THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
37 712/689 at work with the westbound Water Cannon on the
single line section at the Anglesey side of the Britannia bridge, 2
November (Alan Crawshaw)
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 11 November 2004
Holyhead
journey - by Steve Morris
I took a trip to Holyhead on 6 November in lieu of the cancelled
trip
to Paddington behind 40 145. Here are a few photos from what will
probably my last run across the Coast in a 47-hauled timetabled service.
67 006 at Crewe on the 09:43 to Cardiff in place of a the
usual
class 158; an event was taking place at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium.
A nice line up as 47 839 backs onto the 10.17 to Holyhead
alongside 57 007 Freightliner Bond (just
uncoupled from a Freightliner?) and 57 306 Jeff Tracy.
HNRC 37 515 and 37 087 stabled on the Horse landing
47 839 ready to depart on the 10.17 to Holyhead.
47 839 ready to depart Holyhead on the 12:41 departure to Crewe - some
confusion over the timing here - it shows 12.48 in timetable ...
7. Passing the refurbished Holyhead signal box
Passing 'Thunderbird' 47 810 Porterbook at Llandudno Junction .-
11 November
Shrewsbury- Chester Rail
Users' Association notice
A RAIL EVENING IN WREXHAM Monday, 15th November 2004 at St Mary's
Social Club,Regent St, (opposite Grosvenor Rd traffic lights) Wrexham.
Commencing at 19:30 with an introductory slide show of trains on the
Chester to Shrewsbury route. Mr Ben Davies, Arriva Trains Wales,
Stakeholder Manager North, will make a presentation on 'Arriva Trains
Wales: The View from the North' and this will be followed by a question
and answer session with the audience. Meeting concludes at 22:00. All
welcome, free entry. Private 'pay' bar available. - 11 November
Leif Eriksson's journeys
The Viking Leif Eriksson (975 - 1020) is believed by many to be the
first European to set foot on North American soil, almost five hundred
years before Columbus, but these day's he's more often seen in North
Wales in the guise of 221 139. In Rowan Crawsgaw's
picture above he arrives at Bangor with 1A78 14:17 Holyhead - London on
3 November.
Saturday 6 November and Steve Morris captures 221 139 in
platform 9: we believe Virgin were running between Crewe and Holyhead
only on this day due to engineering works (or was it something to do
with leaves?)
Two pictures from the same day by John Lewis. 221 139 is
arriving at Holyhead at 12:59. Not a particularly nice day
- Holyhead Mountain was shrouded in mist.
Why did they put the unit number where it cannot be seen from
the platform? - 11 November
And here he is again - with some attached thoughts by Gwyn Williams:
'A new train in a familiar setting: 221 139 departs Llandudno
Junction for Crewe at 10:35 on October 30. The Voyagers are not
easy to identify from the lineside as they whizz past. However, one
which I did happen to spot was the working photographed by Rowan
Crawshaw near Bangor, also on October 30, which appears on the last notice-board - it was 221 105 William
Baffin. Although the Voyagers are quite photogenic, they're all
alike, and having photographed a couple of them I find that's all I
want of them. Hopefully at some point the Thunderbird/Pendolino
combination will start to run in the daylight, which will make things
more interesting.
'I went down to Llandudno Junction station to see the 06.27
departure for Euston on Monday morning, November 8. I don't know if it
was because the train was running a few minutes late or what, but 57
305 John Tracy took 390 017 Virgin Prince(!) away
with terrific acceleration, with the Pendolino fairly clattering over
the track as it headed towards Queens Road Bridge. With that sort of
performance maybe there's hope of some better entertainment next
spring.' - 11 November
Dublin for a Tenner -
Arriva press release
Arriva Trains Wales and ferry operator Stena Line are giving rail users
in North Wales, Cheshire and Greater Manchester the opportunity of
visiting Dublin with the launch of a special discounted train and ferry
ticket. The offer is valid for day return trips from stations in North
Wales, Chester, Crewe, Warrington and Manchester to Dublin City and
includes travel on the Irish Rail ‘DART’ service from Dun Laoghaire to
Dublin.
Tickets, which are priced at £10 from Monday to Friday and
£15 on Saturdays, must be purchased by 4.00pm the day before
travel and can be purchased from ticket offices or by calling Arriva
Trains Wales Telesales on 0870 9000 773. Gillian Bell, head of
marketing for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “This is a great opportunity
for our customers to experience the delights of Dublin by rail and
sea. We are pleased to be working with Stena Line and Virgin
Trains to offer this great value promotion and are confident it will be
a success.”
The promotion runs from 1 November to 11 December 2004 and 14 February
to 12 March 2005. Full details regarding train times and fares can be
obtained by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.
Anyone know how many tickets are available each day at this price? -
11 November
Holyhead report, 28
October - by Dave Roberts
47 839 getting ready to depart from Holyhead with the 12.31 to Crewe.
There's shows a lot of construction work going on in the
refuelling(?) yard behind Holyhead signal box. Not sure what they are
doing, haven't seen it mentioned anywhere? [Servicing facility for
Pendolinos, perhaps - C.]
The Virgin Voyager 14.17 to London Euston preparing to depart Holyhead.
My first time arriving and departing by train from Holyhead: it must
all be very confusing for the casual passenger. The layout needs a
complete sort out, not to mention a few more signs and some information
monitors. I can't understand why they don't reinstate the second
platform/section of track inside the train shed and concentrate all
passenger services on that side of the station, instead of making
people walk over to platform one. The pedestrian bridge to the town
centre is apparently permanently locked out of use (they've left all
the lights in it switched on though) but construction on the Celtic
Gateway footbridge that will link the Port/Station to the town centre
is quite advanced and will enter the train shed just outside the
doorway into the ferry terminal. - 11 November
Engineering works at Treborth, a couple of miles west of Bangor
near Menai Bridge, 3 November (Alan Crawshaw)
The Rail Head Treatment Trains with their Class 37s continue to be a
focus of interest: 37 689 and 37 712 are pictured
by Rowan Crawshaw looking good at Bangor heading east on 3
November.
While on the subject of these trains and how often they actuallty reach
Holyhead, Alan Crawshaw notes: 'On Tuesday 2 November 37
689/712 were again on 4Z07 1105 Wigan TMD - Holyhead - Wigan TMD. I
'photted' it on the Anglesey side of the Britannia bridge at 13:05,
heading west, but it was awaiting a path back to Wigan by the time I
got back to Bangor at 13:30 so there was no way it could have got
to Holyhead - probably turned back at Gaerwen. - 11 November