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15 February 2016Last issue Archive RSS Link to this issue Tweet Tweets by @NWrail1 Contributions and comments are encouraged: see the Contributions Page This list may be out of date if you are reading an archived issue. For full information visit our Calendar page. February 2016 Friday 26 February Great Western Society NW Branch Group Annual Meeting, afterwards possibly Members slides. March 2016 Friday 4 March Clwyd Railway Circle Annual General Meeting followed by: Dave Southern, A journey from Chester to Pwllheli in colour looking at the closed lines both standard and narrow gauge including closed steam sheds and some goods yards. Tuesday 8 March North Wales Railway Circle 'Railways of Ontario' Chairman Brian Bollington shows a mix of slides and video he has taken of the railway scene in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Including main lines, short lines, preserved lines with steam and museums. Due to Saint David's Day bookings this meeting has been arranged for the second Tuesday of the month. Thursday 10 March Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society Alan Roberts: Railway signalling in the Conwy/Llandudno area Friday 11 March Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "A Photographic Tribute to Alan Gilbert. Steam on the main line in the 1950s and 60s" a digital presentation by Paul Shackcloth. Saturday 12 March Railway and Canal Historical Society North West Branch - The London & Dublin Railway: Surveys & Parliamentary Influences by Derek Cobby & Brian Dotson. Realisation of the inadequacy of the port of Holyhead and the increasing pressure for improvements coincided with the development of railways. Plans prepared for the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway included a route from Worcester to Porth Dinllaen on the Llyn Peninsula. Vignoles and Brunel favoured developing Porth Dinllaen route rather than Holyhead which would avoid crossing the Menai Straits. Vignoles direct route on standard gauge to connect with the Grand Junction Railway did not attract sufficient finance leaving Brunel's second broad gauge direct scheme as an alternative to developing the route to Holyhead. Monday 14 March Wrexham Railway Society, Railways Of Wales in the 1980's - Geoff Morris describes a trip through Wales in a decade during which livery variations started to appear and steam re-appeared on a scheduled basis along the Cambrian & North Wales Coasts. Friday 25 March Great Western Society NW Branch Railway Images, Thirty Miles around Warrington, Barrie Rushton. 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 Friday 1 April Clwyd Railway Circle Denbigh Film Club. Railway Enthusiasts Film Night. A night of nostalgia and fun with a selection of films old and new to end our season in great style. Tuesday 5 April North Wales Railway Circle 'All Steamed Up' Mr Barry Wynne presents a selection of his work from his vast catalogue of photographs. Friday 8 April Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Steam in the North West of England and Scotland in 1965" a digital presentation by Noel Coates. Saturday 9 April Railway and Canal Historical Society The Presidential Address: The LMS School of Transport, Derby by Graham Wild. The speaker will tell the fascinating story of the school. The talk starts with the reason for the building and its location, moving on through a description of the building to the successful fight to save it and subsequent developments with what is now a listed building. Monday 11 April 2016 Wrexham Railway Society 'Days Gone' A Nostalgic Look Back at the 1960-90's by Larry Davies, looking at the enormous changes which have taken place on the railways in North Wales during the last four decades of the last century illustrated, mostly by Larry's own work. Thursday 14 April Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society 1960/70s North Wales Railway Recollection Barry Wynne/Steve Morris Monday 18 April RCTS: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Merseyside, Chester and North Wales Branch. One Mans Rubbish is Another's 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. Friday 29 April Great Western Society NW Branch A tribute to Tom Lewis, Railway cameraman 1947-1970, Paul Shackcloth. May 2016 Tuesday 3 May North Wales Railway Circle AGM and Photographic Competition. Thursday 12 May Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society Ray Bailey: Steam into Holywell |
