Simon Townsend and his team put on an absolutely splendid display at the 9-10 August gala event on the Rhyl Miniature Railway. Resident Barnes 4-4-2, Joan and Cagney 4-4-0, No. 44, were operating alongside former Sutton Miniature Railway 4-4-2 No. 2 Sutton Flyer and petrol locomotive No. 4, the superstructure of which is based on one of the famous streamlined Great Western Railway diesel railcars. As one who spent his formative years in Sutton Coldfield, it was a great delight to be reacquainted with two engines that I'd not seen since this historic line closed, following an expiry of lease, on 7 October 1962. After 40 years of storage, the entire collection has been given a new lease of life on the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, where the rolling stock and buildings have been allowed to retain their former identities. Seeing the railcar was a particular surprise but it provided a late substitution for the non-availability of Red Dragon, a 4-4-2 that had been intended to visit from the Windmill Farm Railway.
By way of background, Sutton Flyer, like sister engine No. 1 Sutton Belle, began life as a set of parts produced by Bassett Lowke in 1912. The parts were intended to be members of the Class 30 Atlantics, of which two survive elsewhere. Of these, Synolda is preserved at Ravenglass but ran (then named Prince Charles) for many years alongside a Barnes Atlantic, Railway Queen, on Manchester's Belle Vue Railway. The other is the former Fairbourne Railway Count Louis, which is awaiting a rebuild at, I understand, The Bure Valley Railway. A third, Sans Pareil, was scrapped at Ravenglass as long ago as 1926. Coincidentally, I've read that Joan spent a few years at Belle Vue in the 1970s, following the initial closure of the RMR in 1969 and until the Manchester line itself was shut in 1977.
Returning to our two sets of Class 30 parts, the first wasn't completed until 1933, when it emerged in Great Western Railway colours as Douglas Clayton for the private Hardwick Manor Railway at Tewkesbury. The final design manifested several differences from a standard Class 30, not least because the drawings had become lost in the intervening years! When this railway closed, following the owner's sudden death in 1947, it was sold for reuse at Sutton Coldfield, where it was repainted, initially in brown because a showmens' superstition considered green to be an unlucky colour. Subsequently, this was replaced by lined maroon, by which time the name was changed to Sutton Belle. The second set of parts was not completed until 1950 and this engine entered service, as No. 2 Sutton Flyer, in 1952. Besides wearing a livery of lined blue, there are other detail differences between the two locomotives but Sutton Flyer achieved some fame in 1959 by being the first guest engine to visit the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway. It was to be invited back there during May of 2002.
Sutton Coldfield No. 4 was designed by Trevor Guest for use on the Dudley Zoo Railway but was transferred to its new home in 1957 where it wore a livery of maroon lower panels with light grey above. One end features a glazed cab, whilst the radiator for its Morris engine occupies the other end. On a personal note, No. 4 powered the first miniature railway train on which I can remember travelling, this probably having been during the summer of 1958!
The pictures were taken over both days of the weekend. Initially on the Saturday, Joan was coupled inside Sutton Flyer on a six coach rake of traditional RMR stock. Shortly after I arrived, however, Joan was replaced by the railcar to provide an all Sutton traction package and to enable the Barnes engine to take up driver-experience duties within the shed complex. Cagney 44 was pulling a four coach train that included the two Cagney bogie vehicles behind the tender. Later in the afternoon, "Sutton Flyer" was working the six-coach train unaided. During my visit on Sunday afternoon, the railcar wasn't operating, the two Atlantics were double-heading the RMR stock and the Cagney was operating with just the two matching carriages. Loadings were generally good on both days and there were some attractively-priced day and two-day rover tickets to encourage visitors to make as many additional journeys as they liked. In between photography, I took up this offer and experienced some very spirited running that helped to make the weekend all the more enjoyable. - 17 August
Riviera Trains have kindly sent us some details of the problems which beset their locomotive 47 853 while on football extra duty on Sunday 10 August. The locomotive failed due to loss of power with the engine shutting down. This was caused due to the failure of a moulded nylon gear wheel attached to the combined triple pump set, which in turn caused fuel starvation. A replacement pump has already been fitted and the locomotive is again serviceable, First Great Western experienced the same problem three weeks earlier with the failure of one of their 47/8 locomotives on the down sleeper, not an uncommon problem with 47's, but when it happens you have had it! The failure delayed the following 2 x Class 37-hauled Mk2a set, with the 37s being used to push 47 853 and train into Wilmslow loop out of the way.
