THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
37 425 awaits departure from Crewe on 10 September with
the Arriva Trains Wales return special to Blaenau Ffestiniog, complete
with that mis-spelled headboard. More (a great
deal more in fact) about this train coming soon.... Picture by Rowan
Crawshaw
This site is dedicated to
all
our regular
contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Last update 13 September 2005
Leander's life story
Regarding the comment below about the Daily Post's story
about the visit of steam loco 5690 Leander to the Coast
recently and the incorrect statement in their article that the loco
worked for the the first time in preservation in 2002,.
Apparently this was added to Eryl Crump's original story by one
of the paper's staff who got it from a website about the
Jubilee class - as they say, you can't believe everything you read
... - 13 September
Class 67s in the news
A Serco test train worked down the Coast on 5 September worked by 67
011 and 67 029, the latter loco being the one painted in
silver to match the 'EWS Executive Train'. Here are some views by Corrie
of the train at Holyhead (above)...
... and awaiting 'the road' at Valley station.
And Vernon Perkins writes: 'Here is 67 030 heading
south through Middlewich at 08:53 on 5 September, with a nice view of
the new
housing in the background.' The wagons are an EWS steel
carrier and a couple of coal hoppers perhaps going to Crewe
Electric Depot to have their types turned on the wheel lathe: the train
is probably 6K15 Arpley to Crewe trip on its way to Sandbach.
(Thanks to Nick Roberts for help with this.) These 3000 HP
high-speed locos
are now mostly doing work more suitable for Class 37s since the Royal
Mail contract was lost.
A Northern Belle charter calls at Chester on 6 September on its
way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Liverpool Lime Street behind 67 025
(67 030 on rear) in very difficult 'neither light nor dark'
lighting conditions. (Laurence Wheeler) - 11 September
Pendolino Problems
Dave Sallery reports: 'In Crewe on tuesday evening, the Holyhead
arrived on time in platform 12, 57 307 Lady Penelope
then coupled up to 390 010. After a few minutes most of
the lights went out, shortly after the shunter ominously went past with
the a spare jumper cable from the rear cab of 390 010. Five
minutes later the train was announced as terminated. Passengers
please proceed to platform 11. On platform 11 a Preston bound
service, formed of 390 038, had been terminated and passengers from
that were directed to a Glasgow-bound Voyager due shortly on platform
6. 57 307 this time successfully coupled up and the train left
for Holyhead at 19.58, 35 minutes late. So quite a creditable
piece of railway operation, old style.'
Despite problems like this, hovever, Virgin and Alstom have
categorically denied rumours that Alstom are unhappy with the daily use
of the 57/390 coupling system which the rumours claim was only designed
for emergency use. - 11 September
Flasks, Trees, Pink Rolls Royce and steam - report by Eifion Hughes
Bangor Friday 2 September. 20 309 / 314 on the
6K41 Valley-Crewe Flask.
Just over an hour later 57 316 Fab 1 on the last direct
London service of the day.
Saturday 3 September. A shot of the trees shown the other week by Alan
Crawshaw which have found a home lined up on Platform 1. Whilst I was
waiting for the Steam Special to arrive a big piece of plant fell out
of one of the hanging baskets and guess what! it was plastic, so I
stuck it into one of the pots in the foreground.
And next the steam charter 1Z56 Tysley - Holyhead pulled by 5690
Leander ...
....a bit blurred as it was not hanging about unlike the basket I
broke. - 10 September
Welsh signs and other
things - a personal view by John Gruffydd
Yes, of course the sign at Llandudno [Croeso i Gorsaf Llandudno] should
be changed. A similar error in English wouldn't be tolerated, so why
should the incorrect usage in Welsh?
A few weeks back there was a comment about the special bus arranged by
Arriva to take visitors to the Eisteddfod not waiting for a slightly
late arrival at Bangor. The implication seemed to be that those
who complained were "grumblers". The sole purpose of the
half-hourly Arriva bus was to meet Arriva trains; the bus
didn't carry other passengers so its schedule would not have been
compromised by waiting for the late train. For heaven's sake, if Arriva
can't meet its own
trains there's no hope at all for integrated transport!
Has anyone used the "new look" Network Rail live departure
boards? I think they're awful. You have to switch from "departures"
to "arrivals" to see the "whole picture", it's swamped by ads from AOL
and the like and they no longer highlight very late running trains in
red (Virgin is often very late).
