Alan Crawshaw has a superb picture report on all three days the Bank Holiday weekend, with many high-quality pictures: don't miss DAISY BOWS OUT.

Regular Contributors: Dave Sallery , Alan Crawshaw, Rowan Crawshaw, Dave Skipsey, John Lewis, Tony Flusk,  John Dawson ,  Tony Miles, Ian Bowland, Tim Rogers, Ivor Bufton, Alastair Graham, Mike Stone, Chris Pelling, Tim Proudman, 'Concrete Bob'  Selwyn Williams and Steve Vaughan.

LAST UPDATE: 14 May 2001

To the North Wales Coast main page : To The previous Noticeboard

Not North Wales news, but we thought readers with a sense of the bizarre would be interested in the following:

First North Western announces London ticket deal with Virgin Trains - by Tony Miles

After many months of negotiation with Virgin Trains fNW has agreed a deal which will allow it to sell tickets to London, for use on certain Virgin services, as a replacement for the withdrawn fNW Rochdale to London service.

The offer starts on June 11th and will offer a £25 return ticket from stations on the Rochdale and Oldham lines and from Newton-le-Willows to London which will be valid on the following services.08.23 and 09.23 to London and 17.15, 18.55 and 22.00 return from Euston. The southbound trains are both before Saver tickets or Virgin's advance purchase tickets are valid. Tickets must be booked three days in advance and will come with reserved seats.

The tickets will be sold in a controlled way to satisfy Virgin that residents of, say Stockport, do not take advantage of this offer and therefore will be sold at Oldham and Rochdale stations and by telesales to residents of postcodes OL, WA and M60. (M60 includes a lot of businesses!) They will not, however, be sold at Manchester Victoria. (see end note!)

As a special offer tickets will be £20 for the first four weeks and children's tickets will be £10 return at all times.

The offer will run initially for three months when it will be assessed before continuing. It will be limited to 100 tickets per day, and to achieve this offer First North Western has committed to buying all 100 tickets every day for the three months, so not only is it in their interest that it works well but they will have a great incentive to market the offer fully.

A name for the offer or details of how to purchase the tickets has not yet been finalised, it will be announced shortly. They will carry the fNW branding and be a fNW offer. It is understood that they will be valid for one month, but obviously with 100 tickets a day it will be important to book in advance to be certain of getting a seat on the return train of your choice!

(End note: Astute readers will no doubt either have friends in the application area or will have time to take a quick trip to the appropriate stations to purchase a ticket. FNW appreciate that there may be times that passengers don't get their tickets 'gripped' on the way to Piccadilly, so an unmarked ticket on boarding the Virgin service at Piccadilly won't pose a problem! - the three day advance booking requirement was at Virgin's insistance, the only way they would agree to the offer.

Following a tip from Tim Rogers on the North West Gen List (http://www.topica.com/lists/NWGL/), I took an early morning stroll on 9 May from work to Hawarden Bridge station along the old Mickle Trafford - Dee Marsh line which is now a cycle path. A 5 minute wait and down the bank she rolled.
37 415 (leading) and 37 503 on 6M76 Margam - Dee Marsh steel train. - 14 May

The Green Express

Here's the timings for the Green Express railtour from Llandudno Junction to Carlisle on Saturday 19 May, by courtesy of Tony Flusk:

1T63 08:10 Llandudno Jct - Carlisle: Colwyn Bay 08:16 to 08:18, Abergele 08:27 to 08:28, Rhyl 08:36 to 08:38 Prestatyn 08:44 to 08:46, Holywell Jct. pass 08:56, Flint 09:02 to 09:04, Shotton 09:11 to 09:13, Chester 09:28 to 09:30. Helsby Jct. pass 09:40, Warrington BQ pass 09:52, Wigan NW pass 10:08, Carlisle arrival 13:58 (via S&C).

