THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
16:10 on 16/10: 57 314 Firefly at Holyhead with
the 16:10 to London on 16 October. Picture by Corrie.
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Last update 19 October 2005
Vintage Ffestiniog -
report by Dave Sallery
Three views from the FR vintage weekend, take on Sunday 16 October.
Above, the gravity train entering Minffordd with a goodly collection of
Victorian brakesmen.
The replica of Spooner's Boat being taken back to Boston Lodge, with
its sail down. The plan was to take it up to Dduallt and let it
run (sail?) back down by gravity but unfortunately it wasn't quite
finished in time.
Palmerston in a siding at Tan y Bwlch with the quarrymen's train. -
19 October
New ticket news
Gwynedd County Council have issued their Winter edition of their
excellent Bus / Rail Timetable Booklet valid from 31 October 2005 to 8
April 2006. The booklet is widely available not only in Gwynedd but
also surrounding counties some two weeks in advance of its commencement
date. The booklet carries details of major
timetable changes to Arriva Trains Wales services from 11 December
2005 on North Wales and Cambrian lines as well as changes to local bus
services since the last edition of the timetable. The booklet also
contains details of example fares and Rover Tickets available on buses
and trains in the area.
The booklet also carries details of a new Zonal Bus / Rail Rover Ticket
is to be launched during Winter 2005 / 2006 incorporating the
whole of North Wales. This ticket will be called Tocyn Taith
and will allow travel on all local bus services and rail services in
the area.
There will be seven zones in total across North Wales:
A: Isle of Anglesey
B: Gwynedd + Llangefni / Amlwch & Machynlleth / Aberystwyth
C: Conwy
D: Denbighshire
F: Flintshire
W: Wrexham & Gobowen
Z: Chester Stn / City Centre / Business Park
Any 2 adjacent zones will cost £6; Any 3 adjacent zones will cost
£10; Any 4 adjacent zones will cost £15; All Zones will
cost £20
Copies of the new Gwynedd timetable are available on buses in the area,
along with Tourist Information Centres and tourist attractions in the
area or from Gwynedd
County Council. - 19 October
Class 37 news
Here's a classic shot by 'Bushcutter' showing 37 405 working
6W31 06:13 Pwllheli - Basford Hall engineer's train (track-carrying
wagons) passing Drawwell Street, Shrewsbury on Sunday 16 October.
Very interesting (if slight old) Class 37/4 news is that 37 414
Cathays C & W Works, once a North Wales regular, which has
been languishing in the Wigan Springs Branch "Component Recovery and
Disposal Centre" for some years and looking like it had no future, has
been bought by a group of preservationists and placed in the care of
the Class 37
Locomotive Group. This is only the second Class 37/4 to be sold by
EWS, and is reported to be intended for use on a heritage railway once
restored. Let us hope that it is restored in Regional Railways colours
as a memorial to The other 'escaped' loco, 37 423, has
yet to work a train after a considerable period in private ownership,
first by Ian Riley and now by West Coast Railway Company.
Probably the most famous 37/4, 37 408 Loch Rannoch, is
now dumped at Toton EWS depot, after being damaged in an unnecessary
incident at Rhymney on 2 August in which it was allowed to run away
into another train in the sidings after the brake pressure 'leaked off'
and the parking brake failed to hold it.
Here's a couple of South Wales views taken in June by Eryl Crump:
above, 37 405 approaching Heath High Level station....
...and here's 37 425 in its revived large logo livery in a
misty Cardiff Central station. This loco's exploits in North Wales will
have their own special page as soon as we can get it together.
The current working fleet of EWS 37s in late October comprises 37 401 /
406 / 416 / 417 / 427 for Scottish duties and 37 405 / 411 / 419 / 425
in South Wales. The surviving passenger duties on the Fort William
Sleeper and the Rhymney branch are living on borrowed time, as the old
cliché has it. Class 67s are now passed for the Fort William
line and apparently it only remains to complete training of the
Scotrail crews, whilst the Rhymney trains are due to be handed over to
railcars at the December timetable change.