The Valley-Crewe flasks, powered by 37 601 Class 37 'Fifty' and 37 607, with three wagons, approaching Gaerwen at 14:33 on 3 February. Picture by Jim Johnson. Almost caught up... hope you enjoy the show.- Charlie The view from Queens Road bridge - pictures by Larry DaviesLike hundreds of enthusiasts have done over the years, Larry Davies spent some time watching the scene from the Queens Road bridge at Llandudno Junction. Here are three of his pictures from that interlude on 12 February. Above: double Voyagers 221 116 and 221 111 on the Up London head out of the station at 14:43. The 14.15 Valley - Crewe Flask train storms through the station with 37 609 and 37 069 in charge. The Queens Road bridge is an impressive stone structure carrying a very minor road. It is in fact an 'occupation bridge' which was required by the Act of Parliament on the building of the line, as a field belonging to the Glan-Morfa farmstead which stood on the site of the present-day caravan park was cut in two by the railway cutting. Queens Road, with its houses, was a later development. The same train passes the junction of the Conwy Valley line on which the rust bears witness to the absence of any traffic since before Christmas. Hopefully services will be back in the next two weeks. If (or when) the North Wales line is ever electrified, the bridge parapet is likely to be raised to meet safety requirements, so photographers should makes the best of it now. The Night Train Experience...... is a short musical theatre performance designed especially for the Llandudno Junction-based Trakz organization by Anvil Productions - a talented company of actors and musical performers. It includes the 'Llandudno Junction song' apparently. This was put on last year and it was very popular, so here it again to kick off the Trakz season and get you in the mood for their main event on 7 May. Venue: Llandudno Junction Community Club. Time: 17 February, 7pm. Price: Ł2 on the doors, proceeds to the Llandudno Junction Busking Festival. Class 67 news compendiumA round-up of February's Class 67 loco activities. Above, 67 014 - which had worked this diagram emery time since before the start of the year, at Chester with the 09:50 Manchester to Holyhead on 1 February (Rowan Crawshaw). Brightening up the scene in its DB Schenker bright red at Northenden Junction on 2 February, 67 013, repainted from Wrexham & Shropshire / Chiltern silver. The turnout on the left is the single-line freight-only route towards Hazel Grove. On the right is Northenden refuse depot which dispatches trains to Runcorn Folly Lane (Greg Mape). 5 February saw a change of loco on the Manchester loco-hauled turn, with 67 016 taking over, as seen at Llandudno Junction with the 09:50 Manchester - Holyhead (Peter Lloyd). It's been suggested this loco had not been seen before on the North Wales Coast - but in fact it double-headed (with 67 003) a charter train to Holyhead on 7 October 2011 - for photographic evidence see our 17 October 2011 issue. Thanks to Richard Billingsley for setting us right on this. Propelling eastbound at Rhyl (Tim Rogers). 67 016 had a short career on the 'DfT service': on 10 February the 09:50 from Manchester was terminated at Llandudno Junction, suffering from dragging brakes, resulting in the cancellation of its return working, the 13:01 Holyhead - Manchester. It was decided to return 67 001 and its train empty the Crewe for attention, but it only reached Colwyn Bay before being sent back to Llandudno Junction, where trains were accumulating in the station (above, by Peter Lloyd.) The errant train was then moved out of harm's way into the Tamper Siding (Peter Lloyd). At 23:09, 67 001 appeared on the scene... ... and hauled the train with 67 016 safely to the train's base at Crewe, seen here departing from Llandudno Junction (Peter Lloyd). Elsewhere on 10 February, 67 003 was allocated to the route-learning run from Wigan to Wakefield which has been running in preparation for the new Knowsley - Wilton domestic refuse flow, which has mostly been worked by a Class 66. The loco is seen laying over at Stockport at mid-day awaiting a path, having run this far 130 minutes early (Charlie Hulme). 67 001 took over the Manchester diagram on 11 February, seen above heading west through Llanfair PG with the 09:50 from Manchester (Richard Fleckney). Still in silver, 67 014 and 67 012 seen at Stafford on the way from Crewe to Wembley on 11 February (Martin Evans). Friday 12 February, and 67 001 stands by Platform 3 at Holyhead after arrival with with 09:50 from Manchester (Peter Lloyd). Saturday 13 February, and the Premier Express train was brought out to run train 1V90 Holyhead - Cardiff extra train for a Rugby match. Peter Lloyd photographed it at Chester, where the train reversed to head towards Wrexham. 