The first day of the Summer timetable, Sunday 20 May, and 47 739Resourceful is pressed into service on the 16:13 Holyhead - London, pictured at Holyhead by John Lewis.

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: 20 May 2001

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37 038 with six Mk 2a coaches at Crewe on 1V76 10:57 Crewe - Cardiff, 20 May, augmented to a loco-hauled working because of the Wales v Barbarians Rugby match at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff ... it was announced at Crewe  as the 10.57 Wales & West to Pembroke Dock. Thanks to John Dawson for posting details of this working. - 20 May

The Summer Timetable

The Summer 2001 passenger timetable came into force on 20 May, with little change from previous editions as far as the Coast is concerned, although running times are more or less restored to theie pre-Hatfield accident values. For loco and HST fans we have created a table of workings between London and Holyhead, which is now online - it would be a big help if our Virgin experts could take a look and correct any errors and fill in details of which trains are Class 47 and which are HST, along with train numbers. John Lewis' pictures of the 16:13 Sunday from Holyhead surprised us, as this train is allowed just two minutes at Crewe: is this normally booked for an HST or does the loco run through to London?

On the Cambrian Coast - by Dave Sallery 37 430 is seen near Aberdyfi on a Shrewsbury - Pwllheli working on 17th August 1991.  The train is on the Cambrian Coast line which features on my new Website - The Cambrian Rail Cruise - all about the circular trip by rail around North Wales and the Borders.  The site is now online at: http://www.penmorfa.com/Cambrian/index.htm with details of suggested timetables, fare details and route guide (still under construction).  The timetables include connections from Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Crewe and Cardiff. - 20 May

Some bad news regarding the Amlwch line this week - headlines in the paper say that the council have withdrawn their support for the scheme. I haven't heard anything officially from the group, but another report says that the council have simply used the money for "other things" as the purchase of the line was unlikely to happen this year. At the moment I seem to think that the best chance the line has is for EWS to try and get the freight traffic back - at least that would keep the line open, and there must have been a reason for EWS to object to the sale of the line from Railtrack - do they have anything up their sleeves which we don't know about?

Comments on this situation very welcome.- 20 May

The Class 37 Locomotive Association is pleased to announce 37 075's launch into service on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May. The event includes at least 4 return trips behind 075 each day with departures from Loughborough Central booked for 10.45am, 1.00pm, 3.00pm and 4.30pm. An additional "beer-ex" will run on Sat evening departing 6.45pm.

Full timings and further information are available by either calling the GCR booking office on: 01509 230 726, visiting the CBT/C37LA website at: www.corporateblue.co.uk

Thanks to Steve Cramp for forwarding this info.- 20 May

Follow-ups on the follow-ups

Referring to our item about the Ffestiniog derailment, we are informed that the coach which derailed was empty because it was one of several in the train reserved for passengers from the Green Express railtour ... and we erroneously stated that FR trains normally depart from Platform 1 which is in fact the Railtrack platform, we should have said Platform 3. Apparently this train was 14 coaches, which is too long for the normal platform.

On the subject of the Cup Final sardine special formed of a Wales and West 158 plus a First North Western 150, Tony Miles comments: 'The 150/2 going to Cardiff with a W&W 158 wasn't a  "trans-company train". The 150/2 was hired to W&W and was therefore on their safety case.

'The reason there aren't any trains like the FNW/VT service to Bolton any more is that it became impossible to decide whose safety case was applied to the train. Plus for other insurance reasons it wasn't clear who "owned" service or who was responsible for it. For instance if the VT driver had crashed the train because of a SPAD who would be liable for compensation, to be sued by passengers etc. and could a VT driver contral an FNW train? (Say the sets were coupled up in the wrong order and the wrong driver was allocated etc.) So the only way to do this would be to hire stock to the other company officially, with it running under one safety case. You couldn't do that for a daily journey it would be too complex.'

Mike Stone writes: 'I don`t know who claims to have seen it go north, but the 08:33 Manchester - Cardiff is formed  off the 07:19 Crewe and that was a 158 only, I was at Crewe from  0700 and never saw it until it worked the 0833.' - 20 May

Green Express to Carlisle - by Alan Crawshaw

We entered Llandudno Junction Station to find Fragonset locomotives 31 602 Chimaera and 31 459 Cerberus, twelve coaches and lots of passengers (above). The stock comprised FO 3143 in InterCity livery without the branding, three further First Opens, 99125, 99371, 99127, TSO 4940, Miniature buffet car 99311, Mk 2A  Brake First 99680 and five further Tourist Standard Opens, numbers 4951, 99327, 99317, 99328 and 5035. Except where stated, all are maroon Mk 1 vehicles. We were in 99317, the oldest coach, built 1953 in my home city of York and featuring narrower seats than later builds.

