THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
In Memoriam: Anthony Buckeridge 1912-2004
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 29 June 2004
47 826 Springburn pulls the 16:10 to London up
the bank out of Holyhead, Sunday 27 June. (John Lewis)
That mystery picture
A number of theories have been offered about the picture sent in
by Bill Rear a couple of weeks back, allagedly taken somewhere
on the North Wales line.
Arthur Jones writes: I think the picture was taken on the
up platform of the old Ledsham station looking towards Capenhurst and
Chester. The old station used to be on the road overbridge. The
locomotive is heading towards Birkenhead and from the brightness of the
light behind the train it would appear the picture was taken about the
middle of the day. The foliage on the trees would also indicate it was
mid-summer. The tall signal would also indicate their was a bridge
immediately behind the camera position. I believe the down platform was
on the Birkenhead side of the road
bridge. According to my records the 8F was allocated to Leicester shed
16C in 1955. They used to run through freight trains from Toton to
Birkenhead at that time so the number could quit easily be
correct. All this of course is pure conjecture but it may ring a
few bells.'
David Rapson, on the other hand, writes: 'It immediately struck
me as looking like an Up train approaching Acton Bridge station.
Certainly the signal in the distance appears to be a LNWR lower
quadrant.' Alan Turton, who lives at Acton Bridge, concurs: 'It
looks to me very much like Acton Bridge, the 2-8-0 approaching the
station from the north on a southbound freight. There was an excellent
article in the Sept 1995 issue of British Railways Iluustrated called,
"A tale of two bridges" and featuring Acton Bridge and Norton Bridge.
There is a photo of 6223 Princess Alice at the same
spot, circa 1938 on the up Coronation Scot. The down signal is
different but that apart the background, including trees and bridge in
the distance are similar.'
And from John Whitby: 'When I saw your latest mystery picture I
immediately thought of Acton Bridge on the WCML. Although I cannot be
100% certain I think the shot was taken from the down platform looking
towards Weaver Junction. There is a road bridge behind the photographer
hence the need for a high level repeater arm on the starting signal.
The LNWR lower quadrant signal in the background controlled access to
the up slow line and the Northwich branch. There are a number of
pictures of the Acton Bridge area in S.D. Wainwright's Steam in
West
Cheshire and the North Wales Border but unfortunately a few years
later and not from the same viewpoint. I have attached a 1957 picture
from this excellent book and although the telegraph pole appears to
have changed since your mystery picture was taken I believe it shows
the same signal but from the other side.
Or, how about this picture sent by Warren Desmond of 37 047
heading through Helsby in 2003 with a train of empty timber wagons from
Chirk to Warrington yard? The signals are in similar positions and
could there be a third line lost in the grass in the background, but
the concensus seems to be Acton Bridge. Can anyone take us a picture
from the appropriate spot today? - 28 June
Llangollen Railway notes
George Jones writes: 'The brake van special arranged for 2 July
has failed to attract sufficient bookings to achieve minimum numbers
and cover costs. The train has therefore been cancelled. There may be
an opportunity to try something similar in the autumn. If so it
will be in our autumn calendar of events.'
The weekend of 3-4 July, however, does feature the railway's 'Traction
in Transition' steam / diesel event - see the Llangollen
website for details. - 28 June
Holyhead Sunday - with
John Lewis
47 826 Springburn was doing the honours on the 16:10 to
London on 26 June, so here are some shots of that very train. Something
seemed to be going on on the platform, with a few people (railway staff
as well) gathered around the loco, which was also uncoupled from the
rest of the train for much of the time in the platform. - 28 June
Problems with 'Control'
- viewpoint by Dave Sallery
I read about the misfortunes which delayed the 19.05 Euston - Holyhead
on 23 June (last
notice board). But surely this makes the decision to
let the Cardiff to Holyhead leave Chester at 20:22 without waiting for
the Manchester connection even worse. The Chester station staff
knew by then that passengers arriving on that train would have to wait
two and a half hours in Chester. That this wait was enforced on
passengers rather than a train being held for 3 minutes really beggars
belief. One really has to ask who exactly is the railway being
run for?
