NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
30 April 2018
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May 2018
Saturday 5 May Stockport Community Rail Festival at Stockport Station.
Attractions include:
Webb Coal Tank steam locomotive
Modern diesel locomotives
Model Railway layouts in operation
Vintage Stockport Corporation buses
Original Stockport Tram
Horse drawn dray
World War One trench
tramway petrol locomotive
See how trains are signalled
through Stockport
As well as:
Local traders
Stands from today's railway
companies
Community Rail displays
Preservation Society Stands
Talk by local expert Paul Shackcloth
Tuesday 8 May North Wales Railway Circle AGM and Annual Photographic Competition
Thursday 10 May Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society W. Gordon Davies: A taste of Japan
June 2018
Saturday 2 June Steam on the Coast. Saphos Trains. Crewe - Holyhead and return. 46100, 34046 or 70000.
2-3 June Llangollen Railway Heritage railcar gala
30 June Llangollen Railway Classic transport
July 2018
7-8 July North Wales N Gauge Model Railway Show, Conwy. With 12+ layouts on show with trade support and second-hand sales. Refreshments available and full disabled access. Saturday 10:00 - 17:00, Sunday 10:00 - 16:00. Adults £4, Children £2. Ysgol Porth y Felin, Llanrwst Road, Conwy LL32 8FZ
Sunday 22 July Steam on the Coast Railway Touring Company North Wales Coast Express
Liverpool - Chester - Llandudno Junction - Holyhead and return. 45690
Tuesday 24 July Steam on the Coast Railway Touring Company Welsh Mountaineer Preston - Blaenau Ffestiniog. 45699 or 48151: Preston - Chester - Llandudno Junction - Blaenau and return
August 2018
Saturday 4 August. Steam on the Coast. Saphos Trains. Bangor (07.00/22.15) Llandudno Jct (07.25/21.55) Colwyn Bay (07.35/21.45) Rhyl (07.50/21.30) Prestatyn (08.00/21.20) Flint (08.10/21.10) Chester (08.30/20.50) Crewe (09.30/20.00) Stafford to Stratford-on Avon. 46100, 34046 or 70000.
September 2018
Saturday 8 September Steam at Chester
29 September Llangollen Railway Diesel gala
October 2018
12-14 October Llangollen Railway Autumn Steam gala
Friday 19 October Steam on the Coast Golden Eagle Luxury Tour (Day 5 of 12) (Provisional) Chester - Blaenau Ffestiniog 46100: Llandudno Junction - Blaenau Ffestiniog, Holyhead - Crewe
The Welsh Borders Explorer seen from Chirk aqueduct, 19 April. More views below (Robert Meredith).
Class 67 loco change
A newcomer on the Manchester - North Wales loco diagram; 67 008 passes Beeches Farm on 24 April with the 09:50 Manchester - Holyhead. Picture by Bob Greenhalgh.
The previous incumbent, 67 015, was in the bay siding at Warrington Bank Quay as the 13:07 Holyhead - Manchester called, with 67 008 propelling (Eurwyn McMahon).
Steam's Finest Hours
Chris
Magner, prolific author and self-publisher, has issued
the latest in his series of railway books: Steam's
Finest Hours: Birkenhead Woodside to Shrewsbury 1965-67.
Chris subtitles his 100-page A4 comb-bound book as 'a
history with digressions and with additional information' -
and here at nwrail.org.uk we do enjoy a good digression. Here, along with collected memories of other enthusiasts from the time, are Chris's own recollections of that brief era when the Great Western motive power on the Birkenhead trains had been replaced by ex-LMS steam, before succumbing to diesels for a while until Chester - Birkenhead line ceased to be used by expresses and Birkenhead Woodside station was closed.