Colwyn Bay and Abergele supplied large contingents of passengers but stops to the east were much quieter with hardly anyone boarding at Chester, possibly losing customers to the Llandrindod Wells to Carlisle tour a couple of weeks ago. The train was almost full, the twelfth coach being a late addition to the booked set to cope with demand for first class seats. There was an efficient and friendly trolley service and rubbish collections which separated recyclable materials from the rest. Best of all there was a bar serving very palatable draught ale from handpump.

Timings were very lax on some sections and an hour for the 22 miles from Wigan to Blackburn was rather excessive so we had a long wait outside Blackburn station.

Then up to Settle Junction, arriving 11 minutes early before a lovely run up the beautiful Settle and Carlisle line with a 15 minute photo and legstretching stop at Ribblehead.

After looking round the city we returned to Citadel station (above) in time to see the steam charter to Carlisle leave behind 76079 and 45407 (running as 45157).

37 372 was on view at Carlise in front of a backdrop of Travelling Post Office vehicles. After a fast run down the WCML the generous timings after Warrington led to our arrival 16 minutes early at Chester. We awaited departure time while 66 182 passed light engine from the west at 19:05.

The sunshine finally appeared as we savoured the run back along the coast on a real train with the evening promenaders taking a great interest. Our Green Express delivered us back at the Junction five minutes early after a  great day out.

Pictures by John Myers, Rowan Crawshaw and John Humphries. - 20 May

Video Review - by Larry Goddard

I have just purchased B&R Video's Vol.79 North Wales Steam Lines, which I can recommend to all those who simply want to wallow in nostalgia and to those who want to see what the area was like when railway tracks connected so many outlying areas of Wales to towns and cities. Commencing at Chester the program takes the viewer down the Dee Valley via Llangollen (it is interesting to see all the stations as they were before preservation) to Bala Junction. The GWR line to Blaenau is included before following the route via Barmouth Junction to Pwllhelli. Plenty of ex GWR and BR locos to be seen in a land of brown and cream stations! Reversing to Afon Wen, the line to Caernarfon is followed with views of a very busy Bangor. A reverse here takes the viewer to Holyhead and there is a comprehensive visit to the Amlwch branch. Back at Bangor, Penrhyn quarries are seen in detail before continuing to Llandudno Junction and onto the Conwy Valley branch to Blaenau. The program jumps to a railtour to Denbigh and Corwen in 1962, followed by a journey on the Land Cruise train via Rhyl (ex-L&Y 52119 in station) and Barmouth Junction. As usual with B&R Video Productions, the sound dubbing is pretty well spot on, with an informative commentry. Price £17.75 inc p&p from "Sundorne", Cross Houses, Near Shrewsbury, SY5 6JJ. The usual disclaimer applies. - 20 May

The nuclear flasks at Rhyl, 18 May - picture John Humphries

Freight traffic report - by Sel Williams

60 043 worked the 6D21/6K22 Crewe - Penmaenmawr and return ballast on Tuesday 15 May with 66 200 working on Wednesday/Thursday 16/17 May. Friday 18 May's train was worked by 66 238. The valley flasks were worked by 20 303 & 20 302. (see pictures.)

The Penmaenmawr ballast will run again on Tuesday 22 - Friday 25 May. There is no booked working again next week for the RTZ coke train. - 20 May

Three northbound fuel flasks from Wylfa nuclear power station are whisked through Bangor by 20 302/3 on the afternoon of 18 May. Picture by Alan Crawshaw

Following our notes about the use of a combined Wales and West - First North Western train for the FA Cup Final in Cardiff on 12 May, Ian Bowland sends the above pictorial proof showing the train leaving Crewe formed of 158 871 and 150 211. 'Conditions on board were indeed awful,' comments Ian. A similar combo ran on a previous Saturday using 150 149, which puzzles our correspondentes since Wales and West drivers are not trained on 150/1 types, although they do have 150/2s. Trans-company trains like this are not common, although a couple of years ago there were regular North Western/Virgin combinations on the Manchester Airport line. Any other examples?

Regarding the Class 175 problems on 12 May, we hear it was 175 011 that expired at Rhyl with a battery charger / alternator type of failure.  Meanwhile, 175 005 was on the Chester - Crewe shuttle and was eventually taken out of service after the air-conditioning had failed in both vehicles and it had got unbearable.  It already had a door interlock problem at one end anyway.Comments from rail staff about this situation welcome...

