NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
20 June 2022
Contributions to the Notice Board are welcome, although they may not always be used, due to time constraints, especially if they don't follow the file name convention given on the Contributions Page.
Forthcoming events
Charter trains, and meetings, may be subject to cancellation or postponement. See our Calendar Page for Club and Society details.
July 2022
2 -3 July Llangollen Railway Classic Transport Weekend
Sunday 17 July 2022 Railway Touring Company. Steam The North Wales Coast Express Liverpool -Holyhead and return.
Tuesday 19 July Railway Touring Company. The Welsh Mountaineer Steam Preston Blaenau Ffestiniog and return.
30-31 July : Welsh Highland Railway Centenary and Celebrations:
A weekend of heritage trains operating between Dinas and Rhyd Ddu (as South Snowdon is now known) to celebrate the reopening of this section of line.
August 2022
Friday 12 August Pathfinder Tours Cambrian Coast Express Cardiff - Pwllheli
September 2022
Friday 2 September Clwyd Railway Circle: “The Greatest Railway Builder in the World” A 60 Minute Talk on the Life and Times of Thomas Brassey by Peter Bolt
3-4 September Llangollen Railway Diesel Weekend
Saturday 3 September The Cheshireman steam (6233) Norwich - Chester and return (diesel Peterborough - Norwich)
Friday 9 September Pathfinder Tours Cambrian Coast Express. Oxford - Pwllheli
24 September Trailffest Half Marathon : An Event Train will be provided to take the competitors from the event centre at Porthmadog to the start of the race in Tanygrisiau, the cost of which is included in the entry fee.
Friday 7 October “Fond Memories” A look back over 70 years of Railway interest by Larry Davies
7-9 October: Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways: Vintage weekend.
8-9 October Llangollen Railway DMU railcar weekend
November 2022
Friday 4 November Clwyd Railway Circle: “A trip by Norwegian Railways to Hell (and back).” Geoff Morris
Saturday 5 November Llangollen Railway Ride the Rocket Firework Train
December 2022
Friday 2 December Clwyd Railway Circle: “Members Selections & Christmas Celebrations” Members are invited to give a 15-minute presentation of their choice (Any format). Contact David Jones 01244 537440 to book a slot.
(see our Calendar page for meeting venues)
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
67 014 on 1V96 Holyhead to Cardiff passing Conway Morfa, 17 June. Picture by Alastair Graham.
Strike
So 'industrial action' raises its head again, with strikes by RMT union members on three days this week involving most of the train companies and also Network Rail. An odd feature of this is that without Network Rail signallers, most of the network is disabled except some lines worked by the large operating centres, so even if the train company staff were not on strike, the trains still could not run. Indeed, Transport for Wales say they are 'not in dispute with the unions' but still no trains can run except a few in South Wales.
Northern intend to run just one service in the North West - Liverpool to Manchester Airport via Chat Moss.
Some Coast scenes - by Gary Thomas
67 015 on the midday Holyhead to Cardiff Central "WAG" at Llanfairfechan on Wednesday 15 June.
Four taken from the footbridge near Marine Lake, Rhyl on Thursday 16 June. Three trains, the first 197 102 on test/training run westbound.
The Penmaenmawr loaded stone to Tuebrook with 60 076 Dunbar.
The New Measurement Train heading west, 43 290 leading.
There had been rumours that 40 013/D213 was going to be heading the stone train to Penmaenmawr, but in the end this was cancelled (or maybe it was always just a myth).
Platinum Jubilee
The 'Platinum Jubilee' loco, 66 734, has remained on the South Wales - Dee Marsh steel run: above, the southbound empties pass Ruabon on 16 June (Martin Evans).
Here is 66 734 taken by Melvyn Hughes on 6V75 the 09:24 Dee Marsh - Margam passing Buckley at 10:41 on 17 June. It might have been expected that the loco would be used on other GBRf routes to 'show the flag' - may they don't want it to get dirty?
Events
On 17 June 197 102 arrived in Holyhead on the morning of 17 June for crew training. This is the first time a 197 has been westwards of Llandudno Junction (Gary Jones).