As usual with Chris's books, this is not a 'glossy' sort of publication, especially since some of the photographs are included principally for their great historical value, but it is well-written and compiled, and includes interesting tales from that distant time time when footplate crews were encouraged - sometimes financially - by dedicated 'train timers' to go for fast runs, and groups of enthusiasts (some of whom had travelled long distances) would - entirely unofficially - visit loco sheds to clean the locos to engender pride in the crews. As Chris writes: 'One realises now, with the benefit of hindsight, that no enthusiast had any right to urge and cajole men from another industry, particularly the firemen, to work harder, and push their engines ... to the maximum extent.' But it happened.
At the heart of the book is a diary of the steam workings in the period, including every day in the days leading to the end of steam on the line in spring 1967. The various railtours over the line are also covered. An interesting read and a valuable historical record. Steam's Finest Hours is available direct from Chris Magner at 21 Dunval Road, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 4NA - price £12 including postage. Enquiries to chrismagner45[at]yahoo.co.uk.
Yet another rail report
Yet another document was launched in February hoping the revolutionise our rail system: the West and Wales (yes, that way round) Strategic Rail Prospectus. Thankfully, this one is only 28 pages, including an amusing sound-bite by Ashley Rogers, Chair of North Wales and Mersey Dee Business Council:
Many of our train journeys today, go no faster than a horse. Who thinks this is acceptable in the 21st century?The authors compare journey times by train and car (no horse times are offered) such as Llandudno to Manchester Airport, 165 minutes by train, 88 minutes by car. The prospectus proposes 'Faster journey times through line speed improvements' and 'New direct services and increased frequencies'. Various other routes are discussed, including Manchester - Stoke - Stafford which seems to be neither West nor Wales. Much emphasis is placed on HS2 to unlock faster journeys.
Mr Rogers, in a interview printed in Rail magazine, states that 'only 1% of commuters between north Wales and northwest England currently travel by and that has to change.' It's not clear whether he means commuters in the strict sense of season ticket holders, or just all passengers, as the term is often used by newspapers; but if the figure is really so small, it would seem to need a 100% increase in the attractiveness of rail to make the tiniest improvement.
Passenger numbers on Coast trains are very low at present, partly because of the high fares as well as the relatively slow timings. The 175s are not popular with everyone, but from what we read about new trains introduced elsewhere recently and their 'ironing-board' seats, be careful what you wish for. What else can be done without vast expense and upheaval? Faster running would be of limited use if every town is to be served. The Welsh Government seems unwilling to subsidise passengers to England. Any ideas?
Welsh Borders Explorer
The second 'Saphos Trains' excursion, on 29 April, was a journey from Crewe via Chester to Shrewsbury, and back via Stafford, hauled by 34052 Lord Dowding. A trial run around the route was made on 24 April; Bob Greenhalgh captured it at Green lane crossing, Saltney.
John Cowlishaw noticed this on the Real Time Trains site, and headed to Rossett where he was pleased to find he was the only photographer present.
The excursion itself on 29 April, seen near Bunbury on the Chester - Crewe section (Ian Pilkington).
Beeston (Phil Clarke).
Entering the single-track section at Rossett, photographed from the right side of the fence at Rossett foot crossing (Charles Allen).
On the single track section from Rossett to Wrexham General, 34052 prepares to storm Gresford Bank (David Andrews).
Heading out of Shrewsbury on the Birmingham line (Ian Pilkington). The notional destination was Telford Central, but after a half hour stop there the train continued towards Wolverhampton, taking the chord line (not normally used by passenger trains) from Oxley Junction to Bushbury Junction, then heading north on the West Coast Main Line to Stafford and Crewe, thus avoiding the need for any reversals.
Returning to to Crewe on the West Coast Main Line Down Slow line, north of Norton Bridge (Ian Pilkington).
Approaching Crewe (Phil Clarke).
At Crewe D1935, Roger Hosking MA which has been trailing on the rear, is started up
with a resulting spectacular (or polluting, depending on your outlook) display of 'clag'.
Note: we plan to quote the numbers actually carried by these privately-owned locos, as it's tedious to check and explain that these might not be their 'real' numbers.
