North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board 23 December 2024

NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd


23 December 2024











 

The 'last' class 47, March 2004



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 5 May - The Victorian Festival (Intercity). Birmingham International to Llandudno and return with a pair of LSL class 20s.

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

Wednesday 10 September - Snowdonia Statesman. Cardiff Central to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

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

Wednesday 8 October - Snowdonia Statesman. Durham to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

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 



An old favourite: 37 408 Loch Rannoch arrves at Rhyl on the 12:18 Crewe to Bangor on 16 April 1997. Picture by Stuart Broome.

A 'heritage special issue' for Christmas' Best wishes to all readers, contributors, and railway staff, - Charlie

From the City Wall - pictures by Richard Snook

In the 1980s one of my favourite photographic locations from the city walls at Chester where the railway runs through in the corner by the water tower. The following photographs show a small selection of trains to be seen at the time, with added information by the Editor.



20 June 1986: 20 060 and 20 049  with steel coil bogie-bolsters returning empty from Dee Marsh to from Shotton works to Ravenscraig steelworks. This working was of interest as a month the service shown the trains were diverted to use the line from Mickle Trafford to Dee Marsh, re-opened because the main line through Wrexham was temporarily singled due to road works, creating congestion. Ravenscraig closed down in 1992 and the line was closed again and converted to a cycleway. See Dave Sallery's website for an article about this.



20 June 1986: 33 001 on 17:40 Llandudno - Crewe.  This service was a summer-only extension of 1M84 12.00 Cardiff to Crewe to serve Llandudno, returning at 17:40 to Crewe as 1K34.  There's an interesting article by John Powell about these workings on Geoff Poole's excellent 6G website.



29 May 1987: 37 682 (ex 37 236) and 37 681 (ex 37 130) on the Penmaenmawr - Salford Hope Street limestone. This train ran on Fridays only from Penmaenmawr to Salford Hope Street on an occasional basis from 1987 to 1993.  Motive power was initially provided by pairs of refurbished Class 37s from Buxton and then by a single Class 60.  The  wagons were operated by Amey Roadstone Corporation.

[The terminal at Hope Street, Salford is still in operation, receiving stone from the Dove Holes quarry at Peak Forest, Derbyshire owned by the Mexican company Cemex; the traction is GBRf.  A good photograph can be achieved from Salford Central station.]



10 June 1987:  Looking brand new after overhaul from Crewe Works, 56 044 was attached at the front of the train loco 47 619 on the 09:35 London Euston - Holyhead. Usually on a Wednesday, at the time this train was used to test new or overhauled locos from Crewe Works down the North Wales Coast. Both locos would be detached on the return trip in favour of electric traction.  47 619 later became 47 829, achieving some sort of fame due to its 'Police' livery applied to promote a new anti-trespass and vandalism programme by the British Transport  Police in 2002.



12 June 1987: 37 673 (newly converted from 37 138) on a test train from Crewe Works to Llandudno Junction with a load of a collection of old coaches kept for the purpose. 



2 October 1987: Another look at the test coaches, as 47 531 on Crewe Works on another test train heading back after a run up the North Wales Main Line.

Postscript

None of the locomotives here have survived to  2024:  37 681 departed the scene dramatically in 1992 due to damage caused when coupled to 37 680 it collided with 'Pacer' 144 017 while running round its train at Skipton. and was judged not worth repairing.



37 682 lasted much longer. In 2014, by then owned by DRS, along with with 37 419 Carl Haviland and 57 302 Chad Varah it provided traction for a Virgin Trains railtour around the North Wales and Chester areas (Itinerary here). The Rolling Stock  was the Virgin Trains 'Pretendolino' set of Mk3 coaches in its final run; the tour raised money for the British Legion Poppy Appeal.  Naturally, it was extensively covered on our Notice Board.  The picture above is by Peter Basterfield.  Shortly after this 37 682 put in store, and soon after, scrapped.

[Thanks to the websites linked above, and BR Database, and Class37.co.uk]


Then and Now

On Saturday 14 December the coast line saw a railtour "Cracyr Nadolig" ('The Christmas Cracker'); Garry Stroud has delved into his archive to show us the same locomotives in the latter days of British Rail service in the 1980s.

 

45 118 together with 47 011 taken at Exeter depot, on Tuesday 6 April
1982.



40 013 departs Chester station heading for Crewe with what we believe to be the empty stock returning from a one-way private charter from London to Bangor, on 23 April 1983. Can anyone confirm and explain?


From Dave Sallery's archive



101 653 on a Llandudno  - Manchester service near Mostyn, 3 March 1990. The destination blind is somewhat contradictory!



25 315 takes the slow line at Acton Bridge with a train of single bolster wagons, 12 September 1985. Such wagons of this sort were scarce by this date - were they possibly going for scrap?



