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02 April 2012Last issue Archive RSS Link to this issue Share this issue: Tweet Contributions and comments are encouraged: see the Contributions Page This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales. Forthcoming events April 2012 Friday 6 April Clwyd Railway Circle change of date and speaker for this month only: see 13 April, below. Tuesday 10 April 8E Railway Association Stephen Gay presents Walking The Line - Discovering Lost Railways Thursday 12 April Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society Clive Myers "The Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway" Friday 13 April Clwyd Railway Circle new date. Geoff Coward will be showing Black and White slides mainly of steam from 1905 to 1950. Friday 13 April Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society North West Film Archive Evening featuring historic footage of buses, aircraft, trains and trams across the North West Saturday 14 April Excursion Cheshire Cat Tours Aberystwyth, Borth, Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Whitchurch and Crewe to Carlisle. Outwards via Shap, Return via Settle to Carlisle Line. Saturday 14 April Steam to Chester Steam Dreams 'The Cathedrals Express' London - Chester Monday 16 April RCTS Chester Branch AGM (Members only) Wednesday 18 April Excursion Compass Tours 'The Roses Express' Hooton, Chester, Delamere, Northwich, Knutsford, Altrincham, Stockport & Denton to York. Scheduled for haulage by a Steam Locomotive from Preston. Saturday 21 April Excursion Chester Model Railway Club Shrewsbury , Gobowen, Wrexham, Bache, Hooton and Frodsham to Edinburgh Waverley. 2 x Class 67s (top & tail) Tickets available in first and standard class. Includes Chester avoiding line and Hooton - Helsby through running as rare track. 21 - 29 April Llangollen Railway / Betton Grange Society Steel, Steam & Stars III Gala 'featuring up to 12 main line steam locos including 6 guests.' Thursday 26 April Merseyside Railway History Group Geoff Coward: Quiz and informal evening May 2012 Sat - Mon 5-7 May Llandudno Transport Festival. (No specific rail content this year but worth a visit, especially if interested in buses) Saturday 5 May Excursion Mid-Cheshire Rail Users' Association. The Lincolnshire Poacher Railtour to Lincoln, Wainfleet and Skegness from most Mid-Cheshire Line stations. Further Details at: www.mcrua.org.uk (now fully booked but a waiting list is in operation.) Saturday 5 May Steam to North Wales Vintage Trains 'Llandudno Victorian Fayre' Tyseley - Llandudno Saturday 5 May Excursion to North Wales Statesman Rail 'Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza' Departing from: Swindon (06.50/21.55) Kemble (07.05/21.30) Stroud (07.25/21.15) Stonehouse (07.35/21.05) Cheltenham Spa (08.00/20.40) Worcester Shrub Hill (08.25/20.15) Droitwich Spa (08.35/20.05) Kidderminster (08.55/19.50) Stourbridge Jct (09.10/19.30) Tame Bridge Parkway (10.00/18.30) to Llandudno Junction and Llandudno. Saturday 5 May Excursion to North Wales NENTA train tours 'North Wales Extravaganza' from Norwich, Ipswich & East Anglian stations to Chester and Llandudno Junction (coach transfer to Llandudno). Sat - Mon 5 -7 May Ffestiniog Railway 'Blaenau 30' - celebrating the 30th anniversary of the re-opening to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Sat / Sun 5 - 6 May Welsh Highland Heritage Railway 'Elements Gala' Tuesday 8 May 8E Railway Association Les Nixon presents The A to Z of Railways Around the World Thursday 10 May Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society "End of Indoor Season Special" Saturday 19 May Steam in North Wales PMR Tours 'The Welsh Dragon' Bristol to Holyhead Friday 25 May Excursion to North Wales Compass Tours 'Snowdon Mountaineer' Carnforth, Morecambe, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western, Garswood, St Helens Central, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool South Parkway & Runcorn to Betws-Y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog. Friday 25 May Excursion to North Wales UK Railtours 'The Snowdonian' London, Milton Keynes and Rugby to to both Llandudno Junction and Bangor. From Llandudno Junction coaches for the scenic trip up the Conwy