NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
13 August 2024
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 advice and 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, society and tour operator details.
August 2024
Wednesday 14 August Statesman Telford Central - Carlisle
pickups Shrewsbury, Gobowen, Chirk, Wrexham General, Chester, Frodsham, Warrington BQ
24-26 August Bala Lake Railway August Steam Gala
24-25 August Model Railway Exhibition in Machynlleth in support of the Corris Railway
30 August - 1 September - Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Steam Gala with model railway exhibition
September 2024
Wednesday 4 September Statesman High Wycombe - Blaenau Ffestiniog
Thursday 5 September Pathfinder Tours The Cambrian Coast Express Bristol - Pwllheli
Friday 6 September Clwyd Railway Circle The Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway in the Vale of Clwyd - Fiona Gale
12 September Pathfinder Cambrian Coast Express Swindon - Pwllheli
14-15 September Welsh Highland Railway Super Power Weekend celebrating the successful restoration of the NG15 locomotive.
Sunday 15 September Steam Dreams 'Welsh Dragon' steam-hauled London Paddington - Shrewsbury, then diesel through to Pwllheli. For more on this and this and the next two entries see the Steam Dreams website.
Wednesday 18 September Steam Dreams 'Welsh Dragon' steam hauled Bangor - Crewe, then diesel to Cardiff via the Heart of Wales line
Thursday 19 September - Steam Dreams 'Welsh Dragon' steam hauled Cardiff to London Paddington via Gloucester and the Golden Valley line
Saturday 21 September - Northern Belle Telford - Carlisle pickups Shrewsbury, Wrexham General, Chester.
21-22 September Bala Model Railway Show Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn Secondary School, Ffrydan Road, Bala, Gwynedd LL23 7RU. 10:00 - 16:00 (Bus link to Bala Lake Railway station)
Opening times: 10.00-16.00 on both Saturday and Sunday.10.00-16.00 on both Saturday and Sunday.
Postponed to 2015.
October 2024
Friday 4 October Clwyd Railway Circle Wrexham’s Second Railway Mania - David Parry
4-6 October Ffestiniog Railway Bygoneds weekend
5-6 October Llangollen Railway Heritage Railcar Weekend
November 2024
Friday 1 November Clwyd Railway Circle Chinese Steam in 2001 and 2003 - Phil Thomas
December 2024
Tuesday 10 December Midland Pullman from Holyhead to Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Christmas Pullman
14-15 December Manchester Model Railway Society - The Christmas Model Railway Show. The Sugden Centre, Sidney Street, Manchester
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
67 013 preparing to depart with the 12:30 Manchester - Cardiff, 1 August
A shorter effort this week due to holiday: I'll catch up next week. Thanks to everyone! - Charlie
Three days, three Heritage Railways - by Paul Hajdasz
I took a three-day touring caravan holiday to Mid Wales, where I managed to visit three heritage railways within about a 40 mile radius of where I was staying.
The first journey I made was to Bala Lake narrow-gauge railway on Monday 29 July, where I took a nine mile round trip on Alice, a Dinorwig Hunslet built in 1902 (above). I caught the 11:40 service from Bala, which was fairly well loaded due to the good weather and school holidays. Whilst there I also visited their heritage centre at Llanuwchllyn, where a selection of steam engines reside.
They included Triassic, a Peckett works number 1270 built in 1911 ...
... George B, a Hunslet works number 680 ...
... and Holy War Hunslet number 779 built in 1902.
On Tuesday 30 July I paid a visit to Welshpool and Llanfair light railway, where I travelled aboard the 10:30 service from Llanfair. This was hauled by diesel number 175 built in 1979 for the Taiwan Sugar Corporation.
On the return journey at Cyfronydd we passed steam engine 822 The Earl, built by Beyer Peacock in 1902.
Arrival back at Llanfair, where diesel number 7 Chattenden was stabled on shed.
My final heritage railway was the Cambrian, based at Oswestry. This time I took a round trip from Weston Wharf on standard gauge 'Pacer' number 144 007.
Arriving at Oswestry station ...
... I saw fellow Pacer unit 144 006 ...
as well as diesel number 11517 Alun Evans, Ruston Hornsby 165DE 458641 which was built in 1963. (The BR number is fictitious: It was built for the National Coal Board).
It’s well worth while supporting these smaller heritage railways to ensure their continued development for future generations.
The Jolly Whistler - images by Richard Snook
A Pathfinder charter on 27 July took preserved Class 40 D345 from Burton-on-Trent to Skegness. From Burton to Crewe West Coast 37 706 piloted the train, as seen arriving at Crewe station.
The eastbound route was: Burton-on Trent - Birmingham - Crewe - Warrington Bank Quay – Chat Moss – Manchester Victoria – Stockport – Hope Valley – Sheffield – Worksop – Retford – Gainsborough Lea Road – Lincoln – Sleaford – Skegness,
D345 took over haulage from Crewe, departing at 08:23 ....
... with the 37 trailing.
The round-about trip via Manchester Victoria meant that the train crossed Stockport viaduct and at Stockport (10:28) travelled briefly in the Crewe direction before taking a left turn on to the 'Hope Valley' route. Since the connecting chord a junction with the former Midland Railway line at Hazel Grove the official name Hope Valley now includes the section of the Buxton line from Edgeley Junction to Hazel Grove.
A visit to Chester - by Roger Carvell
On 3 August I took a car trip, with wife and dog, to see Pete Waterman's latest big layout in the Cathedral.
After the cathedral visit, we walked the walls, as you do, and a quick look at RTT showed a Euston to Holyhead express and a Holyhead to Cardiff service due. I stopped on the bridge overlooking the railway by Bonewaldesthorne's Tower. How many famous railway photographers have stood here?
I had hoped to record one of the new 805s on the Euston to Holyhead, but 1D90 16:02 from Euston, produced a Class 221 Voyager instead ... Next time. I was quite shocked by the amount of vegetation around the trackside, a tourist passing spot, and a large buddleia obstructed my view towards the tunnels.
The Voyager was right time, leaving Chester for Holyhead at 18.11.
Next up was 1V99 16:48 Holyhead to Cardiff with 197 102, also on time at 18.23. The lighting looking west at 18.00 is a bit tricky at the moment with shrubbery doing its best to obstruct the job in hand and the sun on the lens. Pray for winter!
Irish Arrow class 2600 - by Graham Bloxsome
Further to the article in the last noticeboard regarding Irish Railways, I thought it appropriate to add the following, regarding the class 2600 DMUs. Entering service in 1994, as well as being the first modern DMUs purchased by Irish Railways, they were the first Japanese built trains to operate in the EU. To commemorate 30 years of service, in April this year, cars 2601 and 2602 were repainted into a modern interpretation of their original orange and black 'Arrow' livery.
They are seen at Cobh on a service from Cork on 29 July, picture taken from aboard the cruise ship Ambition. The original station building at Cobh is nicely preserved and now comprises of a Cobh heritage centre, gift shop and cafe, a single platform remains to accommodate the shuttle service
37s on the coast - pictures by Garry Stroud
Some photos taken at Bangor on 7 August of Colas 37 421 and HNRC 37 405 with the 3Q95 06 14 Derby RTC to Bangor structure gauging train. Above, entering the station.
Departing Bangor station with 37 405 on the rear to run round. 37 405 For the record the stock was: 977966, 977985, 9803, 999602 6263
Reversing into Bangor carriage sidings.
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