01 May 2015
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and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Forthcoming events
This list may be out of date if you are reading an archived page. For
the current list visit our Calendar.
May 2015
Tuesday 12 May North Wales
Railway Circle. AGM followed by photographic competition.
Wednesday 13 May Welsh Highland
Railway North Wales Group. AGM (usually a short affair) which will
be followed by an illustrated talk on New Zealand railways by Mr.Alf
Williams.
Thursday 14 May Llandudno
and
Conwy
Valley Railway Society 6G locomen: personal reminiscences
by A Guest Panel
15-17 May Welsh Highland Railway Rail
Ale
Festival including live music.
Wednesday 20 May Excursion Compass
Tours
by
West
Coast The Cornish Explorer From Chester, Wrexham,
Ruabon, Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Craven Arms, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford
& Bristol tp Penzance. The train is routed via the scenic Welsh
Marches line, South Wales, the Severn Tunnel, Bristol, Somerset, the
Dawlish Sea Wall, Devon and rural Cornwall.
June 2015
Sat/Sun 21 June Llangollen
Railway Railcar Gala
July 2015
Friday 3 July Excursion Compass
Tours by West Coast The Conway Valley Explorer
Via the Scenic Conway line (with Ffestiniog Railway option). From
Grantham, Peterborough, Stamford, Oakham, Melton Mowbray, Leicester,
South Wigston, Hinckley, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield TV, Rugeley TV
& Stafford to Betws-y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Saturday 4 July Excursion Compass
Tours
by
West
Coast The Conway Valley Explorer From Lincoln,
Newark NG, Grantham, Bottesford, Bingham, Radcliffe, Netherfield,
Nottingham, Tutbury & Hatton, Uttoxeter, Blythe Bridge & Stoke
to Betws-y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog. (with Ffestiniog Railway
option).
August 2015
September 2015
Wednesday 9 September Excursion Compass
Tours
by
West
Coast The Conway Valley Explorer
Via the Scenic Conway line (with Ffestiniog Railway option) Sheffield
to Betws-Y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog. From Sheffield, Rotherham
Central, Swinton, Moorthorpe, Normanton, Shipley, Keighley, Skipton,
Hellifield, Carnforth & Lancaster.
12 September Excursion Compass
Tours
by
West
Coast The Conway Valley Explorer Via the Scenic
Conway line (with Ffestiniog Railway option) Scarborough to
Betws-Y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog.eparts – Saturday
From Scarborough, Seamer, Malton, York, Wakefield, Brighouse, Sowerby
Bridge, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden & Rochdale.
October 2015
Saturday 10 October Excursion Compass Tours by West Coast The
Conway Valley Explorer
Via the Scenic Conway line (with Ffestiniog Railway option) Hereford to
Betws-Y-Coed
Departs – From Hereford, Ledbury, Gt Malvern, Worcester FS, Droitwich,
Barnt Green, Walsall & Wolverhampton.
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Network Rail Class 97/3 locos have been running along the Coast
recently on route-learning duties. David Jinty's picture shows 97
303 approaching Llandudno Junction on 29 April. See the left column
for more views.
This is an extra
catch-up issue. Don't miss the 27 April update. The
next update will be a day later than usual, late in the evening of
Tuesday 5 May. Thanks as always to all readers and contributors.
Arriva's Airport Attempt Arrested
We should to write something about the situation regarding Arriva
Trains Wales and the line to Manchester Airport, although it's hard to
believe that such a situation could have arisen.
A number of years ago, when the current timetable for North Wales -
Manchester services was designed, the planners allowed enough time in
for trains to continue beyond Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester
Airport, only to find that Network Rail refused to allow this except in
the early morning and late evening, on the grounds of congestion.
So since then, on each hour through the main part of of the day,
a valuable Class 175 unit (lately sometimes a 158) has stood idle in
'Mayfield Loop' just beyond Piccadilly.
Recently, work has been under way at Manchester Airport station to
create a fourth platform, which is planned to open with the new
timetable on 17 May, so Arriva saw the chance to apply again for paths
throughout the day. And indeed, such paths were validated, and included
in the timetable database. According to the application, trains would
arrive at the Airport at xx.15 and depart at xx.37, just ahead of
Northern Rail's xx.40 train to Liverpool.
In December 2014 Network Rail’s Customer Relationship Executive for
Arriva Trains Wales took our aspiration to a meeting of Network Rail’s
'Sale of Access Rights Panel' (What's that?
