NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
27 February 2023
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.
March 2023
Friday 3 March Clwyd Railway Circle Travelling Around Britain by Train. Bill Rogerson
Saturday 4 March Railway Touring Company Steam 'The Cheshireman' London Euston - Chester
Friday 10 March. Altrincham Electric Railway Society "Colour-Rail" by Paul Chancellor
April 2023
Sunday 16 April Railway Touring Company The Great Britain XV: Day 2. Steam: Bristol - Shrewsbury - Wrexham - Chester - Holyhead. WCRC Class 47/57 Holyhead - Llandudno Junction
June 2023
Saturday 24 June North West Rail and Transport Collectors' Fair. Crewe Alexandra Football Club
Alexandra Stadium, Gresty Road, Crewe CW2 6EB
(5 mins walk from Crewe Station) 10.00am - 3.00pm
Admission - £2 Adults, Children Under I6 Free
September 2023
Friday 1 September Clwyd Railway Circle A Year in the Life of an International Train Spotter - Part 2 Phil Thomas
October 2023
Friday 6 October Clwyd Railway Circle A History of The Internal Railway at Shotton Steelworks and its Links with the Main Line
Glyn Jones
November 2023
Friday 3 November Clwyd Railway Circle The Railway in Conway. Larry Davies
December 2023
Friday 1 December Clwyd Railway Circle Members Night Presentations. Members are invited to give a 15-minute presentation of their choice.
(see our Calendar page for meeting venues)
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
Class 40 D213 Andania at Chester on 27 February, having arrived as OD43 13:00 Crewe - Chester test run for LSL at Crewe. Picture by David Wood.
News pictures
66 746 with crossing the Cob between Conwy and Llandudno Junction with 6F22 Penmaenmawr Quarry - Tuebrook Sidings on Tuesday, 21 February (Gary Thomas)...
... and comes pass Ffynnongroew footbridge. This loco has had two previous numbers, 66 410 & 66 845. The maroon livery was applied to match the Royal Scotsman luxury train (Stephen Dennett). The incoming working to Penmaenmawr was 6Z60 from Wrenthorpe, Wakefield.
Beeches Farm (Bob Greenhalgh).
The New Measurement Train with 43 272 and 43 290 heading towards Holyhead on Thursday, 23 February (Gary Thomas).
On 24 February, 67 013 propels the 1W93 Cardiff Central to Holyhead away from Flint (Stephen Dennett). Passengers on 1V96, the usual lunchtime Holyhead-Cardiff loco-hauled, were not so fortunate the previous day, with 150 283 on the full trip!
Brand new 197 042 on a test run at Flint (Stephen Dennett).
A most interesting development is a new Colas Rail flow of stone from Penmaenmawr to Longport near Stoke-on-Trent (6M33). The first run was on Friday 24 February, with 70 814 on the head, seen passing Llandudno Junction with the empties...
... and running round in the quarry sidings (Garry Stroud).
Wmerging from the tunnel at Conwy (Geraint Williams).
Passing Llandudno Junction with the loaded train (Garry Stroud).
Unique lineup at Flint on 24 February, with 197 006, and 70 814 which had paused to drop off a member of the train crew (Stephen Dennett).
The train ran again on 27 February, again with 70 814. Timed to leave Penmaenmawr at 13:25, it started late and was running 80 minutes late as it passed the site of Talacre railway station (Gary Thomas).
On the afternoon of Monday, 27 February. 66 718 at Gronant with 6Z58 from Doncaster to Llandudno Junction (Gary Thomas).
Gary Thomas writes: On Sunday, 26 February I was lucky to be a passenger on the Scotrail Push-Pull Railtour over the weekend. I took hundreds of photos, but I thought I'd share one of my favourites at Aberdeen.
Soon to be replaced
Voyager 221 116 at Flint station with 1A50 Holyhead to London Euston on 24 February. Picture by Stephen Dennett who reports that the unit was was 'sounding really rough'.
The first of the 23 new bi-mode class 805 units, similar to those now working for secompanies in various forms, are now under test; let us hope that they are more comfortable than the un-loved Voyagers. Above is an artists' impression courtesy of Avanti West Coast.
