning 7 February, due to the high winds, with neither the Stena HSS nor the Irish Ferries Dublin Swift operating.  Conventional ferries were badly affected too with many delays  and cancellations.  As a result I was forced to cancel my booking and took  a RyanAir flight from Manchester Airport on 8 February  (which cost only £5 return plus tax, total £23.88!).  I took the train to the airport via  Crewe, outward on the 08:18 (above) to Birmingham New Street with 37 415 in charge  and then the 08:52  to Manchester Airport) with Central Trains 170 516  (07:31 ex-Derby: below), my first ride on a 3rd generation DMU.  My impressions  were, rather bright and garish interior trim, internal noise level were  very low and a big improvement on earlier models, and very little engine  vibration noticable compared with 15x units.  The unit swayed considerably  at speed, however, and produced an uncomfortable ride, particularly when  compared with the 156 on the return leg.  The most alarming feature was the  serious lack of legroom in some of the airline style seats.  The pitch  varied considerably, while some seats had ample legroom, there were some  seats I could not get into comfortably when I tried and I am only 6'0" and  slim build!  It will be interesting to see who the 175s compare.

The return journey on 10th Feb was Central Trains' 156 480 with the 20:11  to Lincoln Central and Virgin's 21:14 "Irish Mail" with 43088 leading from  Crewe. -12 February

All Change?

The Strategic Rail Authority has indicated that when train operating franchises are renegotiated, some rearrangement of the operating areas will be favoured. One idea is a Trans-Pennine company which would presumably take over Northern Spirit and First North Western long-distance routes, with perhaps a revival of the Holyhead - York trains of the late 1980s, but Prism Rail (owners of the present Wales and West franchise) are playing the devolution card by lobbying for a 'Wales Rail' franchise on the analogy with Scotrail.

The immediate problem with this idea is that the network within Wales is divided into three sections; to travel between the three, passage through England, usually Chester and/or Shrewsbury, is necessary. Some idealists have suggested that a north-south route could be created by relaying the Aberystwyth - Carmarthen and Bangor - Afon Wen lines, but even if such expenditure could be afforded the Cambrian coast line will never be a high-speed route.

So Prism Rail, and Rail Magazine's tame pundit, suggest that Wales Rail should run the complete Cardiff -
Manchester, Birmingham - Crewe - Holyhead and Manchester - Holyhead routes. If I read it right, it is even suggested that a Sleeping Car service be run from Cardiff to Holyhead using spare Mk 3 sleeping cars. Presumably the customer base for this would be Members of the Welsh Assembly. Still, it gives the magazine an excuse to print some superb Coast line photographs.

Views of readers and contributors on these ideas would be very welcome, but your compiler's first thought is that it would be a shame to thrown everything up in the air again just as First North Western is getting into the swing of things - although perhaps a merger of Wales and West with First Group should not be ruled out. - 10 February

Dave Sallery writes: A new signal has been erected as down distant to Holywell Junction, not yet in use:  it will take over from existing colour light for 90mph running (its not lit by paraffin!) - 10 February

From the Archives - by Dave Sallery

Ten years ago on 26 February 1990 the North Wales coast suffered one of its worst attacks by the sea.  National news was made as Towyn, between Rhyl and Abergele, was inundated by floodwater up to 6 feet deep when the sea wall collapsed.  Most of the town was evacuated and the clear-up took 18 months.  Besides Towyn further flooding affected the railway between Mostyn and Talacre.  The photograph shows the remains of the sea wall near Mostyn with Point of Air colliery in the background.  A mile and a half of this LNWR built wall was destroyed by the morning tide.  As the gale continued to blow, further damage was caused and both lines were left without ballast.  The line was closed for five days and a class 156 unit was trapped in Rhyl.  A rail shuttle service ran to Flint from Chester with a replacement bus service beyond as far as Llandudno Junction.  The sea wall was temporarily repaired with sandbags and a higher concrete wall was erected in the summer. The replacement wall is clearly visible from passing trains.  Extensive flood prevention measures have been carried out along virtually the whole of the coastline since. - 10 February

37 414 Cathays C & W Works 1846-1993 has made a welcome return to Coast line services, confounding those who expected an early withdrawal. It first appeared on 5 February, and is seen here departing Bangor with the 12.51 Holyhead - Crewe on 7 February. Picture Alan Crawshaw.

Steve Morris sends this sequence of pictures, taken by a member of the construction team on the night of 29/30 january showing bridge demolition of a bridge outside Holyhead station which has been used as viewpoint for many a picture, another victim of the A55 Expressway road builders. The bridge is to be replaced by a footbridge farther up the line.- 7 February

37 408 Loch Rannoch at St Mary Cray Junction, south-east of London, at 15.57 on February 4, hauling a new electric train, 375 602, with a Porterbrook adapter van, as the very late running 7X14 1035 Ramsgate - Derby. Picture by Stephen Parascandolo.
 