See this document) and faced two objections. To quote:
(a) Performance between Manchester Piccadilly and
Slade Lane Jn. Network Rail LNW Route [Network Rail's North West
division] believes that performance between these locations is
particularly sensitive and that an extension of Arriva Trains Wales’
services would likely affect train performance in the area and also
likely further afield. It cited TransPennine Express’ ‘fifth path’, an
additional hourly service between Leeds and Manchester, that has had a
severe impact on the operator’s PPM with knock-on effects to other
lines and operators. It points out that, with a number of services
already running to the Airport, the introduction of additional services
will result in tighter headways and a reduction in turnaround times for
existing services. It cited the Blackpool North to Manchester Airport
service which would have 8 minutes’ turnaround time compared to the
current 14 minutes.
(b) The industry’s reputation if services are withdrawn when the
rights expire. LNW Route states that there is broad agreement with
the Department for Transport over the outputs of the work at Manchester
Airport (specifically the new 4th platform) in relation to the wider
Northern Hub programme, which would enable a new service to run to the
Airport from the Calder Valley route via the new Ordsall Chord. LNW
Route considers that Arriva Trains Wales’ requested rights would have
to be removed at that point and so the service extensions would be
withdrawn, creating a reputational risk to Network Rail and the wider
rail industry in the area.
The second objection seems quite absurd, since refusing to allow trains
from Chester and North Wales access to the Airport is simply damaging
the reputation of the rail industry right from the start. One might
think that the removal of the congestion caused at Manchester
Piccadilly by terminating trains crossing over the down line to reach
Mayfield Loop might be a plus point, but apparently not.
Arriva have replied to these objections in strong terms (see the PDF
document), but the proposed services will not now run: the present
meagre service of three trains a day continues. It has been rumoured
that when the 'Northern Hub' comes to fruition, North Wales trains will
be diverted to Manchester Victoria (and possibly on to Stalybridge),
which would rule out continuation to the Airport in any case, although
passengers could change at Victoria to one of the trains using the
Ordsall chord, or perhaps at Newton-le-Willows into a Northern Rail
service; it is not clear whether this is a firm proposal, but it
seems a particularly unhelpful one, especially for residents of the
south Manchester area wishing to reach North Wales.
Passenger assortment
Regular loco 67 023 arrived at Chester at 07:47 on 17 April,
about to reverse and head south with the Holyhead - Cardiff express (Peter
Basterfield).
Moreton-on-Lugg on 20 April, with 67 023 propelling the southbound
Cardiff express (Richard Putley)
Watched by the usual small group of enthusiasts, 67 001 propels
empty stock of the 13:01 from Holyhead. Picture by Charlie
Hulme, after the Manchester equivalent of the old 'Llandudno
Junction footbridge sprint'. I rode this train from Warrington, which I
reached by means of the 13:50 from Manchester which was unusually
formed of a Class 150 in place of a 175 - we were told that a
replacement train would be provided from Chester.
The loco-hauled service was far from full, offering a change to
photograph the seating, which is rather comfortable. The layout appears
to be that used in standard class when these Mk3 coaches were built;
these actual vehicles started life as first class, and have received
new seats for their new role. One point I would make is that the
instructions on how to open the doors by opening the window are not
conspicuous enough, lost amongst various other notices. Many users
today will have forgotten, or never known, about such things.
It's a decade since any such rolling stock has appeared on the
Manchester - North Wales route, and people can be seen puzzling over
what to do, and occasionally banging frantically on the window trying
to escape. The doors cannot now be opened unless released by the guard,
so why not fit handles on the inside? Probably because the huge Mk3
door might hit someone on the platform if pushed open without looking.
Looking a touch filthy on the front, 67 001 on the 1D34 09:50
Manchester to Holyhead passes Abergele & Pensarn at 11:34 on 21
April. Picture by David Jinty.
Ten minutes later, a pair of Class 221 Voyagers forming train 1D83,
09:10 London Euston to Holyhead (David Jinty).
Usual Driving Trailer 82306 on the rear of train 1D34 Manchester -
Holyhead, departing from Rhyl on 28 April (Jack Bowley)
Les Burton photographed the 09:50 Manchester - Holyhead
calling at Warrington Bank Quay at 10:30 on 1 May. Oddly, the record
on Real Time Trains (RTT) for this service shows it 'cancelled
throughout due to a person hit by a train' suggesting it could not have
been at Warrington. The fatality in question appears to have
occurred in the Shotton area, as a number of trains on the Coast were
indeed cancelled, but 67 001's train would surely have run as far as
Chester, as did the 10:50 from Manchester. In fact it is not
entirely uncommon for out-of-the ordinary situations to be mis-reported
on the database, or at least RTT's view of it. Not long ago we noted a
Freightliner Class 66 running light through Stockport, and indeed
delaying the train on which I was to travel, yet no such movement
appeared on RTT.
On 29 April, 175 011 powers through Abergele & Pensarn on
the Down Fast line with the 07:50 Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead (Roly
High). Various changes to Arriva's original 'clock-face' concept in
recent years mean that not all trains from Manchester now call at
Abergele. The slow line which serves the station platform, once beyond
here, as evidenced by the length of the bridge span in the distance
which dates from 1902.
