I am a member of MIGO+1, a group of 7mm (O gauge) and Gauge 1 modern image modellers based throughout the United Kingdom (www.migo.org.uk) and I have been asked to set up an exhibition of Moderrn Image gauge O in Chester this year. We have booked Saltney Community Centre for the weekend on 18/19 October 2003, We have six layouts now booked to attend and some traders as well, but we are hoping to have a couple more layouts and several other traders are considering attending, The layouts already booked to attend can be seen on the web site as well as pictures of the layouts. If anyone in the Chester area has a modern image layout in 0 of 1 gauge they would like to show, or any traders would like to attend, please contact me at mikedunning@talacre.com. - 18 April
Photographers were out in force again on 17 April, as the following selection shows, although Chester was no place to be for most of the day thanks to severe air pollution caused by a massive fire in a scrapyard, and neither Wales and Borders nor Virgin were running along the Coast thanks to the RMT guards' strike.
However, it appears that Wales and Borders loaned 158 843 to First North Western for the day: it is seen here eastbound at Rhyl (picture by Concrete Bob) ...
... and westbound approaching Llandudno Junction past the Conwy Valley junction. (Tim J. Rogers)
After working the 17:19 Manchester - Holyhead the previous day, 47 750 was given the longer diagram starting with the 06:48 Holyhead - Birmingham. Concrete Bob's picture shows it, complete with its EWS transfers (Limited edition Heljan model idea?) calling at Llandudno Junction with the 10:21 return from Birmingham.
Same again, but with added 175 103. (Concrete Bob)
And back east through The Junction with the 14:00 Holyhead - Birmingham. (Tim J. Rogers) Unfortunately, on its final run of the day, the 17:21 Birmingham - Holyhead, 750 was declared a failure at Crewe. Some time later, 47 798 Prince William was found to take over, and departed at Crewe at 20:00, 88 minutes late. By this time, the passengers had been told to catch the buses provided by Virgin in place of the strike-hit 17:25 London - Holyhead which normally departs Crewe at 19:45.
The other Birmingham diagram was worked by 47 770 Respected, pictured here by Tim J. Rogers approaching Llandudno Junction with the 12:21 Birmingham - Holyhead. This is a good place to be on Monday - Friday, as between 14:30 and 14:45 you should see two Class 47s and an HST (See our loco-hauled timetable) and the light from this bridge east of the station
This little map (courtesy of Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map) shows how to get to the bridge used by Tim, which is on the public footpath shown in green.
This diagram ends its passenger duty for the day with 1D81 18:18 Crewe - Chester, seen here parked in Chester platform 3b with tail-lights burning. Later, at 22:21 according to the timetable, the loco and coaches run empty to Holyhead for servicing.
The unusual working if the day was certainly the transfer of the first refurbished Merseyrail electric unit, 508 110, from Eastleigh Works to Birkenhead North depot. Only one unit arrived on 5X47, contrary to some reports that there would be two. The train with its two barrier vans arrived in our area in the evening , and travelled via Wrexham and Bidston. Tim J. Rogers stationed himself at Wrexham General for this picture of 47 734 Crewe Diesel Depot arriving.
Evenings at Wrexham can be quite busy, as these pictures by Tim J. Rogers show: this is 6E41 18:25 (runs when required) Penyfford - Healey Mills, empty coal wagons from the cement works, with 60 012.
This is 4J93 19:02 Warrington Arpley - Chirk timber wagons, with 37 698 still in full Load Haul livery.
6V80 20:00 Dee Marsh - Margam steel carriers, running 90 minutes early behind 60 093 Jack Stirk.
The third First North Western diagram was allocated to 47 798Lindisfarne seen here with the 17:19 Manchester - Holyhead as it pulls away from Rhyl in the evening sunshine. (Dave Sallery)
Arriva Merseyside ran an hourly service from Chester to Liverpool despite the strike, presumably using management staff as guards, and sensibly put on six car trains to compensate. In John Murray's picture 507 023 leads the 19:15 to Liverpool out of Chester platform 7. - 18 April
Some very interesting replies and comments from readers (thanks to everyone!) arising from items in our last Notice Board.
