Proving that a picture of a 153 can be interesting, 153 361 at Buckley on the 'top line' on 14 May. (Tim J. Rogers)

Regular Contributors: Dave Sallery , Alan Crawshaw, Rowan Crawshaw, Dave & John Skipsey, John Lewis, Tony Miles, Ian Bowland,  Alastair Graham, Mike Stone,  'Concrete Bob'  George Jones, Selwyn Williams, Steve Vaughan, Dave Bramley and many others.

LAST UPDATE: 18 May 2002

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MCRUA's Somerset Coast Express 18 May 2002

The timings are advised as :

Altincham   6.21
Hale        6.24
Mobberley   6.32
Knutsford   6.40
Plumley     6.48
Northwich   6.57
Greenbank   7.05
Cuddington  7.13
Mouldsworth 7.26
Chester     7.48
Wrexham G   8.07
Gobowen     8.29
Shrewsbury  9.03
Bristol,TM 11.31
Minehead   13.55

Return to Altrincham is estimated at 23.32. Thirteen coach train now provided and a few seats remain. Late comers to phone Peter Frier on 01565 722140 and pay on the day. - 16 May

43 178 at Llandudno Junction, 14 May. 43 080 at the other end. (Steve Vaughan)

The FNW locomotive news in full

After much delay awaiting authorisation,  First North Western confirmed on 14 May that a Class 47 locomotive-hauled service will run this summer, using a 5-coach rake of First Great Western coaches, with two return workings on weekdays between Holyhead and Birmingham, and one on Sundays. You may think this is old news, and you've read it in all the magazines, but that's because the magazines jumped the gun - the final decision was not made until 15:30 on 14 May.

The Strategic Rail Authority, which is now responsible for the overall control of First North Western after First Group bought out the losses for the rest of the franchise period, were for some mysterious reason not happy about the transfer of coaching stock from First's Great Western operation. The diagram is as follows - the timings of the trains will be adjusted because someone believes that a Class 47 cannot manage the timings intended for a Class 175, and we'll bring you these details as soon as they are available.  Thanks are due to First North Western both for organising this service and for their cooperation in supplying the information. Politicians should note that the coaches are are all fully air-conditioned, and have been very recently refurbished, thanks to the late delivery of Alsom Class 180 units to FGW.

Mondays - Saturdays

06.30 Holyhead - Birmingham NS
10.07 Birmingham NS - Holyhead
14.02 Holyhead - Birmingham NS
17.34 Birmingham NS - Holyhead

Trains will run oer the Aston line between Wolverhampton and Birmingham in one direction to reverse the train without a run-round. On Saturdays from 20 July this will not be possible due to engineering work, so the train will run between Holyhead and Crewe only.

Sundays

16.56 Holyhead - Crewe
22.15 Crewe - Holyhead

Paths for empty stock trains are established from Holyhead to Crewe Carriage Sidings and back on Tuesday and Thursday nights, departing Holyhead at 23:00 and returning at 03:15 from Crewe, loco and coaches will be swapped as required. - 15 May

Great to be able to show a picture of 37 408 Loch Rannoch (looking in ex-works condition following a repaint) leaving Crewe with 1V77 the 09.11 Crewe - Cardiff football special on Saturday 11 May..  It never looked better, except when it was in large logo livery! Picture by Ian Bowland

Quote of the Week

"Every generation has a love that dares not speak its name. Apart from thie generation, which doesn't have a love that keeps its mouth shut. Except, perhaps, for the love some men have for diesel-electric locomotives." - Guy Browning, The Guardian Weekend, 11 May 2002.

Vernon Barker, currently finance director of First North Western, has been appointed as Managing Director to replace Dave Kaye who is taking over at First Great Eastern. Mr Barker, who is 40, has been finance director at First North Western for the past three years. Before that he was a finance director and consultant with a range of companies in the UK and an audit manager in both Canada and Bermuda. Dean Finch, Managing Director of First's rail division, says "We are delighted that Vernon Barker is taking over at First North Western. He has done an excellent job as Finance Director and we are expecting great things of him in his new role."

And yet - First North Westerm will cease to exist next year as part of the SRA's re-arrangement of the franchises, so he hasn't got much time to achieve greatness. - 13 May

In reply to Ian Bowland's question, John Lancaster writes: 'The Preston - Poole working (1O16 12:30 from Glasgow) is indeed a Voyager now, although the diesel loco which comes off 1A46 09:19 Holyhead - London at Crewe still runs light to Preston to act as a stand-by loco, then takes the empty coahes off a Euston - Preston service to Longsight at around 22:00, paired with the 47 off 1S93 15:35 Bristol TM - Edinburgh which would have been detached at Preston (as booked) in favour of a Class 86 locofor the run north.'