67 002 propelling the 'Ruggex' at Green Lane south of Saltney Junction on Saturday 13 February. Picture by John Mathers. The third Arriva blue loco, 67 003, was captured by Peter Lloyd at Crewe on 13 February en route to the depot. Infrastructure newsThe strange sight of Mostyn footbridge minus its span, which has gone away to be refurbished, as has the one at Bagillt (Tim Rogers). Missing track at Shrewsbury station. This part of the station is built on a bridge over the River Severn: are there safety concerns? Picture by Peter Lloyd. The new train washing plant at Holyhead is nearing completion (Peter Lloyd). Half a 175On the afternoon of 2 February at 13:50 Arriva Class 175 vehicle 79703 from 175 003 was sitting alone in siding 6 (furthest from platform 7) at Chester. Picture by Sam Newton, who writes : 'She wasn't there when I passed through Chester at 10:30 that morning so I assume she came out of the D.M.U.Depot around Tuesday lunchtime.' Another view showing plastic protection of the gangway connection. Why this vehicle was stabled here and where it's partner is we don't know (Sam Newton). A few days later this vehicle was joined by 175 006, which has a damaged cab after an encounter with a fallen tree near Gobowen on 1 February. We recall from information on offer in the early days of the 175s that a replacement for the curved windscreen costs over Ł1000. Llangollen Railway events - report by George JonesTrain services at the Llangollen Railway have resumed on Saturday, 13 February for half-term week through to 21 February. Steam operates at the weekends: Pannier Tank 6430 worked the trains on 13 February, as seen here arriving at Berwyn ... ... and attracting attention at Corwen East. The weather was overcast but nevertheless, people were out to take in the journey through the Dee Valley in late winter when bare trees perhaps give the best views from the train. The Monday-Friday week service is with diesel railcars; there is no 'Thomas' event on these dates this year. Trains depart Llangollen at 10:40, 13:00 and 15:10 with returns from Corwen at: 11:20, 13:40 and 15:50. Steam trains will run on 20-21 February, and services will resume for Easter from 14 March. At Corwen arrangements for the local residents to inspect the Central station site were extended to allow LR members and supporters escorted access. Work to widen the embankment to provide for a run round loop and island platform was inspected. The excavation, which will allow for the installation of a subway and stairs to access the platform direct from the town's car park, was also examined, as were the arrangements to fill in the void at the former bridge 31 and the base for the installation of the signal box, as in store at Carrog, during the course of a detailed inspection of the site where the volunteer work force has made excellent progress with a minimum of resources. Track-work exists at the western end, pending the building of the island platform. All that is needed to complete this important project is finance and to this end interest in and support for grant aid applications continues with supporters and VIPs encouraged to appreciate what is involved. Locomotive MiscellanyThanks to a tip-off, Richard Putley was able to photograph a unique train hauled by very shiny-looking 66 708 Jayne: seven brand-new Class 66 locos just arrived from the USA for GB railfreight: 66 777, 66 776, 66 779 (sheeted over), 66 778, 66 774, 66 773, and 66 775. 66 779, which is said to be the very last Class 66 to be built, is sheeted over because its special livery is being kept secret. The Class 66 design cannot continue in production as it does not satisfy the latest emission regulations. The 14:18 Trafford Park - Felixstowe is usually well-loaded with containers, but on 11 February the load was very sparse when seen passing Deansgate behind 66 707 Sir Sam Fay, Great Central Railway (Charlie Hulme). Two 'Thunderbirds' at Crewe on 11 February: 57 308 County of Staffordshire ... ... and 57 311 Thunderbird (Martin Evans). A freight train for the space-starved modeller: 66 105 seen from Stoney Bridge, Timperley with the Mondays-only trip working from Warrington Arpley yard to Peak Forest, composed as usual of repaired wagons. 66 004 brings the steel wagons for Dee Marsh through Gobowen, 15 February. Picture by Martin Evans. 66 432, 66 303 and one flask wagon near Abergele on 5 February. Note the new rails which have been delivered to various locations on the Coast. In April the amazing Network Rail High-output Track Renewal train will be making nocturnal visits to remove the old track, clean the ballast, lay new sleepers, place the pre-delivered rails in position, and do all that's needed before trains can run again. It can re-lay 800 metres of track in a seven-hour overnight possession, says this interesting article. |