The EWS saloon DB 999504 we pictured at Crewe is being used by Virgin Trains drivers to learn the road from Crewe to Stoke for the forthcoming West Coast Main Line diversions. This line, through Alsager, is being electrified to make it more useful as a diversionary route. It is booked to do four trips a day; starting from Crewe in the morning the coach is dragged to Stoke, it is then propelled (i.e.pushed) back to Crewe where it is run round and put in one of the bays. For the next three trips it is propelled to Stoke, run round and propelled back to Crewe. EWS Drivers are using the less-luxurious Network Rail class 122 'bubble car' diesel railcar for road learning the 'Potts.'
The saloon is vacuum braked, with a compressor to provide 'puff' for the horn to be used when propelling. Drivers based in Manchester, Euston and Preston drivers are all being treated to the ride. There are also a number of other route-learning moves going on, using diesel locos, when available.
It is generally agreed that our freight train at Chester with 56 068 came from Chirk as no timber currently goes into Shotton paper mill, which reportedly uses only re-cycled newsprint. In fact there is a rake of OTA's which now sport some fine vegetation in the sidings as they have been sitting there so long! Alastair Graham reports: 'The shunting locos at Dee Marsh Junction are currently 08 915 inLight Grey / and 08 842 in EWS. These now shunt into the Corus steelworks as well as to Shotton Paper and the yard. The ones previously used by Corus to take the steel wagons into the yard have gone, the shed is empty and a skip is outside, presumably it is being cleared or maybe even demolished?'
The approach control circuitry which slows westbound trains into Rhyl, by not clearing the signal until the train is close to it, has been like that since remodelling in (?)1989. Believe it or not, the permitted speed over the turnout into the platform line is actually 40mph. The restrictive approach could be for signal sighting purposes as the colour light signal controlling the turnout is very badly positioned; the daft thing is that before remodelling there was no approach control to the 20 mph turnout. - 18 April
That Foster Yeoman tour
The latest Pathfinder Tours booklet features a tour on 5 May from the West Country. This is a day out for Mendip Rail, Foster Yeoman and Hanson employees - and others if seats are available. The tour stops, according to Pathfinder) at Chester, Rhyl, Llandudno Junction (outward - for coach trip) and Llandudno. Last pick up point is Cheltenham 09:10 with a return time of 19:50.
There is no indication of motive power, but stories have been flying around that the preserved Class 52 'Western' D1015 is to be used; some say all the way, or in another version it will be only as far as Crewe where two Class 37s will take over. I starts, we hear from other sources, from Castle Cary at 06:45, arrives Llandudno Junction 12:40, and runs empty to Penmaenmawr at 16.15 where presumably people who have been visiting Penmaenmawr quarry get back on board.
Thanks to David White, Pat Webb and everyone who has written about this ... hopefully things will become much clearer in the very near future! - 18 April
Interesting news from Wales and Borders Trains is that following the appointment of Managing Director Chris Gibb to a new post of Managing Director, Virgin Cross Country, his replacement is to be Peter Strachan. Mr Strachan has been with the National Express Group for the last five years, the press release tells us. Most recently, he was Chief Operating Officer for the Group’s train, tram and bus operations in Australia, but National Express has recently decided to 'hand back the keys' of their Australian train operations to the State of Victoria Government due to heavy financial losses.
Mr Strachan has over 23 years’ experience in the rail industry, having started his career as a graduate trainee with British Rail. Prior to his appointment in Australia, he was Trains Director of Midland Mainline, managing the introduction of the Midland Mainline Turbostar trains. He will be better known to readers of these pages, however, as the Managing Director of North Western Trains from privatisation in 1997 until it was sold by Great Western Holdings to First Group; at that traumatic time he found himself replaced by David Franks. From Autumn 2003, the Wales and Borders Franchise takes over running of the North Wales Coast line, so he'll be in charge of things along the Coast for the second time in his career. - 18 April
I have never seen the Anglesey looking so good as on 16 April, with spring blossom everywhere in weather we normally associate with July. The ground was dry enough to lie on while waiting for trains, and the Red Arrows were going through some practice routines from Valley, no doubt in readiness for an Easter Show. In the page heading picture, 47 770 speeds through Rhosniegr with the 14.00 Holyhead-Birmingham on 16 April.
A class 175 prepares to stop at Rhosniegr Station with the 12.23 Crewe-Holyhead while the Red Arrows fly past.
Not much shade from the hot sun here! a 175 crosses Malltreath Viaduct with the 14.49 Holyhead-Crewe. - 18 April