NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
13 May 2019
Share on Twitter
Tweets by @NWrail1
Contributions and comments are encouraged: see the Contributions Page
May 2019
Tuesday 14 May North Wales Railway Circle AGM and Members' Photo. Competition. Note change of date.
June 2019
Tuesday 6 June Steam on the Coast: West Coast Railways: London Euston - Holyhead. Steam Crewe-Holyhead and return
July 2019
Sunday 21 July Steam on the Coast: West Coast Railways. Liverpool-Holyhead. 45690: Liverpool - Chester - Llandudno Jn - Holyhead - Chester
August 2019
Saturday 3 August Steam on the Coast: UK Railtours, 'The Irish Mail' London Euston - Holyhead
34046, 46100 or 70000 Crewe - Holyhead and return
97 304 leaves Barmouth Bridge on 10 May travelling from Porthmadog to Coleham depot in Shrewsbury after piloting a track machine movement.
Exit the Welsh Mountaineer
We note that the Liverpool - Blaenau Ffestiniog 'Welsh Mountaineer' excursion planned for 23 July no longer appears on the Railway Touring Company website, as it has been cancelled, not surprisingly as the line to Blaenau will not be available in time due to the flood damage, although Network Rail hope to get the line open as far as Llanrwst in time for the National Eisteddfod there on 3 -10 August. If it has run, the train would have had to run via Manchester as there is engineering work on the West Coast Main Line that day.
Non-passenger scenes
The Crewe to Valley Nuclear waste train - just one wagon - passes Abergele with 88 006 Juno in tandem with 88 005 Minerva on 6 May. Picture by Greg Mape.
Llandudno Junction at 09:59 (Garry Stroud).
56 094 and 56 096 double-head the 12:58 Carlisle - Chirk Kronspan logs past Balderton Crossing, 9 May (Bob Greenhalgh).
Network Rail's Class 73 electro-diesels were in action on 13 May, topping and tailing the 13:13 Derby - Crewe via Buxton, Altrincham, Wrexham , Hooton and the Liverpool underground lines. Above, 73 951 Malcolm Brinded leading at Penyffordd ...
... and 73 952 Janis Kong leading at Green Lane Crossing (Bob Greenhalgh).
Evening over the Bay - pictures by Greg Mape
On 6 May, 67 022 propels the 17:16 Cardiff - Holyhead express past Old Colwyn. Before the end of the week, this loco had been replaced on the Cardiff turn by 67 010, and 67 014 was back on the Manchester diagram.
The last 'Up' Virgin train of the day, the 20:20 Bangor - Birmingham New Street, worked by 221 115 recognisable by its 'Bombardier' adornments celebrating the builder of the Voyager units.
Cambrian Corner - with Ken Robinson
On 3 May I got caught out by the appearance of 97 304 John Tiley on the coast delivering a tamper to Porthmadog. It was on Real Time Trains (as a Tywyn-Porthmadog and return working) but I never checked it on Thursday/Friday morning - luckily I saw it cross the Traeth Mawr estuary on its way to Porthmadog at around 15:40!
Anyhow it was diagrammed to leave at 17:20 so I had plenty of time. However, I worked out that it would leave well before then, once the down train had crossed it at Porthmadog i.e. approx. 16:57. I was then going to go to Talsarnau or Harlech as the sun was better there, but then changed my mind once I got to know that the down working was a TfW liveried unit! So off to Porthmadog and got both! Above, 97 304 again, in better light but it highlights the condition of the paintwork.
158 830 arriving with the 12:09 Birmingham International- Pwllheli approximately three minutes late, but it gave the driver and second man in the 97 a few more minutes to finish off their fish 'n' chips (or whatever takeaway they were eating in the cab!) - once the 158 had left, the 97 departed too, 22 minutes early, whilst the crossing barriers were still down.
Llangollen diesel news
The Llangollen Railway's class 47, 47 449, is back in action, running as its 1970s number 1566.
It was seen at Llangollen arriving at 14:15 with the' B Timetable' service train for the 14:30 departure to Carrog on 11 May.
Also now at Llangollen is visiting class 31 No 31 271, owned by A1A Locomotives Ltd. delivered by road on Tuesday 7 May for a two-year stay, having been asked to leave its previous home, the Nene Valley Railway. Llangollen Diesels' Class 37, 37 240, was sold to Boden Rail in late 2018.