Off the Beaten Track #2

37 426 was sent to Buxton, Derbyshire on 5 February to help with the shunting of a steam-hauled railtour. This and more pictires by Jack Hardman on our Picture Report site. - 7 February

Class 37 locomotive report by John Dawson

37414 made a return to coast duties on February 5 powering the 1K53/1D60 diagram all day. A nice change to see an old friend back on the line again. Coast engines have also been making unusual light engine movements up to Warrington during the evening and returning back to Crewe in the early hours. This is apparently to provide a dedicated rescue engine is case of any problems with Royal Mail trains.
 
37402 Bont Y Bermo, once thought to have run for the last time, is now authorised repair at Crewe DMD, TOPS is showing B/100 and an ok date at the back end of February. There is also a strong rumour that 37 402 will be joining the NW Coast pool when it is repaired, replacing 37 408 Loch Rannoch which is apparently to go on long term hire to the Derby RTC [Research Centre.] 37 408's  recent wanderings (see picture in item above) would suggest that it may be gone for some time if not for good, it recently wandered as far as Ramsgate on a 6Z14 special from Hoo Junction!
 
Rugby specials on 5 February saw 33 103, 47 705 and 47 712 on specials from the North West to Cardiff, with Cardiff to Rhymney services being worked by 37 403, 37 407, 37 420 and 37 801. The Cardiff to Bargoed services were worked by four EWS 47/7s in top n' tail mode. The same services will also run on Saturday 19 February and 18 March in conjunction with Six Nations Rugby. - 6 February

John Murray writes: The picture shows 158 753 in Chester station on 5 February with the 12:51 Holyhead to Crewe (which is loco hauled Mon-Fri)  was terminated at Chester due to a stone attack which resulted in a broken  window and damage to the bodywork (the dent may be clearly seen above the  broken third passenger window in the photo).  No alternative service was offered and the unit was stabled in platform 5, passengers having to wait  for the 15:12 (SO) shuttle to Crewe. - 6 February

There has been a lot of whining in North Wales this week...
Tuesday 1 February had 66 010 make a return trip from Carnforth to Penmaenmawr on 6P72 1315 Carnforth - Penmaenmawr and 6C10 2115 Penmaenmawr - Carnforth.  In the evening 56 070 set out from Humber on the "cokes" (6M43 2256 Humber - Holyhead), but after failing at Stainforth 66 047 was provided to drag the train to Warrington Bank Quay, with an unidentified 66 (possibly 047 again) working the train to Holyhead.
Wednesday 2 February and 66 176 worked 6L31 0930 Warrington - Penmaenmawr, returning with 6L31 11.45  Penmaenmawr - Guide Bridge.  Yet another 66 was on the Mostyn Dock trip (6M62 11.15 Healy Mills - Mostyn and  return 6E39 0809 Mostyn - Saltend) the return working departing at 1440 as a consequence of the retiming of the outwards working, the loco in question being 66 137.  66 010 again appeared in the afternoon on 6Z72 1400  Carnforth - Penmaenmawr, returning with 6H10 1914 Penmaenmawr - Guide Bridge.
Thursday 3 February 56 032 ran light from Warrington to Holyhead for 6E52 0703 Holyhead - Humber.  The  afternoon trip to Penmaenmawr (6P25 1138 Guide Bridge - Penmaenmawr and 6C10 1914 Penmaenmawr - Carnforth) produced 60 002.
Friday 4th February 20 306 & 20 307 worked 7D41 01.08 Carlisle Kingmoor - Valley and return 7C40 15.09 Valley - Carlisle Kingmoor.  66 137 worked the Mostyn Dock trains as per Wednesday, and yet another 66,  66 182 was evident on 6Z72 14.23 Carnforth - Penmaenmawr and return 6Z73 21.14 Penmaenmawr - Carnforth  (I think).

Also worthy of note on 4 February was Virgin Trains 1D88 17.30 London Euston - Holyhead which left Crewe in the hands of ex-Scottish "shove duff" 47 702 County of Suffolk but failed at Flint station.  Assistance coming from Chester in the form of 37 401 Mary Queen of Scots which after running wrong line Rockcliffe Hall - Holywell Junction, set back on the front of the train which it then  worked forward to Holyhead. - 6 February.
 

Diary of a vigil at Chester station Thursday 3 February 2000, 07:15 - 15:15:

47 703 on 'Thunderbird' duty in case of any failed Class 175s.

07:15 56 032 parked up, engine off, on 6E52, Holyhead  - Humber empty coke CovHops
07:33 - Llandudno arrives, 101 685, fails in platform 3.
07:36 - 37 421 works 1K53, 07:36 Chester - Crewe
07:53 101 676 departs as (late) 07:33 - Llandudno from Platform 1 (one!!) - runs onto to beyond shunt signal and then runs main line through the station and off down the coast.
08:18 37 415 works the 1G95, 06:34 Holyhead - Birmingham New Street
08:35 37 421 works 1D60, 08:17 Crewe - Holyhead
09:12 66 015 heads a Dee Marsh - Arpley (yep, wrong way!) at speed through the station
09:15 175 002 appears from inside the shed and runs forward and then sets back into the shed again.
09:18 158 754 runs ECS through platform 4 (four) and heads down the coast
09:34 56 110 heads 6F59, Warrington - Dee Marsh enterprise made up of CargoWaggons
10:02 175 002 and 175 005 visible from Hoole Road bridge
10:59 47 845/82123 arrive on 1A37, 09:19 Holyhead - Euston
11:05 43 069/43??? arrive on 1D87, 08:40 Euston - Holyhead
11:37 37 415 heads 1D67, 10:07 New Street - Holyhead
11:45 158 754 appeared on the Llandudno - Manchester, presumably replacing 101 676 (see 07:53)

12:25 37 421 works 1G97, 10:48 Holyhead - New Street
13:26 56 110 returns on Dee Marsh - Arpley
14:02 60 002 heads the Guide Bridge - Penmaenmawr "Super Ballast"
14:54 37 415 works the Manchester Piccadilly.

