THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
150 215 makes its way round the Halton curve on the last
journey from Chester to Runcorn on 25 September, taken from the classic
photo-spot by Tony Miles, who writes: 'I was the only one
there! Was everyone else on the train?' Yes, probably: see our reports
below.
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 27 September 2004
Pendolino
day 1 - er, no....
There's a full picture report on the 'last' Virgin loco-hauled
train on 25 September still in press and to appear soon, but let's
briefly fast-forward to the start of the new Virgin service on Monday
27 September. The new trains seem to have run well enough in England,
but out here in North Wales some problems. Early in the morning 57 and
Pendolino went down to Holyhead empty to form the 05:38 to London but
never came back, allegedly due to problems with the electric train
supply connections between the loco and the 390; the train was
cancelled from Holyhead and apparently re-started at Crewe using a set
of Mk 3 coaches hauled by an 87. The 16:55 return from London
also found its way down the Coast in the shape of a Mk 3 set hauked by 57
308. The Voyager-worked trains seem to have performed more or less
to plan. - 27 September
Chester - Runcorn farewell - report by John Murray
I went on the last run of the parliamentary 08:25 Chester to Runcorn
(main line) on 25 September as diaplayed (above) on Chester's high-tech
information equipment. 150 215 did the honours. There was
an impressive turnout of enthusiasts, local councillors and rail user
group members, all sharing the objective of maintaining the Halton
Curve and improving the service. The journey to Runcorn, took just 22
minutes. I then caught the 09:06 Central Trains service to
Liverpool Lime Street and judging from that, I estimate that a service
from Chester to the South Liverpool Parkway station, at present under
construction to serve the airport, would take 35 minutes. Try
driving from Chester to Liverpool Airport in that time.
150 215 is pictured on arrival at Runcorn with John Hobbs of the North
Chesire Rail Users Group despatching the train. If the proposed closure
of this link, which has potentially huge social and economic benefits
to the economies of West Cheshire and North Wales is an example of
"strategic" thinking, then the SRA does not deserve its name and
its proposed abolition is long overdue!
The final shot of the conductor giving the final signal to the driver
to depart empty stock to Liverpool Let's hope we've not heard the
last of this and good news comes forth soon. As we approached Lime
Street the unit passed us, coupled to a 158 unit, on a Blackpool North
service.
Also at Runcorn, 323 241 with the 09:05 to Birmingham, with the
Runcorn-Widnes road bridge visible to the right of the picture.
On the way back, I visited the Birkenhead Tramway where Hong Kong built
car 70 was in service.
My ticket from thetrainline.com which details the service. I
shall keep this as a souvenir; the return portion of the Cheap Day
Return from Liverpool Stations to Chester, via 'any permitted
route', is endorsed "Not valid by GW Trains ex Paddington
1600-1900 M-F". A bit of a circuitous route, but obviously
permitted at other times. Comments welcome ... - 27 September
The Official End of
Summer - by John Myers
Thanks to the details provided on this site, I decided that a trip to
Runcorn on 25 September was a good use of the morning and that Chester
was best reached in the comfort of a MkIIIa coach.
Thus, my day's travel started early by boarding 1A13 at Rhyl, which was
headed by 47 830 and left on time. The station booking
office was yet to open and the VWC Train Manager was apologetic that
his machine wasn't working either so I bought my return ticket
retrospectively at Chester and obtained a separate single for Runcorn
at the same time. Nothing had passed us - passenger or freight -
between Rhyl and Chester but, shortly after I'd watched our familiar
green locomotive departing for Crewe, announcements were made stating
that the ATW Holyhead service from Birmingham (1D57) was running 30
minutes late from Crewe and would be arriving in Chester shortly.
Soon, and in the gathering light emerged the four Mark IIs with 47
839 providing the power and 47 853 sporting a tail lamp on
the rear. After a brief pause, this continued westwards at 07:17
whilst 153 361 was detached from the Holyhead - Cardiff service
before allowing 158 827 only to retrace its steps to Saltney
Junction as the next train behind the delayed Holyhead.
