NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
29 May 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.
June 2023
Wednesday 7 June Statesman Rail The Snowdonia Statesman Hull Manchester Victoria - Betws-y-coed/Blaenau Ffestiniog LSL Pullman
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) |0.00am - 3.00pm
Admission - £2 Adults, Children Under 16 Free
July 2023
Wednesday 12 July Statesman Rail The Snowdonia Statesman Kilmarnock IST Lancaster - Betws-y-coed/Blaenau Ffestiniog LSL Pullman
August 2023
September 2023
Friday 1 September Clwyd Railway Circle A Year in the Life of an International Train Spotter - Part 2. Phil Thomas
Wednesday 13 September Statesman Rail The Snowdonia Statesman High Wycombe IST Birmingham NS - Betws-y-coed/Blaenau Ffestiniog LSL Pullman
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
11 October Statesman Rail The Snowdonia Statesman Stevenage - Nuneaton - Betws-y-coed /Blaenau Ffestiniog LSL Pullman
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
230 008 arrives at Penyffordd working 2F90 17:42 Wrexham Central to Bidston, 19 May (Tim Rogers).
Freight Views
66 797 shows up its Beacon Rail (leasing company) livery on Llandulas Viaduct with 29 May's Wellingborough to Llandudno Junction slate empties (Greg Mape)...
.... and at Llandudno Junction (Gary Thomas).
A few different 70/8s are now being used on the Colas run: 70 816 approaches Flint with 6M33 Penmaenmawr Quarry to Longport loaded stone on 24 May (Stephen Dennett)...
... Shotton (Tim Rogers) ...
... Broughton (Gary Thomas).
70 806 with the loaded Carlisle to Chirk logs, 24 May (Gary Thomas).
66 790, another import, comes through Penyffordd station with 6V75 Dee Marsh to Margam TC steel train, 25 May. Leased from Beacon Rail Leasing, this loco worked in Sweden T66403 , along with T66404/405, which become 66 791 and 66 792 for GBRf. The three locos were built in November 2002 (Stephen Dennett).
66 798 - a German import - on the Avonmouth to Penyffordd cement tanks passes Ruabon on 26 May (Martin Evans).
On 22 May, 66 759 Chippy with 4D59 09:11 Wellingborough to Llandudno Junction empties near Abergele (Tim Rogers).
A new 'photo spot' for Greg Mape ( only a clear view westbound), a local path by the side of an M56 slip road in Baguley crossing the Altrincham - Northenden Junction line. On 24 May, 60 062 with Warrington Arpley - Tunstead stone empties passes 66 549 running light from Guide Bridge to Runcorn.
Another 197 emerges - pictures by Martin Evans
23 May at Shrewsbury: 70 014 working from Donnington to Crewe Basford Hall ...
... conveying TfW unit 197 049. The hopper wagons are for brake force.
Loco Worked
67 013 pushing the evening 'WAG' Cardiff - Holyhead in glorious sunshine, 25 May (Gary Thomas).
Stockport on 24 May. 67 012 arrives with the 08:49 Cardiff - Manchester Piccadilly.
67 017 prepares to depart Manchester Piccadilly with the 12:30 to Cardiff.
Tim Rogers' view
153 367 and 158 837 near Shotton Low Level working 1I22 13:27 Holyhead to Birmingham International, 25 May.
150 259 and 158 819 on 1D14 13:22 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead at Shotton, 25 May. This service was cancelled between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street due to late arrival of an inbound service.
All that could be found to work 1V96 11:33 Holyhead to Cardiff Central on 22 May was 150 229, seen passing the beach at Abergele.
221 105 at Flint on 23 May working 1A14 06:49 Holyhead to London Euston. Flint station is in line for another makeover (the last one was in 2007) in the near future, and the Class 221s are in line for replacement.
DVD news - from John Wilkinson
British Rail Motive Power 1981-1999 Vol 11 has now been released and available from Videoscene.
There are three chapters covering North Wales and Chester so plenty of coast action with Class 25s, 31s, 37s,45s, 47s and 'Daisy'. The last chapter covers The Conway Crusader Railtour on 10 March 1984. Motive power was 40 029, 40 047, 40 122 and 50 018. The 50 was at Llandudno to take the railtour up the Conwy Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Was this the first time a 50 went from Llandudno up the Conwy Valley branch? Another chapter covers Vic Berry's scrapyard at Leicester in 1987.
Weekend Specials - report by Kevin Melia
A few interesting workings over the Eurovision weekend, which also saw Saturday industrial action and a big football game on Sunday clashing. 47 712 and the popular DBSO set from LSL were back in action operating five additionals between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly on 13 May between 19:30 and 02:00 Saturday evening.
As if that wasn't unusual enough 47 813 and 47 826 then came up from Burton on Sunday morning 14 May courtesy of West Coast and operated 8 additional runs top-and-tailed on 9 Riviera mk2s between 11:00 and 19:30. All 13 services over 24 hours ran via Chat Moss.
It was a return to my youth certainly, and I only managed to get several hours at home in Cheshire in between days. One had to make the effort for the sheer novelty value though, having not had a 47 on a non railtour off Liverpool since 2005. The trains were all well stewarded and congratulations are due to all parties who put an effort in to ensure these service improvements on such as a busy weekend!
Memories of a Western - by Garry Stroud
As this year marks the locomotives 60th birthday, the photo of D1062
Western Courier by Dave Sallery in the 15 May issue, has for me brought back many nostalgic memories of this particular Western. Above, myself in the maroon overalls, together with Terry Couling up
the ladder, apply a base undercoat to D1062 in the Works weighbridge on 24 March 1977.
