NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY:NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd

02 October 2017
















Contributions and comments are encouraged: see the Contributions Page


Forthcoming events

October 2017

Wednesday 4 October   RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales  LIVERPOOL  Barry Shore – “Had Bike will Travel 1961 - 1963”

Friday 6 October Clwyd Railway Circle Les Nixon '55 Years of Railway Photography - Part 3' A selection of railway pictures which include genuine BR steam, a wide variety of mainly older modern traction along with industrials, some preservation and brief visits, worldwide, to nearly 20 countries.

6-8 October Ffestiniog Railway Victorian Weekend

Thursday 12 October  Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society    Julian Birley MBE:  The Bala Lake Railway       

13-15 October Llangollen Railway Autumn Steam Gala

Saturday 14 October  Railway and Canal Historical Society Clinker Memorial Lecture in Manchester 2:00 pm, Mechanics Conference Centre, 103 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD. William Fairbairn, the experimental engineer - a study in mid-nineteenth century engineering. Admission free to all. More information (PDF)

Monday 16  October    RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    CHESTER    Les Nixon – “55 Years of Railway Photography, Part 1”

Thursday 26 October  Light Rail Transit Association (Manchester) Robert Pritchard: Tramways of the Czech Republic & Slovakia: Part 1 Bohemia – Prague, Plzen, Most-Litvinov & Liberec

Saturday 30 September Steam at Chester Vintage Trains 'The Shropshire Express'  Tyseley Warwick Road - Chester. 5043: Tyseley - Wolverhampton - Crewe - Chester - Wrexham - Shrewsbury - Birmingham New St - Tyseley

November 2017

Friday 3 November Clwyd Railway Circle 'Snowdon Mountain Railway' A presentation given by Mike Robertshaw Msc IEng MIED, Senior Engineering Manager of the railway.

Thursday 9 November  Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society  AGM /  Clive Evans  Memories of North Wales steam and beyond in the 1950s

Saturday 18 November Steam on the Coast Steam Dreams 'Cathedrals Express' London Euston - Llandudno for the Christmas Market.  46233 Duchess of Sutherland: Crewe  - Llandudno and return

Monday  20  November    RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    CHESTER    John Day – “UK Railways – Beyond the Blue”

Saturday 25 November Steam at Chester Railway Touring Company 'The Christmas Cheshireman'
Bristol - Chester 70013 / 45305: Bristol - Hereford - Wrexham - Chester and return

Saturday 25 November Steam at Chester UK Railtours 'The Chester Christmas Cracker'
London Euston - Chester 60163: Euston - Chester and return

Thursday 30 November Light Rail Transit Association (Manchester) Bob Bracegirdle: The Belgian Vicinal and its raison d'ętre.

December 2017

Friday 1 December  Clwyd Railway Circle 'Members Night & Christmas Celebrations' Members are invited  to give a 15 minute presentation of their choice (any format). FREE tea/coffee & festive treats during the interval. Contact David Jones 01244 537440 to book a slot.

Wednesday 6 December   RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    LIVERPOOL    Tom Heavyside – “BR in the North West”   

Thursday 14 December  Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society    Xmas Social / Bill Rogerson: Roaming the Rails with Bill 

Monday 18  December    RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    CHESTER    Bob Barnard – “The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway“


January 2018

Friday 5 January  Clwyd Railway Circle Mike Blackburn 'The Welsh Highland Railway (NWNGR)' A history of the North Wales narrow gauge and Croesor Tramway and the linking to form the Welsh Highland Railway, restoration and building of the new.

Thursday 11 January  Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society   Ron Watson Jones:  Rails to Roads

Monday  15 January    RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    CHESTER    AGM, followed by John Cowlishaw – “The End of the Line, Part 1 (Non-members are invited to attend from 20.15 hours)

Thursday 25 January Light Rail Transit Association (Manchester) Tony Young: The Tramways of Bury

February 2018

Friday 2 February Clwyd Railway Circle John Sloane 'From Vulcan Foundry to the Khyber' British built steam at work in Pakistan, It includes pictures taken on the spectacular line up the Khyber Pass to the Afghan border.

Wednesday 7  February   RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales     LIVERPOOL    Doug Birmingham – “Rail Reflections in Merseyside”

8 February  Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society    Ellis Morey: The Penrhyn Railway

Monday 19  February   RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales     CHESTER    Ian Pilkington – “Steam and Diesel in the Northern Fells”

March 2018

Friday 2 March Clwyd Railway Circle Annual General Meeting followed by “Film Shows - Railways Past and Present”.