Bridges - by Chris Morrison
DB red 67 015 propels the 1V96 11:33 Holyhead-Cardiff with Black Mk4 set HD06, seen crossing the Viaduct oner the Vale of Ceiriog at Chirk on 20 February.
A few minutes after the first picture silver 67 029 Royal Diamond heads north with the 11: 25 from Cardiff to Holyhead formed of Mk4 set HD01.
Network Rail's new lightweight modular 'Flow' footbridge made of FRP - Fibre Reinforced Polymer - at Wistanstow north of Craven Arms looking north on 25 February.
The view on the bridge.
Looking south towards Craven Arms as 67 029 passes propelling the 1V42 12:30 Manchester Piccadilly-Cardiff , one of the new Saturday 67 diagrams, under the bridge.
The view towards Craven Arms from the bridge, which is about a 15 minute walk from the station.
Forgotten sights at Chester - by Chris Magner
It was interesting to see the Chester Refreshment sign item in the recent issue. I hope readers will provide the answers to the following.
Opposite the Chester bay platform there is still a metal sign on the wall about 'Carriages' the former station refreshment room. Does anyone know when it was closed, as it was a well-kept establishment near the station entrance with seats on the outside pavement.
It is always good to remember former Railway Works. Chester Wagon Repair Shops' moments of fame were in the early 1970s when the Vale of Rheidol steam locomotives were repaired there. When leaving Chester westwards it always makes me smile to see the illuminated exit signal from the former Works sidings connecting to the main line. Alone in the foliage, it glows red as a final memory of what was at one time a fine establishment now a Royal Mail Depot . One wonders why it has been kept active for so long!
197 vs 196 - by Jack Bowley
On the recent noticeboard, it mentions about TfW having window pillars with tables, but WMR's 196s don't apparently have this issue. The biggest difference to the eagle-eyed amongst us is the 196s actually have different windows. Rather than 2 + 4 + 3 large windows down the side that are flush with the body, the WMR 196s have a 2 + 5 + 3 arrangement with smaller framed windows. Why, I don't know, but I guess this gets round the pillar falling where tables are problem.
I originally thought WMR had maybe chosen a longer vehicle, but they're identical. I think that's the reason the 196s and 197s are different - window configuration.
Half an hour at Ruabon - with Martin Evans
On 24 February I nipped to Ruabon for half an hour in the afternoon and captured these workings. Above, 67 013 with set HD05 arrives with 1W93, the 11:25 Cardiff to Holyhead service.
Shortly afterwards 57 313 Scarborough Castle powers through with the Coventry to Chester Northern Belle dining train ...
... 47 815 bringing up the rear.
In between these workings TFW 150 229 arrives with a late running Holyhead to Birmingham International service, not a good advert to entice people on to the railways from their cars, as it was packed.
Liverpool Street reliefs - by Kevin Melia
Just a few pictures taken on Sunday 19 Febrary of 47 813 and 47 815 a little off the beaten track at London Liverpool Street and Peterb rough on an appropriately liveried blue grey mk2 rake providing "network cover" for the ECML closure between Kings Cross and Peterborough. Passengers were ordinarily on buses for part of the journey south of St Neots to reach London, but 1 rake of carriages was sourced to do 2 return "shuttle" trips per day (Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th February) on an interesting diversionary route via Cambridge, Ely and March.
Given the increasingly rare use of 47s on service train reliefs in modern times and unable to manage two days in London, I ventured to the scene on Sunday enjoying the rare offer of a lift from my new home village in East Cheshire down to the Home Counties. Setting off at 06:15 we then had a very smooth motorway journey and caught an EMU for the last leg between Cheshunt and Liverpool Street, with time for breakfast before a 10:30 start. Excellent performances off both locomotives, as ever, despite their ever vintage ages (the sign of a skilled team of loco engineers!)
