NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd

07 October 2025

Forthcoming events

See our Calendar Page for operator details.

October 2025

Wednesday 8 October Statesman Rail Snowdonia Statesman from Durham to Blaenau Ffestiniog with LSL 47 and/or 57

Friday 10th October Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society Alteration: A new speaker, Lee Stanford, who is speaking on "Unseen Southern Steam from the late Edward 'Ted' Banting Collection". The talk features steam in the Salisbury and Andover area in the early 1960s.

20 October, Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales

November 2025

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

Saturday 10 November; Belmond Britannic Explorer 3-day Tour of Wales

Friday 14 November Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society Noel Coates "Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Engine
Sheds".

Saturday 22 November Pathfinder Railtours The Chester Christmas Explorer Oxford Parkway, Golden Valley and Marches line to Chester

December 2025

Monday 1 December Midland Pullman Edinburgh Christmas Pullman from Bangor to Edinburgh

Thursday 4 December Clwyd Railway Circle 'Railways & Tramways of the Isle of Man' Geoff Morris.

January 2026

Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society Friday 9 January John Hooley "A Midlands Miscellany".

February 2026

Friday 13 February Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society Paul Shackcloth "People and Places 8".

Other useful sites:

For up-to-date North Wales information
join the North Wales Trains News group

North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme

The classic view at Bangor with a unique train on 23 September; Picture by Logan Humphreys. Much more 'yellow' to be seen below.

Assortment

The latest Class 197 to make a test run along the coast, Working the 5Q71 return Holyhead to Crewe, 197 039 passes Conwy station on 27 September (Garry Stroud).

Garry Stroud writes: ' I rather like this shot taken on 6 October with 56 090 with 56 094 on the rear approaches Llandudno Junction with the RHTT to Holyhead. With windscreen wipers having been used over all the grime, 56 090 looks as if it has two eyes, together with the front grill making the front of the loco reminiscent of a face.'

Also on 6 October 67 014 approaching Llandudno Junction, with the 0T14 Crewe carriage sidings to Holyhead light engine move.

Network Rail’s Visual Inspection Unit No. 153 311 passed through Shrewsbury on 5 October on its way to Eastleigh East Yard with 2Q10, the 08:25 from Derby RTC. Seen here by Graham Breakwell passing Shrewsbury Golf Course. A second VIU ran in the opposite direction as 2Q15, the 13:12 from Eastleigh, reversing in Shrewsbury in the evening.

The Wentloog (Freightliners) to Daventry DRS (Tesco) was diverted at the weekend 4-5 October to run via Shrewsbury and Crewe. 66 421 Gresty Bridge TMD is seen here passing through Shrewsbury on the Down Main Line with 34 Tesco containers – that’s a lot of lorries removed from the roads! (Graham Breakwell)

Jim Ikin writes: 'I know its not North Wales but whilst in the North East at Hope Town Darlington we saw the arrival of Sir Nigel Gresley and support coach on 23 September'.

Sprinter's cousin

Blaenau Ffestiniog was visited by NR's Track Recording Unit on Tuesday 23 September. The unit, 950 001, ran as the Chester Middle Yard - Chester Middle Yard, via Llandudno Junction, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Llandudno Junction, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Bangor, and return to Chester.This unit has never been a very frequent visitor in North Wales, coming down maybe twice per year. It is said understand that Network Rail plan to withdraw it soon. (Gary Thomas).

Arriving at Blaenau Ffestiniog...

... and then preparing for departure in the sunshine! (Ken Robinson)

After visiting both Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog, 950 001, (cars 999601, 999600)
stands at Llandudno Junction before setting off for Bangor (Garry Stroud)

Bangor (Logan Humphreys)

HST monitoring

43 303 and 43 272 pass Bangor on 2 October working 1Q18 Derby R.T.C - Crewe, a measurement train with Plain Line Pattern Recognition and Overhead Line Inspection equipment (Logan Humphreys).

Bagillt (Russell Withington).

Passing Old Colwyn (Greg Mape). Work is in progress, including repair and raising the promenade to protect it from storms.

Ultrasonic vintage

Colas Rail's 37 219 and 37 057 in the sidings at Bangor. Having first run to Holyhead then back to Bangor they were stabled during the day on Wednesday 24 September, as the Ultrasonic Test Unit runs at night.

Barbara Arbon, who died in 2020, was a member of Colas staff. The small plaque reads in 'In Loving Memory of Auntie Barbara from the Infrastructure Monitoring Team'. 37 057 is one of the oldest locos active on the National system. It was delivered by English Electric to British Railways on 5 October 1962.

Autumn is here

The first railhead treatment train of the 2025 season was expected to start on 1 October, but it was cancelled. A "shakedown" test had run on Saturday 27 September as far as Rhyl as the line west to Llandudno Junction was closed for engineering works.

The first RHTT of the season from Coleham and back via Mid- and North Wales lines, passing Abergele on 2 October, looking clean, we don't think it will stay that way! Locos are 56 090 and 56 094.

Conwy (Gary Thomas).

