THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
47 805 approaching Chester, 8 January (Charlie Hulme)
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 11 January 2005
Conwy Valley Situation
From the Arriva
Trains Wales website: Rail services along the Conwy Valley
Line between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog have been
suspended due to flooding and damage to the track and embankments at
three locations. Replacement road transport will operate from Mondays
to Saturday in
lieu of trains with extended journey times.
Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog: The buses are timed to depart
at : 06:38, 09:02, 11:38, 14:41, 17:23 and
19:44.
Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno Junction: The buses are timed to depart
at : 06:43, 09:08, 11:44, 15:04, 17:27 and
19:53.
The National Rail site states: 'Road replacement transport will operate
for at least the next two months' although the damage appears from
reports we have to be less severe than last year. - 11 January
Bring out the spares...
Monday 10 January turned into a comedy of errors with the stock on
the Coast, right from the start when the Electric Train Heat power
supply kept 'tripping' on the loco 47 812 at Chester before
setting off on 1H43 07:27 to Manchester. After a discussion with
control, the spare 158, 158 830 was turfed out (and so were the
passengers) for the train to Piccadilly.
An LNWR fitter attended to the loco and stock, and the fault traced
quickly to the ETH cable not in properly on the rear coach. That was
plugged in and all was well. Then 47 812 ran round and was attached to
go back into diagram for 1D37 from Chester towards Holyhead. More
problems. This time the ETH cable that wasn't in properly wouldn't come
out and go into the loco ! A large metal implement was used to free it
and after some attention to the motor alternator, it left a few minutes
down.
At Holyhead further problems occurred. Shortly before operating
the 13.35 to Manchester.Staff were overheard saying that the
brakes on 47 812 wouldn't release.However, a few minutes later, it
reversed into a siding,and came back into another siding at Holyhead,
at which point the engine was shut off. Passengers were put onto the
Virgin trains service to Euston, operated by 221 103. 175
112 was organised to work 1H52 to Manchester starting up from
Chester right time at 15:08. The loco and stock was still at Holyhead
later that night, as the picture shows. No doubt as a result of this,
the 07:37 Chester - Manchester the next day (Tuesday 11 January) was
158-worked again.
Also out and about on 10 January was 67 028 on 6P60 barrier
wagon move form Warrington to Birkenhead to get another Merseyrail unit
for refurbishment. 67 028 was later seen with 507 003 heading
south from away from Wrexham General at 13:50. This contract is
more than half way towards completion now and all units are expected to
be refurbished by June 2005. Also noted was 57 308 Tin Tin
on a Virgin Route Learner via Middlewich to and from Crewe. Thanks to
Dave Bramley, Tim Butler, George Jones and Mark
Lloyd Davies for this item. - 11 January
Mold Junction again
More interesting contributions from readers. Alan Roberts
writes: 'The emergency aerodrome signals are tested between Mold
Junction Signalbox and the Control Tower, Hawarden Aerodrome at 10:00
daily. The same applies to the ones at Valley.
'When Mold Junction signalbox goes it will mark the end of traditional
signalling at Mold Junction. At one time there were four boxes in Mold
Junction. No. 1 and 4 were on the main line; No.4 closed on 26
February 1978. Mold Junction No. 2 was located on the Mold side of the
overbridge and closed on 18 August 1968. No. 3 was located on the
so-called triangle of sidings from No.4 box, this box closed on 2
February 1970 when the line closed to all traffic between Mold Junction
and Hope Junction near Penyffordd. Freight traffic for Mold and beyond
thereafter used the chord line from the former GC line at Penyffordd.'
'This photo was taken on 23 July 2004 looking towards Mold
Junction (ex-No.1) signalbox. The location of the last piece of
pointwork in the up main can clearly be seen, with the fresh ballast
and section of line plain-lined - note the slight twist in the line
following the relaying! This was the connection off the Up Goods line
from Sandycroft, formerly the Up Slow. This had connections to the
former slate wharves which later became the tip sidings for spoil off
engineering work along the coast.'
