NORTH WALES COAST
RAILWAY: NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
27 December 2010
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Forthcoming events
January 2011
Friday 7 January Clwyd Railway Circle Tony Harrison: Trains Around the World. - Since retiring in 2000, Tony has travelled extensively around the world in pursuit of steam. This is his first visit and his presentations have received impressive reviews from other railway societies.
Friday 14 January Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society
50 YEARS OF THE CRICH TRAMWAY MUSEUM a colour slide presentation by Mike Crabtree
Monday 17 January RCTS Chester Tony Icke: WESTERN & WESSEX WANDERINGS. A slide show mainly from the 1960’s from
Crewe to the Isle of Wight via western routes, Swindon and the S&D.
Thursday 27 January Merseyside Railway History Group Geoff Pickard: Railways around Saltney
See the Calendar page for more details.
Picture by Larry Davies.
The cold aspect of railway work - report by Gary Jones
The dramatic view above shows 66618 arriving at Penmaenmawr on 22 December at 16.45 after a long wait at Llandudno Junction, as chronicled above. The rails in the sidings were covered to a depth of 9 inches of snow. The stone train arrived un-announced at Llandudno Junction and a request was put in as to the state of the points to the quarry sidings at Penmaenmawr ... not cleared as no train was expected! With the minimal staff available, urgent clearance of the points commenced as the stone train was taking up space at Llandudno Junction. The Penmaenmawr sidings trap points were particularly difficult to locate under a foot of snow.
We also had to stand clear for trains passing on the main line, as seen in these views. Due to the depth of snow on the four point ends, it was about 16:20 when the points were usable after the application of lots of de-icer.
Clearance was made all the more difficult for Network Rail staff as vehicles had to be left in Penmaenmawr village. However, the train duly arrived to leave the wagons and the loco returned light to Guide Bridge.
Llandud-snow
On Wednesday 22 December, a couple of shots taken by Larry Davies at Llandudno Station as 175 115 prepares to leave as the 14.10 to Llandudno Junction shuttle.
Dee Valley winter
The reality of Santa Specials for the footplate crew - freezing water amidst the snow as 44806 prepares to run round for 13:15 Santa Special to Lapland on 23 December. Passengers have enjoyed a winter wonderland in the Dee Valley and it looks set to continue for the 'Mince Pie Special' season (George Jones).
44806 out on the line (John Beresford)
Llangollen on Christmas Eve and here is 80072 backing out in readiness to take over the last Santa Train of the Season in suitable festive weather; Snow in the landscape and a clear blue sky. In a month that has provided a winter wonderland in the Dee Valley the operation of trains has been a challenge to staff and machines, not to mention passengers, but all trains have operated as programmed despite the difficulties encountered.
One day's rest and then on to the Mince Pie Specials from 26 December The winter wonderland looks set to continue. Anyone coming for a ride with mulled wine and mince pies should attend suitably attired as keeping the train warm is a continuous challenge ... by which I mean a problem (George Jones)
Wrong sort of Passengers
David Harrison writes: On 21 December the following was given by National Rail Enquiries as the reason why the 13:10 London to Chester (arr. 15:12) was cancelled: "This train has been cancelled because of an unusually large passenger flow" - As I have recently come to believe, passengers are clearly as serious inconvenience when operating a railway!'
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