North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board 04 November 2024

NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd


04 November 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

See our Calendar Page for operator details.

November 2024

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 and Barnstaple Railway, 1898-1935.’

Monday 18 November Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Bromborough: Ted Buckley “Navigation Road and all that”

Saturday 23 November Deganwy Railway Modellers - Model Railway Exhibition.     Craig Y Don Community Centre, Queens Road, Llandudno, Conwy LL30 1TE. Opening times 10am - 4pm
Adults £5.00    Children £2.50

Saturday 30 November : Pathfinder. 40 145 from Dorridge to Chester via Wrexham General

December 2024

Wednesday 4 December Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Liverpool Brian Roberts “Merseyside Area Connections in the 1970s”

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 class 40 and class 45 locos.

14-15 December Manchester Model Railway Society -  The Christmas Model Railway Show. The Sugden Centre, Sidney Street, Manchester

January 2025

Friday 10 January Clwyd Railway Circle David Jones “Landscapes of Steam, Chester and the Welsh Borders”. Note: Change of venue :  Hawarden Institute, 31 Glynne Way, Hawarden, Flintshire, CH5 3NS

Friday 10 January. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society  "Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Engine Sheds" by Noel Coates of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society.

Monday 20 January Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Bromborough: AGM followed by: Jon Penn “A Miscellany of Railways”  (Non M,C&NW members and Non-RCTS members will not be able to take an active part in the AGM)

February 2025

Wednesday 5 February Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Liverpool: Chris Poole   “Czech Railways”

Friday 7 February Clwyd Railway Circle David Jones and Dave Southern “Annual General Meeting” followed by “Rails to Bala”

Friday 14 February. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Macclesfield Area Railways in the 1950s and 60s" by Martin Welch.

March 2025

Saturday 1 March - Railway Touring Company - 'The Mancunian' from Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno and Holyhead via Altrincham. Steam hauled.

Friday 7 March Clwyd Railway Circle Jeff Nicholls “A Baptism of Fire and Water-My First Wolsztyn Experience” Part One

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.

Monday 17 March Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch: Charles Roberts “On Line Transport Archive (OTA) Images”

April 2025

Wednesday 2 April Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Liverpool:  Paul Shackcloth “L & Y Engines at Work, Part 3” Speaker and Subject TBC

Saturday 5 April  Saphos  Lakelander from Llandudno Junction to Carlisle. Diesel to Lancaster and return, steam from Lancaster, return via Cumbrian Coast line.

Saturday 5 April  UK Railtours - The Snowdonian. No further information available at present.

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.

Saturday 12 April  Midland Pullman  Torbay Riviera Pullman from Chester, Wrexham General and Ruabon to Paignton.

Saturday 19 April   Northern Belle - Settle and Carlisle Steam Special. Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle via the S&C. Diesel to/from Carnforth, steam for remainder.

May 2025

Saturday 10 May  UK Railtours Llandudno and Chester. London Euston to Llandudno Junction and Penmaenmawr freight yards.

Saturday 31 May  Northern Belle Conwy Castle & Bodnant Gardens from Cardiff

June 2025

Friday 20 June   Northern Belle  Spirit of Travel Lunch. Circular tour picking up at Chester and Wrexham General. Diesel hauled.

Friday 20 June  Northern Belle  Champagne Afternoon Tea. Circular tour picking up at Chester and Wrexham General. Diesel hauled.

July 2025

Tuesday 15 July   Midland Pullman  Yorkshire Coast Pullman from Ruabon, Wrexham General and Chester.

August 2025

September 2025

Friday 5 September Clwyd Railway Circle To be announced

Wednesday 17 September  Midland Pullman  Settle and Carlisle Pullman. From Ruabon, Wrexham General and Chester.

Saturday 20 September   Northern Belle   Settle and Carlisle Steam Special. Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle via the S&C. Diesel to/from Carnforth, steam for remainder.

October 2005

Friday 3 October Clwyd Railway Circle To be Announced

November 2005

Friday 7 November Clwyd Railway Circle Jeff Nicholls “A Baptism of Fire and Water-My First Wolsztyn Experience” Part Two

Saturday 8 November Northern Belle  Settle and Carlisle Steam Special. Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle via the S&C. Diesel to/from Carnforth, steam for remainder.









North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme Hulme



45212 passes Hope (Derbyshire) on 27 October (Greg Mape).