46100 Royal Scot returns to Crewe from the National Railway Museum, seen passing Hartford station, 20 June (Jim Ikin).
66 076 on 6F22 11:49 Penmaenmawr Quarry to Tuebrook Sidings, 16 June (Alastair Graham).
150 282 leaves Roman Bridge Station on 2D17 15:07 to Llandudno on 17 June (Alastair Graham).
Engineering work on the Shrewsbury to Crewe line on 13 June brought this impressive HBOC train from Crewe PAD with 66 514 on the front and 66 592 on the tail. Seen here passing through the site of the 1403 Battle of Shrewsbury, heading south to reverse in the station area (Graham Breakwell).
Patriotic Norfolk - report by Kevin Melia
I visited the Mid Norfolk Railway on Thursday 2 June. Here are some pictures of former Stratford-based (and later Crewe RES loco when known as 47 732 - a North Wales Coast regular during that phase). Today, as 47 580 County of Essex, although restricted to 75mph due to thin tyres, it is still mainline registered. Readers may recall it was often seen in its 2012 jubilee livery on the coast on both steak and diesel charters .
Especially as I'm still a shareholder in it, I thought I'd make the effort to drive over for it on the Thuxton shuttles.
Due to a minor oil leak our other loco D 1933 / 47 596 (not mainline registered) came out for the last two round trips so as to rest the partly repainted/spruced up 580 as a precaution.
Our third loco, 47 367 is restricted to shunt duties currently due to needing new tyres and is seen above shunt-releasing the Mk 1 coaches at Dereham. Details about our preservation group are here - new members always welcome.
Loco Variety - pictures by Stephen Dennett
The Northern Belle "Spirit of Travel Lunch" excursion from Crewe to Denton via Manchester Victoria is led through Helsby by West Coast Railways 47 813. Seen at Helsby on 15 June.
57 314 at the rear of the Northern Belle.
West Country Class 34046 Braunton cruises through Helsby on 15 June with the return leg of Saphos Trains "The Fellsman" from Carlisle to Crewe via Chester.
66 091 arrives at Helsby 42 minutes early with the empty sand wagons from Ince and Elton Encirc Works, 15 June.
60 076 Dunbar brings the Penmaenmawr Quarry to Tuebrook Sidings sand train through Flint, 16 June.
43 290, still in Virgin Trains East Coast colours, at the front of the Network Rail New Measurement Train on the Derby to Crewe circuit, 16 June.
43 274 on the rear, still in the remains of East Midland Trains livery.
Thunderbird on passenger, 2004
David Pool's image (repeated above) of 57 301 on the 08:35 London - Holyhead is worth another look.
At the time, until the end of the summer timetable in late September, as a stop gap when the last Virgin HSTs left the West Coast Main Line circuit, these services were indeed all loco-hauled. After that the majority of Virgin trains became Voyagers with a handful being 'Pendolino drags' on the North Wales coast legs as you'll recall.
Mk3 stock did re-appear at weekends though, over the following few summer periods with mostly 57/3s and occasionally a few hired in class 47s from DRS and Freightliner to cover availability issues in the Thunderbird pool some weeks.
Until the new rolling stock had largely taken over in September 2004 Arriva Holyhead-based drivers (who had previously also driven the HST turns) were assigned to all of the Euston services west of Crewe and but did not learn class 57s until 2005, so it seems that 57 301's adventure could not happened.
However, it definitely did - Ian Bowland dedicated a page of his rail37.com website to photographs of it. The explanation probably lies with the fact that a few days later on 30 June a trial run took place with 57 301 'dragging' a Pendolino. Can anyone recall?
[We've received much information about the pair of Class 50s photographed by David Pool - we'll make a compilation for the next issue. ]
From Dave Sallery's Archive
31 427 nears Bodorgan with a service to Holyhead, 9 May 1994. The two short Bodorgan tunnels are in the background.
34032 Camelford on shed at Basingstoke in March 1966.
57 007 on logs to Chirk passing Helsby, 28 August 2009.
