NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd

13 July 2015

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Forthcoming events

This list may be out of date if you are reading an archived page. For the current list visit our Calendar.

July 2015

Sunday 19 July Steam on the Coast. Railway Touring Company North Wales Coast Express. Liverpool - Holyhead and return Times

Tuesday 21 July Steam on the Coast. Railway Touring Company. Welsh Mountaineer. Preston - Blaenau Ffestiniog. Cancelled

August 2015

Sunday 2 August Steam on the Coast. Railway Touring Company North Wales Coast Express. Liverpool - Holyhead and return

Tuesday 4 August Steam on the Coast. Railway Touring Company. Welsh Mountaineer. Preston - Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Sunday 16 August Stockport Railshow, Stockport station.


Sunday 16 August Excursion West Coast Railways Holyhead, Llanfairpwll, Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Flint, Chester, Frodsham, Warrington, Preston, Lancaster & Oxenholme to Edinburgh.

Tuesday 25 August Steam on the Coast. Railway Touring Company. Welsh Mountaineer. Preston - Blaenau Ffestiniog.

28-30 August. Bala Lake Railway: 'Winifred' gala.

September 2015

Wednesday 9 September Excursion West Coast Railways   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 West Coast Railways The Conway Valley Explorer Via the Scenic Conway line (with Ffestiniog Railway option) Scarborough to Betws-Y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog. From Scarborough, Seamer, Malton, York, Wakefield, Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden & Rochdale.

Monday 21 September RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. LNER an appreciation by John Feild. Local member and keen follower of anything LNER John takes a look back at locomotives of that company and of its predecessors including some of them at Chester Northgate station

Friday 25 September. Great Western Society NW Branch. P. Spilsbury. Steam Miscellaneous.

October 2015

Saturday 10 October  Excursion West Coast Railways  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.

Monday 19 October  RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. Aspects of the Chester & Birkenhead Line by John Ryan To mark the 175th Anniversary of Railways across Cheshire former BR Civil Engineer and local rail historian John looks at the more recent rail aspects of this line

Friday 30 October. Great Western Society NW Branch. Mike Kenwright. Cutting of the Manchester Ship Canal.

November 2015

Monday 16 November  RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. Northern Delights by Steve Batty. Steve our RO Branch News Editor and railway author from Selby reviews modern traction in Northern England 2002  2009.

Friday 27 November. Great Western Society NW Branch. John Hobbs. A Black & White presentation, North Wales Circular  1963  - 66  (Steam)

December 2015

Monday 21 December  RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. Arriva Trains Wales. Last 10 years going forward with Ben Davies. This is an opportunity to hear about more about one of our local Train Operating Companies from one of its locally based officers.

January 2016

Monday 18 January  RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch.  BRANCH A.G.M  followed by Back to The 60s with Geoff Coward. Geoff highlights photographs in various locations of the last few years of steam (1964-1968), including early diesels, mostly in the North West of England.

February 2016

Monday 15 February   RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch."American Wanderings - Heading East" by Gordon Davies. Gordonm our RCTS National Chairman gives a digital presentation showing the American railroad scene in the eastern states depicting diesel locomotives working passenger and freight trains as well as electric locomotives, light rail and preserved steam in operation on preservation lines.

March 2016

Monday 21 March   RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. "20 Years Of The Privatised Railway - What Does The Future Hold?" by Bob Casselden. Bob, a retired former B.R. manager looks at the changes to Britain's privatised railway over the last twenty years and reflects on what the future might bring.

April 2016

Monday 18 April  RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. One Mans Rubbish is Anothers Treasure by Russell Hatt. Russell presents a selection of historic railway photographs that whilst too poor for publication are of interest to the railway historian.

May 2016

June 2016








60 087 is now established as regular locomotive for 6J37 Carlisle-Chirk logs, seen leaving Hellifield on Wednesday 8 July. Picture by Ian Pilkington.

Royal Scotsman on the Coast


The Belmond 'Royal Scotsman', train 1Z66, on its annual week-long tour of Britain, arrived in North Wales on 12 July. Tim Rogers photographed it passing Dunham-on-the Hill westbound with 47 854 Diamond Jubilee leading and 57 315 on the rear.


On the morning of 13 July, the train arrived at Llandudno Junction after an overnight stay at North Llanrwst; it was booked to wait from 08:44 – 09:12 here before heading to Bangor, where the passengers would go forward to Caernarfon for the castle and the Welsh Highland Railway; the train then stable at Holyhead. Picture by Peter Lloyd.



