27 March 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.
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
July 2023
Weekend 1-2 July Llangollen Railway Classic
Transport Weekend at Glyndyfrdwy Station. An
intensive train service of steam, diesel and railcar,
will operate alongside a vintage bus service running between
Llangollen, Glyndyfrdwy and Corwen.
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
|
37 at the Seaside, Llandudno 22 March (Gary Thomas).
Thanks to
all contributors, especially those who follow the
guidelines for file naming, it
really helps, although I do understand that some don't
have the facility to edit filenames. Subject lines
on emails are a help, too. Some items, including a
'loco-hauled feature', have been saved for next
time. - Charlie
Shortage of trains?
197 007 (left, nameplate Happy Valley hardly
visible), 197 008 (behind) and 197 009
(right) sleep in Chester sidings on 21 March, while Conwy
Valley and Borderlands passengers travel by bus due to
shortage of trains.
The Manchester Airport service is now almost monopolised by
197s: 006, 011, 012, 015, 018 and 021 worked the route on 21
March. 197 018 is seen above on the 12:25 Manchester
Airport to Llandudno, which left Chester ten minutes late
for reasons not obvious. (A pair of 158s operated in the
early morning and 175 009 on the last train of the day. ) A
197 has 116 seats and one toilet, compared to the 175's 136
and two toilets; longer trains will surely be needed
in the Summer?
Meanwhile, a trip to the grandly-titled Telford
International Railfreight Park near the MOD depot in
Donnington on 18 March revealed over a dozen class 197
two- and three-car sets stabled awaiting handover. All
currently number-less and unbranded.
Looking in the opposite direction a couple of WMR Class 196s
can be spotted between more 197s. The wagons
stored on the right are for carrying new cars from the
factory.
Back at Chester, on the farthest end of the farthest siding,
lies 'thermal incident' victim 175 007, probably
having carried its last passenger.
The Marsh Magician
Pathfinder Tours' 'Marsh Magician' railtour on 25 March
started from Bristol and covered a number of interesting
lines. It ran in four sections:
1Z30 05:12 Bristol Temple Meads to Crewe
1Z31 10:05 Crewe to Knowsley Freight Terminal
1Z32 13:50 Knowsley Freight Terminal to Tuebrook Sdgs Gbrf
1Z33 18:10 Tuebrook Sidings Gbrf to Bristol Temple Meads
From Crewe the route was Chester - Hooton (reverse) -
Ellesmere Port - Ince and Elton (photo stop) -
Frodsham - Warrington Bank Quay -Wigan Wallgate - Rainford -
Knowsley Freight Terminal.
The train was hauled from Bristol by DB Cargo 60 062
Sonia, with its 'Steel on Steel' decoration, seen at
Chester by George Jones. The idea of the livery is
to 'celebrate the important role we play in supporting the
UK's metal transportation market'.
At Chester, GBRf 60 076 Dunbar was waiting
to attach to the rear, to head the train after reversal at
Hooton (George Jones).
60 062 heads the train through Bache station heading for
Hooton (Bob Greenhalgh). Passengers from Bristol
boarded the train at 05:10 and alighted at Bristol at dead
on time at 23:21.
Arriving at Hooton, past the trap points and into the 'long
siding' (Roly High). The title of the tour is a
tribute to Graham Marsh, whose ‘magic’ has enabled
Pathfinder Railtours and others to visit many industrial and
commercial rail locations in the North-west, and who is soon
to retire.
Posed for a picture at Ince & Elton, a station regularly
seen in the 'Least Uses Stations' list. Not surprising, as
it sees only two trains each way per day, and those are
currently suffering from cancellations. However, like all
Northern trains outside Greater Manchester, it has received
a shiny new nameboards in the 'New Rail Alphabet' with its
thinner lettering.
Arriving at Helsby (Stephen Dennett). The train went
on to visit Knowsley Freight Depot, sidings in Edge
Hill, Liverpool Docks, the GBRf Tuebrook Sidings and more.