Finally there was a photograph in 5 September's Daily Post
showing Leander
passing Conwy town walls. Surprisingly the
caption implied that Leander had only steamed for the very first
time in preservation in 2002. Funny that, I could have sworn that I was
on the southbound 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' way back in the 1980s
when Leander was uncoupled from the train at Kirkby Stephen to go and
rescue a failed freight train hauled by a class 40, and park it at
Garsdale! - 11 September
A North Wales Circular,
Saturday 27 August 2005 - report by Vince Chadwick
A friend and I fancied making good use of a North and Mid Wales Day
Ranger ticket, so I checked timetables on the web. A circular route
using service trains around North Wales from Mobberley, our nearest
station on the mid-Cheshire line, looked to be possible- if all our
connections worked out OK.
We arrived at Mobberley in time for the 08:16 to Chester, only for the
signalman in the adjacent box to tell us there would not be train for
quite a while, since services were terminating at Altrincham due
engineering work at Stockport and the train now leaving Knutsford would
need to work past us and onwards to Altrincham before reversing and
returning – estimating Mobberley (Chester-bound) at about 09:00. If
that had been true, it would have scuppered our day of tight
connections before it had even started. However, a few minutes later he
re-appeared on his balcony to revise this bombshell news – a train for
Chester would indeed arrive at 08:16, adding “we signalmen are always
the last to know what’s going on”.
An on-time arrival at Chester after a pleasant amble though
mid-Cheshire by our class 150 allowed time to purchase the North and
Mid Wales Day Ranger ticket (£20 – excellent value!) before the
class 175 (not one my favourite trains) arrived on time at 09:20 to
transport us along the coast to Llandudno Junction, arriving 10:13.
Time for a tea from the Junction tea room, before boarding the 10:42
for the Conway Valley line to Blaenau Ffestinniog. This was my
first ride along this absolutely amazing railway. It certainly lives up
to its claim of being one of the most scenic lines in Britain, though I
would not like to have been a fireman in steam days on that ongoing 1
in 47 climb up to the final tunnel. And conditions on the footplate in
that tunnel must have been sheer hell. This line is one I must
re-visit; there was just too much superb scenery to take in on the one
trip.
Our class 150 pulled into Blaenau (above) on time at 11:41, and we
ambled across the standard gauge, then the narrow gauge, rails to the
Ffestiniog’s 11:55 service to Porthmadog headed by Double Fairlie Mereddin
Emrys in unlined running-in black livery. As we clattered and
swayed our narrow-gauge way down to Porthmadoc we were offered at-seat
refreshment. The sun being (no doubt) by now over the yard arm
(whatever that is) we indulged in a pint of Pedigree bitter to
accompany our home made sandwiches (there is no time to stop for a
proper lunch on this trip, so close are the connections).
The Ffestiniog did us proud, and we arrived as advertised at 13:15 in
Harbour station. A 15 minute walk got us to to Porthmadog main line
station for the Arriva 13:44 service to Machynlleth – a four
coach 158, only the first two coaches of which were in use (why?). At
Harlech the guard announced a half hour wait, since the Birmingham –
Pwllheli was late and had left Barmouth and was thus occupying the
single track section. We wandered out into the sunshine (picture above)
for the wait, and I had a word with the driver, since our schedule only
allowed nine minutes for the connection at Machynlleth. “We
should be OK”, he said. “we are scheduled a half hour wait at Towyn to
cross with the next northbound train, so we’ll just do that here
instead”.
This being bank Holiday Saturday, the train was full of holidaymakers,
as were the many fine beaches on the Cambrian Coast as we enjoyed the
views of the distant Lleyn peninsula, and the Cadair Idris mountains as
we snaked southwards along this curvy coastal railway. Barmouth bridge,
Friog cliffs, and other major landmarks in my BR civil engineer
father-in-law’s life passed under our wheels. As the driver foresaw, on
arrival at Towyn the opposite direction 158 was waiting, and so we had
no further delay. Turning inland at the Dovey estuary, however, our
next train, the Aberystwyth – Birmingham 158 was tracking the south
shore of the estuary, while we tracked the far more rugged and
therefore slower north shore. We were due in to Machynlleth at 15:57 to
transfer that train, due into Machynlleth behind us, but he was gaining
on us! On arrival at Dovey Junction, he’d been given the road and was
therefore ahead of us and we thought we’d missed that vital connection.
However, the train had been held at Machynlleth station and we drew in
behind it.
BR Standard Class 4 steam loco 76079 was stabled at
Machynlleth shed, together with her train, ready for the steam specials
to be run over the following two days, but our 158 picked up her skirts
and sprinted for Talerddig passing loop, where we had an on-time
crossing with the westbound train. Despite a spirited run through mid
Wales we were a few minutes late at Shrewsbury, but still with 5
minutes in hand for our connection to Chester – once again a ubiquitous
class 158. A lovely run along the Welsh borders brought us into Chester
bang on time at 18:32, with just time for a cup of tea before the 18:51
class 150 delivered us back to Mobberley at the advertised time of
19:41.