North Wales Railway Circle member Garth Griffiths waiting on Platform 1 at Bangor was hoping to see the 'Scotsman' but  his train - the 08:55 Holyhead - London with 221 109 Marco Polo - came first (Richard Fleckney)



In the Welsh rain, 47 854 brings the train into Bangor (Richard Fleckney).



Two ex-British Rail Mark 3 Sleeping cars, and other converted Pullmans provide the overnight accommodation for the train staff, plus two sleeping compartments for some of the 36 'guests'. The others travel in four Pullman cars which have been converted to sleeping accommodation, and two others used as dining cars (Richard Fleckney).




57 315 on the rear: no stranger to Bangor in its previous role hauling the Cardiff - Holyhead expresses. (Richard Fleckney). The US-style lounge/observation car, also converted from a former East Coast Main Line Pullman, loses some of its value in 'top-and-tail' mode, even when its not raining...



The return working passes Llanfair PG (Richard Fleckney).


Mid-Wales Narrow Gauge - pictures by Ian Pilkington



A visit to Mid Wales last week for the 'Talyllyn 150' event. Above, Tal-y-llyn crosses Dolgoch Viaduct with the 10.30 Tywyn - Nant Gwernol, the train replicating 'The Centenarian' of 1965, on Sunday 5 July.



In heavy rain, the train leaves Dolgoch after taking water.



Dolgoch passes Rhydyronen with the 3.05 pm Tywyn-Abergynolwyn on Sunday 5 July, a re-run of the final train of 1950, the last year of operation before the world’s first railway preservation society took over.



Visiting from Porthmadog for the weekend, Welsh Highland Railway Russell and Ffestiniog Railway Prince were each provided with a short length of two-foot gauge track, seen in late afternoon sun at Tywyn.



Two of the world’s oldest working steam locomotives at Tywyn on Monday 6: 2’ gauge Ffestiniog Prince (1863) and 2’3” gauge Talyllyn loco 'Tal-y-Llyn'.



70 years to the day since the 2’ 4½” Glyn Valley Tramway closed, the TR’s two former GVT coaches were attached to the 10.30 Tywyn - Nant Gwernol. Former TR Chief Engineer John Bate observes Tal-y-Llyn reversing the stock into Tywyn on Monday 6 July.



And on to the Vale of Rheidol line: Resplendent in Great Western livery (correctly minus its BR name Owain Glyndwr), Vale of Rheidol Railway 2-6-2T no 8 is ready to leave Aberystwyth with the 2.0 pm to Devil’s Bridge Tuesday 7 July.



The V of R’s other working steam locomotive no 9 Prince of Wales sports Cambrian Railways livery, seen at Aberystwyth on Tuesday 7 July. No 7 Llewellyn is currently undergoing a major overhaul, hopefully returning to service in 2017.


Class 67 events



67 022 at Abegele on the Manchester turn, 8 July (Greg Mape).



Measurement train 1Q30 visited North Wales on Wednesday 8 July featuring 67 008 and 82145. Greg Mape phorographed it at Abergele.



Bangor (Jim Johnson).


An afternoon in Hereford, 6 July - with Richard Putley



I traveled to Hereford on 6 July in order to photograph the northbound Cardiff-Holyhead express, with 67 002 (above).



During the afternoon I saw two freights heading north. Firstly 66 083 on the steel wagons from Margam to Dee Marsh on-time at 15:22 ...



...  then 66 151 on stone empties from Hayes and Harlington in West London to the Tarmac loading point at Moreton-on-Lugg just north of Hereford, 10 minutes early at 16:07.


Chester to Liverpool South Parkway, 4 July



Ashas become a tradition in recent years, 4 July saw the summer Saturdays-only Chester to Runcorn train have a one-off extension to Liverpool South Parkway via the Halton Curve, in co-operation with the North Cheshire Rail Users' Group. Charles Allen sends some pictorial impressions of the event. Above, 156 426 ready to depart of Chester at 07:53.



There now seems to be an actual plan to restore a regular service to this route, including restoring the crossovers which will be necessary if trains are to travel the Halton Curve in either direction.



The passengers pose for the camera at LIverpool South Parkway, bafore making their way home via alternative routes.


Llangollen Classic Transport Weekend



Some views by Peter Dickinson taken during on 5 July during the Llangollen Railway's 'Classic Transport Weekend'



In service on the railway were 2-6-2T 5199...



... and recently-overhauled Pannier Tank 6430. All photographes at Glyndyfwrdwy.


Severn Valley expedition - with Peter Dickinson
On Sunday 12 July, I donned my walking boots and headed out for a day in the Severn Valley. Starting out at Stourbridge Town, the first leg of my journey involved taking the short shuttle up to Stourbridge Junction. The branch is operated by two type PPM60 lightweight railcars built by Parry People Movers, Nos.139 001-139 002, which entered public service in June 2009.



