THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
47 792 Robin Hood at Rhyl with the morning Crewe
- Holyhead service, 18 February. (Colin Meredith)
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 18 February 2004
16-17 February 2004
... more problems and a traveller's tale
John Wilkinson writes: 'I only go to North Wales about once a month
to film 47s and something always seems to happen; 16-17 February
was no exception. Arrived on the 16th at Chester 10:26 to film the 47
reversing its train on the triangle. 47 750 arrived at 11:15
and was failed (on brake blocks I think.) At 12:35 47 776 Respected
arrived and was put on front of 47 750, they and the stock leave at
13:00 and turn on the triangle. (Pictures above and below by Dave
Bramley)
'Meanwhile the 47 diagram 10:30 from Crewe was cancelled at Crewe due
to window breakages on the stock. In the evening I went to the
Llandudno & Conwy Valley Railway Society's excellent film show by
Ron White of Colourail. Got up at 06:30 to get to Llandudno Junction
station to travel on the 06:56 Manchester train, filmed 47 790 coming
in and noticed the leading axle box on the brake coach smoking badly,
roller bearing failure I think, quite rare to see one of those fail.
The train was terminated so I did not even get on the train.
After some considerable time, the bearing had cooled so the train was
reversed out of the station just as 47 776 was entering with the 8.49
for Crewe so I got a nice video of the two 47s side by side, one train
going forward and one reversing! 47 790 then took the train into the
sidings alongside the station and was turned off. (picture above by John
Wilkinson) I left and went for some breakfast and when I came back
47 790 was leaving light engine for Crewe. Golden rule: 'do not leave'
... I left and missed the last part of the action. The rest of
the day seemed to go to plan with 47 776.'
The coaches were still in the sidings the next day, 17 February. (Peter
Roberts)
47 776 is seen leaving Crewe with the 10:30 Crewe-Holyhead on 17
February. Alongside is Thunderbird number
57 307 Lady Penelope - surely the only pink
nameplate on the system. (Ian Bowland)
Same loco, same day, 47 776 at Bangor, heading back with the 1K67 12:48
Holyhead - Crewe. (Rowan Crawshaw) - 18 February
Class 175 dogbox -
by Charlie Hulme
An amusing feature recently added to the First North
Western website is a Fun and Games section which includes a cut-out
model of a Class 175 train to make yourself. Well, I was too young to
have a collection of the legendary 'Micromodels'
of the early 1950s, so I thought I'd
catch up by having a go at this one....
... and here it is, in the dubious surroundings of my H0 scale Austrian
layout. The scale as it came out on my printer seems to be about TT
size. Note that the 'North Western' wording is authentically missing,
although the prototypes also lack the symbols on the doors. Observant
readers will note that the model represents a mythical (so far!)
single-car 175; in fact such a vehicle would have existed had the
original plans by North Western Trains come to fruition.
It would seem that the model lends itself to some 'kit-bashing' to
create a two-or three- car set, and maybe cut out the windows and
replace them with transparent plastic. Some work with the PC could
change the scale to H0 or perhaps N, and the original lettering could
be restored. Any offers? Here's a picture of the inner ends of a 175 to
give you a start; a small prize will be found for the best model
picture received by the end of March.
And if this kind of thing grabs you, take a look at the TGV
website for some real intricate jobs. - 18 February
The southbound afternoon HST heads away from Valley, 15
February (John Lewis)
Holyhead Sunday - by
John Lewis
The usual Sunday selection as seen from the road bridge at Holyhead,
with 47 750 and 47 790 in the sidings with the two
Arriva Trains Wales rakes, and 43 094 heading the 16:15
Euston service.
A close-up of 43 094 ...
... and the same train passing through Valley station after departure
from Holyhead .- 16 February
Six Nations Specials
The Six Nations rugby tournament got underway on February 14 and with
Wales playing Scotland at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium Arriva Trains
Wales made arrangements to ensure that fans from all over Wales got to
the capital in good time. North Wales passengers were able to start
their day on the 07:45 Holyhead - Crewe, hauled by 47 750,
pictured at Crewe (above) by Rowan Crawshaw. This train
arrived at 09:57, and the signallers cleared the signal for the loco to
run round; unfortunately this move had to be cancelled as nobody had
arrived to uncouple the loco. After various other moves had been
delayed, the shunter finally arrived at 10:50 and the train did not
depart as the 10:21 back to Holyhead until 11:15. Remarkably, until
10:15 it was still being shown as to depart Platform 9 and run only to
Bangor, reflecting an error in the original version of the timetable.
It does still appear, as we have said in the past, that management
should give more attention to the working of Crewe station. Anyway,
back to the plot.
Arriva Trains Wales laid on two additional trains from Crewe to help
fans from North Wales - and north of the border - reach Cardiff.
1Z47, the 10:18 from Crewe, was operated by a rake of six ex-Virgin
InterCity-liveried Mk2 coaches with 47 812 in charge and ran to
Shrewsbury direct via Whitchurch. This
train ran approximately 70 minutes late because of points failure north
of Shrewsbury. Picture above at Dorrington by Eryl Crump. The
train was formed of ex-Virgin InterCity liveried coaches 5791, 5796,
5816, 5794, 5814 and 9526 .
1Z48, the 10:04 from Crewe, operated via Chester and Wrexham and was
hauled by 47 805 - John Murray's picture above
shows the train on the single line at Green Lane crossing, Saltney,
south of Chester.
These Freightliner, ex-Virgin, locos have small Freightliner stickers
on the cabside doors. Picture of 47 805 (above) at Dorrington by Eryl
Crump.
47 805 on arrival at Cardiff (Rowan Crawshaw). The coaches are
5365/78/64, 9417, 5307, 5376.
Several services were strengthened including the 09:13 from Crewe which
was formed of hauled by EWS 67 012. Consist, all
ex-Virgin, is 9503 , 5905 , 5773 , buffet/first 1260, and
InterCity liveried 5792.
The all-stations service from Manchester to Milford Haven via Crewe was
strengthened with ex-FNW 153 361 piloting 158 820, one
of the two 158s painted in ATW turquoise colours. ATW also
strengthened trains on Valley Lines and from West Wales and ran a
shutlle service from Newport to Cardiff Central.
As usual on these occasions, a loco-hauled service was operated on the
Rhymney line to release railcars for use on other Valley lines and give
railfains sonething to do during the game ... 37 406 is seen in
Rowan Crawshaw's picture at Rhymney with the 13:59 from Cardiff.
A similar operation is due to be carried out for the matches against
France and Italy in March. Oh, and Wales won the match walloping
the hapless Scots 23-10. Special thanks to Rowan Crawshaw,
John Murray, Eryl Crump and Mike Stone. - 16
February
Abergele, 13 February -
by Larry Goddard
Two pictures taken at dusk on 13 February, which wasn't much
different from the rest of day here in North Wales.
Direct Rail Services 66 409 and an unidentified 66 head a
single flask though Abergele at dusk on 13 February 2004.
47 790 makes haste at Abergele with the 15:30 Crewe-Holyhead .-
16 February
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