This sorry saga also draws attention to the abysmal Manchester - North
Wales service in the evenings. After a through train every hour
until the 18.17 from Piccadilly things rapidly go downhill. The
19:17 has only a 3 minute connection, which as we have seen from Alex's
experience is a lottery, if not held then there is a 90 minute
wait. The 20.17 has a 29 minute wait while the 21:17 has a 32
minute wait. After that the final service is a 22:55 with 26
minutes waiting at Chester. - 28 June
Trouble at Caernarfon
The Welsh Highland Railway at Porthmadog seems to be suffering from
severe problems with the local 'youths'. The following from the
Caernarfon Herald of 24 June sums up the situation:
Directors of the Welsh Highland Railway intend to sue the
parents of juveniles who have caused damage at the Gelert's Farm
headquarters on the outskirts of Porthmadog. This emerged over the
weekend after police confirmed that four local juveniles had been
questioned in relation to recent vandalism incidents on the railway.
"If the culprits are not ordered by magistrates to pay full
compensation to the railway, then we will pursue our claim in the civil
courts against the children's parents," the chairman of Welsh Highland
Railway Ltd (Porthmadog), David Allan, told the vice-chairman of
Porthmadog Town Council, Cllr Selwyn Griffiths, when he attended last
Saturday's 40th anniversary open day at Gelert's Farm.
Handing Cllr Griffiths a copy of a letter he had sent to both Chief
Constable Richard Brunstrom and Gwynedd Council chief executive Harry
Thomas, Mr Allan said: "We are not prepared to put up with this
vandalism, which also placed lives at risk, and we hope that local
councillors will take this issue on board in an attempt to make the
Porthmadog area a better place for everyone." In his letter, Mr Allan
said: "We have a problem! It is a problem which has the potential of
not only affecting our business, but also of affecting the tourism
business for the whole of the area in which we operate and which if not
solved could have severe economic consequences. I write to you both
because I believe that it is only with your active co-operation that
the problem can be solved.
"Like most areas of the country Porthmadog suffers from endemic
vandalism - a euphemism for criminal damage. The nature of our
business, and the location of our site means that we suffer more from
the attention of these criminals than perhaps most. Our site attracts
drug-taking youths and others who find their pleasure in damaging our
property, breaking windows, derailing wagons and pushing vehicles into
shed doors and so on. A more serious incident occurred in April when
one of a group of youths, who were playing chicken in front of the
train, slipped on the wet rails and disappeared from the driver's view
under the loco, but if it wasn't for his commendably prompt action in
applying the emergency brakes the youth would have been seriously
injured. "These incidents reached a new height last week, when the crew
had to stop a passenger train to chase some youths who were interfering
with our on-site residential caravans and other property."
Mr Allan said that loaded wagons have had their securing chains cut and
were rolled into the engine shed door causing extensive damage. A train
driver has also been hit by an air rifle pellet. He pointed out in his
letter that when completed, the rebuilding of the Welsh Highland
Railway will have attracted some £30m in investment, making the
railway journey between Caernarfon and Porthmadog one of the most
spectacular in the world, drawing tourists both nationally and
internationally. In response, Cllr Griffiths said: "I fully support
having the meeting suggested by Mr Allan and I hope that such meeting
can be arranged as a matter of urgency."
And the school summer hoildays are still to come. - 28 June
Eat your greens
A sign of the times photographed at Crewe on 26 June by Dave Skipsey:
90 041 is the first of the type to appear in Freightliner green
livery. - 28 June
Glasgow to Holyhead?
Can anyone expand on the following found by 'charlie21' on the National
rail departures
page for Chester on 26 June:
2048 Chester to Holyhead Virgin Trains Expected to depart
Chester on time.
Calling at: Prestatyn (2115), Rhyl (2122), Colwyn Bay (2135), Llandudno
Junction (2142), Bangor (Gwynedd) (2201) and Holyhead (2236).
This train has called at: Glasgow Central (1649), Carlisle (1809),
Lancaster (1859), Preston (1920), Wigan North Western (1932),
Warrington Bank Quay (1944) and Crewe (2021).
Last updated: 26/06/2004 20:44:20
Is this a regular through working? - 28 June
A railtour traveller's
tale - by Bill Rear
Kate and I had an "experience" on Saturday 19 June. We had booked on a
Past Time Rail trip to Edinburgh, being picked up at Crewe. The train
had departed from somewhere in Milton Keynes and routed via Birmingham,
causing passengers who had booked from Nuneaton to have to travel by
bus to New Street and others from Tamworth had to bus to Stafford. We
arose at 04.45 (there is such a time) and caught the 06.09 Virgin to
Crewe where we were dumped on the platform at 07.30. Our booked
departure was 08.22 and to be fair, the train arrived bang on time,
hauled by electric loco No.90 070 resplendant in EWS red and
gold. The
trouble was no one knew which platform the train was due to arrive at,
and until 08.21 those joining at Crewe were kept guessing. Eventually
an announcer told us it was to be Platform 6. Departure was about 08.24
which was good. We travelled unhindered until we arrived at Lancaster
at 09.30, some fifteen minutes early, so we stood in the Down Fast
(centre) road to await departure time, which we were told was to be
09.47.
