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07 October 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 October 2024 Wednesday 9 October Welsh Highland Railway North Wales Group Dave Waldren: ‘The Welshpool & Llanfair Railway’ and ‘The Vale of Rheidol Railway’ including lost sections of both lines. 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. Wednesday 13 November Welsh Highland Railway North Wales Group Humph Davies ‘An historical look at the route of the Lynton andBarnstaple Railway, 1898-1935.’ 30 November 2024: Pathfinder. 40 145 from Dorridge to Chester via Wrexham General December 2024 Tuesday 10 December Midland Pullman from Holyhead to Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Christmas Pullman Wednesday 11 December Welsh Highland Railway North Wales Group Fred Howes - “From Train Spotter to Civil Engineering Manager”. Saturday 14 December Intercity "Y Cracyr Nadolig” (The Christmas Cracker) Wolverhampton to Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog with a class 40 and a class 45 loco.. 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 |
![]() On 7 October, running later than usual, 66 603 crosses the Weaver Navigation with a load of recycling glass for the the Encirc glass works. Picture by Greg Mape. Some items have been saved for the next issue due to lack of time.- Charlie RHTT time![]() The first RHTT of the season: a rather dirty 56 094 passing Beeches Farm as the train heads for Holyhead on 2 October (Bob Greenhalgh). ![]() On 2 October 56 302, PECO The Railway Modeller 2016 70 Years leads the railhead treatment train running as 3S71, Coleham to Coleham past Bagillt footbridge ... ![]() ... 56 094 at the rear (Stephen Dennett). ![]() Prestatyn (Ivor Bufton). ![]() Llanfairfechan (Gary Thomas). ![]() Talybont on 3 October (Logan Humphreys) ![]() The regular circuit from Coleham was cut short on 5 October due to engineering work on the North Wales coast line, turning back at Mostyn Up Goods Loop. 56 302 Peco is seen here arriving back in the Sutton Bridge Junction headshunt (Graham Breakwell). ![]() 56 094 took over for the move into Coleham depot, to join 97 302, 97 304 and 37 405. 197 mysteryKevin Driscoll writes: 'Riding in 197 120 last week (Premier Plus section of course) I noticed labels on the seat backs, saying that premium fares would apply from "the end of September 2024". 'How this will work is unclear, unless it can be guaranteed that the right units will be allocated to particular services.In practice I frequently find that the allocations on RTT each morning are well adrift to which units actually work.' [Presumably the idea is that the conductor will come along and ask for the supplement. How it will work in practice remains to be seen . TfW might also regret those catering trolley spaces, especially in the 2-car units.] Ownership of 67s - notes by Jack Bowley![]() A bit of info on the Colas 67s 67023 and 67 027 that have recently featured on the RHTT shakedown. (Picture by Greg Mape). I'm not too sure on the full ins and outs, but they were Colas engines for a while in the usual yellow/orange/black colours, then GBRf bought them before being sub-leased back to Colas. One rumour has suggested the locos were in a poor condition and GB weren't in a position to fix them until Colas did. Not sure what the truth is, but it's a typical modern railway fiasco. So as far as I'm concerned, they're GBRf locos on hire to Colas long-term! The names Stella and Charlotte applied by have been lost in the process. 'Not' The New Measurement Train - by Russell Withington![]() Doesn’t seem like four weeks have passed but I went down to see what the regular run of the ’New Measurement Train’ was being powered by, and once again an ex-East Coast Class 43 emerged from the shrubbery, however what followed was very definitely not the usual Mark3 rolling stock. I returned in the early evening to photograph the whole train, and as luck would have it the sun came out. ![]() 43 357 was in the lead on the return journey, which has gained a Colas vinyl since September, followed by ... ![]() ... a Mark 1 Generator Van 6262 ... ![]() ... Plain Line Pattern Recognition Coach 72631 ... ![]() ... Overhead Line Equipment Test Coach 975091, once known as “MENTOR”) ![]() ... and Test Train Brake Force Runner 72612. More NMT scenes![]() Now and then: 43 357 passes Conwy, with the return 1Q18 16-07 Holyhead to Derby test train. 3 October 2024.... ![]() ... and 43 357 passing Copmanthorpe, as the 13.07 Edinburgh to Plymouth service, 29 September 2017. (Garry Stroud) ![]() Rhosneigr (Gary Thomas). Miscellany![]() 66 651 comes under Bannel Lane bridge near Buckley station with the late running 6M76, Margam to Dee Marsh steel train on 27 September. 