Upon arrival at Stourbridge Junction, an efficient connection was made with the 09:54 Stourbridge Junction to Kidderminster service, formed of London Midland  unit 172 334 (pictured at Kidderminster).

The National Rail station at Kidderminster is now a shadow of its former self and once boasted a large station building of mock-Tudor design, demolished in the late-1960s. By comparison, the preservation era Kidderminster station recreates a GWR terminus station, complete with WH Smith kiosk, glazed concourse roof and period fittings and signage.



The SVR’s Timetable B requires three trains to be in operation, which on the day of my visit involved ex-LMS 2-6-0 ‘Flying Pig’  43106, ex-SR 4-6-2 ‘Battle of Britain’ 34053 Sir Keith Park ...


 
... and BR Class 20 D8059.



In addition the line’s Dining Train was in service and was hauled by ex-GWR 45XX 2-6-2T No.4566.



Finally to spice things up further, ex-BR diesel D1062 Western Courier was out on 'Driver Experience' runs.

'

I caught the 10.30am Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service as far as Arley, headed by 43 106.  After photographing Sir Keith Park (above) passing through the station with a Kidderminster bound service, I followed the riverside footpath up to Highley.



The ‘Engine House’ museum houses the line’s collection of out of ticket locomotives, such as 46443 above as well as providing an ideal viewing balcony for trains departing Highley.

Some unusual scenes were to be had at Highley throughout the day, including a Mark 1 rake being top and tailed by two ex-Southern locos, 34053 Sir Keith Park and  34027 Taw Valley on a service bound for Kidderminster. The signalman was having to work hard as some of the signals in the Bridgnorth (Down) could not be pulled off, resulting in a yellow flag being used.



Continuing northwards on foot from Highley to Hampton Loade, the Mercian Way long distance path follows the line closely for most of this section, enabling a fair amount of ‘lineside’ shots to be taken from the comfort of the tarmac path.

After a quick drink at the superbly restored Hampton Loade station and a peruse through the railwayana shops there, I headed back to Country Park Halt to record the Class 20 heading northbound and No.43106 shortly afterwards on the Kidderminster bound working. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable day to be had, with some fantastic scenery and plenty of trains! 


A visit to South Wales - with Tim Rogers



At Llanelli on 6 July, 60 024 Clitheroe Castle is train 0B07 18:04 Margam T.C. To Robeston Sidings.



7 July at Gaer Junction, Newport. 60 020 has worked  6V75 09:30 Dee Marsh to Margam, now 0V75 from Llanwern Exchange Sidings to Margam TC. 81 Minutes early.



60 100 hauls 6H27 13:53 Margam T.C. to Llanwern Exchange Sidings past Gaer Junction on 7 July.



Alexander Dock Junction, Newport on 7 July. 66 075 shunts intermodal flats.



Four views taken on 7  July at Heol Pont-Y-Cwcw, Newport. Above, 66 160 passes with 6H36 14:44 East Usk Branch Birdport to Margam T.C.



60 024 Clitheroe Castle on 6B33, 13:00 Theale Murco to Robeston Sidings petroleum tanks.



66 723 Chinook on 6B11 11:52 Colnbrook Lafarge GBRf to Pengam Reception Sidings GBRf.



67 002  propels 1W96, the 17:16 Cardiff Central to Holyhead 'Premier Express'.


A trip on the 'Withered Arm' - report by Tony Robinson



In late June I took the opportunity to ride on the old London and South Western Railway "Withered Arm" (or what's left of it) twixt Barnstaple (station building, above) and Exeter Central. There is a still extant a short branch to Okehampton that parallels the "main line" from Coleford Jct to Crediton but this only has a service on Sundays (summer months).



It's nice to see the old Southern Region green signs reproduced at most stations and in abundance at Barnstaple. The line has a very active user/support group who no doubt are responsible for the signs & the smart appearance of most stations.



First Great Western 143 621 arrives at the terminus with our train, the 12.43 to Exmouth. (Ran well on welded track, but like a rocking horse with a limp on 60ft section track at speeds of about 60mph).



glimpse of the Okehampton line coming in alongside near Crediton.



Stock in the New Yard sidings outside Exeter St Davids, including timber-carrying wagons awaiting loading for the train to Chirk.



South West Trains 158 881 climbs the notorious (in steam days) bank into Exeter Central.



The Waterloo-bound 158 in Central station.



150 202 arrives from Exmouth with our 17:45 train back to Barnstaple.


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