09.47 came and went, and about 10.30am Andy Staite announced that the
loco was a failure. Another 30 minutes passed and then we were told
that another loco was being sent from EW&S Warrington. Being stuck
on the centre road meant we could not get to a platform, so we were
obliged to cogitate at our seats. The only enlightening moment was that
a Voyager bound also for Edinburgh failed off the platform and the unit
crept into the platform where everyone was turfed off and the empty
unit then departed north for God knows where. The turfed out passengers
eventually boarded the following Voyager which looked somewhat wrenched
out as it passed our green painted stock. Eventually 67 015
arrived and hooked on the front, about 11.30 but was not allowed to
depart until a succession of Down line trains had cleared the section.
Eventually we set off, now informed that our destination was to be
Carlisle as there was insufficient time to make it to Edinburgh. On a
more cheerful note, we were informed that we would get a free trip to
Edinburgh at a future (unspecified date). We pressed on, dropping time
climbing Shap. I guess our load of 13 bogies plus a dead 90 class loco
was straining things somewhat. Arrival time was 14.00 and we were told
departure was at 16.00 but via the Settle to Carlisle line, which was a
bonus. The couple of hours were spent traipsing around the City
purchasing this and that and getting wet. The "That" was ground coffee
which perfumed our coach somewhat. (delightful). Some punters on the
train did not know where "Settle & Carlisle" line was. Ignorant
plebs ! Someone actually wanted to know if it was near Bamber Bridge !
Promptly we set off at 16.00 hrs and plodded on to Appleby, now minus
the dead Class 90. We were then informed that a following DMU was
booked to overtake us there, so everyone was turfed out and the loco
backed the stock into the sidings at the north end of the station.
After the 156 had departed, the train was moved back into the Up
platform and everyone boarded once more. Some went to the shop on the
station and it is suspected that some fools wandered down the hill to
the town. We are not sure whether they got back in time as no departure
time had been given. Presumably they are still wandering around Appleby
wondering what to do next. Progress was steady rather than spectacular
as we were held up by the DMU ahead. We were held up for a few minutes
at Blea Moor and crossed over the viaduct at a crawl. The weather
varied from sunny to wet all day but whilst traversing the S. & C.
it remained dry and sometimes bright and sunny, fortunately. What fun
! At Hellifield we forked right and took the East Lancs
(Clitheroe) line, which is somewhat rare track, passing through
Blackburn pausing once every so often to admire the flowers on the
lineside and the England football flags adorning various properties. We
were held up again at Bamber Bridge waiting for a path, and true to
form we were behind a Pacer, which caused us to drop more time. We
shuddered to a halt outside Wigan, the reason given being that the
train in front had got some hooligans on board, and the driver refused
to take the train into the platform until the police were there, to
remove the loons and take them to a refuge for a rest. We then plodded
on to Warrington where a stop was made for chage of traincrew. The rest
of the run to Crewe was uneventful although we dropped another ten
minutes waiting for a platform, standing outside Crewe Coal Yard box.
The Class 67 was booked to come off at Crewe and be replaced by an
electric unit. Arrival time was 21.05.
That wasn't the end of our miseries. We were intending to catch the
09.23 to the Junction, the unit having come from Cardiff. It was booked
to use platform 12 but an earlier Class 153 nipped into the platform
and stood there waiting for the driver to turn up. Consequently we were
told at 21.30 that "our" unit would now come into Platform 11, which
meant a traipse over the footbridge again. Then we had to wait a few
minutes until a silver painted unit, now declaring itself an Arriva
train, pulled in and we scrambled on board, fumigating the unit with
Mocha & Mysore Ground Coffee perfume. As we departed Crewe, we
noticed that the Past Time Rail train was still standing at the
platform. What time did the Milton Keynes stragglers get home, I
wonder. Progress was steady, but again we dropped time and arrived,
duly shattered, at Llandudno Junction about 23.00 and headed for the
car in heavy rain, reeking coffee over the streets of Llandudno
Junction. It had been a tiring day and but for the run over the S.
& C. would have been a total flop. We shall see what Past Time Rail
offer us as compensation.
Sadly I did not take the camera so cannot support the account with
proof of our 3-hour stay in Lancaster, but I guess it could have been
worse. After all, they could have summoned a loco from Motherwell ! -
28 June