George Jones has been researching the story of the mishap at
Hawarden airfield in the 1950s, referred to by Bill Rear in our
last issue. The date of the incident was 16
July 1954, and the aircraft was a De Haviland Sea Venom FAW.20, serial
No. WM544 which was landing on Hawarden's runway 23. It was evidently
too low on the final approach and clipped the tender of the locomotive
which was stationary in the course of shunting a train of wagons
carrying slate into the Mold Junction yard. The footplate crew
sustained some injuries when they ducked (!).
The aircraft crash-landed on the airfield when one of the wings came
off. Both aircrew, pilot and observer, survived but the aircraft was
written off and scrapped. It was on a pre-delivery test flight, having
been built at Hawarden, and therefore still a de Haviland company
aircraft not yet accepted by the Royal Navy. As one the earlier
aircraft in the production batch it was a Mark FAW 20 - most Sea Venoms
were FAW21/22s. FAW means 'Fighter All Weather' - the aircraft being
equipped with radar requiring an observer. (Here's
a link about the Sea Venom)
The incident was supposedly reported in the Daily Post at the
time. We are indebted to Alan Roach of Ellesmere Port, who
witnessed the incident at the time whilst working at de Havilands, and
also Dave Smith of Bagillt. Number of the locomotive, anyone?
Back in 2005, it should be noted that bus replacement services will
apply all day 23 January between Chester and Rhyl while the signalling
alterations proceed. - 11 January
Frustrating Saturday
Your compiler braved the weather (which despite dire warnings turned
out sunny) on Saturday 8 January to look for Class 47s. We had the
times of a loco-hauled Exeter - Manchester football special which was
booked to pass Stockport at 12:00, but on arriving there at 11:50 we
were told by a fellow enthusiast that it had already passed through. Ah
well, never mind, climb aboard the 12:24 departure for Chester via
Altrincham, formed of a comfortable Class 156 rather than the more
usual 'Pacer' and arrive in Chester in plenty of time to ride back on
the midday Holyhead - Manchester via Warrington loco-hauled train,
booked to depart at 15:08 although not easy to find on the station
departure sheets.
What actually happened was that the train arrived 15 minutes late from
Wales, all the passengers were transferred to a waiting 158 for the
rest of their journey, and the loco and coaches were shunted into the
sidings (view above). I decided to wait for the next train at 15:53
which turned out to be an almost empty 3-car 175 which ran on time to
Manchester in the afternoon sunshine. A pleasant journey, although not
what I had planned.
Meanwhile at Holyhead on 8 January, Mark Lloyd Davies was in
attendance with his camera. Mark writes: 'For some unknown reason a 221
Unit was parked up in the carriage sidings. The lunchtime arrival from
Euston arriving as usual. This picture shows 221 108 and 47
805 having run round its train on platform 1 for a change, the
Euston arrival going into platform 2.'
47 805 and stock.
The 14:17 departure to Euston stands beneath the station roof of
platform 2, providing some shelter form the strong wind.
The 13:35 departure leaves with the 221 also moved into a position for
departure. Was it to form a 10 car set ?
221 108 leaves the carriage sidings soon after the 13:35
departure. Having waited for some time it did not return back into the
station. Hopefully somebody else can fill in the mystery? - 11
January
Bygone days at Chester - the sequel
Peter Roberts has been taking a close look at the picture
contributed by Joe Kelly to our last edition, which we show again
above. Peter writes: 'I can add a bit of info about the 'Bygone Days at
Chester' photo. It was taken between 1957 and 1960. The
through shed in the left middle-distance eventually formed the
westernmost part of the DMU shed at Chester. It was re-roofed (as
shown) in 1957 and this date was proclaimed in a concrete tablet at the
southern end of the shed (not sure about the northern end). After
re-roofing it was used for wagon purposes.
This building was the original LNWR shed, until they moved to the site
located to the south of the station in 1870. It eventually formed
part of the GWR shed - the main building of which can be seen towards
the left of the photo - and judging from the amount of smoke was still
in use at that time. Chester GW shed closed in April 1960 and the
entire site was then converted to a diesel depot.'
Both these sheds were demolished in 1998 to make way for the current
Alstom depot. - 11 January