The station buffet provided a welcome cup of coffee, by which time I
and several others had started to show interest in FNW-liveried 150
215 situated in Platform 1; it was showing the unlikely destination
of Blackpool North on the rear and a slightly more promising Helsby on
the front. The carriage doors were to remain closed for a further
hour but, by the time this Sprinter was ready to accept passengers, it
was clear that perhaps as many as 90-100 of us - men, women and
children alike - were going to be travelling companions for this brief
but significant non-stop journey.
Departure was on time and, before long, we were passing Mickle Trafford
before heading through both Helsby and Frodsham stations.
Representatives of the North Cheshire Rail Users Group (www.ncrug.org.uk) distributed
their
latest newsletter and special tickets for those who required return
travel aboard the bus. Shortly afterwards, we were high above the
waters of the River Weaver and the Weaver Navigation before being
routed behind Frodsham
Junction signal box onto the single-tracked curve itself. The
line crosses the M56 motorway and continues along its route to Halton
Junction before joining the electrified main line from Weaver Junction
to Liverpool Lime Street. Arrival in Runcorn was right time,
where a few ordinary passengers were surprised to see both press
representatives and so many enthusiasts taking interest in and
photographing the short train that had just reached its destination.
Very soon after we arrived, the smart, preserved, Warrington Borough
Transport bus entered the station yard, displaying an appropriate
destination blind.
A further seminar shot was arranged for the benefit of photographers
before the intending passengers boarded. For me, it was pleasant
to be reminded of bus travel from the 1960s, in this case the vehicle
was a Leyland PD2/40 with distinctive East Lancs of Blackburn
forward-entrance bodywork.
It was completed in late 1965 and featured the exposed radiator that
some operators preferred until front-engined, half-cab buses no longer
were available generally to the UK market. Even allowing for the
alighting of some passengers at advertised stopping places, the road
journey of 40 minutes was rather longer than was taken by the train,
further underlining the potential benefit of both keeping this rail
route open and in developing services back into something that would be
of benefit to the general travelling public.
After arrival back outside Chester station, there was opportunity for a
few more record shots before the bus was driven away empty.
Many of us then returned to watch and to photograph a procession
of passenger trains, including the 08:56 Holyhead-Crewe 1K76, with 47
853 Rail Express under power.
47 839 was bringing up the rear and, importantly for the
passengers, the train was back on time.
About half an hour later, 47 851 Traction Magazine
looked splendid as, in turn, it led 1A39 away on time whilst ...
.... almost characteristically, 1D87, headed by 47 830, had
lost almost 10 minutes by the time it reached Chester.
I then travelled aboard this before photographing its departure from
Rhyl and then waited for ATW's locomotive-hauled 1D67 to return.
When it did arrive, only 47 839 was attached, however.
All too soon, it was time to head back out from home and to witness
Virgin West Country's very last scheduled Class 47 hauled train,
reporting number 1A62, and headed again by 47 830. This
was on time as it left Rhyl, as if to emphasise that, most of the time,
delays are the result of incidents remote from the Crewe-Holyhead
section. As it left, I remembered that it had been 47 816,
the other ex-First Great Western locomotive in the "pool", which headed
the first
locomotive-hauled working of this phase, after taking over from 90
015 on the evening of 22 May. The summer has gone quickly
but, overall, it has been a memorable one that, once again, has kept
our main line railway in the national spotlight by providing something
pleasantly different upon which to ride. Fortunately, we still
will have some Class 47 hauled trains to enjoy for just a little
longer. - 27 September
Ballast train problems
revisited
Let's go back to the problems of 24 September, and the severe delays
caused by problems with the 6K22 Penmaenmawr - Crewe ballast
train. The problems lay not with the loco 66 519 as we
implied in our earlier note, but with one of the wagons. Dave
Skipsey's picture above shows the train passing Bagillt -
only minutes before failing at Shotton: note the smoke from the end of
the train.
Zooming in to JNA wagon 29104, we can see that the wheel treads
are red hot due to running with the brakes on as a result of a fault.
The last three wagons therefore had to have their brakes isolated. The
rules state that the last three wagon brakes must be working so to
overcome this problem 67 004 was used as a braked vehicle
to make up three working brakes on the rear of the train to get it to
Chester. Thanks to Dave Skipsey and to Nick Roberts for help
with this item. - 27 September