It was also a yellow 150 day on the coast, 150 201 and 150 207 being ever-present. Annoyingly  175 002 spent **ALL** day running through the shed to the back by Chester No.5 (site) and then round the side next to the Mersey lines, then back into the shed, only coming as far as necessary to clear the points, it must have done this at least 10 times - must be a purpose somewhere ... - 6 February

The empty stock of the 'Irish Mancunian' heads out of Manchester Piccadilly to run round at Longsight, with 37 421 in charge on 4 February. Picture Charlie Hulme

On July 1 1989 Network South East ran an excursion from Wareham to Bangor formed of 33 109 and two of the 4TC push-pull sets as then used on the Waterloo - Weymouth service.  The return working was propelled from Bangor forming the only diesel push-pull train ever in North Wales.  It was also the first push-pull train since the steam hauled Welsh Dragon which ended in 1965.  The rare combination is seen passing Presthaven Sands on the return working.  It seems a shame that Class 37 were never adapted to work with this stock. - 3 February

47 782 drags a dead 47 812 into Bangor tunnel on the 09:19 Holyhead to Euston.  Despite the extra passenger, it arrived in plenty of time, causing Alan Crawshaw to miss his  shot in the sunny half of the station. Dave Sallery writes: ' Four class EWS General Motors Class 66 locos on Coast Line freights today - two on ballast trains, one on the Mostyn Dock acetic acid train (66 137 at 13.00) and one on the Holyhead petroleum coke train:  the red tide advances!' - 3 February

Bank Holiday Saturday, April 29, sees Black 5 4-6-0 45110 making two return trips between Liverpool and Chester, out via Earlestown and back via the rarely-used Frodsham - Runcorn line. The idea is that £17.50 buys you a one-way ticket, but for an extra £2 you can go back by service train and also have a day's freedom of the Merseyrail system. Times, booking info, etc. are on the Pathfinder Tours Website. Thanks to Mike Dunning for this item. - 3  February

37 429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol makes a rare appearance on the 17.19 Manchester - Holyhead, February 1.

Tuesday 1 February: Report from John Murray and John Dawson

Tuesday 1 February was an unusual day in some respects: 37 415 set out with the diagram which runs from Holyhead to Birmingham (1G95) and back (1D67) , then from Holyhead to Manchester and back, but at some stage the train heating cable at one end came loose and was run over. John Murray's pictures show (above) The shunter operating the ground frame at Holyhead for the run-round move, at approx. 13.20. Below is a close-up of the damaged cabling.

The Manchester train (1H42) ran as far as Chester with no heating, and 37 429 Eisteddfod Genednaethol then took over for the run to Manchester and back. The top picture (by Charlie Hulme) shows the train waiting to depart from Manchester Piccadilly for Holyhead at 17.19 for the return run (1D45) to Holyhead.

Other trains for the day were worked by 37 421 (1K53/1D60/1G97/1D75/1G79/1D99) and 37 426 (1G91/1D62/1K67/1D77/1K77). 37 401 Mary Queen of Scots was undergoing a 'B-exam' in Crewe depot, expected to be available for traffic again on February 5, and the sixth North Wales loco, 37 408 Loch Rannoch was borrowed to work a Serco Test Train from Derby to Bedford via St Pancras, in company with Royal engine 47 798.

The picture belows by John Murray shows Holyhead port on 2 February, showing the Stena Line HSS under refit and the  Lynx III to the right which is covering the service for that period.  The  Lynx was cancelled today due to adverse weather and passengers transferred  to the Irish Ferries Dublin Swift to Dublin Ferryport. - 2 February
 

Tuesday 1 February: 175 003 was out and about again on crew-tarining departing Chester at 15.10 and arriving  Altrincham at  a few minutes after 16.00.  It departed at 16.14 back to Chester. FNW staff suggest that this pattern will be repeated for the rest of the week. Also mentioned was the presence of 5 units at Chester with weekly arrivals from now on. Incidentally, the Warrington Arpley - Dowlow EWS Enterprise trip was handled by 56 134 Blyth Power still resplendent in Coal sector livery -  memories stirred...
 
Monday 31 January  Penmaenmawr- Guide Bridge and return workings were almost back to old times.  Passed Altrincham behind a 66 at 10.28 towards Guide Bridge and return at 16.30.  New timing or just a one-off ?
 

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Created by Charlie Hulme, Comments welcome to charlie@dweb.u-net.com