Bridges of Llanddulas - pictures by Greg Mape
Above, a Class 175 crosses Llanddulas viaduct on 28 April. The original bridge here collapsed in a storm in 1879, and the brick piers date from that time, whilst the current bridge deck dates from 1974 - see our 19 April 2016 issue.
A curious controversy concerns the original 1879 bridge. It has been claimed that the four cast-iron eagles which now adorn various locations in Crewe - the Eagle Bridge heath centre, the Heritage Centre and the electric depot - were originally mounted on this viaduct at Llandulas. Others say they were on a bridge at Conwy, or possibly on the Dee bridge in Chester that collapsed in 1847. It's said that they can be seen on an engraving from the time of the accident, although looking at the engraving reproduced in the book Disaster on the Dee by Peter R. Lewis we can't see any eagles.
A picture from the 1930s published in the book Crewe through time by Peter Ollerhead (available on Google books) shows them mounted on the bridge in Crewe that carried an internal railway, connecting parts of Crewe works, over the Crewe - Chester line, and Mr Ollerhead states that they were rescued by LNWR chief mechanical engineer F.W. Webb from a load of scrap which arrived for re-melting at Crewe Steel Works from an unknown source, and mounted on that bridge.
More recently, a stylised eagle was adopted by the electric depot for its Railfreight 'depot plaque.'
Further west is a bridge (or viaduct?) - seen here with a passing 158 - built in the 1980s to carry the line over the A55 'expressway' road. In the foreground is the North Wales Coast cycleway following the shoreline.
Great Britain XI
Day 7 of the 'Great Britain' multi-day tour on 25 April was from Grange-over-Sands to Cardiff underwent various changes of motive power. It was advertised as double-headed 'Jubilees' from Grange-over-Sands to Shrewsbury and 8F 48151 on to Cardiff, but on the day it was 35018 from Carnforth to Crewe and 'Black 5' 45212 from Crewe - Cardiff. Phil Clarke ventured into the Crewe Heritage Centre to photograph 45212 prepared to take over the train. On the right, undergoing restoration, is 37 108.
Ready to go ...
... and setting back, with its support coach, on to the Chester line and towards the station. Phil has uploaded some video of the above events to Youtube.
The train arrived at Crewe two hours late, thanks to signalling failures in the Acton Bridge area.
The tour continued, with 45212 at the head; Robert Meredith photographed it, safely from next to a foot crossing near Nantwich. The route included a journey over the Central Wales line via Llandrindod, finally arriving in Cardiff at 21:27 after leaving Grange at 08:34; a long day for crews and passengers.
100 objects - report by George Jones
A Llangollen Railway headboard is on display in Wrexham Museum as one of the collected 100 Objects illustrating the history of North East Wales. The headboard was carried by Foxcote Manor at the re-opening of Glyndyfrdwy station and is the representative item for railways in the region.
The exhibition runs to 30 June and includes a piece of Wellington bomber and a slice of Airbus wing along with assorted other 'bits and pieces' from across the years. The Museum is Regent St, Wrexham; visitor information is on their website.
Colwyn Bay Pier - pictures by Greg Mape
Demolition work is proceeding at Colwyn Bay pier, which is now in two parts.
A sorry sight, but in the long run, necessary.
Snow Down South
Former North Wales resident Ken Owen has, at our request, provided some pictures from his new home area, including views he showed at the North Wales Railway Circle on 6 March. Above, Deal Station with a 'Javelin' in August 2017 on a London St Pancras to Margate service approaching the signal box and crossing gates at Deal and passing through the last remaining enclave of semaphore signalling in Kent, due to go from 2020, along with Sandwich and Minster signalboxes.
GB Railfreight 73 201 Broadlands reversing out of Redhill Station en route from Tonbridge to Gatwick Airport sidings on 27 February during the cold snap brought by the "Beast from the East".
The 11.00 Victoria to Brighton fast, Gatwick express 387 213 running late through Three Bridges in a blizzard at the start of the heavy snowfall that brought severe disruption to Southern on that day.
73s proceeding through the same blizzard en route from Tonbridge to Newhaven Marine.
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