175 002 (with bag to protect
its coupler from the snow) calls at Llandudno Junction on 13 January as
Network Rail's rail grinder unit lurks in the Tamper Siding. Picture by
Darren Durrant.
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
As promised, here is a big catch-up of pictures received so far in 2010
and not yet shown. Thanks as always to all the contributors. If you
want to read about some coming events, and see some other news, don't
miss the 13 January edition.
Saturday 2 January
150 235 at Betws-y-Coed working
the 13:20 Llandudno - Blaenau Ffestiniog. Picture by Route19.
The same unit is seen later in the day at Llandudno Junction in dusk
working the 14:52 Blaenau - Llandudno. (Route19)
175 010 is departing Llandudno
at dusk working the 16:08 to Manchester. (Route19)
Monday 4 January
175 105 is departing Llandudno
working the 12:10 to Llandudno Junction. (Route19)
Tuesday 5 January
Still in the UK, unlike some of its classmates which are now in
Bulgaria, 87 002The AC Locomotive Group
(named for its current owners) is seen at Crewe heading train 1Z91
additional Willesden PRDC - Warrington Dallam Royal Mail train,
comprised, as is usual these days, of Class 325 multiple units in use
as hauled stock.
According to the AC Loco Group
website,
87 002 had the distinction of heading the last official Virgin West
Coast diagrammed Class 87-hauled train with 87 010 on 10 June 2005, and
hauled the really very last
Virgin diagrammed Class 87-hauled train on 22 December 2006. Today it
is the only Class 87 still in use in the UK, working these trains on
hire to First GB Railfreight.
57 314 calls at Crewe with the
northbound 'WAG Express' from Cardiff to Holyhead.
Snow is falling as 86 702Cassiopeia passes on
180-minute-late train 1S96 Willesden PRDC - Shieldmuir Royal Mail train.
Wednesday 6 January
175 006 is at Llandudno at
sunset waiting to work the 16:08 to Manchester. (Route19)
Thursday 7 January
Grey, silver and white at Gobowen as 67
013Dyfrbont Pontcysyllte
departs for London, running nearly an hour late, with one of Wrexham
& Shropshire's own trainsets. Picture by Martin Evans.
Saturday 9 January
175 002 arriving at
Prestatyn working the 11:44 Llandudno to Manchester (Route19)
175 101 departing Prestatyn
working the 10:50 Manchester to Llandudno (Route19)
158 833 arriving at Prestatyn
working the 11:23 Holyhead to Birmingham (Route19)
The 158 was shown as 'delayed', but it left only two minutes down. The
delayed train was in fact 175 103,
which
was
about
15-20 minutes down! It was working the 09:20 Cardiff-
Holyhead. (Route19)
At Holyhead, it was decided to use 57
314, which was stabled for the weekend with the Cardiff express,
to help out 57 307Lady Penelope return train 1A55,
the 14:36 London-bound Pendolino, 390 007Virgin Lady, to Crewe. Train
heating problems, perhaps? Above, the
cavalcade awaits departure from Holyhead. Picture by Corrie.
Soon after departure, passing RAF Valley (Corrie).
At Llanfair PG level crossing, someone has to open the gates, whatever
the weather. This time (above) Mark, one of the team, walks across the
ice to do the honours. (Richard
Fleckney)
175 103, forming the 14:23
Holyhead - Cardiff, slows for the signal protecting the the single
track across the Britannia Bridge. (Richard Fleckney)
158 829, destination Holyhead,
leaves the single line and lets the 175 proceed. (Richard Fleckney)
57 314 and 57 307 pass Llanfair PG with the London train. (Richard Fleckney)
Heading off towards the bridge. (Richard
Fleckney)
Emerging from Pen-Y-Clip tunnel near Penmaenmawr (Paul Williams)
Along the sea wall at Ffynnongroyw (Stavros
Lainas)
Meanwhile, Andrew Vinten was
at the East Lancashire Railway for their 'diesel day.' Above,
'Deltic' 55 022Royal Scots Grey stands at
Summerseat station.
40 145East Lancashire Railway looks good
in the sun in its non-authentic large logo livery. 37 418 Pectinidae
can be glimpsed on the rear: it spent the day impersonating an ETHEL
(electric train heating ex-loco) although was the star of the service
on the next day, Sunday (see below).
Double-headed Deltics: as reported here, a few days earlier 55 022 had
run to Barrow Hill (Derbyshire) to return with sister loco D9016 / 55 016 Gordon Highlander, which has been
bought by 55 022's owner Martin Walker from DRS, who in turn had bought
it from the Harry Needle organisation. Some time earlier when owned by
Porterbrook leasing company it notoriously appeared in purple livery,
but as can be seen it now wears a slightly care-worn version of the
original colours of these machines; also, the modern-style light
clusters, added in its purple period, have been removed and replaced by
original-style marker lights.
Sunday 10 January
67 015David J. Lloyd and a full silver
set awaits the next duty - 13:11 to London - in a snowy stabling point
at Wrexham General (George Jones)
57 312The Hood ran light-engine to
Holyhead (above) to take up duties the next day on the express to
Cardiff, after 57 314 was borrowed the day before for the London train.
Picture by Corrie.
Over on the East Lancashire Railway, events took a distinctly 'North
Wales 1990s' feel after the water supply for the planned steam loco was
found to be unreliable due to the cold, and 37 418Pectinidae was called upon to
substitute. It is seen above at Bury waiting to depart at 14:45 for
Heywood. (Charlie Hulme)
The other diagram was being operated by a green Class 101. Not good old
101 685 Daisy, though: This
is 101 659, on loan from the
National Railway Museum collection, and latterly one of the First North
Western units that would have run on The Coast in Regional Railways
livery.
11 January
Test Train 1Q18 heads trough Warrington Bank Quay en route for Mossend
(Glasgow). 31 233 is seen on
the rear: heading the train is blue-lived 31 106, which we last saw working
the one coach-test train in the last issue. (Andrew Vinten)
To the Cinema
If you've got this far, and still have nine minutes 59 seconds to
spare, why not watch our YouTube Video of
an ELR journey on 10 January. Any adverts which appear are not our
choice!