Our passing remark that it was 47 853 which " fouled up the running
of an anti war charter a few months ago" was wide of the mark: it
was
47 839 which failed that morning due to the very severe weather
conditions
(minus 14 degrees); incidentally one of Riviera's other charters
running
the same day, using an EWS Class 90 also failed at Crewe. - 17
August
This wondeful picture by Richard Shaw from the Rhyl Miniature Railway gala on 9 August shows a succesful railcar design ... and a Class 175.
Good news from Larry Goddard
We are pleased to report that Larry Goddard is out of hospital and safely back at his computer. Larry writes: 'A number of old friends contacted me after seeing the note on the website and I was quite touched. Many thanks for all your good wishes. I have to have complete rest for three weeks and no four-minute mile runs chasing trains for at least six weeks lest the pacemaker cannot keep up! Seriously though, I feel quite bionic!' - 11 August
Right, which farce would you like to read about first? Stocking to our usual reverse date order, let's start with this one...
I noticed the afternoon Holyhead to Euston HST approaching Crewe headed by 43 093 (above) but thought I was seeing things when it started to approach Platform 9, and then started to make its way down to the stops. The passengers clearly knew this train was being terminated but the look on the faces of the Virgin Trains staff was a picture! Platform 9 is not suitable for HSTs – OK, all 8 cars fitted but the trailing power car (43 092 Institute of Mechanical Engineers) was not on the platform, was way past the signal and only just clear of the cross-over line taken by the trains to Liverpool up the West Coast main line.
Immediately chaos ensued as trains could not depart from or arrive into platforms 11 and 12 from the West Coast main line. Surely the HST would be quickly moved but no - It arrived at around 16:30 and was still there when I left 2 hours later. The power cars were not switched off so choking diesel fumes were belching all over the north of Crewe Station – including on any poor soul waiting for a North Wales service on platform 10.
You think you have seen everything and heard all the excuses including recently the 'wrong kind of heat' but I have never seen a HST in Platform 9 at Crewe before and I don’t think I ever will again. Another notable first for Virgin trains?
[Compiler's note: a blunder by the signaller on the face of it, but the custom-made crossing connecting The North Wales line with platform 6 has again been out of use for some time, so maybe this is something to do with this story? Any Crewe signallers or operators reading this?] - 11 August
Tim E. Rogers writes: 'My picture shows 37 308/197 at Chester on the 09:08 Manchester to Cardiff football extra at about 11:55. The train was by this time nearly two hours late and arrived in Caridff at 14:30, 30 minutes after the match had started. All due to the failure of 47 853 on the first 'footex.'
After the loco problems of the previous day, Virgin found an HST for the daytime run, pictured above (by John Lewis) in the platform at Holyhead waiting to depart with the 16:13 service, with 43 067 ...
... and also later on passing the Stanley Embankment between Holyhead and Valley in beautiful sunshine. 43 080 brings up the rear.
The next service out was the FNW 16:33 to Manchester Piccadilly, with 153 316 and 158 782 making up the formation. This train is seen in Platform 2. (John Lewis)
Finally some view of the 8-car 18:39 Holyhead - Bimingham 'double train' worked on this occasion by 47 723 Restormel seen waiting for departure (above, by John Lewis)
... and heading off up the bank with FNW's other loco in the background. (Above and below, by Aaron Taylor) - 11 August
As can be imagined, several of our contributors were eye-witnesses to the events of Saturday 9 July, which we recorded in the previous issue. Here follow their stories - all opinions are those of the writers; any comments and ripostes are very welcome. First, Bevan Price:
'I was one of the "lucky" passengers on (and then turfed off!) the failed Virgin London - Holyhead service. The unit behind 47 782, on the 10 17 Manchester - Llandudno, was 158 757 (not a 175), already fairly full when it arrived at Prestatyn. More tried to board than had alighted here, so it was full and standing, and needless to say the air-conditioning was not working -- incidentally has anyone seen a 158 with working air-con in the recent heat wave? [No. - ed.] As I was only going to Rhyl, I joined the 158, which stood in Prestatyn station until about 13:15, by which time 47 782 must have reached Rhyl - it must have been moving at more than 5 mph (as stated in the previous report), otherwise we would have not been able to leave Prestatyn before about 13:35. We arrived at Rhyl at about 13:22. About 15 minutes later came the 158 + 156 on the now very late Stockport/Blackpool - Holyhead (which should have left Chester before both 47 782 and 158 757), then there was another 15 minutes wait before the arrival of 47 732 Restormel on the Birmingham - Holyhead.
'47 782 eventually ran round the failed train at Rhyl - if I heard correctly, they had managed to free the seized brakes on one wheel of the 47, but they evidently did not wish to let it return unassisted, so 57 311 Parker was sent to assist. Why they did not use the train to clear some of the waiting crowd at Rhyl is unclear. The 158 + 156 on the Holyhead - Stockport / Blackpool duly returned suspiciously nearly empty, making me wonder if it had turned back short of Holyhead on its outward journey, and being Saturday, it did not stop at Rhyl - surely a special stop could have been arranged to clear some of the hordes waiting for late or cancelled services ?