Valley to Blaenau where the greatest narrow gauge journey of all begins, right the way through via Porthmadog to Caernarfon, where coaches will be waiting for the short hop to Bangor where our main line train is rejoined. Half the passengers will do the 'circuit' in the opposite direction. Saturday 26 May Excursion Cheshire Cat Tours Holyhead, Bangor, Llandudno Junction,Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Chester and Warrington to Carlisle. Outwards via the Settle to Carlisle line, Return via the Cumbrian Coast Line June 2012 Sat / Sun 2 - 3 June Welsh Highland Heritage Railway 'Family Fun Weekend' Friday 8 June Excursion Compass Tours 'Dorset Coast Express' Holyhead, Llanfairpwll, Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Flint, Chester & Crewe to Brockenhurst, Bournemouth or Weymouth. Sat / Sun 9 - 10 June Welsh Highland Heritage Railway 'Teddy Bear weekend. 'Children go FREE if they bring a teddy bear. Find the bears hiding in the Engine Sheds and win a prize.' Saturday 16 June Excursion to North Wales Scottish Railway Preservation Society From Glenrothes with Thornton, Kirkcaldy, Dalgety Bay, Edinburgh Waverley, Kirknewton over Beattock and Shap summits to Chester and Llandudno. (diesel-hauled) Saturday 16 June Excursion Cheshire Cat Tours Whitchurch, Wem, Shrewbury, Wellington, Telford Central, Codsall, Wolverhampton, Tame Bridge Parkway, Birmingham International to Canterbury. Sat / Sun 23 - 24 June Llangollen Railway Heritage Railcar Gala Sat / Sun 23 - 24 June Welsh Highland Heritage Railway Slate industrial exhibition Saturday 30 June Excursion to North Wales Compass Tours 'Snowdon Mountain Ranger' Skipton, Keighley, Shipley, Wakefield Kirkgate, Huddersfield, Denton, Stockport, Altrincham & Knutsford to Betws-Y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog July 2012 Saturday 7 July Excursion to North Wales UK Railtours 'Chester and the Pennines' Stevenage, Potters Bar, Finsbury Park to Chester (break) and then through Wigan, Blackburn and Accrington to Copy Pit Summit, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd before descending to Wakefield and finally joining the East Coast Main Line to head homeward. Sunday 22 July Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'North Wales Coast Express' Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Frodsham and Chester to Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead (arr 15:10 dep 17:45). Sat / Sun 28 - 29 July Llangollen Railway 1960s weekend Sunday 29 July Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'North Wales Coast Express' Liverpool Lime Street, Broad Green, Warrington Bank Quay, Frodsham and Chester to Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead (arr 14:30 dep 16:30). Tuesday 31 July Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'The Welsh Mountaineer' Preston, Warrington Frodsham, Chester to Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog (arr. 13:15 dep 16:10) [Note: again this summer there will be no steam trains on the Cambrian Coast line due to the rail industry's continuing inability to adapt the new ERTMS signalling for use with a steam locomotive.] August 2012 Sat / Sun 4 - 5 August Talyllyn Railway Tom Rolt
Steam & Vehicle Rally
Sunday 5 August Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'North Wales Coast Express' Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Frodsham and Chester to Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead (arr 15:10 dep 17:45). Sunday 12 August Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'North Wales Coast Express' Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Frodsham and Chester to Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead (arr 15:10 dep 17:45). Tuesday 14 August Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'The Welsh Mountaineer' Preston, Warrington Frodsham, Chester to Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog (arr. 13:15 dep 16:10) Saturday 18 August Steam in North Wales Vintage Trains 'The Welsh Dragon' Tyseley - Blaenau Ffestiniog (Steam loco 5043 as far as Llandudno Junction; Class 47 diesel to Blaenau) Sunday 19 August Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'North Wales Coast Express' Liverpool Lime Street, Broad Green, Warrington