Thursday 8 March     Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society  John Cashen RCTS:  North West & North Wales Reminiscences in the 1960s   

Monday 19  March   RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    CHESTER    Peter Berry – “The Robert Whitfield Collection, UK Steam 1948 - 1958”

April 2018

Friday 6 April Clwyd Railway Circle John Cashen 'North West & North Wales Reminiscences In The 1960s' The presentation will cover from Liverpool to Liverpool within an area bounded by Southport, Burscough, Standish, Warrington, Crewe, Whitchurch, Chester, Holyhead, Barmouth, Aberystwyth, Shrewsbury, Wrexham, the Wirral, Chester, Northwich and Speke

12 April Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society  Members Evening    

Wednesday 4  April   RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales     LIVERPOOL    Alan Moore – “The Railways of St. Helens”

Monday 16 April    RCTS Merseyside Chester & North Wales    CHESTER    Brian Armand – “Railway Roundabout”      

Thursday 26 April Brian Yates: Light Rail Transit Association (Manchester) The Tramways of Berlin, Potsdam, Lyon and Grenoble.


May 2018

10 May  Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society  W. Gordon Davies:  A taste of Japan






5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe makes a spirited departure from Chester in pouring rain, passing Roodee with the 16:40 return 'Shropshire Express' to Tyseley on 30 September. Picture by Chris Morrison. Scroll down for more views.


Just back from a short holiday, so for this week mainly a selection of pictures of recent special workings, we'll catch up on other items next week. Thanks as always to all contributors - Charlie

North Wales Railway Circle

The North Wales Railway Circle meeting on Tuesday 3 October is presentation 'Belfast to Cambodia, a Trip by Rail.' Adam Fetherstonhaugh travelled from Belfast to Cambodia via Vietnam; his chosen mode of transport was rail.  Adam gives us a pictorial account of this epic journey.  Venue:The Victoria Hotel, Telford Road, Menai Bridge LL59 5DR. Time 19:45. All welcome.


Spirit of the Lakes



Saturday 30 September saw a 'Spirit of the Lakes' charter, specifically 'The Conwy Valley Explorer II', train 1Z30 05:51 from Cleethorpes, running to Blaenau Ffestiniog worked by West Coast Railways locomotives 47 826 and 57 315. Above, 47 826 brings the train into Chester. Picture by Roly High.



47 826 leading across Llanddulas Viaduct (Greg Mape).



After reversal at Llandudno Junction, 57 315 hauled the train past Glan Conwy ...



... with 47 826 now on the rear. The tide was out, so Greg Mape was able to walk out on the sands to take these views.



The return train - 16:10 from Blaenau - arrives through the vegetation at North Llanwst ...



...and the train pauses to collect surrender the token for the section from Blaenau to the signaller (Greg Mape). For operational reasons, the train terminated (as advertised) at Barnetby at 22:36 with a connection by road coach to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.


5043 on the Shropshire Express



The 'Shropshire Express' on 30 September ran from Vintage Trains' base at Tyseley to Chester, via Crewe. Above, the train passes Beeston Castle (Robert Meredith).



Chester (Phil Clarke).



Chester (Roly High).



5043 waits at Chester with the stock of the 'Shropshire Express' as Meseyrail 508 139 forms a service to Liverpool Central (Chris Morrison).



Chester (Phil Clarke).



The return train ran via Wrexham, avoiding a reversal at Chester. Above: Balderton Crossing (Bob Greenhalgh).



Leaving the new double-track section at Rossett (Charles Allen).



Climbing Gresford Bank, view from a public footpath (Andrew Thomas).



Picture by Andrew Thomas.



Wrexham General in the rain (Peter Basterfield).



Departure from Birmingham New Street (Chris Morrison).


Northern Belle in North Wales

The Northern Belle luxury train ran from from London Victoria to Llandudno on the afternoon of Friday 29 September with 68 029 leading and 68 004 Rapid trailing in top and tail mode.  Fist 68s to Llandidno, it is thought.



Beeches Farm (Bob Greenhalgh).



Arrival at Llandudno (Larry Davies).



The train returned empty, while the passengers enjoyed a weekend at Llandudno. Greg Mape's picture is from Abergele.



When the train headed back to North Wales on Monday 2 October, it had been turned round: Roly High at Rhyl captured 68 029 on the rear.



68 004 takes the Llandudno Branch (Larry Davies) ...



... and brings the empties into Llandudno (Ken Robinson).


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