'It was much too hot for me to walk to the Marine Lake steam event, so I eventually returned fom Rhyl to Chester with 47 732, by then running 106 minutes late. I don't know if it worked through to Birmingham, but I would not be surprised if it had been terminated at Crewe. Earlier in the day, I had travelled from Earlestown to Chester on the 08:17 Manchester - Llandudno, with a slightly overcrowded 150 223. At Chester, we ran into Platform 5 (a bay) and the conductor told passengers to change "into a larger train" waiting at Platform 4 - this turned out to be a 150/1, already partly filled with passengers from Chester ...'
Next, Richard Shaw:
'I had the 'pleasure' of travel on the 9th. 175 002 and 175 107 on the 08:27 from Wolverhampton to Rhyl and the 18:02(?) return. Timekeeping to Rhyl was good (Except no announcements/use of the information screens) until Crewe (They were then turned off again, or packed up.) but on my return to Rhyl station at 17:45 the next train was shown to be the 16:55 to Crewe. I boarded this along with many others including three drunks who had to be helped onto the train(!) Another drunk was heard to make the comment ' They dont make trains like this anymore!' (175 011) This left at 17:58. The train then slowed for Rhyl signal box where the 'bobby' told the driver something. As we passed the Chester depot the guard comes on the PA . This train will today terminate at Chester. I wonder when they knew ... perhaps they did not want to tell us earlier. We arrived at Chester at 18:33 where it then took at least 10 minutes to move 175 011 to a bay platform. The Birmingham service 175 107 (again) then arrived but guess what - no driver to take it on.. The announcements said the next service for Crewe would be the Birmingham service. 175 011 then formed a 18:56 (or 18:58) from Chester to Crewe which departed before the Birmingham service. Why didn't they just run it to Crewe in the first place? The passenger screens then showed the Birmingham train was now a service to Manchester. I wonder how many for Manchester boarded? We finally depsrted at 19:07 (booked 18:34). The rest of the journey to Wolverhampton was resonable arriving at about 20:20.
'Other notable observations: 175 109 and 175 115 running as 2 car units. HST power cars 43 121 and 43 102 from Holyhead. 142 013 and 158 754 running coupled; 156 460 and 158 754 running coupled.
'At Chester I was joined around my table by an Italian lady, a Spanish young lady and another foreign visitor, who wanted to to go to Conway. The Conductor explained they had to change coach from the one we were in to the rear unit as they could not walk through the train. Did they understand, of course not and the conductor walked off leaving me to try to explain to them, Thanks pal! One lady said what is the coach number she needed to be in? I said coach 3, 4or 5 (We were sitting in the second). Then I realised the 175s are numbered A B C. So try telling then they are travelling in coach C but must transfer to coach A,B or C but they must not move to coach A ahead.... I wonder if they did make it to Conwy? Still with the aid of a map at least they understood how trains part and can go to different destinations on route. Can Arriva do any worse?
'The heading photo will no doubt explain my reason for visiting Rhyl - thee Railcar designed by computer and built by robot meets the reliable railcar ... Although some will point out the ex-Sutton railcar failed (overheated) towards the end of service. Still it was been authentic and following its big brother.'
Finally (?) a view by Alastair Graham:
'I was at Holyhead, arrived on the 11:26 175 which left at 11:52. The Euston and the Manchester were both cancelled due to the problems, the only one left running was the First North Western hauled to and from Birmingham. It arrived at Holyhead at 14:57 and the staff were ready to get the loco run round and off, bearing in mind that the last train to leave the port was at 11:52 and many passengers had been there waiting since before 13:15. However, the guard disappeared to the mess room. The train was ready to depart by not long after 15:05 but the guard had to be 'fetched' from the mess room by the station staff and when he did appear, with the mug of tea he walked, quite properly and slowly all the way round up platform 2 and down the full length of 3 to use the front brake van, next to the loco (I would have thought there was more sense in using the rear van as the driver then can see the front of the train and the guard the back?) We left at 15:30. It is a real pity when you see 99% of the drivers, platform staff, guards etc pulling out all the stops under very very difficult situations of heat etc. for them all to be let down by the one or two. Maybe he was entitled to a break or whatever, but at the end of the day the public perception is what often matters more. As it was he did not come round the train anyway once we left so in effect he had a 'break' on the journey.'
Oh dear ... better days ahead, maybe? Coming soon, a fine report by our miniature railway historian John Myers on the Rhyl Gala.