Bank Quay, Frodsham and Chester to Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead (arr 14:30 dep 16:30). Sat / Sun 25 - 26 August Llangollen Railway Classic Transport weekend Sunday 26 August Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'North Wales Coast Express' Liverpool Lime Street, Broad Green, Warrington Bank Quay, Frodsham and Chester to Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead (arr 14:30 dep 16:30). Tuesday 28 August Steam in North Wales Railway Touring Company 'The Welsh Mountaineer' Preston, Warrington Frodsham, Chester to Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog (arr. 13:15 dep 16:10) Saturday 31 August - 2 September Llangollen Railway Autumn Steam Gala September 2012 Sun / Mon 1 - 2 September Llangollen Railway Autumn Steam Gala (continued) Saturday 15 September Excursion Cheshire Cat Tours Holyhead, Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Shotton, Chester and Frodsham to Edinburgh. Saturday 22 September Llangollen Railway Diesel Day October 2012 Saturday 20 October Excursion Cheshire Cat Tours Aberystwyth , Borth, Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool, and Shrewsbury to Bath and Salisbury. |
Amid a sea of semaphore signals, the 15:30 Manchester Piccadilly - Pembroke Dock service, formed of 175 005, approaches Craven Arms station on 29 March. Picture by Ken Robinson. The crossover in the picture is used by trains to the Heart of Wales line which run 'wrong line' for a short distance to the actual junction. On Snowdon Mountain - report by Eryl CrumpThe Snowdon Mountain Railway re-started running public trains to the summit of Snowdon, following its winter break, on Saturday, 31 March. This was the earliest date that trains have ever run to the summit; the picture shows the first train after arrival, propelled by Hunslet-built diesel no.9 Ninian. Indeed railway officials believe its the earliest trains have run since the railway opened on 6 April 1896 - the very first day of services. An unusually mild winter is the reason for the early running. Very little snow has gathered in the cuttings high up the mountain and little track maintenance work was required. The recommissioning of the Hafod Eryri building took about 10 days and is also now open daily until the end of the season in late October. The weather forecast for this week includes snow, so services may be curtailed for a while. The café area inside the building. It was dull and damp at Llanberis for departure but a temperature inversion meant that the train emerged from the clouds into bright sunshine (and swirling mist) round about the monolith which marks the start point of the Pyg track. Saturday DragClass 57/3 locos will still be seen on the North Wales Coast line, providing traction west of Crewe for one Saturday London - Holyhead and return train formed of a Pendolino train which runs on electric power between London and Crewe. 31 March saw 57 311 Parker on the duty, one of just three 'Thunderbirds' to retain its name. Above, the westbound train rolls into Llandudno Junction (Peter Lloyd) The same train at Llanfair PG (Richard Fleckney). Three locos are to go to DRS, which will no doubt re-paint them in its blue livery, or possibly in Pullman colours for use on the Northern Belle. Watching these changes from the sidelines, we wonder why blue locos, no longer wanted by Arriva, were not chosen. No doubt there is a good reason, perhaps related to 'engine hours.' The return train at Prestatyn (Stéphanie Durrant). See also a Video taken at Colwyn Bay. The reason for this weekly expedition to Holyhead is said to be retain train crew knowledge and experience of the technicalities of 'dragging' Pendolinos. Paradoxically, though, the retractable 'Dellner' couplers were only fitted to the 57s when Virgin was obliged to haul Pendolinos; for 'Thunderbird' rescuing failed trains it had been envisaged that a removable 'emergency coupler' would have been used. However, the system has proved useful when engineering work has required Pendolino-worked trains to be diverted over non-electrified routes, such as Preston to Manchester, and Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington Central. Nostalgia corner
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