23 December 2024




The 'last' class 47, March 2004
Contributions to the Notice Board are welcome, although they
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if they don't follow the advice and file name convention
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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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