THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
The 09:38 London - Manchester on 10 June was
officially the
final working for the Class 87 locos with Virgin Trains. Ian Bowland's
picture shows 87 010 and 87 002 leaving
Manchester Piccadilly for Longsight with the empty stock after the
after the final run Immaculately turned out with gold buffers,
and surely the yellow end colour has varied - very custard looking!
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Last update 16 June 2005
Summer timetable starts
The most notable fact about the summer timetable which started on 12
June is the great increase in the number of Class 57-hauled Pendolinos
booked alomg the Coast. Mondays to Fridays we have the 05:32 Holyhead -
London and 17:21 return as in the winter, but additional loco-hauled
workings are the 08:57 London - Holyhead and 14:14 Holyhead -
London. The 11:21 London - Llandudno and 15:22 return, plus the
06:48 Holyhead - London and 15:48 return, are Class 221 Voyager turns
Mondays - Fridays.
On Saturdays, however, three pairs of trains will be doing
the attaching and detaching at Crewe: 08:45, 17:13 and 19:13 London to
Holyhead and 05:52, 09:14 and 14:15 return. These are, however, the
only Virgin trains on Saturdays until 24 September, presumably to free
up Class 221s for use elsewhere; despite the status of Llandudno as
holiday resort, its through London train is not running, nor are Arriva
running the additional summer trains to Llandudno which have been seen
in earlier years.
The night trains from Holyhead to Birmingham and back, which have been
worked by Arriva Class 175s in the last timetable despite being
officially Virgin services, will now see a Class 221 on the 01:50
Holyhead - Birmingham and 05:20 return. On Sundays we have the
usual poor service, with just two Virgin trains each way, and just a
single train in each direction at the Anglesey local stations.
Manchester - Llandudno passengers can arrive 11:01, but only by
catching a replacement bus departing Manchester at 08:15 for
Warrington.
Class 57s will also be busy further south at weekends, with engineering
diversions requiring 'dragging' of Pendolinos over the Coventry -
Nuneaton line.
Our pictures show 57 314 Firefly bringing the morning Euston -
Holyhead into Bangor (Above, by Alan Crawshaw) and the same
woeking arriving at Crewe on 11 June with 57 316 FAB 1
(below, by Tim J. Rogers) - 16 June
Regional Railways lives
(just)
Ex-Anglia Railways 153 311 is one of the few trains still
around in Regional Railways livery, and the only one you are likely to
see in North Wales. Here it is working the Wrexham - Bidston line on 10
June. (Tim J. Rogers)
Evening in the Dee
Valley with City of Truro
Our contributor George Jones organised an evening trip from
Llangollen to Carrog and back on 9 June using visiting loco 3440
City of Truro, famous for its alleged 100 mph exploit back
in 1904. These action shots by Eryl Crump feature the old lady at
Llangollen (above) ...
... Glyndyfwrdwy ...
... and Carrog.
The evening's entertainment included a photo-stop at Deeside Halt,
which proved popular with the participants
... some well-know faces might be spotted among the crowd.
The resulting picture. (These views by George Jones.)
Sundown at Carrog (Eryl Crump.) - 16 June
Weekend steam times
There's a steam charter from Tyseley to Chester on Saturday 18 June,
featuring GWR Hall Class 4-6-0 4936 Kinlet Hall.
Here are the times for our area: 1Z53, Stafford pass 09:49, Crewe a
10:42 d 11:21 Chester a 11:55. 1Z54 Chester d 18:00, Crewe
a 18:32 d 19:02, Stafford pass 19:39.
Rather overshadowed by the other charters on 4 June was a run from
Tyseley to Chester and back with Black 5 45305. Stephen
Harper's picture shows the well-turned-out loco stabled at Chester
during the day.
And of course 18 June will see a second run of Pacific 6233 Duchess
of Sutherland from Crewe to Holyhead and return. The only times we
have at the moment are provisional ones: Crewe 09:55,
Chester 10:25. (Approx 2 1/2 hours in Holyhead)
Return from Chester at 18:30, Crewe 19:00. It will, we have been
informed, carry a headboard commemorating the life of Chester-born
Thomas Brassey, the 'foremost railway contractor of the 19th century.'
He built Chester Station in 1848 and was also responsible for the
building of the lines between Crewe and Chester,Chester to
Birkenhead,Chester to Shrewsbury and Chester to Holyhead. - 16 June
Terminus views - by Greg
Mape
Llandudno-Euston service at its starting point on a
very sunny afternoon.
The unit was 221 116 David Livingstone.
Note the herring gulls sunning themselves, a feature of must North
Wales stations. - 16 June
Freight in pictures
66 619 and 66 505 double-head the morning ballast train
from Penmaenmawr through Llandudno Junction on 8 June. (Gwyn Williams)
37 606 and 20 313 approaching Llanfair PG with Thursday
7 June's return flask working. (Alan Crawshaw) - 16 June
Class 40 encore
Here's some additional action pictures of the 4 June 'Whistling Slater'
(see last Notice
Board). Above, near Abergele.
Pont Y Pant
Roman Bridge.
Llanfair PG ...
... and Llangaffo. - 16 June