NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
02 July 2018
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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
Wednesday 1 August: Steam at Chester. UK Railtours / A1 Locomotive Trust. Darlington - Chester with 60163 Tornado.
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
On 29 June 158 838 has just passed the site of Black Rock Halt (closed in August 1976 on safety grounds, and officially closed on 27 June 1977) with the late running 08:09 Birmingham International - Pwllheli. It was a very hot day - Porthmadog was the hottest place in Britain in late June, with temperatures over 30º. Picture by Ken Robinson.
Next update will be on the evening of Tuesday 10 June, due to Holiday. - Charlie
Freight Scenes
60 046 passes Balderton Crossing on 28 June with logs for Chirk (Bob Greenhalgh).
Interesting combo on the flasks on 29 June: 88 008 Ariadne and 68 004 Rapid pass Beeches Farm (Bob Greenhalgh).
Armed Forces Day
Crowds were expected to travel to Llandudno on 30 June, as an air display and other events were taking place for 'Armed Forces Day.' Arriva Trains Wales rose to the occasion by strengthening trains, and implementing a special Saturday diagram for the Manchester loco-hauled set which does not usually operate at weekends. Bob Greenhalgh was up early to photograph the first ruin of the day, the 07:48 Crewe to Llandudno with 67 022 passing Hawarden Airport (See last issue for the day's timings).
To accommodate the extra trains at Llandudno station, the Conwy Valley service ran to and from Bangor instead of Llandudno, bringing a feast of Class 150s to the city, including one still in the old Arriva livery. The video taken by Rhodri Williams at Bangor shows the events there.
The event itself featured the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight with its Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire ...
... and of course the Red Arrows. Pictures by Greg Mape.
Classic Transport- Weekend at Llangollen - report by George Jones
The event was centred on Glyndyfrdwy where the field behind the station provided the area for the gathering of vintage vehicles, cars, coaches, buses, tractors and a big collection of British motorcycles over the two days of hot, dry weather. The intended mix of a steam and diesel timetable was frustrated by lineside fires during the preceding week such that it because an all diesel event with the class 26 and 37 operating and the railcar featured Wickham class 109 (above) with the visiting Calder Valley class 110.
Everything went well until late on Sunday when the class 37 failed east of Glyndyfrdwy when heading the 15:52 back to Llangollen. It was rescued by the class 26 which was commandeered from its train at Deeside to propel the failed train back into Glyndyfrdwy station and repositioned it in platform 1. The 26 then rescued its own train and the final west bound movement of the day came through with the two railcars. Delayed passengers were helped on their way home by bus substitution of which a number were usefully on hand. It was then felt the 37 had recovered sufficiently to take its train through to Llangollen as empty stock.
An interesting conclusion to a weekend of contrasting transport when a half-hourly frequency of preserved buses offered a road run along the A5 to Corwen where the station works site was available for escorted inspection.
VTU 76 is a 1956-built Guy Arab from the well-remembered Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Transport Board. UFM 52F is A Crosville 'dual purpose' Bristol RE/ECW.
FFM 135C, also a Guy Arab of Chester City Transport. Guy buses were never as common as other makes, but some operators were loyal to the brand. This example has the angled window behind the door, which was said to make a traditional-style bus suitable for one-person operation, making it eligible for a Government grant.
Cambrian Corner - with Ken Robinson
Morning at Penrhyndeudraeth on 26 June. 2G25 - the 07:24 Pwllheli-Birmingham Int. a.k.a. the 'school train': Above, 158 838 approaches the station past the old crossing house ...
... and stops to pick up schoolchildren to get them to school at Harlech (no year 11 pupils due to examinations). The head teacher and governors of Ysgol Ardudwy Harlech had long negotiations with the railway authorities a few years back so that the school timetable and the train times could link. Therefore, Ysgol Ardudwy school times, 08:15 to 14:20, are quite different to most other schools.
Looking back with Barrie Hughes - 1981, final part
On 18 September 1981 whilst waiting for my train to Llandudno this unidentified Class 25 passed eastbound on a parcels train (remember them?) This shot was taken from the station footbridge reached by a lineside footpath from Shotton High Level. In the background is Crump’s wagon works and the curve over the Buckley branch closed in the mid ‘60s. Connah’s Quay Docks branch from the High Level closed at the same time. The embankments were built of coal shale and was internally on fire in the late sixties when I walked it after closure!
