NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
24 March 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
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
Thursday 3 April Clwyd Railway Circle 'Landscapes of Steam, Chester and the Welsh Borders' David Jones present archive film by Michael Worrad
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' from London to Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead. The company website says: "Coaches take passengers either from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, or indeed from Bangor to Caernarfon, where our narrow gauge train of corridor stock complete with toilets and a buffet car will be waiting for our scenic marathon. Those who began their journey at Blaenau Ffestiniog will end up at Caernarfon and vice versa, meaning that everyone will travel the full length of both railways with a leg stretching break at Porthmadog before being whisked in comfort back to our charter train for the journey home".
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 4 May Inter-City Yr Wyl Fictoriadd (The Victorian Festival) Bermingham Internation - Llandudno. Traction: two Class 20s
Saturday 10 May UK Railtours Llandudno and Chester. London Euston to Llandudno Junction and Penmaenmawr freight yards. The tour is now called the "The Deva Victrix" and no longer visits Penmaenmawr yard, just the slate yard in Llandudno Junction. It includes traction by a GBRf class 57 and 60.
Saturday 16 May Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast' Express from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli
Saturday 24 May UK Railtours 'The Soul Exchanger' from London Euston to Aberystwyth. Various off-train options including the Vale of Rheidol Railway.
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.
Saturday 5 July Pathfinder Tours 'The Ffestiniog Slater' from Swindon to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Various off-train options including the Ffestiniog Railway.
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 'The Steelworks Railways at Home and Abroad' Adrian Bodlander
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 2 October Clwyd Railway Circle 'Memories of railway operations at Llangollen from my childhood days growing up in the town during the BR era of the 1950’s and mid 60s.' Gareth Jones
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 2005
Thursday 4 December Clwyd Railway Circle 'Railways & Tramways of the Isle of Man' Geoff Morris.
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
17:40 on 22 March at Old Colwyn, and the 16:29 Holyhead to Cardiff passes, worked by 197 121. Anyone with a lot of luggage, expecting a through train, they'll find themselves 'turfed off' at Shrewsbury ino a Class 158. Picture by Logan Humphreys.
Note: next update will be on the evening of Tuesday 1 April due to holiday. - Charlie
News Pictures
Gary Thomas writes: 'The good weather on 20 March hung around just long enough to allow me to take a couple of nice shots of the NMT on Anglesey yesterday 43 013 and 43 062 passing Rhosneigr heading west ...
... Returning across the Stanley Embankment.
I also got a rather pleasing shot of a pair of 158s heading to Birmingham International. They're getting rarer by the day! 158 829 and 158 823 on 15:36 Holyhead to Birmingham International'
From Graham Breakwell: Two shots of the Midland Pullman HST passing through Belle Vue, Shrewsbury this sunny Spring morning. Headed by 43 059 Loch Sheil with ...
43 058 Loch Eil on the rear, the ECS was heading for Swansea Landore as 5Z31, the 10:00 from Crewe H.S.
A 'full house' at Coleham depot on the afternoon on Friday afternoon 21 March. From left to right, 97 303, 97 302, 37 405 and 97 304. 197 010 passes by with 1V97, the 14.30 Holyhead to Cardiff (Graham Breakwell).
On 22 March 158 829 and 158 834 pass Conway Castle with the 09:08 Birmingham International to Holyhead. The view is from the RSPB bird reserve (Greg Mape).
Cambrian Cancellations
Pathfinder Tours have cancelled their 11 April and 9 May 'Cambrian Coast Express' excursions to Pwllheli due lack of bookings. You'd think that loco-hauled on the Cambrian would be very popular, but times are changing. One problem is perhaps that it's not possible to run these trips from anywhere north of Birmingham. The runs at 16 May, 5 september and 12 September remain available at present.
Rolling Stock notes
The first of TfW's six 'active travel' 153s, 153 552, have entered service, coupled to a normal 153 and operating on the 'Heart of Wales' line. There will be a 'formal' launch of the trains will take place in the summer. we are told.
Each has places for ten bikes; hopefully we will soon be told some more about their operation. They won't couple to the new class 197s, which restrict their availability; it is hoped that they will also work the Crewe to Shrewsbury stopping service, as there is some good cycling to be had there, and trains are more frequent.
Regarding the ubiquitous 197 units, all the 2-car non-Cambrian units are in service, amd all the 3-car units except 197 101 which was damaged in a depot derailment, and has been in store; it has recently been moved to the Chester depot. (This was not the depot derailment we reported last December, that was 197 104.) The 21 Cambrian-fitted units are put into traffic to keep them ready for use on the Cambrian 'late this year'.
Not everyone his looking forward to this: by the magic of the 'Algorithm' we found on my screen this from the editor of the Tenby Observer :
So [where] are those swanky trains promised by the tall foreheads down in Cardiff. Guess what? We’re still waiting. And when they come, they’ll have fewer seats than the current cattle wagons they squeeze us onto. We’ve told TfW time and time again that the new trains are useless on the Cambrian line. They don’t listen.
Slate correction
In the last issue I said that the slate waste train hauled by a Freightliner loco was borrowed from GBRf, but Jack Bowley writes to this is not the case. Jack writes:
I'm led to believe that the contract is currently run by Freightliner themselves. The train service code in the system is a Freightliner one, operating from Freightliner locations like Basford Hall and Ashburys. The wagons, if memory serves me correctly, are ex-GBRf and not all of them have had their branding taken off yet, and are now on loan to Freightliner for operations around the UK. A company called Ermewa own these, hence the big white stickers. Another company VTG is also big in the wagon leasing business and you'll notice their mark on similar wagons that appear on the slate/Pen stone in recent times.'
