THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
Not many days to go this year for the Rail Head Treatment Trains
which will stop running by 12 December. This picture by Warren
Desmond shows 37 682 & 37 706 with 4Z07
Wigan-Holyhead at Mold Junction on 3 December. Unusually, The 4Z04
Buxton-Wigan train the same morning was worked by a 'Multi Purpose
Vehicle' in place of the usual pair of 37s. More RHTT pictures
below.
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 04 December 2004
Class
47 news
The timetable change on December 12 sees a change to the Arriva Traisn
Wales locomotive workings. From December 13 the workings to and from
Crewe will revert to diesel railcar traction; a Riviera Trains
locomotive will run the following Monday - Friday diagram:
1H43 07:26 Chester - Manchester Piccadilly
1D37 10:03 Manchester Piccadilly - Holyhead
1H52 13:35 Holyhead - Manchester Piccadilly
1D46 17:41 Manchester Piccadilly - Chester
Apparently the train will stable overnight in the 'parcels bay' at
Chester station, and presumably return to Crewe at weekends when there
will be no locomotive workings. This diagram will last until the end of
2004, what happens after that nobody seems to have decided. The
Manchester workings will revert to four coach trains rather than the
six-coach ones recently used on the Crewe turns.
In a rather remarkable development, Riviera have purchased seven Class
47/8 locomotives, 47 805, 812, 815, 829,
843, 847 and 848. 47 815 Abterawe
Landore has been in use by First Great Western on their sleeper
trains which are being handed over to Class 57 traction, and was
recently done over in original BR two-tone green as a tribute to the
class by FGW. The others are
all ex-Virgin machines which have latterly been in use by Freightliner,
including the 'Police' liveried machine 47 829 and a favourite
machine of this website, 47 847 Railway World Magazine
which was restored by Virgin to 'large logo blue' colours. Will this
fine-looking loco get to work to Holyhead again? Of Riviera's
other locos, 47 853 and 47 839 will be well-known to
all our readers; 47 769 should be out and about in February or
March 2005 after having had TPWS fitting and bodywork repairs etc. and 47
575 will be brought up to mainline standards again, but will only
return to Network Rail if there is the demand, as it also requires TPWS
safety fittings.
The new locomotives are to complement Riviera's fleet of approximately
160
coaches which the company now operates from depots at Crewe, Cardiff
and Old Oak Common, making Riviera possibly the largest independent
total service provider, possibly the 'fourth emergency rail service
provider.' - 4 December
Steam doings
Paul Braddock's picture here shows 71000 Duke of
Gloucester on the Network Rail side of Hopwood Crossing just
leaving the East Lancashire Railway at lunchtime on 3 December. The
pacific is to work a series of trains in southern England, including
some December 'Cathedrals Expresses' for the Steam Dreams company. We believe it
was originally intended to add a Chester trip on 29 December to this
programme, but this has now been cancelled. However, Past Time
Rail will be operating a London - Chester 'Xmas
Chester Chuffer' on Saturday 18 Devember, hauled by 'West Country'
pacific 34027 Taw Valley from Birmingham International
to Chester (a.12:35 d.16:02) and back We believe tickets
are still available: for credit card bookings ring 0871 871 4119
(Monday - Friday 09.30 to 17.30) fax on 01543 417531. Fares are
£60 standard class and £138 fir First class premium dining.
- 4 December
Day return to Valley -
by Alan Crawshaw
Mindful that the all stations across Anglesey loco-hauled stopper will
be finishing soon, I boarded 1D65 (10:17 Crewe - Holyhead) and Bangor
with a ticket to Valley.
Outside the station I spotted a glaring typo; it seems the North Wales
Coast Railway website is not the only publication that sometimes gets
its dates
confused...
47 839 rolled up ten minutes late and I joined half a dozen or
so railfans in the front coach. It soon became apparent why Arriva
would want to switch this diagram over to units ... approaching each
stop, the guard waved either a red or a green flag out of the window to
indicate to the driver whether or not someone wanted to alight, while
the driver has also to watch out for passengers at the stops and figure
out if they intend to travel, just photographing or are simply
loitering. The front vehicle was the brake so the guard asked
passengers to use the non-centrally-locked door which is normally
barred to passengers - this caused a certain amount of confusion and
delay.
I 'bailed out' at Valley, where two DRS 37s were at the far end of the
triangle with the flasks. The footpath is still closed for Welsh Water
works but I was able to photograph them from the back of the shopping
centre - the picture shows 37 608 dwarfing a white van. The other loco
was 37 606.
Back at the station, the Euston to Holyhead Voyager glided past ...
... then a few minutes later 47 839 reappeared. I was the only
passenger waiting to board and it felt so weird flagging down a six
coach loco-hauled train as if it were a bus. The brake van was of
course at the rear now, so it was unclear where to board and the
door-unlocked lamps were not illuminated. I spotted the guard at the
window of the second coach and boarded there.
The Sandite / Rail Head Treatment Train was held for us at the mainline
end of the Britannia Bridge single line section, and when we were
safely past, I looked back, switched to full zoom and grabbed a shot.
So in an hour and a half I'd seen four 37s and enjoyed a fascinating
ride behind a 47. Next week is the last one for this diagram, and
possibly the last ever chance to experience a scheduled loco-hauled
train that calls at request stops. - 4 December
Rail Passengers Commitee
event in Chester
The Rail Passengers Committee for North Western England is holding a
Rail Passenger Forum at the Queens Hotel in Chester (across the road
from the station) on Tuesday 14 December. The event is being hosted by
RPC North Western in partnership with Cheshire County Council, Chester
City Council and Arriva Trains Wales. The purpose of the forum is
mainly to listen to the views of passengers travelling to, from or
through Chester station. The forum will also serve as a profile raising
opportunity for the Chester Gateway project to improve Chester station.
The event will run from 18.30 to 20.30. An exhibition detailing
proposals for Chester station will be available for viewing from 18.00.
Senior management from the Train Operating Companies will be
present. - 4 December
Water cannons in action
Here's two more of Warren Desmond's fine views of the Rail Head
Treatment Trains. Above, Shotton on 29 November, with 37 712
and 37 682 doing the honours on 4Z07 Wigan-Holyhead.
And this one is Chester station on 30 November with 37 706
& 37 893 4Z04 Wigan-Buxton.
Some interesting inside information about these trains comes to hand.
The wagons and staff that operate them are owned and run by Network
Rail, and all the Freight Operating Company concered does is provide
the traction and drivers. The sets are made up and maintained by NR and
contractors 'man the pump', so to speak. The water pressure at the
railhead is 1000 Bar, for this reason alone they are not alowed to
spray at less than 5mph or severe damage will happen to the
railhead.Currently they have three units out of service due to damaged
axle sets on the wheels, and despite being turned they still have
problems this being caused (it is thought) due to the pressure. Next
year's plan is apparently to run at speeds of 60mph and over, and a
working pressure of 1800 Bar. - 4 December
Out and about with Larry
Goddard
Llandudno Junction Garden Centre: A vision of steel rails and silver
paint stands amid a spectacular display of winter colours in Llandudno
Junction's disused yard, as the 13:12 Crewe to Llandudno town Virgin
Voyager waits to leave on the last leg of its journey on 29 November.
66 512 re-starts its train of Penmaenmawr ballast from a signal
check at Glan Conwy Corner, Llandudno Junction, on the last day of
November 2004. - 4 December