Although some progress has been made in repainting Arriva's Class 150
units in the darker blue 'Welsh Government' livery, a number still
retain Arriva's corporate colours, including 150 254 and 150 260,
photographed at Chester on 28 April by Jack Bowley.
Freight views
On 15 April 66 104 passes Caergwrle with train 6M18 18:05 New
Cumnock U.R.S. to Penyffordd Cement Sidings. The wagons are 'MEA' opens
loaded with coal for the cement kilns (Tim Rogers)
On the same day, 66 118 passes Caergrwle 6V75 09:30 Dee Marsh
to Margam steel-carriers (Tim Rogers).
On 17 April an additional loaded steel train - 6M84 09:19 Llanwern
Exchange Siidings to Dee Marsh - operated, hauled by 66 041,
seen above negotiating one of the Borderlands line's changes of
gradient at Buckley (Tim Rogers).
The regular loaded steel train 6M86 09:23 Margam to Dee Marsh,
seen 46 minutes at Cefn-y-Bedd on 17 April (Tim Rogers).
Later in the day, 66 041 returns past Cefn-y-Bedd with 6V85
17:36 Dee Marsh to Llanwern Exchange Sidings empty wagons (Tim Rogers).
The sylvan scene at Adswood, on the Altrincham - Stockport line on 14
April as 66 514 approaches Edgeley Junction with a load of empty refuse
containers from Runcorn Folly Lane to Brindle Heath. The signal in the
background is at Cheadle Village Junction: beyond there the line is
single track as far as Northenden (Charlie Hulme).
At 13:28 on 30 April, 66 505 rolls through Manchester Piccadilly with
the 03:00 Felixstowe- Trafford Park Freightliner service. The
Trains-Pennine Class 185 on the 13:06 Manchester Airport - York, seen
in the distance, has reversed in Platform 1 at Piccadilly station,
having crossed (on the level) every other track on the approach from
the Airport. Now that's a risk of congestion (Charlie Hulme).
66 509 at Talybont on Sunday 19 April with the Valley -
Crewe Basford Hall ballast train on 19 April (Peter Basterfield).
Some interesting news on the freight front. Frank Nicholas
writes: 'I noted from the westbound carriageway of the M56 that the new
sidings are being laid out in the space between the Ellesmere Port –
Helsby line and the Ince chemicals plant siding for Quinn Glass.' We
last reported on the trials and tribulations this project in the 28
April 2014 issue: perhaps we will soon see the trains of sand, which
currently run to Ellesmere Port, able to reach a railhead near the
factory which was a condition of the planning permission granted to the
firm in 2009.
The Railway and Trakz - by Larry Davies, Community Rail
Officer
Over the last few months the Conwy Valley Community Rail Partnership
(CRP) and Arriva Trains Wales have been involved in the planning and
support of a free fringe event named 'TRAKZ which was hosted on
20 April by the Mayor of Conwy, Cllr Ruth Parker in the town of
Llandudno Junction. Its aim was to bring together the community
for the benefit of visitors, the local populace and the
businesses to support local artists and the Mayor's two charities,
'Hope Restored' and 'Aberconwy Domestic Abuse'
A strong theme throughout has been the fact that Llandudno Junction is
a railway town and for five weeks leading up to the event, a series of
lectures on railway and social related subjects were held in a local
hotel and these proved extremely popular. The Rail Partnership
fielded panel member, Cllr Philip Evans, JP who spoke about the town's
railway personnel and their skills of the steam age along with his
personal reminiscences and the Community Rail Officer, Larry Davies
delivered an illustrated talk on 'Llandudno Junction a Railway
Town'. The CRP also produced an exhibition of railway photographs
of the station and sheds and their people in the station buffet and
this will remain on display for the Summer. Worth a browse over a
cup of tea and a sandwich.
The TRAKZ main event started with a gathering of the Mayors of various
North Wales towns travelling in by train and being entertained on the
platforms by members of Anvil Productions suitably dressed in vintage
costumes reflective of the Railway children era, followed by a
stirring dance feature by Clerical Error and then a resounding musical
rendition by the Cambria Band. The
ensemble the formed a parade along the station platforms and led by the
band and the mayors and left the station into the town proper, where
throughout the day a wealth of events entertained the visitors.
A good day has been had by all and reassuring for us at the
station, the railway had played its part in another day the life of The
Junction.
Peter Basterfield's flask train scenes
16 April's flask train Valley-bound at Conwy with 37 604 and 37 612
with 3 FNA wagons.
The return at Britannia Bridge where a new Palisade fence has reduced
the possibilities; previously it was possible to perch on the base of
the pillar support and shoot over the top.
And finally ...
Railway relics on the upper levels of Dinorwic quarry. Picture by Peter
Basterfield.
North
Wales Coast
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