NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
19 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
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.
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
Friday 11 October. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "In Search of Steam in Japan. Six different steam locomotives in steam on different days on the LCGB tour of Japan in August 2023" by John Owen.
November 2024
Friday 1 November Clwyd Railway Circle Chinese Steam in 2001 and 2003 - Phil Thomas
Friday 8 November. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Then and Now" by Bob Barnard.
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
January 2025
Friday 10 January. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Engine Sheds" by Noel Coates of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society.
February 2025
Friday 14 February. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Macclesfield Area Railways in the 1950s and 60s" by Martin Welch.
March 2025
Friday 14 March. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Navigation Road and All That" by Ted Buckley. Local rail scenes, mainly of steam, from the 1960s in the Altrincham and Dunham Massey areas and elsewhere taken by Ted's father Bill Buckley.
April 2025
Friday 11 April. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Steam, Diesel and Electric in the Northern Fells" by Ian Pilkington. A joint meeting with the Irish Railway Record Society Manchester Branch.
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
66 723 Chinook made a welcome appearance on the Llandudno Junction slate on Friday 9 August, with the empties arriving from Wellingborough and returning to Crewe Basford Hall. Picture by Gary Thomas.
News pictures
Thursday 15 August saw 56 051 and 56 090 on the logs train to Chirk instead of the usual class 70, seen at Balderton crossing (Bob Greenhalgh).
On 13 August 57 315 is seen leading the Northern Belle ECS with 57 313 dead on the rear as 5Z79 - the 11:23 from Carnforth Steamtown to Bristol East Depot. The train was scheduled to move from Bristol to Birmingham International on Thursday to form the West Coast Railways day trip to Weymouth.
Eryl Crump writes: Travelling back from Cardiff on 11 August and wasn't expecting to see a Pacer in the sidings near Gresty Lane, Crewe. Apart from the old orange livery I couldn't see any identifying markings. [This is 142 003, one of two owned by Locomotive Services.]
Ultrasonic scenes
Several contributors have sent pictures of the Ultrasonic Test Train (UTU3) which visited our area recently - note that this is not the structure gauge measurement train as we stated previously, although it does have one coach previously in that formation. Below is a random selection - the train was top-and-tailed by 37 405 and 37 421, rather than the single loco with driving trailer more often seen.
Deganwy (Gary Thomas).
Penmaenmawr (Gary Thomas)
Blaenau Ffestiniog in rather inclement weather (Gary Thomas).
Llanrwst North (Ivor Bufton).
Bangor (Logan Humphreys).
Chester (Logan Humphreys)
From Dave Sallery's archive
31 408 and 31 427 are nearing Rhyl on a down train. The slow line from Prestatyn is in the process of being taken up, 29 August 1992.
37 244 enters Chester with a loaded ballast from Penmaenmawr, 27 August 1997. 37 244 was cut up at Wigan on 30 November 2001.
47 224 with the empty petroleum coke wagons for Immingham nears Abergele, 5 April 1990.
A HST for Holyhead meets 37 407 at Rhyl, 2 June 1995. 37 407 was named Blackpool Tower at the time.
Looking back: Ireland 1995 part 2 - by David Pool
In 1995 there were regular Anhydrous Ammonia freight workings from Marino Point (Cork) to the fertilizer plant at Shelton Abbey (Arklow). These were hauled by the 201 Class General Motors diesels, and routed via the main line from Cork to Dublin, then down the coast via Bray to Arklow. On 19 May 1995 GM 204 was approaching Limerick Junction with the tanks and barrier wagons. The traffic ceased in 2002 when the plant was closed.
The line from Ballybrophy to Limerick had been under threat of closure, and on 20 May 1995 the 10:30 Ballybrophy to Limerick was calling at Nenagh, headed by 177, one of the lower powered 141 Class GM diesels. The very infrequent service had resulted in the passing loop having been lifted and the down platform closed. Rather surprisingly, the line is still open today, although the station is unstaffed.
The “William Dargan” RPSI steam hauled Railtour on the Dublin to Cork main line on 20 May was one of the highlights of the Irish railway scene in 1995, and a “not to be missed” occasion. The North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board on 17 May 2021 shows some photographs of this Railtour, together with details of the locomotives. The Railtour had left Dublin behind GNR No.85 Merlin and split at Ballybrophy. I went first to Templemore, where No.85 arrived with a van and four coaches from the front section. This would be followed by DSER No.461 with the rear section of the train. I left Templemore to find a suitable location to photograph No.461, which would overtake No.85 at Thurles, and settled for a lineside shot at Goolds Cross. No.461 was working hard and looking impressive.
I then photographed No.85 at Dundrum, No.461 having gone ahead to Limerick Junction. When I arrived at Limerick Junction, No.461 had left its coaches at the platform, and was in a headshunt. No 85 then arrived and was setting back to recombine the train.
My final shots of the day were at Newtown, where GM 226 passed through with the 15:10 Dublin to Cork, soon followed by No.85.