Looking back: Diesels 2004 part 4 - by David Pool
NENTA Traintours ran “The Dereham Cheshireman” from Norwich to Cheater on 21 July 2004, using Fragonset Class 47s 47 703 Hermes and 47 832. The returning train was photographed at Hargrave. I recorded it as 1Z48, 1702 from Chester, but I note the Railtour Files website lists it as 1Z71.
The Class 37s were no longer seen regularly on the North Wales Coast passenger trains in 2004, but they found new territory to explore in Cumbria, providing additional seating capacity on the Settle and Carlisle line with a short rake of Arriva coaches. 37 408 and 37 411 were top and tailing the 13:33 Carlisle to Leeds on 1 September 2004, having just crossed the Ribblehead viaduct.
Another Fragonset Class 47 was being used on the 13:58 Holyhead to Crewe on 4 September 2004. 47 832 was in Great Western green at that time, and would receive the name Driver Tom Clark in 2005. It is today in the West Coast Railways fleet.
The Yellow Bananas had not yet appeared in North Wales with the Test Trains in 2004. On 7 September at Mold Junction 67 019 and 67 030 were top and tailing four Railtrack coaches and a Serco Track Inspection Coach which I think was 999508.
I like to photograph trains in recognisable locations, and looking through my slides I could not at first identify where I had shot this Class 47 on 15 September 2004. Checking my notes for that day, I had not realised how much has since changed in the background at the Queen’s Road bridge in Llandudno Junction! The 13:39 Holyhead to Manchester Piccadilly was headed by 47 839 in Riviera Trains blue livery.
Winwick was a good place to see strange machines on the main line. I would photograph them without much knowledge of what they were, since they were very much ignored by most railway photographers at that time. Plasser & Theurer USP 5000C Ballast Regulator 77335 (operated by Carillion) was photographed on 24 September 2004.
The view on the East side of the Queen’s Road bridge on 5 October 2004 is very recognisable with the branch to Blaenau and the out of use track to the sidings. The Rail Head Treatment Train at that time was using EWS Class 37s, and 37 712 plus 37 682 were top and tailing the tank wagons. After many years in storage with EWS, 37 712 is currently in the West Coast Railways fleet. 37 682 was bought by DRS in 2008, and eventually worked on a few preserved railways before being scrapped in 2014.
The weather on 10 December 2004 was not ideal for a Northern Belle excursion to the Conwy Valley line, but no doubt the participants were enjoying their Christmas lunches! 67 024 and 67 007 had brought the train to Llanrwst North, and the driver of 67 024 is presumably getting some information before continuing to Blaenau.
Steam reaches Corwen - text from press release
The Llangollen Railway's new Corwen station took a further step closer to opening to the public when a steam-hauled Officer's special arrived just after lunchtime on Friday 17 June.
True to the line's heritage, the train consisted of two pieces of Great Western Railway history; a 1923-built steam tank locomotive and an Inspection Coach, both of which were built at the GWR's legendary Swindon works.
The train was run to conduct further testing of the platforms and station facilities and allow a very important person to be amongst the very first to use the station; Llangollen Railway Trust Founding Member and President Bill Shakespeare MBE. Bill, seen above enjoying the day, has been involved in the railway from its creation as the Deeside and Flintshire Railway Preservation Society in the late 1970's. He has given a lifetime's dedicated service to the railway as a volunteer and served as Chairman of the LR Trust between 1976 and 1998. He was awarded an MBE for services to the railway upon his retirement as Chairman in 1998 and continues to support the Trust in an honorary role as President.
The Llangollen Railway continues to recover from it's economic challenges of 2021 and work towards a more sustainable future as a successful tourist
attraction. With healthy numbers of passengers using the current operational railway between Llangollen and Carrog, the railway's management are looking forward to busy summer season, with a more intensive timetable of railcar, steam and diesel trains planned alongside some special events. These include a Classic Transport Weekend on 2-3 July and a Diesel Weekend on 1-2 September.
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