North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board 16 December 2024

NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd


16 December 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.

January 2025

Thursday 9 January  Clwyd Railway Circle David Jones “Landscapes of Steam, Chester and the Welsh Borders”. Note: Change of venue and date :  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”

Thursday 6 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.

Thursday 6 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.

Saturday 11 April Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from Swindon to Pwllheli

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

Thursday 1 May Northern Belle  "Conwy Castle & Bodnant Gardens" charter from Coventry It includes other off-train options.

Saturday 9 May Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from East Midlands Parkway to Pwllheli

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

Saturday 16 May Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast' Express from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli

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

June 2025

Friday 20 June   Northern Bellee  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.

Saturday 21 June North West Rail and Transport Collectors Fair Crewe Alexandra Football Club 10:00 - 16:00

Thursday 26 June The Railway Industry's "Three Peaks by Rail" will be down the Coast on the evening of 26 June and heading onwards in the early hours of 27 June.

July 2025

Saturday 5 July Railway Touring Company "North Wales Coast Express" from London Euston to Llandudno. Electric to Crewe, with steam along the Coast.

Sunday 13 July Railway Touring Company charter from Liverpool to Holyhead on with steam throughout.

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

Saturday  5 September Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from Cardiff Central to Pwllheli

Saturday  12 September Pathfinder Tours '.Cambrian Coast Express' from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli

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 


45 118, The Royal Artilleryman on the rear of the outward leg of the Inter-City excursion, "Y Cracyr Nadolig" as it passes under Bagillt footbridge on its way to Blaenau Ffestiniog via Llandudno Junction on 14 December (Stephen Dennett)


 Heritage' items will form a separate issue on 23 December.- Charlie

Y Cracyr Nadolig



On Saturday 14 December the coast line saw a railtour "Y Cracyr Nadolig” ('The Christmas Cracker') from Wolverhampton to Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog with class 40 D113 and class 45 45 118.  Above, heading west at Bagillt (Stephen Dennett).



D213 passes wet and windy Abergele  (Chris Morrison)



Passing Pensarn road bridge (Andrew Cooper).



Arriving at Llandudno Junction (Garry Stroud).



Llanrwst (Gary Thomas).



Arrival at Blaenau Ffestiniog  (Ken Robinson).



Returning from Llandudno at Deganwy (Gary Thomas).



45 118 arrives at Chester with the return 1Z29 Llandudno - Crewe. The train reversed here.

By bus to Llanrwst - by Alan Crawshaw

Representatives of two classes that we York spotters considered boring in the 1960s drew me to Llanrwst North for the highlight of a thin year for coast railtours. Driving would have been the easiest way to get there, but I eschewed the dullest form of transport yet devised in favour of the bus. The S2 Sherpa took me to Llanberis, from where the connecting S1 delivered me to Betws y Coed. I had a wait of around 40 minutes there, before Llew Jones service 19 took me up to Llanrwst for a short walk to North station, arriving five minutes before the charter.



The sun obliged the small group gathered to record its arrival and to savour the sound of these vintage machines while waiting for the northbound service train to pass. I walked back to the town centre for the 19X to Llandudno, a spot of shopping and to see the charter arrive, too many people here for a decent shot and the weather had reverted to the default December grey. Then Arriva's service 5 and the S3 Sherpa home, an enjoyable day out.


Chester Christmas Markets



60007 Sir Nigel Gresley passes Hargrave, near Waverton with the Peterborough - Chester leg of a Christmas special from Colchester on Friday 13 December. (Ian Pilkington).



Gareth Prestidge took this dramatic view, taken at settings 1250 / 5.6 / 4000 ISO - the wonders of digital photography.



Chester (Stephen Dennett).


Voyager Farewell - by Jack Bowley

Voyager operation on the North Wales coast has ceased with the 15 December timetable change. Despite their unpopularity amongst the passengers, here's a few of my photos to mark the occasion (it would appear the 4th day of a month is popular for me...)



221 115 in the Bombardier advert wrap at Llandudno Junction on 4 September 2011.



A 221 at Colwyn Bay heading for Holyhead, 4 November 2013.



221 105 at Abergele & Pensarn pre-resignalling, 4 January 2017



221 107 and 221 112 at Colwyn Bay on 1A28 for London, 7 October 2023.


News shorts

Train 6C56, the 09:50 log train Aberystwyth to Chirk Kronospan via Chester (reverse). ran on 14 December, a welcome return of freight on the Cambrian which has been missing for several months.
The train was hauled by 97 304 Tal-y-llyn and Harry Needle 37 405.  There is a video on YouTube recording the train at Newtown.

The new national timetable came into action on 15 December; timetable expert Mike Stone has listed the many (mostly) changes in the January issue of Today's Railways.  Notable are some changes to the destinations of the trains from Manchester to South Wales; notably that the 09:30 from Manchester now continues to Fishguard.  It's said that many services on the North West line should now be five coaches east of Swansea (two coaches full and standing is not unknown at present).  Loco-hauled trains are now allowed to run as fast as 197s after some track improvements.


News pictures



66 179 passes under Bannel Lane Bridge, Buckley with 6M76, Margam TC to Dee Marsh on 10 December (Stephen Dennett).



On 13 December 66 546 pass Towyn with empty GBRf branded wagons from Ashburys (Manchester) to Llandudno Junction for loading slate waste (Gary Thomas).



The Northern Belle, with 57 315 and 57 601  seen at Malltraeth from the top of the first tunnel looking east on 12 December...



... Later, the train became stranded in Llanfair PG after a truck struck the Britannia Bridge. It did allow the 'snobs' to have a picture with the sign though! The train eventually passed Bangor 118 minutes late.   Pictures by Logan Humphreys.



Weary passengers disembarking at Chester ('Papyrus').



'Cambrian' 197 027 departs Conwy, with the 5W70 07:05 Crewe south yard to Holyhead test run on 16 December (Garry Stroud).



37 800 passing Ludlow on 2 December 194 minutes late with 507 007 and 507 018 to Newport for scapping.  It's reported that the owners of preserved 507 001 have travelled to Newport with permission to remove items for spare parts.



The Cambrian Coast line was closed all week for maintenance; I saw
this tamper coming from Barmouth and was able to get a picture as it went towards Fairbourne (Kate Jones).


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