NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
20 September 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.
September 2022
24 September Trailffest Half Marathon : An Event Train will be provided by the Ffestiniog Railway 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.
24-25 September Bala Model Railway Show (organised by the Bala Lake Railway). Venue: Ysgol Godre'r Berwyn, Ffrydan Rd, Bala. Open 10.00 – 16.00 both days. At least twenty layouts will be on display in a range of standard and narrow gauges. There will also be at least nine trade stands. A vintage bus will be running between the show venue and the Bala Lake Railway.
October 2022
Friday 7 October Clwyd Railway Circle: Fond Memories. A look back over 70 years of Railway interest by Larry Davies7-9 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
The Snowdonia Statesman climbing out of Blaenau Ffestiniog 14 September. Picture by Ken Robinson.
Just a short post-holiday effort due to catching up with other jobs. An extra update will be available on 24 September.- Charlie
Traffic report
On 14 September, Statesman Rail ran a charter, "The Snowdonia Statesman" from High Wycombe to Blaenau Ffestiniog and return. Above, Double headed 47 614 (47 853) leading 47 828 arriving at Llandudno Junction (Stephen Dennett)
47 828 leading "The Snowdonia Statesman" away from Llandudno Junction down the Conwy Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog (Stephen Dennett).
At Blaenau Ffestiniog, 47 828 pulls the train out of the loop, before returning it to the platform (Ken Robinson).
47 614 seen at the rear of the train, ready to move back into the platform.
Penmaenmawr stone
66 715 leaves Llandudno Junction with 6F22 Penmaenmawr to Tuebrook Sidings on 14 September. (Stephen Dennett)
66 715 is named Valour - In memory of all Railway Employees who gave their lives for their country. It has an irregularly shaped nameplate on each side designed to resemble those on the GCR memorial steam loco 1165 Valour. (Stephen Dennett)
66 715 passing Beeches Farm (Bob Greenhalgh)
Passengers
67 017 makes its way through the foliage at Llandudno Junction on 14 September with 1V96, the Holyhead to Cardiff Central loco-hauled service (Stephen Dennett).
17 September at Malltreath arches, and 67 017 on the 5K67 09:51 Holyhead depot to Crewe carriage sidings, the weekly empty stock run to 'swap' sets (Tim Rogers).
Slate
Llandudno Junction , 14 September (Gary Thomas).
The royal funeral did not affect the running of the slate waste train on 19 September, pictured by Gary Thomas arriving at Llandudno Junction, with 66 758 The Pavior in charge. The loco has connections with the construction industry, as it was named by The Worshipful Company of Paviors at Radlett in 2018).
Logs
Colas Class 56, 56 113 approaches Helsby with 6Z33, the additional log train from Hellifield Goods Loops on 16 September (Stephen Dennett).
56 113 at Balderton Crossing on 16 September (Bob Greenhalgh).
Looking back: The Elizabeth Era - by David Pool
My first appreciation of Royalty came from the Lakeside Miniature Railway at Southport, where for many years in the 1940s and 1950s the two Bassett-Lowke Class 20 locomotives King George and Princess Elizabeth were the main motive power. The line had been constructed in 1911, and King George was originally Prince Edward of Wales (No.21), built for the line in 1912. A few years later in 1915 the second Prince of Wales (No.22) was built for the Fairbourne Railway, and soon moved to Southport, later becoming Princess Elizabeth following the birth of the Royal Princesses.
The naming of all the Bassett-Lowke locomotives is a confusing story, since names were frequently changed The photograph of Princess Elizabeth was taken on 5 May 1960, and appeared in the NWCR Notebook of 5 April 2021. In the background there can be seen one of the diesel electric steam outline locomotives built by Harry Barlow, which eventually displaced the two steam veterans.
The LMS locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth was usually to be found working the Liverpool to London trains. When it was withdrawn after the British Railways diesels took over, it was an obvious candidate for preservation. After a period at Ashchurch it went to Tyseley, where it was returned to steam. With the steam ban on British Railways lines, it was an achievement for it to be allowed to haul a train shuttling between the Tyseley Works and Tyseley main line station on 1 October 1972, top and tailed with LMS Class 5 5428.
The visit of the Royal Yacht Britannia to Liverpool during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee gave the opportunity for a classic photo on 21 June 1977 of Britannia berthed at Princes Stage, in front of the “Three Graces”, which had been recently cleaned to remove years of grime.
I never managed to see the Queen during any of her close encounters with the public, but did get some photos when she was travelling. On 12 June 1979 President Moi of Kenya made a State Visit to the UK, and was met at Victoria Station by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The Royal Coach was leaving for the Palace, and by chance I had been visiting offices which overlooked the station entrance.
One of the visitors to a Gala at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway on 25 September 1981 was the familiar Bassett-Lowke No.22 Princess Elizabeth. It had been bought by Bill McAlpine and restored at Carnforth, but was sold in 2000 to the American film mogul Francis Ford Coppola and exported to California.
One of my favourite photographs is this shot of 6201 Princess Elizabeth on the SLOA’s Golden Jubilee railtour from London on 15 November 1986. The train had been diesel hauled to Stalybridge, but 6201 was then allowed to show how an LMS Pacific would tackle the line over the Pennines to Leeds. Photographers were shoulder to shoulder on the footbridge near Mossley, and they would not have been disappointed!
Moving on to 2022, the HMS Queen Elizabeth was in the Mersey on 27 March this year. The contrast between the classic lines of Britannia in 1977 and the functional design of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Flagship is apparent. Unfortunately the background is not that of the Royal Liver Building, but rather the modern skyline of “developments”, and it is difficult to distinguish the two “islands” on the flight deck from the buildings behind.
The repainting of 34027 on the Severn Valley Railway has attracted many comments. I was at first not a supporter of what seemed to be more suited to a Disneyworld set, but the sight of No.70 Queen Elizabeth II at Eardington on 3 June 2022 made me understand how much the public might enjoy and remember the occasion of this special event. Since this photograph was taken, the sad death of Her Majesty the Queen has been recognised by the fitting of black nameplates, and the colour of the locomotive now seems particularly appropriate.
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