Looking back - Castles at Chester
The appearance of 'Castle' class loco 7029 in our area prompts readers to pass on some views from the railtours in the last days of the Birkenhead main line in 1967. above, 7029 at Chester (Glyn Jones). In steam days, it was normal for fans to wander on the track, absolutely prohibited in the modern era.
Another view by Glyn Jones at Chester, with a sign of the times in the form of a 'duffle bag' in the scene.
On 4 March 1967, 4079 Pendennis Castle leaving Chester with the Birkenhead Flyer railtour. 7029 was also involved in that day's specials.
We received images of 4 May's railtours from many contributors, all enhanced by the fine weather on the day. Below is a further selection, too good not to publish. - Charlie
4 May specials at Chester - Pictures by Peter Hanson
68 018 arrives at Chester, working from Leicester to Holyhead.
7029 Clun Castle arrives at Chester en route for Llandudno
4 May Railtours - Pictures by Garry Stroud
60163 Tornado departs Llandudno Junction with the UK Railtours 'Ynys Môn Express'.
60163 enters Conwy station with the returning UK Railtours Holyhead to Leicester, 'Ynys Môn Express'
68 033 rear, 68 018 front, enter Llandudno Junction station, with the Nenta Railtours Norwich to Holyhead 'Welsh Highlander' charter.
7029 Clun Castle enters Llandudno Junction with the Vintage Trains charter, Llandudno Victorian Express, Dorridge to Llandudno special.
47 773 approaches Deganwy with the returning Llandudno to Dorridge Vintage Trains special.
7029 approaches Deganwy station on the rear of the returning Llandudno to Dorridge.
47 854 enters Llandudno Junction at 13:20pm with the Llandudno Pullman special from Peterborough to Llandudno.
47 854 on the rear of the returning 16:00 Llandudno Pullman special approaches Deganwy returning to Peterborough.
4 May Railtours - Pictures by Gary Thomas
68 018 passes Dwygyfylchi with the Nenta Norwich to Holyhead excursion. As you can see the weather was pretty good, though photography using my 5m pole was tricky due to the windy, but a necessity these days given the line-side vegetation, even at places such as Dwygyfylchi.
47 854 nears Llandudno on WCRC's Peterborough/Gainsborough to Llandudno.
47 832 on the rear arriving at Llandudno. In the distance is 47 773 on the Vintage Trains train from the West Midlands to Llandudno stabled in the carriage sidings.
47 832 at Deganwy on the return train to Gainsborough.
47 773 passes Deganwy returning from Llandudno to Dorridge, with 7029 Clun Castle on the rear as far as the reversal at Chester.
Back at Dwygyfylchi, with 68 033 heading back from Holyhead to Norwich.
Finally, 60163 passes Dwygyfylchi returning from Holyhead to Leicester.
4 May Railtours - Pictures by Chris Morrison
7029 Clun Castle powers past Rhyl with the 0827 Dorridge - Llandudno. Note the water-carrying van behind the tender, which means that Vintage Trains locos can travel further without taking on water, whilst not spoiling the appearance of the train.
60163 Tornado heads the 07:01 Leicester-Holyhead 'Ynys Mon Express' past Rhyl.
Tyseley based 47773 approaches Deganwy with the return 1635 Llandudno-Dorridge Vintage Trains trip.
7029 Clun Castle on the rear of the 1635 Llandudno - Dorridge at Deganwy.
4 May Railtours - by Jim and Sue Ikin
001 At Llandudno Junction Tornado comes in with the first excursion of the day.
Tornado receives water from a road tanker whilst a number of passengers were transferred by road coach to Llandudno or Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Tornado makes its way back to Leicester passing Colwyn Bay at 18:30
Clun Castle arrives at the Junction slightly late and goes straight off to Llandudno Town, taking tankered water at the carriage sidings headshunt, and staying until departure back to Dorridge.
Although leaving on time, by the time Abergele was passed the train was ten minutes down, with Tyseley's type 4 47 773 apparently finding it hard going on the front with Clun on the rear although after Chester with Clun back on the front Dorridge was reached bang on time.
68018 ...
... and 68 033 bring the Nenta railtour from Norwich into the Junction and on to Holyhead.
North Wales Coast home page | Archive | Previous Notice Board