NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
17 February 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
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. This is stopping at Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead for off train options or to visit the relevant towns.
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 3 May Vintage Trains The North Wales Coast Express. Birmingham New Street to Llandudno for the Victorian Extravaganza. Diesel and steam top and tail (steam likely to be 5043 or 7209).
Sunday 5 May Inter-City Yr Wyl Fictoriadd (The Victorian Festival) Birmingham International - Llandudno. Traction: two 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 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.
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.
Saturday 21 July Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
August 2025
4 August Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
11 August Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Lake District & Wales
25 August Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
22 August Belmond Britannic Six day tour of Cornwall & Wales,
September 2025
Thursday 4 September Clwyd Railway Circle To be announced
Saturday 5 September Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from Cardiff Central to Pwllheli
11 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Lake District & Wales
Saturday 12 September Pathfinder Tours '.Cambrian Coast Express' from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli
15 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Cornwall & Wales,
26 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Lake District & Wales
29 September Belmond Britannic Explorer Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
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
Thursday 6 October Clwyd Railway Circle To be Announced
20 October, Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
17 October Belmond Britannic Explorer Six day tour of Cornwall & Wales,
10 November; Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales
November 2005
Thursday 4 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.
December 2025
Thursday 4 December Clwyd Railway Circle To be announced
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
37 402 is back in service, restored with its original name Oor Willie. Seen at Crewe on a 3Q45 Derby RTC to Derby RTC Ultrasonic test unit at Crewe on 5 February. Picture by Richard Snook.
News Pictures
Another view of 37 402 and its 'Scottie Dog' .As usual with these restorations, the Double Arrow is very slightly odd and the number is in the 'wrong' typeface; the Rail Alphabet has a straight lower part of the 'N'. Never mind, it does look good, These trains get around: on 12 February it was in Cornwall.
37 099 on the other end. This loco was withdrawn in 1997, then saved by a private owner and worked on various Heritage Railway until purchased by Colas in 2016.
Sutton Bridge Junction on 14 February: West Coast Railways moved the ECS from Carnforth Steamtown to Bristol Kingsland Road today in readiness for their 'Verney Venturer' on the following day. The locos are 47 802, 33 029 and 33 207 “Jim Martin”. The route included the new East-West line including a new station (not yet open) at Winslow. (Graham Breakwell).
On Tuesday 11 February, 67 022 failed with high oil pressure before leaving Holyhead with the morning "WAG" to Cardiff Central. It was rescued on Thursday 13 February (above) by 67 015 which came down light engine the day before to recover the train as 5Z22 13:45 Holyhead to Crewe C.S.
67 017 at Bangor at 21:20 on 12 February with the 17:22 Cardiff - Holyhead (Logan Humphreys).
Bangor on 12 September: 158 823 on 12:25 Shrewsbury - Holyhead passes Network Rail train with 37 057 unusually parked in the Tamper siding; perhaps there are track problems on the normal siding? (Logan Humphreys)
A strange move: Wednesday 12 February saw 5S04 a Kings Norton to Eastriggs move. Made up of two HST power cars, two barrier vehicles and two HST power cars. The lead power car being 43467, others no I.D. Seen passing Balderton Crossing at 12:48 around 5 early. Any ideas? (Bob Greenhalgh)
From Dave Sallery's Archive
37 425 Concrete Bob, still in Railfreight Construction livery from its time working out of Peak Forest leads 37 405 Strathclyde Region, in 'Mainline Passenger' livery, out of Prestatyn on an Up service, 12 July 1995. Someone's enjoying the thrash! Today both locos are in the fleet of Swietelsky, the Austrian rail infrastructure firm, who have recently taken over the Harry Needle company.
47 798 Prince William (Today owned by the Science Museum Group and kept at York) leads a Northern Belle excursion to Blaenau Ffestiniog past Towyn on 7 October 2003...
... While 37 798 in the blue of the short-lived Mainline company, is on the rear. The 37 will lead up the Conwy valley. This is the only one of the three locos here that is no longer exist. It was cut up at CF Booth Rotherham in July 2009.
60 002 High Peak is ready to leave Penmaenmawr on a ballast train to Crewe Virtual Quarry, 10 May 2000. Today it works for GB Railfreight and carries the name Graham Farish – 50th Anniversary 1970 - 2020. In 2021 the locomotive was re named in recognition of the contribution made by Graham Farish to British outline N gauge model railways over the last 50 years.
Looking back - North Wales Steam and Diesel - by David Pool
The Derby Lightweight units were working all the passenger services on the Conwy Valley line in 1963. On 28 March the 09:00 Blaenau Ffestiniog North to Llandudno was at Glan Conway with Trailer car M79654 leading Power car M79134.
Later that day at Porthmadog, Standard Class 4MT 80096 was heading the 12:48 Pwllheli to Birkenhead Woodside, which would be routed through Barmouth Junction and Llangollen, then presumably reversed at Chester. The distance from Pwllheli to Chester would be 113 miles, in comparison with just over 91 miles for the London Midland Region route from Afon Wen via Caernarfon and Bangor.
A freight train from Holyhead comprising mostly cattle wagons was passing Mochdre on 30 March 1963, headed by Black 5 45237. The A55 had not at that stage been diverted to use the trackbed of the two Down lines between Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction.
I photographed the Ffestiniog Railway’s Prince at Porthmadog on 12 April 1963. The Water Tower at Harbour Station was later replaced, and recently has again been changed. The signal on the left is interesting – my understanding is that it was a Point Indicator, but I do not know if it has been preserved.
Three days later the trains on the Ffestiniog Railway were being worked by Merddin Emrys between Porthmadog and Tan y Bwlch, the limit of passenger working at that time. Having run with a totally open cab in 1962, Merddin Emrys was now giving more weather protection to the footplate crew, although a roof had not yet been fitted.
On Sunday morning 21 April 1963 there was a freight working from Holyhead. Black 5 45135 was passing Talacre with a large number of insulated containers on Conflats, plus a few vans. The well tended area between the Up and Down fast lines looks wide enough to have accommodated an island platform, but only platforms for the slow lines were ever provided. The absence of any out- of-control vegetation is a striking contrast to the usual situation found today.
The 12:45 (Sundays only) Llandudno to Crewe on 21 April 1963 consisted of a pair of Class 108 units, the leading car being M56215, and was photographed leaving Rhyl.
The 12:20 Holyhead to Euston followed, hauled by D216. My notes refer to a derailment of this locomotive later that day, and I think this must have been the accident at Kings Langley when a train on the fast line hit the tail counterpoise of a crane on the slow line which was obstructing the adjacent line. Fortunately there was only one minor injury - to the crane driver - but the locomotive and four coaches were derailed.
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