News Pictures



70 807 passes Llandudno Junction with the 4D61 Bradwell Up sidings to Penmaenmawr empty stone service. 4 Nov 2024 (Garry Stroud).

Freight news is that paths (TWThO - 08/10/2024 to 12/12/2024) have been spotted on Real Time Trains for the long-awaited flow of slate waste from Llandudno Junction to Earle's Sidings on the Hope Valley line. Operation is to be by Freightliner, but no trains have actually materialised. This has been on the cards for what seems like years, delayed by the National Park authorities concerned about the  proposed off-loading area.  However it seems that this has been overcome, as slate waste has been arriving by road.



Amid the autumnal gloom 67 012 propels the 08:49 Cardiff - Manchester away from Stockport on 30 October, taken from the safe side of the anti-trespass barrier. Does anyone know the purpose of the yellow device?


News from Shrewsbury - by Graham Breakwell

An article in Modern Railways discusses the possible use of Shrewsbury's platform 3, which is at the moment very restricted.  Some work was done in 2010 creating a route to/from the Cambrian and Marches lines, and a lift was installed, but there is no track to allowed workings in the Crewe direction. The only path for passengers to/from the rest of the station requires the to leave the building and pass through the barriers. Also, we are told that Class 67 locos are too heavy for the bridge carrying the platform 3 line into platform 3 over the Severn. Network Rail is Exploring ways to solve these issues. in the meantime, chaos often breaks out with trainloads of passengers crossing in both directions.



Some pictures taken on platform 3 on 1 November.  153 312 and 153 913 set to depart with 3V08, the 11.22h to Swansea via the Central Wales line.



197 105 arriving on platform 3 with 1W52, the 09:22 from Cardiff to Holyhead at 11:30 but held awaiting the arrival of ...



... late running 158 831 with 1I12, the 09:30 from Aberystwyth to Birmingham International.

Overcrowding on some TfW services, not helped by the two collision-damaged units being out of service, is leading to overcrowding; for example, as happened when travellers were unable to board 1I12 and were directed onto the West Midlands Railway 11:59 Shrewsbury – Birmingham New Street  service.

The two damaged 158’s were moved to Cardiff Canton Sidings on 1 November as 5Z84, departing at 16:30h from Machynlleth with a reversal in Shrewsbury.



Two images of 1Q36, the 05:14 Derby RTC round trip via Crewe, Shrewsbury and Newport passing through Shrewsbury on the same day, 43251 leading, on the down main line.



43 357 on the rear with 197 105 in platform 3.


Day trip to Crewe - by Paul Hajdasz



On Friday 1 November I undertook a return trip to Crewe from Stafford, on the way back going via Stoke - on - Trent. This cost £9:75 with a Senior Railcard. The first leg of my journey was to catch Avanti service 9P47 London Euston to Blackpool North with 390 154. We arrived at Crewe on platform 11 (above)

Whilst there I managed to see the local TfW service to Chester, departing from platform 9, 153 312 and another.



I made my way to platform 3, where EMR service 1N11 Crewe to Newark Castle was waiting with 170 517.


 
It took 25 minutes to arrive at Stoke-on-Trent, where I waited for my final leg of the trip which was CrossCountry service 1V53 from Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads with 22 1135. I arrived back at Stafford on platform 4 .



Before I left the station I took photos of Colas Rail DR73806 Karine, waiting at platform  1  ...



... and DRS 88 005 Minerva coming through on 4S45 Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal to Coatbridge Sidings.


The Sefton Sparkler



3 November saw a Farewell Tour of the 1970s-built Merseyrail Electric Units,  covering the Northern line,  starting and finishing at Southport. The units used were with 507 001 and 507 023.   Pictures by Greg Mape: Ormskirk...



... and Hunts Cross with real sparks!



Ian Pilkington caught up with the train at Maghull, a station recently in the news as the winner of the 'World Cup of Stations',  beating King's Lynn and Dorridge in a the final public vote.



All remaining 507s are to be withdrawn and off-leased imminently, destined for the spam perchant,  excepting  507 001 in original BR livery which is heading for preservation.


From Dave Sallery's archive



25 268 and 25 313 set off for the Cambrian from Shrewsbury, 18 August 1984.



45 114 is running around an arrival from the North East at Bangor, 4 July 1986.



56 124 on a short train of logs for Shotton Paper at Shotton high level, 30 July 1997.