From Roger Carvell: 'Thanks for Ian Bowland's picture of 6115 at Crewe.  At least 6115 is back at Crewe where things should happen ... For the record, Norman Kneale visited Mold Junction in August 1965, there to find 46115 going on shed after working in on a freight from Carlisle.  Norman, whose pictures of the North Wales coast line in steam days need no introduction, wrote to me that the Scot, even then, was in poor condition with scorched smokebox door and AWS equipment that was defective. It must have been an emotional moment when Jack Robinson, shedmaster at Mold Junction, was asked to pose alongside 46115, then the last working Royal Scot. Jack's grandfather, Ben Robinson, was famous for his part in the 'Railway Races to the North' of the 1880s. It would be a significant moment in the history of the North Wales Coast line if a restored 6115 passes under Conwy once more, just like its forebears regularly did, up till 1964.' - 13 May

Football Saturday - by Ian Bowland

The picture shows 37197 + 37038 leaving platform 12 with 1Z37 the 08.20 Crewe-Cardiff football special on 11 May. While waiting for the 37s to leave I saw 175 106 lead 175 116 out of Crewe for Birmingham and 175 103 lead 175 113 out to Llandudno.  Is this coincidence or an operational pattern? - 12 May

'SWISS engineers are being flown in to fix the Great Orme Tramway after it broke down at the weekend - just six weeks into the holiday season. The tram has carried 22,000 people since it came back into        service on March 23, and on Sunday, one of the busiest bank holidays of the year, it developed a problem and was only able to run on the bottom half of the track, up to the Halfway Station.' Full story on the Daily Post website. - 12 May

43 196 at Euston after arrival with 1A23 05:46 Holyhead-London on 10 May. 43 006 is at the front. Arrival was precise to the minute.

1A70 13:43 Holyhead - London features regularly on the site but here is First Great Western's version - 1A70 14:30 Plymouth - London Paddington with 43 186 Sir Francis Drake prior to departure at Plymouth. 43 035 is at the rear. Timekeeping was precise to the minute both outward from London and on the return from Plymouth.

43 121 at Euston awaiting departure with 1D89 1905 EUS-HHD. 43155 was at the rear. The train was delayed at Watford Junction behind a Euston - Glasgow which had failed. It was 24 minutes late leaving Milton Keynes but had reduced this defecit to just 8 minutes by Llandudno Junction. (Who needs Voyagers, eh?) - 12 May

Regarding our previous comments that a two-train service ran on the Wrexham - Bidston line on the Bank Holiday despite passengers being informed that a reduced service would be wored. we are assured that First North Western did inform the National Rail Enquiry Service on 20 April that a normal weekday service would run, but it's clear that there some communication programs 'on the ground.'

The background to this problem, as our reporter was told by the train guard, was that a drivers' strike was planned for 6 May, and by the time the strikes were called off on 18 April there was not enough time to rework the diagrams in time for posting the previous Tuesday. FNW apologieses to anyone who was inconvenienced by this confusion. - 12 May

On the subject of long suffering passengers on 142's, I might add that I prefer them on the 'Top Line' as at least they have capacity, especially for the good number of bikes which often need to be accommodated - five/six not being uncommon - and they do keep to time having two engines and in winter better traction with only having two axles per car rather than four on a bogie coach more weight per axle.  2D56 the 07:06 Chester to Bangor then 08:38 Bangor to Man Pic was 142 047 on Tuesday 7 May. This then goes on forming the 16:17 Man Pic to Llandudno etc... - 12 May

I was given permission to enter the LNWR workshops at Crewe in order to photograph the remains of 6115 Scots Guardsman and afterwards waited in vain to photograph something interesting on the Crewe-Chester line.  In the event I took this shot of 175 113 (above) on the 11.15 for Holyhead.

One of the many pictures I took of 6115 looking very sorry for itself.  This engine was allocated to Longsight for many a year and it was this schoolboy who regularly saw it arrive and depart from London Road (now Manchester Piccadilly) station.  It is an outrage that the locomotive has been allowed to languish at Tyseley for so many years while personal endeavours allegedly took priority over its overhaul.  Thankfully, "Guardsman" is now in the care of Pete Waterman's Trust and, if it is overhauled to the high standards associated with the LNWR crew, we are in for a serious treat. -12 May

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