1T64 16:36 Carlisle - Llandudno Jct (Via WCML) Wigan NW pass 18:22, Warrington BQ 18: 40, Helsby Jct. pass 18:55, Chester 19:10 to  19:21, Shotton 19:31 to 19:33, Flint 19:41 to 19:43, Holywell Jct pass 19:49, Prestatyn 19:59 to 20:01, Rhyl 20:07 to 20:09, Abergele 20:16 to 20:18, Colwyn Bay 20:30 to 20:32, Llandudno Jct arrival 20:40.

Motive power expected to be two Fragonset 31's. For bookings ring 01484 422920. - 14 May

Saturday 12 May, and the 09:19 Holyhead - London at Bangor with 47 845 County of Kent in charge. (Rowan Crawshaw)

I normally get the 18.23 from Chester to Bangor. Got to Chester station to find screen showing that there had been a unit failure at Rhyl, and that all Eastbound trains were stuck behind it.Initially we were advised that the 18.23 was 15 mins late. It subsequentley arrived 20 mins late with 175005. Boarded the rear coach to find that the air conditioning had failed. Sat for 15 mins in "oven-like" conditions only to be told that we would all have to get off, as the train had failed. Passengers for Bangor/Holyhead transferred onto another 3 coach 175. we had to wait for the trusty 156 which had arrived from Manchester. Passed trains heading east at 5 min intervals as we were going up the coast hence blockage must have been cleared. On arrival at Rhyl 175 011 seen in sidings to east of station. Suspect this was the offender; we would be interested to hear from anyone else who has more details.

Seems as though 175s are still troublesome. Have been on many lately that have had faults - particularly the 3 coach sets, where the engine on the front or the rear coach has not been working. Brilliant trains,big improvement, when they work.  - 13 May

Up for the Cup

The staging of the FA Cup final between Liverpool and Arsenal at Cardiff on 12 May required all the railway companies' resources. While your compiler was cycling over the hills of Greater Manchester in search of green DMUs, Ian Bowland was at Crewe in the morning to watch events unfold...

DRS locomotives 37 612 + 37 609 waiting to leave for Cardiff with 1Z10, 09:19 Liverpool - Cardiff.

37029 + 37038 entering Crewe en route for Cardiff with 1Z12 to Cardiff  - just like the old times.

158 837 / 158 838 / 158 829 leave with a Wales & West service for Cardiff with a semi-trainload of Liverpool fans.  the previous train, comprising 158 871 + a 150 [was this a FNW 150 from manchester as planned?]  was so full that the BT Police had to ask some of the fans to leave the train.  Even so it left with many passengers standing, why could they not have sent the 6 car unit first?

47 734 racing through Crewe with the newly painted "Pride of the Nation" stock from Rail Charter Services. This would be train 1Z85, also bound for Cardiff.

DVT 82123 with bird attached - did it fall or was it pushed?  Conspiracy theories to.......

Seen at Crewe and it has wheels so it must be a train!  One for Alan here I think. Silly season is upon us again. - 13 May

A very quiet week with 6D21/6K22 Penmaenmawr ballast being worked on Wednesday 09/05 - Friday 11/05 by 66 210. Friday 11 May also saw 20 304 & 20 301 working the Valley Flasks. Next week the Penmaenmawr ballast will run on Tuesday 15 May - Friday 18 May; there is no booked running of the RTZ coke hoppers. - 13 May

08:50 Tuesday morning 8 May and 47 781 Isle of Iona rattles through Bangor on its way to Holyhead for 1A46, 47 817 having failed the night before. - 13 May

Virgin report - by Steve Vaughan

Mon 7 May:  43 184/101 1A23. 43 123/153 1D87/A70/D89.
Tue 8 May:  43 123/153 1A23. 43 184/101 1D87/A70/D89.
Wed 9 May:  43 101/184 1A23. 43 123/092 1D87/A70/D89.
Thu 10 May: 43 123/092 1A23. 43 101/184 1D87/A70/D89.
Fri 11 May: 43 101/184 1A23. 43 090/094 1D87/A70/D89.
43 123/092 1D90 to Crewe then 47 828 and a Cross Country MK 2 set to Holyhead.

Sat 12 May: 43 090/094 1A01/D87/A63. 43 123/092 1A13 from Crewe (47 828 HHD-CRE)/D88.