37 in action
A Network Rail test train on 22 March from Crewe to Bangor
via a circuitous route - Chester, Shrewsbury,
Cosford (reverse), Shrewsbury and Chester (reverse). It then
then stabled overnight at Bangor before traversing the
Blaenau branch the next day. Above, Balderton
Crossing, propelling towards Wrexham (Bob Greenhalgh).
Geoff Morris captured it passing Roodee Junction ...
... and under the City Walls; The image passing under
the City Walls shows the section of wall that was closed in
February to enable remedial work to be undertaken on
the section over the Up lines to preserve the wall’s
structural integrity. Some of the stones were removed
and then replaced (the walls are listed) - they can be
identified by the new lighter-coloured mortar between them
...
... then crossing the Shropshire Union Canal on the
final leg to Bangor. The rake comprised
Colas-liveried 37 175 plus DVT 9708 sandwiching 5 vehicles
that included former 'motorail' van 96604 as a brake force
runner, the Ultrasonic test unit 999602 and the
Structure Gauging Vehicle 977985.
Passing Llandudno Junction ...
... pausing at Llandudno (Garry Stroud).
Passing the estate in Deganwy known to locals as 'Legoland'
(Gary Thomas). The train reversed at Llandudno
Junction, continuing to Bangor for overnight stabling.
The next day, 23 March, after taking in the Conwy Valley
branch, it headed back to Chester, photographed at Flint by
Stephen Dennett.
The train was still around the area on 25 March, seen here
at Chester, returning to Derby by Chris Taylor.
From Garry Stroud's archive: 32 years ago
inside Glasgow Eastfield depot, in large logo livery on 9
June 1991. This is one of the preserved locos bought
back to main line use by Colas in 2014. When bought,
it sported large logo blue applied by the preservationists.
Miscellany
Going and nearly gone: a 507 units waits to return to
Liverpool with Voyager 222 111 after arrival at
Chester from Euston on 25 March. Both train types are due
for replacement (Chris Taylor).
Tony Robinson writes:' De-forestation at Whitchurch
has revealed platform 4 'all stations to Oswestry'
once more! . Until closure in 1965 this was part of a
mainline, continuing beyond Oswestry, avoiding Shrewsbury to
meet the Aberystwyth line at Welshpool. A short section is
now the home of the Cambrian
Heritage Railways.
Some 175s are still running: 175 009 at Gobowen on
27 March ready to depart at 13:45 for Holyhead,
deputising for the loco hauled service (Martin Evans).
This unit appears to have had reforbished bogies.
37 612 arrives at Helsby from the Ellesmere Port
branch with a light engine move from Derby RTC to Warrington
Bank Quay, 21 March (Stephen Dennett). It
did two runs through to Hooton down the Ellesmere Port
branch from Helsby. It was due to do an extra one, but
headed straight on to Warrington Bank Quay after the second
run.
The latest 197 to begin test runs, 197 020 passes
Llandudno Junction station with the 3Q72 14:05 Crewe to
Holyhead test run on 22 March (Garry Stroud).
66 728 arrives at Llandudno Junction on 20 March with
empty wagons to be loaded with slate waste (Garry Stroud).
66 759 prepares to back its train into the loading
sidings, 27 March (Gary Thomas).
25 March at Shrewsbury station: 97 303 Dave
Berry double heading with 37 405 on 6C55, the
15:50h Aberystwyth Run Round Loop to Chirk Kronospan
of 10 loaded log carriers. The empty train had
travelled down from Chirk, leaving at 02:01 that
morning as 6C54. The 97 is essential for signalling
purposes and 37405 is there for the extra power needed
on the line's steep
gradients. The log service is now booked to run 'as
required' every Friday at the same times, bringing welcome
freight traffic back to this route (Graham Breakwell).
Russell Withington writes: 'It’s been a while
since I went down to photograph the NMT at Bagillt but as it
was going to be light enough I went down on 23 March,
and even had the sun come out.
'I’m not sure that this was good as it shows just how shabby
the two ex-East Coast power cars are looking, 43 251
with Colas branding leading and 43 290 with a
Network Rail logo bringing up the rear as it returned from
Holyhead to Derby Railway Technical Centre.'
One if the Colas locos, 43 277, has recently been given a
repair and repaint at the South Devon Railway: hopefull
others will follow.