66 651, formerly 66 221 is one of the DB 66/6s modified and regeared for higher tractive effort. (Stephen Dennett). ![]() 66 140 at Buckley station with 6V75, Dee Marsh to Margam steel. on 2 October (Stephen Dennett). ![]() 43 301 passing Upton Magna, east of Shrewsbury on 4 October, on 1Q55 – a round trip from Derby RTC turning back at Wrexham (Graham Breakwell). ![]() Viewed from Kemps Eye Bridge in Belle Vue, Shrewsbury on a rainy, grey Monday, 66 588 with a train of 30 empty hoppers. Working 7Z36, the 11:08 Merehead Quarry to Crewe Basford Hall Yard. (Graham Breakwell). ![]() The state of Abergele station in October 2024: surely Network Rail shouldn't let this happen? (Stuart Broome). ![]() At Stockport station on 2 October: 67 025 on the 08:49 prepares to propel its train from Platform 3 towards Manchester Piccadilly (Stuart Broome). From David Sallery's archive![]() 508 020 and a 503 in the former Birkenhead steam shed on 7 January 1984. The 508 had just arrived from the Southern Region and still had Strawberry Hill on its destination blind. All class 508 have now been withdrawn. ![]() 56 045 with a train of empty OTA log carriers passes through Penyffordd after a sudden Spring snowfall, 15 April 1998. ![]() Loadhaul livery 60 038 has empty coil wagons for South Wales in tow at Hawarden in October 1999. ![]() 78017 is station pilot at Shrewsbury in 1966. Note the LNWR signals in the background. Looking back: Isle of Man transport 1964 part 2 - by David Pool![]() On 9 July 1964 I was photographing between Ramsey and Laxey on the Manx Electric Railway. At the Ramsey terminus MER Unvestibuled Saloon No.1 was built by Milnes in 1893 for the opening of the railway, and was paired with Open Crossbench trailer No. 46. The van No.16 on the left would be used conveying Mail, being attached to Boat Cars connecting with the sailings from Douglas. A similar van is behind the trailer. ![]() Moving on to Laxey, I experienced one of those very rare occasions where all the components of the picture were in exactly the right place. I intended to photograph Snaefell Mountain Railway car No.4 as it left the station and started the climb on the first section with the Fell centre rail, the right hand running being normal on the SMR. An IOM Road Services bus stopped to drop off some passengers, and restarted as the SMR car appeared. Having got all that in the viewfinder, in the distance was an MER heading for Ramsey, which had presumably also connected with the other services. For the record, the bus was a Leyland Titan PD2/1 No.72 and the MER car seems to be Winter Saloon No.19 – identified by having both the initials MER and the full title on the sides, the initials being a cost saving measure which had been discontinued in favour of the full lettering. ![]() The line to Port Erin from Douglas starts with a climb of 2.5 miles at a gradient of 1in 65, known as Nunnery Bank. The 10am departure on 10 July 1964 was headed by No.12 Hutchinson and photographed from Ellenbrook Avenue in Braddan. ![]() The ex Donegal Railcars had been repainted and decorated with appropriate IOM crests, except that the crests showed a steam locomotive! This was No.16 Mannin, the last of the Beyer Peacock locomotives, built in 1926 with a larger boiler, side tanks and cylinders and consequently the most powerful locomotive on the line. ![]() No.16 Mannin was nearby after I had photographed the crest, being prepared for a later train. ![]() The Port Erin line was not all through fields and open country. Working the afternoon train on 10 July 1964, No.12 Hutchinson had just left Castletown station with the 14:15 to Port Erin, and was emerging from a rather overgrown section. ![]() The Bungalow is a famous location on the T.T. course, and the point where the SMR crosses the main road. Photographed on 11 July 1964, SMR car No.5 is tackling the final climb to the Summit from the Bungalow. The SMR cars were always fitted with Bow Collectors, which were more suitable for use in strong winds than the trolley poles on MER cars. Car No.5 is of particular interest in that it was later destroyed by fire at the Summit in 1970, although thankfully no staff or passengers were injured. A replica No.5 was soon built by Mr H D Kinnin of Ramsey, and differs in appearance from the original in having no clerestory and being fitted with modern windows. ![]() With not a motor vehicle in sight, this could have been a scene from the pre-war period, and not 11 July 1964, although the advertisement on the Horse Tram for the Ken Dodd show indicates the latter! “Bulkhead” tramcar No.43 was built in Preston in 1907, and MER Crossbench trailer No. 40 is behind what I think is MER No.1. Home page | Archive | Previous Notice Board |