NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARDRheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd |
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28 March 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issue Tweet Tweets by @NWrail1 Contributions and comments are encouraged: see the Contributions Page This list may be out of date if you are reading an archived issue.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. 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 |
43 062 John Armitt - the one with a nameplate but no buffers - at Rhyl, 24 March. Picture by Roly High. West Coast Railways are BackWest Coast Railways have this week received permission to re-start their operations, having satisfied the authorities that required management changes have been made. Apparanenty, this means that the London - Chester 'Cathedrals Express' steam special will now operate as planned on 2 April. Banana through Bangor - pictures by Jim JohnsonThe HST 'New Measurement Train' added a touch of colour to the North Wales Coast line on 24 March, powered by 43 062 at the Holyhead end, and 43 013 at the Chester end. It passed Bangor (above) in the down direction at 14:46 ... ... on the through line ... ... and back through from Holyhead at 16:47.... ... passing 158 820 on 1D14 13:09 Birmingham International - Holyhead. Barry Wynne show at Llandudno JunctionSteve Morris writes: 'During the last couple of years I have been scanning a number of Barry Wynne's negatives, some fantastic images, many of which have never even been seen by Barry himself having been stored away in boxes for 50 plus years! 'Barry is going to present a selection of these from the 60/70's at The Llandudno & Conwy Valley Railway Society. Date: Thursday 14th April. Starts 19.30 at the Llandudno Junction Sports & Social club on Victoria Drive. All are welcome.' Manchester area eventsThe saga of Mr Mark Whitby vs. the Ordsall Chord project appears to have gone as far as it can: The decision was made on 23 March by Judges Simon, Lindblom and Hamblen in the Court of Appeal in London to dismiss all three appeals made by Whitby 'against the decision in the Planning Court: two statutory challenges of the Transport and Works Act order and of the Listed Building Consent, and a judicial review of the planning permission.' Mr Whitby certainly has made a brave effort to alter the plans; in case anyone thinks he is some eccentric trouble-maker, it might be borne in mind that he is a former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Meanwhile, on the ground, work towards the construction of the new line has already begun, involving closure of Manchester Victoria station for 10 days, until 4 April, and on successive Sundays. On 1 April, Arriva will be taking over the running of the Northern franchise. For some weeks, the current Northern Rail have been busy removing their name from trains and stations, as illustrated above by 323 232 at Stockport on 12 April. Even the small stickers inside each coach inviting passengers to tweet any problems with the carriage have been 'redacted'. Is this the only traction unit with a number formed of the same two digits repeated three times? Coal to Connah's QuayThe North Wales Coast line has seen many changes, especially at its eastern section, and nowhere better illustrates this than the environs of Rockcliffe Hall signalbox. These two pictures from February 1979 were taken as slides by Trefor Thompson. Above, 25 104 and a train of non-vacuum braked 21-ton mineral wagons, apparently empty, is in the reception sidings of Connah's Quay Power station. These would have brought a load of coal from Bersham Colliery on the Wrexham line, or possibly from nearby Point of Ayr. Looking towards Chester (before, or after the above picture?) we see the Class 25 detached from its train. The coal-fired power station here was built in the early 1950s, the sidings controlled by a signalbox characteristic of the London Midland Region's designs of the time; Penmaenmawr is another example from the period. The 180 MW power station closed in 1984, and was demolished in 1992 to be replaced by the gas-fired station that operated there today. The architect-designed signalbox was in the way of the new road bridge, and was replaced in the mid-90s by the present stack of portable units which is now the 'fringe box' to the Chester power signabox area and like all other other signalbox along the line is living in borrowed time, the aim of Network Rail being to control all Welsh lines from Cardiff. Does anyone know if there was a signalbox there before the 1950s one? RCTS Afternoon Meeting'Lancaster to Carlisle in the last ten years of steam' is the topic of The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) afternoon meeting on Wednesday 6 April at 2 p.m. at the Royal British Legion Club at Haig House in Woolton Road, Liverpool, virtually next door to Liverpool South Parkway station The speaker is Noel Machell from Thornton Cleveleys in Blackpool. Visitors will be most welcome to attend on donating £2 to help defray meeting expenses and further details can be obtained by telephoning 0151-724 2786. The Bala Lake Railway prepares - report by Bob GreenhalghWednesday 23 March at the Bala Lake Railway was a day spent getting ready for the opening on Good Friday. Alice, Winifred and Maid Marian (above) were steamed for the boiler inspector. Geoff and Iain were re-cladding the café end wall, while ... ... Barbara was polishing the signal box levers. Woe betide anyone not using a cloth when they pull the levers! Chilmark brought the stock into Llanuwchllyn platform... ... and here's Bob himself, busy with a paint brush, making a start on the platform edge white line. Clwyd Railway Circle news -- by David Jones
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