THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
45 years after it last steamed, the National Railway Museum’s
LNWR Super ‘D’ 0-8-0 No 49395, has moved under its own steam on
17 June at The Railway Age, Crewe. The loco should be in steam each day
during the early part of next week at Crewe. Thanks to the people at The Railway Age
for this picture.
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Last update 18 June 2005
Pendolinos galore
Welcome to new contributor Eifion Hughes, whose pictures from
Bangor on 17 June show the newly Pendo-ised 12:27 London to Holyhead.
57 304 Gordon Tracy is coupled to 390 117 Virgin
Prince. We are especially pleased to see this picture as it shows
that the coupler cover is open at the rear of the train. It is
the practice with these workings for this procedure to be carried out
by staff at Crewe on the westbound train to reduce the amount of work
which needs to be done when running round the train at Holyhead.
Thanks to Mike Stone for this information, and also for the
following report on some teething troubles the first week of the new
timetable: 'The 19:38 Euston-Holyhead on 16 June was a 390 to
Crewe; announcements at Crewe advised passengers for stations to
Bangor to take the 22:30, which looked likely to be a single 153, but a
coach was just leaving at 22:15 with about half a dozen
passengers presumably for Holyhead.
'There was some truly weird unit working on 15 June - the Penzance -
Crewe formed the 13:43 to Chester but the set then reappeared from
Shrewsbury to work the 16:17 Crewe-Holyhead, the booked 175 having
formed the 12:33 Manchester-Cardiff from Crewe, while the 153 which
should have worked the 13:43 was replaced before leaving Chester by 158
818, which then did the 15:41 Crewe-Cardiff.'
'The rumoured extra 175 workings on the Marches line don't seem to have
materialised, although the 11:33 Manchester - Holyhead was
one on 14 June.' - 18 June
Son of the Flying Banana
A Network Rail test train has been working in the area recently, done
up in the all-yellow scheme more familiar from the 'New measurement
Train' HST.
Most of the runs have been in darkness but it was daylight when 31
233 & 31 285 passed through Chester on Thursday
evening 16 June on their way to Holyhead. The above two pictures by Dave
Bramley.
Here's the train crossing the Dee west of Chester. Picture by James
Shuttleworth, another new contributor. The train is formed of
test car 999550 and two brake force runners (ex-Gatwick Express
coaches) 72630 / 72631.
James's second view shows the train heading away pas an eastbound
Arriva 158
The test train returned through Chester, some 4 hours early later
on the same night. - 18 June
Mostyn Moments
An interesting collection of trains captured by Tim J. Rogers
on the morning of 16 June at Mostyn. Here's Arriva-liveried ex-Scotrail
150 252. The odd front-end treatment of this scheme is
noticeable.
175 104 with the 06:37 Llandudno - Manchester. The poor external
condition of the signalbox contrasts with the many ex-LNWR boxes which
have recently been refurbished.
57 310 Kyrano and 390 018 Virgin
Princess head east with 1R18 05:32 Holyhead - London.
A scene not often photographed: 66 127 pulls away with the 6F49
08:08 (Monday excepted) Mostyn - Warrington Arpley trip comprising
empty steel carriers destined for the North-East after discharging
their load of steel for export to Ireland. - 18 June
From the Rail Passengers' Committee
Larry Davies of the RPC North Wales writes:
'Very many thanks for your excellent coverage of the Wales RPC's final
public meeting at Llandudno. For many of us long serving members it was
very much tinged with some regret and I personally hope that a
successor body will safeguard the interest of passengers in the future.
You pose a question about the "Meet the Passenger Event" we held at
Llandudno Junction on Wednesday evening. I am pleased to say that over
the two and a half hours of the event, we met about 70 passengers
many of whom were asked to complete survey forms and their views will
be fed into the system. A whole number of issues were raised with
members, ranging from Capacity on Coast services, toilet problems and
over crowding on some London services, to satisfaction with the 175's
as a "very comfortable train".
'All too often the North Wales railway gets a battering in the Press
but it is worthy to note that at our event many passengers expressed
their satisfaction and gratitude for the friendliness and helpfulness
of both Arriva and Virgin staff on the Coast who do a very good
job, often in difficult circumstances. Llandudno Junction staff were
specifically mentioned in this regard. On behalf of my
four RPC colleagues in the North, we would certainly endorse
those views expressed and we thank the rail staff across North Wales
for their help to us in our work over the years.'
And we thank Larry for his work and the support he's given to our site.
Following the passage of the Railways Act just before the General
Election, the RPC Committee Structure of Passenger Representation will
draw to a close on the 23 July 2005 which will be the last day of the
RPC North Wales and all the other regional committes. After that, all
passenger representation will be done on a national basis by the Rail
Passengers' Council. On 13 June the Department for Transport announced
the appointments
to the board of this body, which do include Colin Foxall, current
chairman of the RPC Wales. Quoting from the press release:
'Colin
Foxall is a non-executive director at Radian Asset Assurance Ltd and a
member of the British Transport Police Authority, an appointment for
which he receives £14,000 pa. He has previously held posts as
deputy chairman of the former NCM Group in Amsterdam, as CEO of its
Cardiff based UK company and as under-Secretary at the Export Credits
Guarantee Department (ECGD). He is a former Dutch Consul in Wales and
in 1995 was appointed CBE. He is currently Chairman of the Rail
Passenger Committee Wales and receives remuneration of £18,764 pa
for this appointment. Four year appointment to the new RPC.'
The twelve members of the new board will each receive 'remuneration of
up to £15,000 per annum' based on up to 6 days contribution a
month. - 18 June
Cruise News - with
'Corrie'
Holyhead has seen two recent visits by cruise ships. Firstly on 8 June
the Le
Diamant, seen with an unidentified Super Voyager on the 14:17
Euston service.
On 14 June it was the turn of The Golden Princess to pose as a
57 passed with the morning train from London, converted to 57 haulage
in the new timetable.
The Golden Princess (right) and the departing HSS Stena
Explorer on 14 June. Interestingly, the Golden Princess has
a live
web camera on the ship's bridge, which we can (hopefully) insert on
our page:
As we write this on 18 June she is standing off Kirkwall, Orkney, but
by the time you view this page the view will have changed. It may even
be dark! - 18 June