I was employed as a locomotive painter at Swindon Works during the 1960s/70s, and during 1977 myself and fellow Works painter Terry Couling became involved with the Western Loco Association in the re-paint and restoration of D1062 at Swindon Works weighbridge. With just the yellow on the cab front to apply, D1062 undergoes mechanical inspection outside Swindon Works weighbridge.
Hauled by 08 288, D1062 leaves the Works en route to the transfer sidings and eventual movement onto the Paignton and Dartmouth railway. 27 May 1977.
D1062 looking resplendent in maroon livery, has a final inspection in Swindon transfer sidings before moving on to Devon. Although not now carrying the maroon livery it was outshopped in, I thought readers might like a flashback in time when fellow class members were being cut up only yards away in the works con yard, Western Courier emerged from the Works resplendent in maroon livery.
From Dave Sallery's archive
37 107 passes Prestatyn with the Saturday morning empty fuel oil tanks to Stanlow, 11 January 1996.
37 240 on a loaded ballast at Ffynnongroew, 30 May 1996.
37 415 on an up ballast at Prestatyn, 6 March 1996.
37 509 with more ballast at Prestatyn, 5 October 1995.
GWSR Gala - report by Jim Ikin
A busy and sunny steam gala on 14 May at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway provided a couple of North Wales connections. 7820 Dinmore Manor spent time at Aberystwyth in 1952 ...
... and 75014 at Llandudno Junction in 1953 and 1959 and in the 1960s at Croes Newydd and Mold.
Although no connection with Wales pug 11243 built at Horwich in 1910 as number 19 was present shunting and carrying out brake van rides ;the organisers describing it as a similar engine to the 0-4-0 Deeleys that once worked Gloucester Docks.
The following day we visited 'Steam' at Swindon. Although a number of locos in the museum have visited Wales in preservation 7821 Ditcheat Manor was once a Croes Newydd resident before moving to Machynlleth in the early 1960s. The loco now sits in the shopping centre within the old Swindon works, unfortunately not in a decent place for photography.
If anyone hasn’t been it's certainly well worth a visit.
Looking Back: Buxton Lime Part 1 - by David Pool
On 27 April 1968 I was in the Peak District, heading for Peak Forest, when I noticed some photographers near the Dove Holes cutting. Stopping to investigate, I found they were intending to photograph the last steam hauled hoppers from Tunstead, and the train was due soon. Although the cutting is on the downhill side of the summit at Peak Forest, it was not worth the risk to try to get a shot on the climb from Tunstead. A Stanier 8F 48319 eventually appeared, drifting down towards Dove Holes Tunnel. I was expecting to see the ex-ICI hoppers, but on this occasion the wagons seem to be CBA hoppers Can anyone confirm this and give further details of this working?
One of the “not to be missed” Railtours for photographers in the Peak District was “The Mancunian” on 28 October 1978, steam hauled between Manchester and York. The return was to be double headed by Midland Compound 1000 plus Jubilee 5690 Leander. .There was to be a stop for photographs at Chinley, and the nearby footbridge provided a good viewpoint for its departure. The train duly arrived, and there was soon a crowd on the tracks. Fortunately there was nothing due from New Mills, but a limestone freight arrived from Tunstead behind 25 325, and overtook the Special on the slow line.
It was around 5pm when the Special departed, and one side of the train was in shadow, but the light from the evening sun gave a nice shot.
The Class 25s were the usual motive power for the Tunstead hoppers in 1981. I was waiting at Lostock Gralam on 20 June to photograph 850 Lord Nelson when 25 042 appeared with empty hoppers, most likely from Winnington, but possibly with some from ICI’s Lostock Works, visible in the background.
A year later I was at Peak Forest, when on 3 June 1982 25 314 was returning with empty hoppers to Tunstead. At the time I was more interested in the Peakstone Diesel in the distance, which was previously BR 07 001 (D2985), one of the short wheelbase Southern Region shunters used in Southampton Docks.
I managed to get nearer to the Peakstone diesel, its yellow livery looking rather faded by the limestone dust. I understand this locomotive is now at Rowsley, owned by the Heritage Shunters Trust.
I tend to check the history of the locomotives which feature in my contributions to this website, and I was rather surprised to find that 25 314 was one of the three Class 25s which were used as Electric Train Heating Locomotives (Ethels) in the late 1980s, 25 314 being Ethel 3 (97252). I photographed these on several Railtours on the S&C, but my attention was always on the steam locomotive, and like most photographers I would have preferred the Ethels to be invisible, so I never took the details of them.
It was a challenge was to see if I had photographed it as Ethel 3, so I looked at my S&C slides taken between 1988 and 1990, when the Ethels would have been in use. Unfortunately the shots on the S&C tended to be from a distance, and it was not possible to make out the number in most cases. There was one shot at Blea Moor which clearly showed 97 251. I remembered that there had been some Specials on the North Wales Coast with an Ethel, but the first shot I found were also not sufficiently clear to be sure of the number. My final hope was when Clan Line 35028 was on the coast on 14 February 1989. I had a scanned image from a shot at Maesdu, Llandudno, but the number on the Ethel was illegible us usual.
Looking at my notebook, I then saw that I had taken several shots there with the motor drive, so I hunted them out and struck lucky! My last shot as the train entered Llandudno was a close-up of 35028 and the Ethel, which is clearly 97 252. Mission accomplished! Out of curiosity I looked at Street View in Google Maps, and not surprisingly I found that this shot would not be possible today in view of the usual overgrown vegetation.
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