Sun 13 May: 43 092/123 1A61 .- 13 May

North Wales Circuit - by Charlie Hulme

Time for a quick report on our week's roving around the North Wales circuit...

Our outward journey on Sunday 6 May with the 15:57 Crewe - Holyhead proved eventful: the single 175/1 provided from Crewe was terminated at Chester where we were transferred across the platform to a six-car train composed of two 175/1s, the first time I have seen this. The result was a very comfortable, if late, journey, including a long unexplained stop at Prestatyn, but our connection at Llandudno Junction, the 17:17 to Llandudno, was held, so no harm done. The picture shows 175 005 loading at Llandudno for its return to Manchester. We had considerable trouble getting out of this train with our luggage, due to the current tendency of passengers (of all ages) to try to barge aboard before people have alighted.

A small display of First Group buses outside Llandudno station as part of the Llandudno Transport Festival  included this impressive articulated vehicle normally seen on the 135 Manchester - Bury service.

By contrast, two highly nostalgic vehicles await trade on Llandudno promenade on Monday 7 May. The Guy Otter above was built specially for the Great Orme service ...

... and who of the post-war generation does not call up memories at the sight of a coach trip board?

As promised, First North Western provided  its oldest train, 101 685 for the 10:22 Llandudno - Blaenau Ffestiniog, seen here in the classic pose at Blaenau. Much more 'Daisy' stuff soon.

The Ffestiniog Railway connecting train arrives from Porthmadog, led by the FR's oldest working loco, No. 2 Prince. One might have thought that they would run round via the loop on the other side of the platform and pose with 685, but it was not to be. It was pleasant to be able to say hello to some of our loyal contributors here, including Dave Root, Tim Rogers and Tony Flusk.

At Porthmadog, at additional shuttle to Minfordd was worked by a simplex tractor piloting the FR's oldest Diesel, Moelwyn.

The next day we encountered an FR works train at Minfordd worked by the 'dutch' liveried diesel. Alighting from the Main Line train with us was a group of people who asked the FR volunteer engineering staff if they knew when the next bus to Portmeirion would be as one of them had 'breathing difficulties.' Nobody did (there are two per day...) but one of the volunteers impressed us by getting his car and transporting them to Portmeirion himself.

The most modern loco we saw during the week, Talyllyn Railway no. 7 Tom Rolt, built 1991. We had a wonderful ride behind this machine to Dolgoch in an open-sided coach, loads of ash in my eyes are hair, and a nice pint at the Dolgoch Falls hotel. I first did this trip in 1966...

A Central Trains Class 156 on the wonderful Cambrian Coast line at Llanaber, where we stayed for the week in the nearby Llwyndu Farmhouse Hotel, which as always I have to recommend to you for its friendly service and delectable food (vegetarian choice always available) not to mention the chance to stay in a seventeenth century farmhouse with an incredible aerial view over Cardigan Bay.  -13 May

Chris Bull of the Dean Forest DMU Group was aboard the Conwy Valley train which was delayed on Saturday 5 May. He reports:

'I was on the 101 that was held up at North Llanrwst awaiting a decision on what was happening up at Blaenau. When we did eventually get the road after a 50 min wait, the driver was obviously going for gold ... Fantastic achievement for a forty-five year old Met-Camm, and we got to Blaenau having clawed back a few minutes.'

'On arrival at Blaenau we saw the reason for the delay, it appears that the last two or three coaches on the Porthmadog to Blaenau train had derailed (luckily, apparently all empty at the time) coming over the  points into the station. Asking on Sunday, it appears that one bogie of the coach went into one platform and the other bogie fancied the other platform.  The reason for the delay to the DMU was that they thought the coaches might have fouled the mainline loop, or fallen onto it, so the 47-hauled charter and all else was held up for a while.'

'Our return trip down the branch to Llandudno Junction was also also a spirited run, and we ended up a minute early into the Junction, what a trip, thank you 101 680 + 101 685 and well done to all staff concerned.' - 13 May

Steam haulage at the Llandudno Transport Festival - picture by John Humphries

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