The day was mostly enjoyable, apart from the isolated drunken behaviour of a small group of mostly younger people that had seemingly travelled purely to be sat with (or near) a well known social media influencer who has regularly appeared in the media in the last 12 months due to his eccentric style and apparent railway interest. Given the hundreds of well behaved passengers using the services over the weekend (a mixture of general passengers and enthusiasts) it was a shame that such a high-profile character appearing in a group appeared to cause the hard-working on-board stewards and crew a few unnecessary policing issues on what was such an intelligent initiative in modern railway times.
My own arrival home was a little after 1am in reverse of the outward journey leaving me less than fresh for the following morning's various duties and commitments, but as it will probably never be repeated there's no regrets!
From Dave Sallery's archive
'Generator' 47 410 passes Mostyn on a Trans Pennine service, 24 November 1986. Wagons of sulphur are in the sidings for Associated Octel, Amlwch.
47 829 in its unmistakeable Police livery on a Euston service at Ffynnongroew, 27 March 2002.
47 424 and 47 607 on a down service at Presthaven, 4 March 1987. The 47 was on test from Crewe works after overhaul and receipt of the 'large loco' livery.
47 572 Ely Cathedral passes Talacre on 2 March 1988. A pair of 20s can be seen in the colliery sidings top left. This was the old track layout which was replaced by a facing crossover - since removed.
Looking back: Dinting Part 2 - by David Pool
Nunlow, a Hudswell Clarke locomotive (Works No.1704), was built in 1938 for the Earle’s Cement Works at Hope in Derbyshire. After 26 years in service, it was eventually sold to the Bahamas Locomotive Society, arriving at Dinting in 1969. It was in steam during my visit to Dinting on 1 April 1973, looking impressive in the Great Central Railway colours. When Dinting closed, it moved to the Swanage Railway and later to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, where it has now joined the other locomotives owned by the Bahamas Locomotive Society.
A visit to the loco shed at Dinting on the same day in 1973 found the Schools Class 30925 Cheltenham. After being withdrawn in 1962 it had been stored in various locations on the Southern Region, since it had been designated for preservation by the National Rail Museum, and eventually loaned to the Steam Trust, Tyseley in 1970.
After a long period in storage, Cheltenham was in steam for the celebrations at Rainhill on 24 May 1980. It was not particularly easy to get good shots during the Cavalcade, but after the event the locomotives returned individually, and with few spectators in the picture it was an acceptable shot, even though the sunshine had gone by then. Since Rainhill, 30925 has not ventured to the North of England, running on the Mid Hants Railway and currently on the Bluebell Railway.
The other locomotive in the shed at Dinting with Cheltenham on 1 April 1973 was Southwick, a Crane Tank built by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn in 1942 (Works No.7069) for Doxford Shipbuilders in Pallion, Sunderland. There were altogether nine Crane Tanks there, four of which have been preserved. A Crane Tank is not often in steam on Preserved Railways, being unsuitable for passenger haulage, so most are now on display or stored awaiting restoration. The sister locomotive 7070 Millfield was at Bressingham on 16 April 1979, and was easier to photograph.
Shortly after my visit to Bressingham, I returned to Dinting, where on 5 May 1979 there were two special locomotives on display, both part of the National Collection. The Midland Compound 1000 was not in steam ...
... but 4771 Green Arrow was giving brake van rides.
Later that month 1000 and Green Arrow worked an SLOA Railtour on 25 May between Guide Bridge and York. “The Curator” had started from Euston, using a Class 25 diesel between Manchester Piccadilly and Guide Bridge. The double headed train is approaching Chinley North Junction.
I was waiting for an opportunity to photograph 1000 double heading with an LMS locomotive, and I was rewarded on 5 May 1980 when 1000 was paired with 5690 Leander on a 10 coach excursion from Carnforth to Sellafield, which also featured 4771 on the return journey. The two LMS locos had just left Millom. This train was originally advertised as “The Royal Wessex”, but no SR locomotive was available on this occasion. Currently 1000 is on loan for display at Barrow Hill.
RTT quirk
The TfW 08:43 Llandudno to Manchester Airport service, as reported by Real Time Trains, spotted by Roger Smith.
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