THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
Freightliner (ex-Virgin) loco 47 812 at Mostyn on the Arriva
diagram, 23 March (Tim J. Rogers)
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 24 March 2004
Why
the 31s were diverted
With regards to the comments made by Keith Sharp regarding
the class 31 diagram on Monday 22 March, there was a 'bridge bash' by a
road vehicle at Northwich. The 15:49 Chester - Blackpool train
was therefore diverted away from the Mouldsworth branch and on to
Helsby via Newton-le-Willows, and did indeed reverse at Manchester
Piccadilly. Another advantage of having a locomotive each end! Special
thanks to the National Rail Communications Centre for this useful
information. - 24 March
A quiet day, or
not - with Dave Bramley
I was thinking Tuesday 24 March might be just a quiet, normal sort of
day soon went out the
window with a message to say 1D87 was loco hauled. Again 47 826
Springburn did the
honours, with a DVT the wrong way around yet again, where do they keep
finding them from?
Another Virgin loco caused a stir later in
the day when 57 307 Lady Penelope paid a visit on a
Virgin driver route
learner via Middlewich. This I believe is only the second 57/3 to visit
Chester, the first of course 57 311 that rescued a failed 47
back in
August last year.
A close-up of 57 307's exhaust. This is an un-modified version, the one
causing all the fumes to fall onto 390's air conditioning inlets, we'll
be keeping an eye out for one that may be modified in any way to enable
them to pull (or push!) Pendolinos around the Coast.
The two ATW 47's continue to carry on with
their duties, but you never know when one might be switched off, so
photos at every opportunity are the order of the day. One of the best
times to get a shot is at 14:25 when 1K67 passes by 5D45 at Chester,
and if the sun is in the right place, bingo, good shot!
The 'reverse angle' shot of 47 750, look at the difference in
the colour of the sky.
Freights of interest : 60 090
Quinag in full Coal livery on the Dee Marsh (above), 37 695
on the Chirk logs.
- 24 March
The Mostyn Job - by Dave
Sallery
37 895 is seen with a permanent way train at Mostyn on Sunday 21
March. The up line was being relaid east of Mostyn box.
This project should have been carried out in September 1999, in fact
the sleepers have been on site there since then (is this a
record?). At 17:00 both lines were still out of use with two
rail-mounted cranes and the PW train on the down line. The up
line had the new sleepers in position but the track was not secured to
them and it remained unballasted....
There is believed to be another all day possession on Sunday 28 March,
although there is no mention of this on the National rail website; it
looks like its only just been decided. I can only think Network
Rail are spending money before the end of the financial year.
Considering they have had since 1999 to organise this work surely a bit
more notice would have been possible? - 24 March
Holyhead Diesel Gala,
Sunday 21 March - by John Lewis
A mini locofest in Holyhead on Sunday 21 March: three 47s, along
with a HST, making 5 locomotives in at the same time. (Platform 2 is
back in use, by the way.)
47 826 Springburn made a welcome (and puzzling) return
at the head of a rake of Virgin Mk. 2s, whilst 47 776 Respected
(right at the back) and 47 732 Restormel were stabling
in the sidings as well. 43 094 was at the western end of the
HST rake. Finally, 175 115 was caught in the middle of all
this, thankfully parked well out of the way of any potential
photographs. - 24 March