40 022 Laconia was on freight at Llandudno Junction with a painted-on name. This was becoming common as the real nameplates were removed by BR to avoid theft by ’enthusiasts’. Wagons can be seen stored on the Dock Siding on the Telford embankment. This loco was to last over two years before being withdrawn on 11 March 1984 and cut up at Swindon on 13 October 1984.
The empty liquid Chlorine tankers have been recessed in the siding alongside the A55 and a Class 47 approaches on a Holyhead boat train.
As I left for Bangor I passed a Class 40 was shunting out of the yard.
Pulling into Penmaenmawr I passed 40 035 on a Permanent Way train in the sidings leading to the stone terminal, not yet affected by the now-redundant stone hopper built after the A55 bypass forced a path through the narrow space between the railway and the shoreline. Formerly named Apapa, this loco was withdrawn on 12 August and cut up at BREL Crewe on 22 June 1985.
An unidentified Class 40 waits to depart Bangor, taken from about the footpath above the Egyptian portal of Bangor Tunnel. The Up Slow island platform track was still present and signalled but looked Out of Use. It has since been removed to extend the car park. On the downside the Down Slow island platform line had long gone but there were three sidings there alongside the former Loco Shed, since reduced to one. some Permanent Way wagons and a Wickham Trolley can be noted in the yard, top left. The centre tracks were much used as Freightliners continued to operate to Holyhead for a further 10 years until March 1991.
Another view of the same Class 40 at Bangor with a Holyhead bound stopping service comprising Mk I coaches, commonplace on the line at this time, on the Down platform. Sadly no freight came through during my brief visit.
Back in the station now and a Class 47 arrives on a Down train with the former Up Slow loop, by this time reduced to a little-used bay, in the foreground.
No-heat 47 324 crosses over to the Up line with a train of Mk I stock to form 1J22 13:47 Bangor - Manchester Victoria. The loco has a front number which was an occasional feature on locos in the 1980s. The loco's indicator panel has been replaced with marker lights but done hurriedly as it is still in green undercoat!
Just to prove I was at the Liberals Final Conference before the emergence of the Alliance with the SDP. Later they merged to form the Liberal Democrats by joining ex-Labour MPs who had split because of Brexit - it seems nothing changes. The Labour Party forced the 1975 Referendum to stave of internal splits and they split anyway. The Tories forced a 2016 Referendum to avoid their splits and it looks like their Cabinet is split right down the middle too! History repeats itself. In this image David Steel was Liberal Leader and had taken over after the downfall of Jeremy Thorpe in 1976 (recently the subject of the BBC drama/documentary). Then as now the Liberals were very pro-Europe. Also visible in this view are Jo Grimond MP for Orkney and Shetland and Richard Wainwright MP for Colne Valley.
Tyseley Open Day - Report by Anthony Thomas
Some views from the Open Day at Tyseley Locomotive Works on 30 June. Above, LMS 'Jubilee' Class 5593 Kolhapur.
View inside workshops showing LMS Jubilee 5596 Bahamas and 71000 Duke of Gloucester's boiler
SR 34070 and a stripped-down view of the frames of 71000.
GWR Pannier Tank 7760.
Pannier 9600 in action.
7029 Clun Castle.
4965 Rood Ashton Hall - a common visitor to North Wales in recent years.
Hunslet 125 revisited
Many more pictures have received from the 'Hunslet 125 gala' since the last issue was published; thanks to everyone concerned. Here is a small selection. Above, 0-4-2ST No.6 Chaka's Krall Built Hunslet No.2075-1940 (Tim Rogers).
Irish Mail and Maid Marian (Tim Rogers).
Prince, resident loco since by George England & Co. at Hatcham Iron Works in 1864 (Tim Rogers).
Three views by Ian Pilkington showing Birthday girls Linda and Blanche in action on the Welsh Highland section on 23 June. Above, approaching the reverse curve near Rhyd Ddu at the foot of Snowdon with a special train over the Welsh Highland from Caernarfon to Porthmadog...
... on the reverse curve ...
....and later cross the Glaslyn at Pont Croesor with Cnicht in the background.
Blanche at Rhiw Goch (Lee Andrew Davies).
Irish Mail dwarfed by the landscape near Penrhyn. (Lee Andrew Davies).
Hugh Napier and Maid Marian at Minffordd (Lee Andrew Davies).
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