From Dave Sallery's archive
40 118 on an up working near Gronant, 22 July 1984.
40 001 approaches Prestatyn on 22 June 1984 with a
Birmingham New Street - Llandudno day excursion.
40 104 on the Birmingham to Llandudno leaving
Prestatyn, 30 August 1984.
40 155 heads a return excursion out of Prestatyn on 5
August 1984. This special ran from Stafford to Blaenau
Ffestiniog via Stoke-on-Trent and was a charter for the
British Railways Staff Association, it was assisted on the
Conwy Valley line by 40 015.
Looking back: South Wales in 1991 part 3 - by
David Pool
1991 was the year of the celebrations marking 150 years of
the Great Western Railway and also of the Taff Vale
Railway. On 12 April 1991 the latter was celebrated by
a special train for local dignitaries, comprising an
Inspection Saloon hauled by a Class 37 diesel. The Saloon
GXA 999509 was being propelled by 37 702 at
Abercynon, heading for Merthyr Tydfil.
I photographed it again at Trefforest Estate, as it returned
to Cardiff. The Inspection Saloon 999509 has had an
interesting life. Built in 1960 at Swindon, it
has had a Regional Railways livery, then BR blue/grey and
eventually the unusual blue and yellow in 1991. It
then became an MOD Escort vehicle for nuclear traffic, and
was in EWS livery when photographed at Crewe in 2003, as
shown in the Notice Board of 4 April 2022.
I understand it is now in the rail Museum at Margate, in a
maroon livery.
The Tower Colliery was still active in 1991, and remained
open until 2008. Rail traffic went through Aberdare,
but the route changed over the years. At one time it
went via the Vale of Neath line, going through Aberdare
(High Level) station. Another line, the Taff Vale
line, ran in parallel through the valley to Aberdare (Low
Level) station. Both stations were closed in 1964
following the Beeching Report, but the rail freight
continued, using the Taff Vale line until the land at the
site of the Low Level station was needed for development,
and connections were then made to allow freight trains to
use the Vale of Neath line through the disused High level
station, with connections to the remaining Taff Vale
line,
The next change was the reinstatement of passenger trains to
Aberdare in 1988, using the line through the High Level
station, although a new platform would be built just South
of the old station. On 12 April 1991 a train from
Tower Colliery hauled by 37 796 was approaching the
site of the High Level station, the photograph being taken
from the new platform. There are currently plans to extend
the South Wales Metro beyond Aberdare to Hirwaun along this
line.
I continued my exploration of the freight lines in South
Wales the following month, returning again to the Trelewis
district on 9 May 1991. The Rhymney Railway line
through Nelson and Llancaiach was still busy with coal
freight from Taff Merthyr and Cwmbargoed, and 37 698
was passing the site of the closed station with MGR
wagons, possibly to Taff Merthyr or Deep Navigation
collieries.
My next target was the line to Cwmbargoed up the Taff
Bargoed valley. There was a nice location for
photographs at Bedlinog, and soon 37 796 arrived
from Aberthaw with empty MGR wagons. I was rather
concerned for the safety of the sheep on the line, but they
were obviously used to the sight and sound of a Class 37.
I photographed 37 796 again when it returned loaded from
Cwmbargoed, then noticed another train in the distance about
to leave Taff Merthyr colliery The line towards
Trelewis had the Deep Navigation and Ocean colliery winding
houses in the background, and the picture of 37 690
is one which illustrates a scene which is now just a
memory.
On the following day 10 May 1991 I went to Barry and
Aberthaw. The sidings at Aberthaw were visible, but I
was unable to get the Power Station in the picture, since it
was behind me on the left. 37 898 is the locomotive
waiting to leave, and the through lines on the right lead
eventually to Bridgend via the coast.
Barry was the stabling point for the Class 37s, and 37
703 was heading for Aberthaw, having just passed the
junction to Barry Island. Transport for Wales has now
purchased the site, which will be the main depot for its
South Wales Metro fleet. The Scheme includes the
purchase of the Barry Island site and buildings used by the
Barry Tourist Railway, which is to be allowed to continue
its activities.
North Wales
Coast home page | Archive
| Previous Notice Board
|