37 377 and 37 098 are on the rear of 'The Roman Nose' railtour from London to Trawsfynydd on April 18 1998, 59 205 was on the front.  In the background are the slopes of Moel Siabod and Roman Bridge station is seen on the left of the photo. Operators Hertfordshire Railtours suggested that this was the last train to reach Trawsfynedd, but in fact there was a later one, the 'Trawsfynedd Lament' on October, which is another story!



37 685 brightens up Hawarden station on 5 June 1998. It was returning after taking an engineering train to Hawarden Bridge. This loco had gained 'Intercity Swallow' livery, normally used on bigger locos for use on the diesel sections of the London - Scotland sleeping-car trains.


Looking back: Steam 1960 and 1961 - by David Pool



In 1960 Southport shed (27C) was home to eight or nine of the Stanier 2P 2-6-2T locomotives built at Crewe in 1938.  These were considered to have inadequate boilers, and not one of Stanier’s best designs.  40191 was photographed at St Lukes on 18 April 1960, with a newly cleaned smokebox.  I don’t know what the reporting number C398 signifies. 



One regular duty for these locomotives was with the coaches to and from Southport attached to the Euston trains at Liverpool Lime Street, travelling via the electrified lines from Southport to Bootle Junction..  On 9 June 1960 40197 was approaching Waterloo with the 2.50pm Southport to Euston.  I think the coaches were attached to a 4.10pm departure from Lime Street to Euston, but I would welcome confirmation of this.  All the Stanier 2-6-2T locomotives were withdrawn by 1962. 



The up “Welshman” on 22 August 1960 was headed by a Standard 4MT 75034 and a “Black 5” 45247, and is approaching Colwyn Bay.  Now that we are used to seeing clean locomotives in preservation, it is easy to forget the typical condition of most locomotives in the 60s when keeping them going was a higher priority than cleanliness. 



It must have been a hot day on 23 August 1960, since there was no visible exhaust from Royal Scot 46163 Civil Service Rifleman as it approached Penmaenmawr with the down “Irish Mail”.  The locomotive cabside numbers were usually kept visible, and it is just possible to see the lined green on the cab contrasting with the grime elsewhere. 



I was luckier at the Rhyl Marine Lake on 26 August 1960, when 46142 The York and Lancaster Regiment appeared with a train at about 11.15am which I was not able to identify.  It must have been in the Works recently, as it was much cleaner than any other locomotive I had seen in that month.  It would have been slowing as it approached Rhyl station, so again there was no visible exhaust. 



Later that day the down “Irish Mail” was again hauled by 46163, but on this occasion assisted by “Black 5” 45325, and photographed as it was approaching Rhyl from Prestatyn. 



The line between Chester and Ruthin via Mold and Denbigh was closed to passengers in 1962.  On 10 March 1961 the 10:35 from Chester to Ruthin was leaving Hope and Penyffordd behind Standard 4MT 75028.  The lower signal was clearly hidden from trains approaching the station, but the height of the upper signal seems excessive.   My understanding is that there were various standard heights, the highest being 30ft, but would that have required an access platform for maintenance?



Another line closed in the 1960s was between Ruabon and Barmouth Junction via Bala Junction, when passenger traffic ended in 1965 including the short spur to Bala.  On 10 March 1961 5700 Class No. 5774 was arriving at Llangollen with the 13:05 from Wrexham to Bala.  This section of line is of course now not part of the reopened Llangollen Railway, since building developments further along the trackbed have been a barrier to any extension towards Ruabon.  (dp99).


And finally...

For those who have reached the end of this issue,  a Christmas present. I have rescued from oblivion an appropriate one of the 'special reports' I used to do as an adjunct to the main Notice Board. I've changed the format to match the present style, and the images made from my early Casio digital camera (£499 if I I recall correctly) are enlarged slightly.



A WINTER'S TALE

Trains around Chester, December 16 1998

A picture report by Charlie Hulme





For the first time for a while, I managed a full day trip to my favourite line on Wednesday 16 December, disguised as a (very successful) Christmas shopping project. The day started badly railwaywise, though, as when I reached Crewe at 09.10 hoping to catch the Birmingham - Holyhead loco-hauled train due to depart at 09.17 I found it had been cancelled due to an 'earlier locomotive failure.'

I had little choice but to travel to Chester in the 09.15 Crewe - Bangor, comprised of one of my least favourite trains, a Class 158 two-coach railcar. 158 758, seen awaiting departure from Platform 10,  is one of the three which were painted in North Western Trains livery and for their 'innovative' service to London. For the first time, I was able to sample the First Class accommodation which has been installed in these units.  This consists a partition dividing off one end of one coach, and little else. The seats are the original ones, but covered in different moquette which is already coming undone, and if you are lucky an antimacassar ... see inset picture.