Mark 3 mystery

Our comment about the Mk3 Coaches, such as the rake used by the 'Britannic Explorer' not being allowed on the Conwy Valley has raised some comment. Above is an extract from the current Network Rail 'Sectional Appendix' which gives a clear 'No'. A post in LinkedIn by 'Network Rail North Wales and Borders' tells of 'upgraded infrastructure' on the Cambrian and Heart of Wales to enable Mark 3s. But due to engineering work on the Heart of Wales line, the Conwy Valley becomes involved; it seems that Mk3s have been allowed that far on a few occasions in the past, but only as far as Llanrwst. Has a mk3 train been to Blaenau Ffestiniog?

From Dave Sallery's Archive

149 and 167 on Inchicore depot in Dublin, 17 June 1999. All these small GM diesels are now out of traffic due to an influx of new Korean built DMU's and the loss of most freight traffic.

47 575 City of Hereford leaves Rhyl with train 1D67 11:18 Crewe - Holyhead, a train of Mark 3 coaches, 20 May 1997.

47 785 Fiona Castle passes through Llanfair PG on 3 September 2003 with former GW stock on the 13:56 Holyhead - Birmingham New Street. Fiona Castle's husband Roy died of lung cancer, and 1997 she organised the 'Tour of Hope' raising funds around the country for the Liverpool lung cancer hospital. 47 786 was named Roy Castle.

47 785 also worked the last train from Trawsfynydd on 17 October 1998. The loco was sold for preservation and was at one time at the Stainmore Railway. However it may have been re-located. It has yet to be restored.

950 001, Blaenau Ffestiniog, 20 September 2017. This test train found a defect in Blaenau tunnel and was held for some hours while it was repaired.

Feedback

Mark Hambly writes: "Just an observation re. David Pool's picture of 1V57 headed by D1004 at Totnes (reprised above). Interesting that the 'Warship' on the left is in charge of a short breakdown train comprising a tool van and a riding/mess van, while the loco on the right looks to me to be a 'Hymek' rather than a Brush Type 4 (Class 47) .I can't really make out the detail sufficiently, but there are perhaps some people gathered on the cess side at the front of the 'Hymek', so perhaps it was the reason for the presence of the breakdown gang." [The enlargement of the image does suggest this. The Hymek appears to have derailed. ]

Looking back: Steam and Diesels 1969 part 6 - by David Pool

On 1 October 1969 the 11:13 from Paddington to Paignton was headed by D1022 Western Sentinel. The train is leaving Newton Abbot, and the signalman has been quick to return the starting signal to danger as the locomotive passes the Signal Box.

The branch lines around Plymouth previously operated by the Southern Region of British Railways were under the control of the Western Region by 2 October 1969, when the 11:25 from Plymouth North Road to Gunnislake was entering the platform at St Budeaux (Victoria Road). A Swindon built Cross Country Class 120 unit W50712 was leading.

On the following day I was in Exmouth, where again the Western influence was apparent, as a Derby Suburban Class 116 unit was arriving with the 13:40 from Exeter Central. The cars were W50921, W51372 and W50865.

The Southern Railway’s lines from Exeter to Plymouth and the “Withered Arm” to Cornwall had been steadily cut back by the Beeching axe, but in 1969 the Plymouth line had been kept open for Meldon Quarry freight. A passenger service remained as far as Okehampton, and on 4 October 1969 the 09:20 from Okehampton to Exeter St Davids was worked by a Class 121 single unit W55034, photographed leaving the Barnstaple line at Cowley Bridge Junction, near Exeter.

Okehampton station was closed in 1972, and Meldon Quarry, together with the line from Coleford Junction on the Barnstaple line, was bought by Camas in 1994. Devon County Council recognised the tourist potential of the line, and bought Okehampton Station from Camas for a nominal sum, and in 1997 the Dartmoor Railway was founded by RMS Locotec. The Station was restored, and a number of special and tourist trains operated until the Railway went into Administration in 2020. A campaign to reopen the line was successful, in that the Department for Transport agreed to restore passenger services to Okehampton, and trains ran again in 2021. Today there is an hourly service between Exeter Central and Okehampton, and a new Okehampton Interchange Station is due to open in 2026.

The Butlins Holiday Camp at Minehead opened in 1962. In 1964 Billy Butlin bought several steam locomotives for display in his camps, and Minehead received 6229 Duchess of Hamilton, previously 46229. This locomotive’s history has been well documented. After many years of working Steam Specials, it has had the streamline casing renewed with a sloping smokebox, and is currently displayed at the National Railway Museum in York. The appearance of 6229 at Minehead on 4 October 1969 with the combination of a non-sloping smokebox and no smoke deflectors never existed in its LMS days.

In the late 1960s the West Somerset Railway was under threat of closure, but still was busy in the holiday season. At Minehead on 4 October 1969 the 13:20 from Taunton was arriving, a Swindon Cross Country Class 120 unit W51581, W59587 and W51585.

The unit departed at 15:00 to return to Taunton, with North Hill in the background. This feature has dominated the various names of the town through the ages, and Mynydd, the Welsh word for Mountain, may have contributed to the Minehead we recognise today.

I saw the unit again later that afternoon at Williton, as it had left Taunton at 16:42 to return to Minehead, and was waiting in the passing loop. The approaching train was the 16:47 from Minehead to Bristol. I did not get this unit’s numbers, but it would appear to be a Gloucester built Cross Country Class 119.

Home page | Archive | Previous Notice Board