As for our report on the Blaenau derailment, readers have noted the apparent discrepancy between our report that 'The FR locos had just been uncoupled and the final passengers were being detrained' and the FR's official statement that 'The coach was not carrying passengers.' Presumably the train was the 11:35 Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog, due at 12:50, and as this was a special 'Anything Goes' weekend (more 'went than they expected...) one would expect the train to be fairly busy, so it seems unlikely this coach was empty, unless perhaps it was the one reserved for passengers at intermediate stations? Clarification welcome.  - 18 May

Saturday 19 May sees an Altrincham to Wrexham via Heart of Wales to Cardiff special organised by the Mid-Cheshire Rail Users Association.  Expected traction a 47/7 and using Riviera's set CP02. From Crewe, 05:59 Altrincham, runs round at Skelton Junction, 06:34 Altrincham, 07:56/08:06 Chester via Wrexham to Cardiff. Returns to Altrincham 22:40. Thanks to John Oates, Mike Simpson and the North West Gen List. - 18 May

Another shiny 47 - by Charlie Hulme

Although their replacements are about to enter service, Virgin 47s are still being repainted and named, and look like becoming celebrities in their last days. Here's 47 828 Severn Valley Railway Kidderminster Bewdley Bridgnorth looking very smart at the head of the 17:59 Manchester - Birmingham on 17 May. A 300KB .asf video of this train departing is also available. - 17 May

The derailment of a Ffestiniog Railway train on May 5, fortunately with no injuries, marred what was otherwise a successful and enjoyable weekend. Thanks to Matthew Youell, an ex-BR engineer, who was a passenger on the Green Express charter from Hull, for the following report:

We arrived shortly after the incident happened. The derailment occurred as the FR train was arriving; the locos and the first two carriages headed into the loop next to the Railtrack line. It appears the points moved under the third coach which straddled the platform, hitting the ground frame and stopping short of the signal. When we arrived at about 1pm the locos had just been uncoupled and the passengers were being detrained and walking down the ballast

The FR coach was definitely fouling the kinematic envelope, The EWS driver was very cautious passing the FR coach, but there was about a foot clearance. The picture above was taken about 13:00 from the special as it arrived. The FR locos had just been uncoupled and the final passengers were being detrained.

The pictures of the other side of the train show the damage to the coach side and ground frame.

The Mk1s just make it ... There was actually at least 300mm clearance.

As an ex-safety engineer with BR with experience with the HMRI and HSE within preservation, it appears to me that this is probably the most significant and potentially dangerous (to passengers) accident on preservation in the last 50 years. Points moving under occupied passenger trains on running lines is a worst case scenario; this is why even 2ft lines must have fully interlocked signalling. - 17 May
 

Official statement from the FR (reproduced from the uk.railway newsgroup) On May 5th a coach on a passenger train entering Platform 2 at Blaenau Ffestiniog station on the Ffestiniog Railway was derailed.  The coach was not carrying passengers and no-one was injured.  The arising damage was relatively minor, and the railway was restored to normal service by that evening. The cause of the derailment is under investigation, and her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate are being kept fully involved in the investigation. Until the investigations are complete and the root cause has been fully established it would be wrong to speculate on the cause of the derailment, but the Ffestiniog Railway Company is satisfied that there was no error by any of their staff, and, indeed, wishes to pay tribute to the professionalism of the train and station staff involved, as well as that of all those who contributed to the recovery of the derailed vehicle. Until the cause of the derailment is fully established and corrected Platform two and Dorfil siding at Blaenau Ffestiniog have been taken out of use. Andy Savage Operations Director FfR Co

I enjoyed quite an amazing journey with First North Western on Saturday May 12. I was travelling (trying?) from Llandudno Junction to Manchester Piccadilly on the 16:55. We left somewhere near on time, give or take 10 minutes and all was OK, passing Colwyn Bay but just after Llysfaen tunnel  the train was stopped at  signal. LJ 50. We just sat there and the driver got out and phoned the 'box. After just sitting there for about 20 minutes the guard eventually thought about letting us know that a 175 had failed at Rhyl and that a following 175 was trying to couple to it in order to clear the line. We would have to wait at this signal until the line was cleared. It was hot and we just sat there.

It was almost an hour later that we suddenly started going backwards towards Colwyn Bay. I only knew we were returning to the junction as I had been sitting by the open door trying to get some air (as it was extremely hot) and the driver told me as he passed. It was left to me to pass that information on to other passengers in the coach as no-one else thought it important to inform us what was happening.  We went straight through Colwyn Bay running 'wrong line' returning to 'The Junction' some hour and a quarter after leaving it.

We were told that no trains were heading towards Chester until the failed trains were cleared. By accident I discovered that a complimentary drink was available from the station Buffet. No-one from FNW told us about this. Eventually we left Llandudno Junction about 18:45, almost two hours since first leaving it. Needless to say we were  two hours late into Manchester.

But ... not only that, the biggest failure of the whole thing was to keep us informed as to what was going on. This is a major failing and is something which is desperately in need of attention. Things do occasionally go wrong, but the very least I expect as a passenger is to be kept fully informed as to what is going on. In essence we are being held on a train, unable to get off (for good reason I suppose) but, if only out of courtesy we should be kept regularly informed. - 17 May

As sugegsted in the earlier report, I can confirm that Wales and West unit 158 871 worked in multiple with  First North Western set 150 211 to Cardiff on 12 May, on something like the 0833 from Man Pic - I understand these were re-timed though on Saturday. I understand also that it went north earlier with a 158, as it was seen south of Whitchurch (by others) earlier. Conditions on 150 211 looked very grim, particularly in the heat. - 17 May

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