At Chester the low winter sun was shining brightly, casting awkward shadows as 37 418 East Lancashire Railway arrived in platform 4 at 10.22 hauling the 08.36 Holyhead - Birmingham. The signal gantry in the background is an interesting design; note how one end rests on the parapet of the road bridge which crosses the line here at an acute angle.



I thought the delay had caused me to miss a view of the EWS 'Enterprise' trip freight from Warrington marshalling yard to the chipboard factory at Chirk on the Wrexham line, as this usually passes Chester at about 10.00, but at 10.30 it rolled through the centre track at Chester, hauled by 47 286 Port of Liverpool in Railfreight Distribution's 'International' livery. The International services are now operated by EWS under the banner of EWS International, and the old 47s can be found on less onerous duties.

This train runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and conveys cut timber from various forests around the UK in OTA stake-sided wagons which have been converted from open wagons and vans. The return working also calls at Dee Marsh sidings to deal with any traffic from there to Warrington yard; later in the day I saw this train too, at 16.00 at Chester, composed of 18 empty timber wagons and one bogie steel carrier from Shotton steel works.



Moving to the other end of the station for a really sunny portrait of 47 841 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, hauling the 08.50 Virgin Trains service from Holyhead to London Euston. Note my shadow again! This train was changed from InterCity 125 to normal locomotive haulage in Summer 1998 to free a 125-set for a through Blackpool train. Incidentally, the buildings in the background are 2-bedroom apartments being constructed by Messrs. Wimpey. A room with a view, you might say...



The train is a set of Mk2/3 coaches and a Driving Van Trailer, but the Class 47 diesels are not fitted for remote control from a driving trailer so the train is hauled from Holyhead to Crewe where the diesel locomotive is normally removed and an electric loco attached at the rear for the rest of the journey to London. The DVT has been named in the trendy/tacky (delete to taste)  new Virgin style; Abraham Darby (1677-1717) was an early ironmaster who built the famous Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale which is illustrated on the side of the van. Strange, the last thing we heard this name belonged to electric locomotive 86 247 - are there two Abrahams now?



I had planned a  ride along part of the Coast line itself aboard the Virgin Trains Intercity 125 from London to Holyhead, but this was running very late, so after refusing the 10.18 Crewe - Holyhead (disgracefully formed of a Class 150 railcar) I had to catch the Stockport - Holyhead train, a Class 156, along the coast to Rhyl. Returning from Rhyl at 11.52, I finally got aboard a Real Train, hauled by my favourite loco, 37 422 Robert F. Fairlie, Locomotive Engineer, seen arriving at Rhyl as the 10.48 Holyhead - Birmingham...



... and arrived at Chester. The girderwork supporting the roof of the station has recently received a coat of paint, which brightens up the place considerably. On the other hand, a disastrous decision by someone has closed down the Tourist Information Office in the main station building, leaving visitors to Britain's most beautiful city to find their own way into the City Centre to book accommodation and so on. Frankly, this is a disgrace.



Here's a picture taken in the city centre: to my mind the best shopping centre in Britain as well as having the most wonderful architecture. You can keep your Trafford Centres and Meadowhalls!



Back at the station, loaded down with bags but in time to photograph 37 415 and the 13.54 Holyhead - Birmingham calling at 15.31 and picking up most of the passengers who were expecting to catch Virgin's late running train on its way back to London. This is announced now as 60 minutes late due to technical problems.



Over on Platform 3 at 15.47 as the light begins to fail, our old friend 37 422 returns with the 14.23 Birmingham - Holyhead.



When the Virgin Train 13.38 Holyhead - Euston finally arrived at 16.20, the nature of the Technical problem became very obvious: the engine of the front locomotive 43 071 Forward Birmingham, seen in the picture, was not working at all, leaving the rear unit, 43 008, to do all the work.

I returned to Crewe at 16.33 aboard the 14.39 Holyhead - Crewe, which sprung a surprise for me: the four-coach train, too dark to photograph,  was double-headed by 37 426 and 37 420 The Scottish Hosteller. Whether this was a consequence of the earlier locomotive failure I cannot say, but a high-speed run to Crewe was not to be as we were checked at Beeston Castle signalbox, having caught up on the ailing Virgin.

Arriving at 16.58 in Platform 12 at Crewe, the two locomotives were detached and vanished towards the depot: when I left Crewe at 17.25 no locomotive had yet appeared to work the coaches back as the 17.17 to Bangor. All in all a pleasant day for me, but a bad day for the passengers of both Virgin Trains and First North Western. The trains are getting old, we are told, but in my view maintenance standards are not high enough, no doubt for reasons of cost saving. This is illustrated by the condition of many of the coaches used by First North Western: since the transfer of these to Oxley depot, they have taken on a air of general neglect which saddens the heart.



Anyway, thanks as ever to the railway staff who keep the trains running, and to all those who write such friendly emails to me about this website: Season's Greetings to you all!


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