THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
The clocks have been put on an hour, so this picture become hard
to get again for a while. 57 310 Kyrano with 390 007
Virgin Lady at Llandudno Junction on the damp morning of Tuesday
22 March. (Gwyn Williams)
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 30 March 2005
A railtour to savour
We are told there here are still tickets left in both first and
standard classes. of the 'West Somerset Express' on Saturday 16 April
2005 organised by Ffestiniog Railway (Dee & Mersey Group) and
Chester Model Railway Club. Hooton, Bache, Chester, Crewe &
Shrewsbury, via Lickey to the West Somerset Railway and Minehead.
Motive power is a class 67 with Riviera Trains stock. More details laurence.wheeler@tesco.net,
phone 01244 678070 or visit www.chestermodelrailwayclub.com
for a downloadable booking form. - 30 April
Cambrian Coast line
blocked
During a high tide on Sunday 17 March, reported by the BBC as about
16:00, a rock collapse occurred at
Friog, south of Fairbourne on the Cambrian Coast line, where the
railway runs on a ledge high above the sea. As a result the whole line
north of Dovey Junction was closed to traffic and a bus service
implemented (Timetable
in PDF) although we have also heard that some trains are running
from Machynlleth to Tywyn.
Arriva
say 'Due to the restricted access at some stations the bus will
need to call
at an alternative point in some areas. These points will be
clearly
marked on station posters.' On the other hand, the following comment
from a passenger appeared on the uk.railway newsgroup: 'I was sat at
Dyffryn Ardudwy at 07:30 (So about 12 hours or so after
the return service on Sunday would have been stopped and the TOC would
have found out about the line) on Monday for two hours waiting for a
train, during which time I phoned National Rail Enquiries three times,
and
was told on each occasion that as far as they knew the line (and the
07:41 to Machynlleth) was running to time. A call to Arriva's enquiry
line yielded nothing more than the usual 'This office is currently
closed' (I would have thought it simple enough for them to amend
their answerphone message).
I suppose the ultimate luxury (though perhaps after only 12 hours
it's asking a bit much) would be a notice at the station!
Oh - and just to really confuse any would-be passengers, the
information screens at Barmouth were showing a normal service with no
reported delays.'
Network Rail are suggesting about two weeks to repair the damage; it
seems unfortunate that it is not possible to run a rail service between
Fairbourne and Pwllheli, but even if there was a train on that section
at the time, which there wasn't, , there are no servicing
facilities which could be used to fuel the train and keep it running.
Refuelling from road tankers and other such improvisation is apparently
banned by current law. A pannier tank and a couple of coaches brought
by road from Llangollen, anyone?
Local politicians are getting worried about possible abandonment of the
the line, according to press reports. Barmouth councillor Harry Allday
is worried the cost of repairing the rock collapse could put the future
of the Cambrian Coast line in jeopardy. "I am sure that it will run
into hundreds of thousands of pounds because specialist equipment will
have to be brought in to secure the rocks" he told the Daily Post.
Barmouth mayor Trefor Roberts, who is also chairman of the Cambrian
Coast Liaison committee, will be asked to take up the issue when he
returns from holiday, said Mr Allday. "The important thing now is that
the work is started and completed as soon as possible," he added. Tywyn
mayor Ann Lloyd Jones has 'asked for Gwynedd council to be kept fully
informed.' The schools are on holiday at present; it remains to be seen
whether service can be restored before the line's staple passengers
return to their studies.
Right from the opening of the line this section has given trouble: The
Cambrian Railways were plagued by the abandoned mine workings in the
rock face, one of which we believe is the focus of the current
collapse. Twice in history locomotives have actually fallen off the
cliff with fatal results after hitting rocks fallen from the road
above: the first in 1883 and the second in 1933, after which the Great
Western Railway built the 'avalanche shelter' through which the trains
now pass at the what was most vulnerable point.
Unfortunately, the Class 37-hauled railtour to Pwllheli planned
for Saturday 2 April will have to be postponed To quote from the Pathfinder
Tours website: 'So whether we like it or not, nature will now
prevent us from running Saturday excursion from Sheffield to Pwllheli.
A new date is now being sought to run this excursion and will be
announced shortly.' - 30 March
Travels with my camera -
by 'Concrete Bob'
Here are some pictures I took on recent forays, both on and off duty;
whilst working at Shrewsbury a couple of weeks ago, I noticed several
photographers assembling on various vantage points between
Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury, and assumed that it was to do with a
steam engine stabled at Abbey Foregate; turned out to be one of
Bescot's two remaining class 37s, 37 427 was in the area on a
ballast train. Happily, I was lurking down at Abbey Foregate, preparing
a unit when it passed.
The same day, the MPV and timber empties where stabled in Shrewsbury
station and I was thus able to record them.
I was at Shrewsbury again when a return rugby special passed through
from Cardiff to Crewe / Manchester, hauled by class 67 015.
A family outing to Birkenhead
Tramway & Wirral Transport Museum at 1, Taylor Street,
Birkenhead in aid of a family birthday treat enabled me to record the
small but friendly establishment; there is a variety of local buses and
trams, cars and a model railway to tempt you, plus of course, the
operational tramway to Woodside ferry terminal; there is a reasonable
cafe, pricey parking, and a transport interchange there.
The tram terminal at Taylor street overlooks the mothballed MDHB line
connection with Network Rail at Canning Street crossing; the latter has
been tarmacked over. There is precious little to see of the erstwhile
extensive dock lines, there being much regeneration and development of
the area. However, according to the tramway crew, there are plans afoot
to revive the remaining system, in connection with a Ro-Ro ferry. We
shall see...
... meanwhile, the Mersey ferries ply their trade as ever.
Finally, there was a visit to the Wellspring model railway exhibition
in Stockport, which was much enjoyed by my eldest son, who had a whale
of a time with interactive trainsets and a very co-operative layout
owner - Oldham King Street - who certainly got our vote for best layout
at the exhibition. It was faithfully recreated in Brio wooden track and
cornflake packets on our coffee table upon our return home. May I
pass on a big thank you to all who supported this event from the
organisers. - 30 March
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