Above: the Class 150 at Chester, ready to take us home to Mobberley.
|
Station
|
Arrive
|
Depart
|
|
Mobberley
|
|
08:16
|
|
Chester
|
09:07
|
09:20
|
|
Llandudno Jnct
|
10:13
|
10:42
|
|
Blaenau Ffestinniog
|
11:41
|
11:55
|
|
Porthmadoc
|
13:15
|
13:44
|
|
Machynlleth
|
15:57
|
16:06
|
|
Shrewsbury
|
17:22
|
17:35
|
|
Chester
|
18:32
|
18:57
|
|
Mobberley
|
19:41
|
|
A
memorable full day out on the trains of North Wales and mid-Cheshire
for less than £30! Mobberley – Chester return:
£9.30, North & Mid
Wales day ranger: £20. That has to be a bargain. - 11
September
Editor's note: Vince took the pictures with his mobile
phone; technology has certainly advanced recently!
An
exhibition to visit; MIGO + 1
Mike Dunning writes: ' I was wondering if perhaps you could
mention our forthcoming Exhibition please. Its being held at
Saltney Community Centre, Sandy Lane, Saltney, Chester on 15 and
October. We have 6 Modern Image layouts as well as demonstrations and
Trade stands, More Details are available at www.migo.org.uk
'I have also recently updated my website www.talacre.com with pictures of my
garden railway, As you can see a lot has been done to try and re-create
the atmosphere of the North Wales Coast line railway.' - 11
September
Saturday 3 September - report by Alan Crawshaw
My first photo shows the crack of dawn Pendolino at Chester, dragged by
57 308. We arrived at 07:35 but it wasn't scheduled to leave
until 08:01, a timetabling curiosity I hadn't spotted.
That should have given us enought time to jump back on board after
photographing 47 848 Newton Abbot Festival of Transport
arriving with the empty stock for the 08:00 Chester to Cardiff footex,
but it was a few minutes late so we had to settle for a 153 to take us
on to Crewe.
At Crewe we saw the other two footexes, the 'Western' charter and Leander
- seen here arriving ...
and at rest at platform 12.
We pressed on to Nottingham, returning in time to see the Jubilee
return ...
... before taking the Virgin service home. The platform announcer
insisted it was a Pendolino service and after boarding the Mk 3 set I
almost wished it was. Air conditioning wasn't working so it was
stiflingly hot despite the droplights and the internal doors being
open. It's sad to see the condition that this stock is now in. - 9
September
47 841 on Saturday 20
August - report by Paul Harrison
Further to the report on the website about 47 841 hauling 1D22,
I travelled on the service from Crewe to Llandudno Junction. 47 841
took over from 90 024 in GNER blue livery at Crewe. Following
departure, I filmed from the door window. As soon as we had cleared
Crewe, I could tell something was not right. Not enough sound or clag
nor speed for that matter. Upon arriving at Chester we were held whilst
a 175 followed by a 150 were sent ahead, losing us further time.
At the Flint stop all went quiet. It was obvious that the engine had
shut down. The same occured at Rhyl and Colwyn Bay as can be heard on
my video footage ! Upon arriving at the Junction, the engine was again
restarted.
Heading for the end of the platform to film the departure, I had a
quick word with the driver who confirmed that the loco had low power
and the engine kept on shutting down when braking for station stops. I
confidently told him he would make it to Holyhead ! I don't think we
travelled more than 60-65mph all the way. A shame really as I wanted a
nice fast run along the coast whilst still possible. - 11
September
Crewe diesel Saturday
variety - 3 September
Steam was not the only star at Crewe on 3 September, a couple of
football extras and a railtour added to the mix, as these four Steve
Morris pictures show. Above, stands at Platform 6 with the
09:28 Crewe - Cardiff.
47 843 is on the front of the 08:27 Manchester - Cardiff ...
... with 47 839 on the rear.
A touch of the exotic: D1015 Western Champion with a
Bristol - Carlisle charter.
Also on football special duty ton 3 September was 47 848
Newton Abbot Festival of Transport, seen in Mar Riley's picture
departing from Wrexham at 08:33 with a Crewe - Cardiff via Chester
additional service. - 11 September
Photographic treat
A meeting of two very different mythologies at Llandudno Junctionon 3
September: 57 303 Alan Tracy (pilot of Thunderbird 3)
stands alongside 5690 Leander (Greek swim mer who
eventually drowned in the Hellespont).