North Wales All Zone day rover - recorded by Paul Hajsasz
As the weather was favourable on Thursday 20 March I decided to travel to some of the coastal towns in North Wales using a North Wales All Zone day rover which cost £29:95 with a Senior Railcard.
On my arrival at Shrewsbury awaiting in platform 4 was TfW 2K46 TfW local service to Crewe with single cars 153 333 and 153 320. I caught TfW 1D11. 07:22 from Birmingham to Holyhead with 2 car 158 833 which arrived at platform 3 approximately 5 minutes late.
However, for some unknown reason our train terminated at Chester (above)...
... so we had to swap to 197 011 to continue our journey ...
... to Llandudno Junction. Still 5 minutes down on arrival meant a quick change of platforms, where I took TFW 2D14 service to Blaenau Ffestiniog with 197 042.
I only spent a few minutes at Blaenau (above) before returning on the same service. I travelled to Llandudno where I spent a couple of hours on the pier and beach before returning back to Llandudno Junction on TfW 2D69 with 197 102.
I then waited for about an hour in order to take a return trip on TfW 1W93 Cardiff to Holyhead with 3-car 197 124 arriving at Holyhead on time at platform 2.
I travelled all the way back to Shrewsbury on the same service, arriving back in the dark on platform 7. Quite a lot of 197 units in the book today !
From Dave Sallery's archive
37 110 heads back to Crewe on a loco test train, Prestatyn, July 1992.
37 421, with Network Rail's last signal gantry in the background, at Llandudno, 5 June 2000.
37 503 with an Up loaded ballast train at Shotton, 3 June 1997.
56 081 heads a Northern Belle special to Blaenau at Roman Bridge in September 2002. 47798 was on the rear of the train.
Looking Back: North East Railways 1964 - by David Pool
In 1964 most of the passenger trains in the North East were diesel hauled, and DMUs were working the branches. The South Tyneside electrics had ended in 1963, but the North Tyneside electrics were still operating. On 20 July 1964 the bay platforms at Darlington were occupied by Metropolitan Cammell Class 101 DMUs. E50200 was departing at 12:40 heading a two car set to Richmond, while E50187 in a four car set was about to leave for Saltburn at 1245. The units had been delivered within a couple of months of each other in 1957, but only the two car set had a destination indicator panel.
The 09:55 from Middlesbrough to Scarborough was departing from Middlesbrough on 27 July 1964, and approaching Guisborough Junction. The Transporter Bridge is visible on the right of the image. Class 101 E50746 was heading the first of two three car sets. I am not sure if it is a signal box behind the train, but if so it will be in Middlesbrough Docks and not a BR box. The route taken by the train will have been interesting, since many of the branches in North Yorkshire were closed by 1964. I assume it took the present day route to Battersby, where it would reverse, then head for Whitby. Rather than go into Whitby Town station, it would climb to Whitby West Cliff, then reverse to take the line via Robin Hood’s Bay to Scarborough, where it would reverse again to access the station. The line beyond Whitby West Cliff to Loftus had been closed to passengers in 1958, and the line through Robin Hood’s Bay would close in 1965.
The footbridge at the North end of Darlington Station was an excellent location for photographs. On 28 July 1964 a light engine movement comprised D8589, a Clayton (later Class 17) which had been delivered in May 1964, plus D5152 (one of the Gateshead Class 25/0 Sulzers).
Nearby, Class A3 Pacific 60036 Colombo was moving on to the Darlington turntable. Many A3s were named after racehorses, and Colombo was an exceptional young horse which won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1934, the year in which 60036 was built at Doncaster. The locomotive was withdrawn in November 1964.
The passenger service on the Avenue branch from the Tyneside electric line at Monkseaton to Hartley and Blyth was due to be closed in November 1964. On my visit to the area on 4 August 1964 I had insufficient time to travel to Blyth, so I photographed the 11:35 departure at Monkseaton Junction as it headed for Blyth. The Class 101 units were E50224 and E56066.
Moving on to Tynemouth, all the trains were Tyneside electrics, and E29126 was arriving with the 13:45 from Newcastle, travelling clockwise on the North Tyneside line via Jesmond and returning to Newcastle via Wallsend. The electrics were withdrawn in June 1967, being replaced by DMUs until the Tyne and Wear Metro services were introduced, the first of these being to Tynemouth in 1980.
A few of the Ivatt LMS Class 4F Moguls were based at West Hartlepool. 43128 was passing under the distinctive Church Street gantry signal box on 22 August 1964. (dp563).
The Stainmore line to Kirkby Stephen had closed in 1962, and the only line at Barnard Castle still open on 2 September 1964 was the branch from Darlington to Middleton-in-Teesdale. Class 101 units E56057 and E50258 had been on the 10:55 Darlington to Middleton-in-Teesdale, and I waited for them to return on the 12:00 from Middleton. I noted that the signalman had not used the small platform when giving the single line token to the driver, and planned my shot on the assumption that he would not use it when the unit returned. I was proved right, and very pleased with the result. Passenger services were withdrawn on 30 November 1964, and freight services in April 1965.
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