On 21 May 1995 No.461 took the Railtour to Cobh, as shown in the NWCR News of 17 May 2021. No.85 rejoined No.461 for the return from Cork to Dublin, which I did not follow. The weather was still rather dull on 22 May 1995, when No.85 was due to head North from Dublin to Dundalk and Whitehead. I had stayed overnight near Laytown, where I photographed a push/pull working, the 07:00 Newry to Dublin, which had DVT 6101 with GM 123 on the rear.
The 08:00 Belfast to Dublin “Enterprise” followed, this being worked by Northern Ireland Railways No.208, one of two locomotives bought in 1994, being in the same number sequence as the similar 201 Class diesels owned by Irish Rail.
My photographs of No.85 at Skerries were disappointing in the grey conditions, and after visiting Howth I went to Donabate, where the 13:00 Dublin to Belfast was being hauled by Northern Ireland Railways 111, one of three EMD diesels bought in the 1980s for passenger and freight work. The depth of the ballast on the track was unusual, but I had seen similar situations at terminal stations such as Sligo and Dublin Heuston.
Isle of Man Manx Transport Festival - by David Hennessey
[This is just an extract from David's full text covering the event in full detail. I have uploaded it as a PDF file.]
Between Tuesday 30 July to Sunday 4 August 2024, the Isle of Man had its annual Summer Transport Extravaganza; 5 days of special, enthusiast themed events taking place on all the island's rail and tram systems. From charter trips on the steam railway to private hires on the Manx Electric, and from unusual cars on the horse trams to engineering units giving rides on the Snaefell Mountain Railway, there was plenty of action to be had by all visitors to the island.
Sunday 28th July
I joined in on the action here, having arrived on the island from Liverpool (on board the fastcraft Manannan) the day before.
At Laxey, Snaefell Mountain Railway Car 2 arrives at Laxey station, having brought visitors back down from the Summit.
Monday 29th July
Monday saw the turn of the steam railway to run a private hire. Manx Northern Dubs tank No.4 (IOMR No.15) Caledonia was in charge of this special run to Port Erin, featuring a selection of MNR stock. This included Saloon Car F.31, Van G.1, 'Cleminson' Coach No.6, and No.17 (the Foxdale coach). This consist was, apparently, the longest ever assembled for a charter.
Caledonia made her way along the route to Port Erin, with stops at Keristal, Port Soderick, Meary Veg, Ballasalla, just outside Castletown, Ballabeg, Colby and Port St Mary. These were timed very carefully, so as not to cause any disruption with the railway's normal services (timetable R being in operation on this day).
One highlight of the run, was all three services crossing at Ballasalla. When the last time this sort of thing happened, is anybody's guess...
IOMR Beyer Peacock tanks No.4 Loch (Douglas based) and No.11 Maitland (Port Erin based) were in charge of the regular service trains.
On the Great Laxey Mines Railway, Replica Lewin 0-4-0 Ant propels its single coach towards the island's only railway tunnel.
On the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, 'Bobby' and Car 45 wait to enter Derby Castle, having arrived back from Villa Marina.
No respectable visit to the Isle of Man would be complete, without a look at the island's most iconic landmark; the Laxey Wheel (alias Lady Isabella). The wheel, built in 1854 for pumping water from the mines around Laxey village, as of August 2024 was running independly from its long beam, undergoing heavy repairs. 03/08/24
Tuesday 30 July
The festival week got under way on this day, starting with a morning parallel run from Douglas Derby Castle, with Tunnel Cars 5 and 7 doing the honours. No.7 carried on towards Laxey, while No.5 returned to Derby Castle, prior to the start of the day's service.
On the steam railway that morning, Beyer Peacock No.4 Loch was working the usual 09:50 service to Port Erin, adorned with two headboards created by the excellent David Archer; 'THE PORT ERIN LINE SINCE 1874', and 'ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY 150'.
On the horse tramway, Car 45 joined Car 36 with the day's duties.
Wednesday 31 July
Next, it was onto the Groudle Glen Railway, having its extended Summer Wednesday opening for the festival period. 2019-built Bagnall Brown Bear was in charge of the two-carriage service. However, Sea Lion was seen on shed at Lhen Coan, being prepared for the evening services. Otter, Busby, Dolphin, Walrus and Polar Bear (the battery version), were also noted.
Laxey was the last stop for the day's activities. Cars 1 and 2 operated parallel runs to Dhoon Quarry and back, Mail Van 4 was on display in the siding by the Mines Tavern (having come up from Douglas behind Car 1), the old goods shed was open for visitors to look inside (freight van 3 and a pair of bogies on display), and Cars 7 (with trailer 19) and 21 (with trailer 59) working between Laxey and Douglas.
Thursday 1 August
On the Manx Electric Railway, Cars 1 & 2 (the oldest in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records) pause for photographs at Bulgham Head, while on a parallel run from Laxey to Dhoon Quarry; the evening Summer weather making the scene even more special.
Conclusion
Another great year for the Summer Transport Festival, and one that saw heavy passenger numbers spread throughout the island's rail and tram systems. While recent times may have been challenging from many perspectives, it is hoped that with enough support and encouragement, this sort of event can keep on going for a long time to come.
With thanks to everyone involved with the organisation and execution of the events, including the staff and volunteers of the steam and electric railways. Many thanks also to Isle of Man Transport, and the Isle of Man 50 Group.
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