A memory of the evening of 3 June 2005: 37 427 (still carrying
its unofficial re-name Bont Y Bermo) pauses at Rannoch with the
sleeper to London. (Charlie Hulme)
Sunday 4 December is to be a special day for railfans on the Rhymney
line with all trains 37-worked as a farewell event. Arriva say:
'Sunday 4 December 2005 will see hourly special farewell
trips between Cardiff and Rhymney calling at Bargoed, Ystrad Mynach and
Caerphilly using at least five different locomotives. As well as trips
aboard [sic] Class 37 locomotives familiar to the route, special trips
will be offered on a wide range of locomotives including a Class 31, a
Class 33, a Class 47/8 and a Class 50 - presenting a rare treat for
loco enthusiasts.
'The majority of the trains will be formed of a locomotive at each end
of four air conditioned coaches, with the exception of the first two
trains from Rhymney and final three from Cardiff which will run single
engine only. Locomotive haulage has been used on the busy Cardiff to
Rhymney commuter route for a decade. Improved journey times
introduced by Arriva's 'Standard Pattern Timetable' will mean that
locomotive services will be replaced by multiple vehicle units from
December 2005, increasing seating available from approximately 210 to
280 seats.
'Tickets for the farewell special trips cost £10 return or
£20 for an all day rover, with a 50 per cent discount for
children. No other tickets will be available on these services."
It looks like the
end of 'traditional' daily diesel locomotive haulage of regular
passenger trains is nigh: 'one' railway has recently ceased the
47-hauled Great Yarmouth working, so the North Wales Pendolino 'drags'
are the nearest you'll get apart from specials, diversions and summer
extras. And how long will the North Wales workings last? More about
this soon. - 19 October
Crimewatch
During the night of Friday 7 / Saturday 8 October, 2005, the
Betws-y-coed Railway Museum Shop was burgled and the following stock
stolen:-
0 gauge Bassett Lowke Steam Locos
2 rebuilt Royal Scots (BR Green) one had superdetailed backhead
6 Princess Royals - "Elizabeth, Royal, Victoria, Helena Victoria, Marie
Louise and Lady Patricia" in the full range of liveries
1 Southern Mogul
1 A3 "Humorist" in the distinctive light green livery.
1 LIVE Steam - Stanier Mogul 42945 series
Bachmann 4F ex LMS in Brass
In addition to all the above 0 gauge items some 20 Graham Farish N
gauge locos and a LGB Big Boy Lionel die cast Garden
Railway loco were also stolen.
Colin Cartwright owner of the Museum is offering a reward for any
information leading to the recovery of these locomotives and if anybody
can help on this crime, could they please contact North Wales Police on
0845 607 1001.- 19 October
Water cannon morning -
report by Gwyn Williams
The mornings are getting darker, but I was just able to capture 37
602 and 20 301 trundling through Llandudno Junction with
the water cannon train on the morning of Saturday 15 October. The train
came at 09:03, just after the Llandudno to Manchester service - the
same as the previous Saturday, and an hour after the booked timing. -
19 October
Aluminium - 'light'
engine
60 017 Ribblehead Viaduct was sent to collect the loaded
wagons of aluminium from Anglesey Aluminium on 13 October. Brian
Jones captured it passing through Llandudno Junction station.
A quick reversal at Holyhead (Picture by Corrie) ...
... and picking up the loaded ferry wagons. (Corrie) The
aluminium plant reportedly has a contract to supply an Italian firm
with ingots which would amount to about 20 ten-wagon
trains.Another report, on the other hand, has it that the consignment
is destined for AMAG in Austria. The load comprises of rolled aluminum
ingots Each ingot weighs approx 9.4 tonnes and each wagon is thought to
be loaded with 8 ingots. Any clarficiation of this info would be
welcome. - 19 October
Conwy scenes 12 October
- with Eifion Hughes
158 852 on the 'Down' with a local service in Arriva livery ...
... followed by 57 314 Firefly + 390 020 Virgin
Cavalier on the 'Up' with 1A78 Holyhead -Euston. - 19 October
views of the Notice Board since 18 February 2006