Class 58s were always rare in North Wales. However in 1985 a new coal flow started from Toton to Garston Docks on Merseyside.  As the Speke Junction men were not trained on the Class 58s a number of crew training turns ran to Llandudno Jct from Speke Jct.  58 016 is seen here heading back to Merseyside on one such turn and passes Mostyn on 21 August 1985.  Note the large number of hopper wagons, used for carrying sulphur to Amlwch, in the background.


The day of the 37s - pictures  by Tim Rogers



21 October 1998 at Holywell Junction: 37 414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993
passes with 1D75 14:23 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead...



... and 37 418 East Lancashire Railway  in Wesconsin Central colours with 1K71 14:31 Holyhead to Crewe.

Fast forward to 18 October 1999 at Sandycroft, in the last days of the full Class 37/4 service.

 

The test trains from Crewe works could still be seen: 47 758 Regency Rail Cruise was 5K06 10:15 Llandudno Junction to Crewe.



43 156 & 43 154 on 1D87 08:40 London Euston to Holyhead. Virgin Trains livery on the coaches, the previous British Rail livery still appears on some locomotives.



Two-car 158s had displaced some of the 37/4 turns and replaced Class 156 units on the Manchester - North Wales.  158 753 1D38 10:16 Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno.



Letterly the loco-hauled trains worked from North Wales to Birmingham: 37 429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol  1D67 10:07 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead.


Looking back: Isle of Man part 6: 1973 - by David Pool



IOMR No.5 Mona was somehow kept going in the 1960s, being acquired by the Marquess of Ailsa in 1967, and eventually withdrawn in 1970, at which time it had been repainted in the apple green livery.  It could have been used as a spares donor, but it was decided to make it a museum exhibit and it was moved to Port Erin, where it was photographed on 20 June 1974. 



Castletown station was the usual crossing point for the two trains working the Port Erin line, and on 21 June 1974 the single line tokens were being exchanged on No.4 Loch, on the 0900 Douglas to Port Erin.   Castletown was another station which had not changed in appearance for many years, although the locomotive and coach liveries indicate this was in the 1970s. 



The Snaefell Mountain Railway used the Fell system of a centre rail for braking, although not for traction, so unlike a rack rail the centre rail did not have to be continuous.  This enabled the track to cross roads in the conventional manner at level crossings.   The track in the Laxey Depot did not have a Fell centre rail, but the points at the entry to the Depot were designed to avoid any gaps in the Fell rail on the main line.  The shot of SMR No.5 approaching the points (with right hand running as usual) shows the through route unobstructed, and it gives the impression that a rail is missing on the branch to the Depot. 



At the end of that day (21 June 1974) the cars were returning to the Depot, and No.1 was taking the branch line, the points operating lever being on the left.  The segments of the points were short straight lengths, but the system has worked for years without any mishaps to the best of my knowledge.



The Manx Electric Railway had no need for any centre rail or conductor rails, and with many level crossings the overhead trolley wire was the only potential problem.  Road traffic in the Isle of Man had a height limit of 4.57 metres and the trolley wire is supported at 5.6 metres, with a sag of 0.1 meters permitted.  Manx level crossings have various types of warning light for road traffic, and may or may not have barriers.   On 21 June 1974 MER No.20 with trailer No.43 was at Halfway House crossing.  This was near an old coaching inn, now rebuilt as the Liverpool Arms, about half way between Douglas and Laxey. 



SMR No.4 has climbed up Laxey Valley on 24 June 1974 and is approaching the Bungalow.  I think the workings in the left distance are the remains of Snaefell Mine, the scene of a mining disaster in 1897 when 22 miners lost their lives due to carbon monoxide poisoning at a deep level where there was a fire and inadequate ventilation. 



Manx Electric Railway No.5 was the first of the Vestibuled Saloons, built in 1894.  On 24 June 1974 it is passing the car shed at Ramsey with Crossbench trailer No.40, and approaching the terminus. 



The Wickham trolley used on Queen’s Pier (Ramsey) was not seen in June 1974, when the Hibberd Planet locomotive (No. 2027, built in 1937 with a Ford petrol engine) was being used for some maintenance work.  The flat wagon is interesting, as I suspect it dates from the opening of the Pier in 1886.  The 3ft gauge railway had been built for the Pier’s construction, but was then retained for use in conveying baggage from the steamers.  No locomotives were used at this time, and the end handrails would have been used to push the wagon.  An enclosed van for passengers was provided at the turn of the century, but the van and the wagon were worked by hand until 1937, when the Planet locomotive was delivered. 


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