NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
30 December 2024
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
The guard of 197 125 1H91 15:43 Llandudno to Manchester Airport waits right time away from Flint oon 28 December
67s x 3 for Haulage - by Paul Hajdasz
On Friday 20 December I discovered that a few 67s were out on the Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff diagrams, so I decided to do a few trips to see how many I could get for haulage. I started at Whitchurch, where the first 67 duly arrived on TfW 1W13 service but with DVT 82 230 leading (above).
We arrived on platform 10 at Manchester Piccadilly, about 5 minutes late with 67 017 on the rear.
Later in the day I caught TfW 1W46 14:30 service from Manchester Piccadilly back to Crewe, this time with 67 013.
I only had to wait about half an hour until 67 029 arrived on platform 6 with 1W59 which I took to Stockport. A good loco-hauled day out !
News pictures
4D61 Longport to Penmaenmawr at Llandudno Junction on 23 December...
... and 6K33 loaded return working at Colwyn Bay with 70 810.
All Avanti trains on North Wales services are now formed of Class 805 bi-mode 'Evero' sets, in single or double formation. 805 001 passes Abergele on 1A50 12:48 Holyhead to London Euston on 28 December (Tim Rogers).
73 962 Dick Mabbutt and 73 963 Janice top & tail a Derby RTC train, it arrived at Chester on Saturday 28 December as 3Z40 12:25 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Chester Middle Yard, laying over until early Monday 30th December, departing as 3Q40 00:16 Chester Middle Yard to Derby RTC.
The formation was 73 962 (west end) Staff coach 977969, support coach 5995, Brake open 9808, Ultrasonictest coach 62287, Driving trailer 9701, 73963. The blue one, 9808, is a former Caledonian Sleeper vehicle; it is on hire from Eastern Rail Services, who have been building a fleet of coaches for hire work.
On 20 December unit 197 104 derailed on one of the hand-lever worked outside the CAF maintenance depot; a minor mishap, but an insight into how it is repaired using jacks and wood blocks. Picture by Geoff Morris.
Yule logs in Shrewsbury - report by Graham Breakwell
The latest, and most probably last, Aberystwyth to Chirk Kronospan train of 2024 produced a couple of surprises. The down train ran in the early hours of 20 December and was scheduled to return at 15:48, however, it was rescheduled to leave at 09:50 on Saturday 21 promising the chance to catch it in daylight.
97 304 leads 37 405 off the Cambrian line onto the main line at Sutton Bridge Junction
Passing beneath Sutton Bridge.
After propelling the wagons into the shunt neck, detaching and proceeding in Coleham LMD 66 792 Collaboration came off the depot to take over.
Then drew the train into the depot, seen here standing alongside 37 405, 97 304 and 97 302. Normally a Colas Rail 56 would take on the final leg to Chirk via a reversal at Chester but a shortage led to the hire of the GBRF Class 66, a rare sight in Coleham LMD.
From Dave Sallery's Archive
37 025 with a Colas test train near Prestatyn, 29 September 2016.
47206 enters Llandudno Junction yard with the petroleum coke empties from Holyhead to Immingham. The train was recessed here for C & W examination before onward movement. 14 July 1991.
56 111 and 56 112 near Mostyn on the charity 'Railfreight Coal day', 11 August 1991.
Devastation at Wrexham General after the derailment of a down empty coal train, 29 April 1997.
Looking back: South Coast 1960 - by David Pool
In 1960 there was a double track on Weymouth Quay near the terminal, so parked cars were not a problem on 8 September, when 57XX Pannier 3759 was leaving with the 3.45pm Boat Train for Waterloo. Note the bell in front of the cab, a requirement for locomotives on the quayside. Although a Southern Region locomotive would be taking the train forward, only the ex GWR locomotives were used on the quayside line at that time.
A footbridge just outside Weymouth station was ideal for photographing trains arriving or departing. Although this was the destination of trains on the main line from Waterloo, the traffic on the Western Region line from Westbury was equally busy. The 4.15pm to Westbury on that day was headed by 7031 Cromwell’s Castle. This locomotive had been built ten years earlier, and was withdrawn in 1963. The coaches seem to be mostly Collett bow ended, dating from about 1930.
The next arrival from the Westbury line was a 43XX Mogul 5385. which was withdrawn in 1962. An advantage of Western Region number plates was that they were easier to read, since the usual grime tended to obliterate painted numbers.
The 3.28pm Westbury to Weymouth passenger service followed the freight, with Modified Hall 6994 Baggrave Hall drifting past the busy Weymouth shed. The first two coaches are Hawksworth designs, the third is a Collett Centenary and the end coach is another Collett type.
My final shot at Weymouth on 8 September 1960 was one of the distinctive outside cylinder 1366 Class Pannier Tanks, three of which could be found at Weymouth for work on the quayside branch. 1369 was leaving the tramway section and picking up the fireman who had been stopping the traffic when required. The bell is clearly visible, but I am not clear how it was operated automatically. No doubt somebody can explain, as this locomotive has now been preserved and reunited with its bell, which had been missing for a number of years.
The usual motive power for local trains on the Swanage branch in 1960 was an M7 tank locomotive. On 9 September the 9.47am Wareham to Swanage was being propelled by 30106. The push/pull set No.31 comprised a rebuilt ex SE&CR Birdcage Brake S3474S and an LSWR Composite, probably S4730S.
Further along the coast, the Lyme Regis branch was still worked by the three Adams 0415 Class tanks 30582, 30583 and 30584. On 10 September 1960 30582 was photographed approaching the rather primitive platform at Combpyne with the 11.39am Axminster to Lyme Regis. Ten months later 30582 was withdrawn, but 30583 has of course survived.
I was fortunate to see a train on the Exmouth Dock line on 13 September 1960, since it was closed in 1967 and seems to have been rarely photographed. The Dock was used by small vessels (up to 750 tons) with cargo to and from Exeter. Locomotive 41318 was one of the thirty Ivatt Class 2MT tank locomotives built at Crewe in 1951 and 1952 which were allocated to the Southern Region when new. 41318 was withdrawn in 1963. Today the branch line from Exeter to Exmouth has a thriving passenger service, and its future looks to be secure.
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