Driver's eye view from the train of the future......
Special credits for this issue; Alan Crawshaw, Rowan Crawshaw, Ian Bowland, Dave Bramley, Mike Dunning, Tim Rogers, John Skipsey, Steve Vaughan, our man on the train, and of course all the railway staff of the North Wales Coast.
LAST UPDATE: 25 November 2001
To the North Wales Coast main page : To The previous Noticeboard
For another picture report on the day, see Alan Crawshaw's website.
Empty stock: 5Z30 04:13 Longsight - Holyhead. Stockport 04:58, Crewe 05:27 to 05:35, Chester pass 05:55, Holywell Jct pass 06:10, Llandudno Jct pass 06:31, Bangor pass 06:56, Holyhead arrives 07:37.
Special for invited guests only: 1Z30 08:07 Holyhead - Llandudno. Bangor 08:45 to 08:46, Llandudno Jct. 09:05 to 09:20, Llandudno arrives 09:35.
Over to our on-train reporter:
220 008 travelled from Manchester Longsight to Holyhead arriving before most of the guests invited for the inaugural run to Llandudno for the official naming ceremony. The initial run was not without its problems - the following train, the 05.25 Birmingham-Llandudno was held up several times as technicians tried to sort out the difficulties which eventually led to one of the Voyager's four engines being shut down. This remained the case throughout the morning.
220 008 was given a rousing send-off from Holyhead (picture above)
by a party of young dancers and from Cor Meibion Caergybi (Holyhead Male
Voice Choir). It departed on time at 08:07 coming to a halt at Valley due
to restrictions in the block between Valley and Gaerwen - only one train
at a time due to
Railtrack's failure to spend money on upgrading the signalling. The
07:49 First North Western train from Holyhead (formed of a 158 in place
of the booked 175) had preceded the "special" and, being a stopping train
at the various request halts across the island, was late! The hold-up lasted
nearly five minutes and had been allowed for in the schedule for the train
arrived in Bangor on time.
More civic dignitaries boarded here and made straight for the Club Class carriage where a breakfast of bara brith, eccles cakes, shortbread biscuits and mini Toblerones were being served along with the usual tea and coffee. Headsets for the radio channels were also handed out but it didn't seem to be working when I tried it out. Perhaps I don't have the knack yet.
Arrival at Llandudno Junction (picture above) was again on time. There was some more singing and some TV filming at this point as Welsh Assembly Transport Minister Sue Essex boarded for the short trip up the branch to Llandudno.
Passing Llandudno Golf Course on the run along the branch.
The doors were kept locked for a few minutes while the train positioned
up to the curtain.
Speeches then followed hosted by Barry McQueen, the official Virgin
Trains crier. The ceremony climaxed with the set being named Welsh Dragon
- Y Ddraig Gymreig Chris Green said the new Voyagers, which would be
introduced next year on the Cardiff-York-beyond routes would prove
to be much more reliable than the 40-year old stock currently in use. "Some
have done five million miles. Imagine trying to keep your car going for
that time speeding up the motorway at 100mph every day," he said.
He confirmed that the North Wales line will get five-car Class 221 Super Voyagers during 2003 and that a two-hourly service to London would be introduced. Chris Green added that he hoped that "new trains, faster trains and more frequent trains would prove irresistible" and Virgin Trains will work hard on marketing and pricing to ensure that happens. The unit left Llandudno at 10.50 as an additional service to Chester.
Public service: 1Z31 10:50 Llandudno - Chester, Llandudno Jct 10:58 to 11:00, Colwyn Bay 11:05 to 11:06, Rhyl 11:16 to 11:17, Prestatyn 11:21 to 11:22, Flint 11:39 to 11:40, Chester arrives 11:55.
Empty stock: 5Z31 12:37 Chester - Longsight. Crewe 13:18 to 13:26, Stockport 14:01 to 14:06, Longsight arrives 14:25.
Alan Crawshaw takes up the story at Llandudno Junction:
We entered Llandudno Junction station at the same time as the nuclear flask train and after watching them depart we settled down to await the Voyager. It was greeted by the town crier, the VIPs on board including the usual chaps festooned with mayoral chains and a party of schoolgirls in traditional Welsh costume.
The promise of 47 847, newly retro repainted in large logo BR blue,
kept us on the platform to await the 09:19 Virgin service from Holyhead
while 220 008 proceeded to Llandudno. A chance meeting with an ex-colleague
filled in the time. "Have we got that thing all the way to Manchester"
he exclaimed as a filthy
156 drew into platform 1. Regular readers will know he got off lightly.
We saw only one 175 all morning, everything else being operated by 158s
apart from a 153 on the Conwy Valley line. [Not to mention several Class
142s.-C.]
We caught the 10:27 to Llandudno which allowed time for a few photographs before boarding 220 008 back to the Junction. The train was very quiet with none of the intrusive underfloor engine noise characteristic of diesel units, though it didn't have to work hard for the short trundle along the branch.
The shop was very cramped and, as others have noted, the self service layout will delight pilferers. Luggage space is meagre in the extreme - how will they cope with summer holiday traffic? I foresee some of the seats that the designers have worked so hard to cram in being used for luggage stowage.
The 220 departs Llandudno Junction for Chester.
Legroom is just about adequate, with the "extra legroom" seats approximating
to 175 standard seating.
The provision of just two tables per coach won't encourage families.
The seats are narrow, which seems perverse when people are getting broader
each generation, and possibly too firm for a long journey. Eventually I'll
be forced to make one but in the meantime I'll savour Virgin's HSTs and
hauled sets.
Arriving at Chester, the new train contrasts with the 'Northern Belle' luxury train, with 47 786 Fiona Casle, on private charter duty.
Under the girders at Chester.
A look at the day's Classic Traction
47 847 had re-entered service a few days earlier, having been
re-painted at Toton into a version of the 'large loco; British Rail blue
of the 1980s. Efforts appear to have been made by someone at Virgin to
ensure this loco played its part on 23 November: it had worked the 14:18
Paddington - Glasgow to Birmingham and ran light specially to Crewe, taking
over 1D88 17:25 London - Holyhead at Crewe on Thursday night,
despite the fact that 1D88 had unusually been hauled by a diesel, 47
848 from Euston. This train, with Virgin Trains chief executive Chris
Green on board, left Chester 57 minutes late.
The next morning, Friday, 47 847 starred at the head of the 09:19 Holyhead - London, perhaps intended to represent the old days of 40-year old trains which the Voyagers are indended to replace. The train is seen above at Llandudno Junction, and below in two views at Chester.
As can be seen, the livery lacks a certain authenticity, especially the number font, but it does look very good to those who grew to love the railways of the late 1980s. Look out also for a two-tone green engine, and an 'XP64 blue' one.
In the morning at Chester station, 47 786 Fiona Castle is seen with with the Northern Belle and 56 103 bringing in the timber empties from Chirk to Warrington.
Also in view was the Valley nuclear flask train with 20 901 and 20 904, seen crossing the Conwy estuary (above) and passing through Llandudno Junction just before the celebrations (below.)
[Earlier stories are on the previous Notice Board]
Created by Charlie Hulme, Comments welcome to charlie@dweb.u-net.com