NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
14 April 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
April 2025
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
A lone platelayer's hut stands by the trackbed of the branch line to Bethesda, closed completely in 1963. Picture by Logan Humphreys.
Everyone has been to Llangollen! I'll have to look through all the contributions and choose one or two from each person. I don't have the time to to do this so it'll be in the next issue. All the best- Charlie
Preparing for a new flow
A new freight service from Penmaenmawr Quarry is to be operated by DC Rail; recent days have seen DCR locomotives running solo up and down the Coast, engaged in 'Route Learning' ready for the train, which is already in the Real Time Trains as 'cancelled' until they are ready. The path has been there for some time. Jack Bowley's picture from 31 March shows 56 103 in one of the rarely-used sidings alongside the loading sidings.
In the recent past a Network Rail-owned site in Plumstead (south-east London) was used as a temporary Crossrail construction compound. Now, we read: “Works are currently being progressed by freight operating company Devon and Cornwall Railways Limited Ltd (‘DC Rail’) to reinstate the wider site as a fully active freight site to receive aggregate and other rail imported material to serve the capital."
The loaded train from Penmaenmawr (6M22 14:51 ) will run to DCR's sidings in Willesden, before proceeding as the 07:32 6O49 to Plumstead Yard.
By 8 April loco 56 301 had taken over the duty, seen arriving at Llandudno Junction on the outward run (Garry Stroud). This loco has an interesting history; originally 56 045, it was withdrawn by EWS in 1999, and bought by a private owner. Eventually became one of three 56s given an overhaul and renumbered for the short-lived Jarvis Fastline company which ran container trains until their parent company collapsed. 57 301 was later bought by The Class 56 Group, who recently sold it to DC Rail. It still carries the Fastline livery.
On the return at Conwy station (Garry Stroud).
56 301 on the appeach to Abergele working run from Penmaenmawr Quarry via Chester and back. captured by Scott Lewis on the 9 April. It's possible that the loaded trains will be hauled by Class 60 locos, several of which have been bought from DB Cargo.
Near Prestatyn (Logan Humphreys)
Assortment
The Crewe Basford Hall - Llandudno Junction slate empties ran again on 11 April with 66 519 in charge passing Chester (Geoff Morris) ...
... and entering Llandudno Junction (Garry Stroud).
A visit to Chester by Logan Humphreys on 9 April revealed Flora working Crewe to Chester and back. This is a Class 121 single-unit, original number 55022. It has been converted by Locomotive Services as a luxury saloon, apparently intended mostly for use in the Scottish Highlands, hence the name.
There have recently been a few Crewe Basford Hall to Crewe Basford Hall overnight ballast drops along the coast, most running during the hours of darkness, however a couple returned after dawn 66 516.with 66 555 (on the rear) pass Prestatyn with 6C40 22:30 (9 April) Basford Hall Yard to Basford Hall Yard (Via Holyhead) on 10 April (Ivor Bufton).
On 11 April 67 029 Royal Diamond leads 1W57, the 10:53 from Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly past Sutton Bridge Junction (Graham Breakwell).
The Pride of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway Russell makes its way from Porthmadog Harbour Station on the first off two trips on the main line, unfortunately curtailed due to fire restrictions and the dry weather only going. as far Pont Croesor 2¼ miles. This being the last weekend before the expiry of the boiler certificate. Saturday 12 April (Chris Taylor).
On 9 April on the Welsh Highland, Fairlie James Spooner is led across the main line by diesel Vale of Ffestiniog - a precaution against lineside fire.
158 820 on a Pwllheli - Birmingham International is almost over the crossing (Greg Mape). Note all the windows opened because the air conditioning isn't working. Hopefully the 197s that will take over soon will at least be an improvement in this area.
Cambrian Corner
Graham Breakwell writes: 'With such beautiful Spring sunshine I couldn’t resist this glorious view of the Dyfi Estuary on 10 April, seen from the Picnic Island bridge between Aberdovey and Dovey Junction, as 158 830 slips by on the 11:37 from Pwllheli to Birmingham International'
On 11 April at Sutton Bridge, Shrewsbury 97 304 and 97 302, after returning the Ultrasonic Test Train to Derby RTC. waiting in Coleham Shunt Neck before entering Coleham depot. Meanwhile 158 819 and 158 822 pass by with the 11:29 from Aberystwyth and Pwllheli to Birmingham International (Graham Breakwell).
158 819 waits at Porthmadog in the dusk on the 20:26 Pwllheli to Machynlleth on 10 April ..
... and with nearly a full moon visible 158 831 crosses 158 819 at Porthmadog on the same evening. 158 831 was working the 16:08 Birmingham International to Pwllheli. (Chris Taylor)
60163 Tornado has been an unusal visitor to Coleham depot in recent days. The reason is that the loco is the first steam to be fitted with ECTS equipment enabling it to work on the Cambrian line, and more important the East Coast route which is being converted to the new signalling system, and it is making overnight tests on the Cambrian when no other trains is running.
Tornado has been making return trips from Coleham to Newtown and is to run again over the next few nights departing at midnight. On return at around 05:00 it carries out a turning move via the Abbey Foregate triangle (Graham Breakwell).
Holyhead doings. 9 April - by Stuart Broome
197 010 arrives on 1W91 07:19 from Cardiff.
The peculiar long numbers on the coaches of 197 010. Although on the same unit the long numbers don't appear to be consecutive to each other, anybody know why?
[Yes - although I might well wrong.] The numbers allow for the three-car sets, but also the numbers are the European Vehicle Number (EVN), which was needed for the units to travel across Europe, although they are not correctly displayed, there should be spaces:
95 70 0131 010-4
95 is the type of vehicle: 'Diesel trainsets and motor cars' 70 is the code for UK, 0131 010 is 'Further defined by the country of origin' and the last number is a check digit, which is a method of checking that the number is correct, it is worked out from all the numbers by a complex formula (see here). The three kinds of coach in a 2-car unit are numbered 0131, (0132 for 3-car only) and 0133 - add 010 for the actual vehicle, then the check digit which is part of the number.
The lovely long-lived semaphore at the end of platform 1 has been replaced by a shorter one, but at least it is still a semaphore, and not a colour light.
Evero 805 004 just arrived at 12:53 with 1D83 09:02 from London Euston; it will form the 14:48 back to Euston, a long layover by today's standards.
Crewe and back - with Paul Hajdasz
On Friday 11 April I decided to take a return trip to Crewe which cost £10:25 for an off - peak return using my Senior Railcard. My first leg of the journey was to board Cross Country service 1M29 Bristol to Manchester Piccadilly from platform 5 with 220 013 (above).
I arrived at Stoke-on-Trent on time and whilst waiting for EMR 1K59 service from Newark to Crewe I was fortunate enough to see 97 302 and 97304 blasting through on Colas 0V97 from Derby RTC to Coleham LMD.
My train duly arrived on platform 2 with 170 504.
At Crewe I then took Avanti 1A35 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston from platform 5 with 390 129.
Once back at Stafford I saw 66 732 GBRF The First Decade 1999 - 2009 John Smith MD on GBRf 6G92 from Hindlow to Small Heath Lafarge.
5029 revived - report by Geoff Morris
5029 Nunney Castle on its first mainline test run following overhaul by LSL at Crewe. It was taken on 11 April at Chester North Junction during its traversal of the triangle prior to return to Crewe. The consist included a pair of class 20s (20 118/20132) coupled behind the support coach in case of any problems during the run. 5029 had arrived at Chester c.10 mins late. After starting around the triangle it unexpectedly stopped for a few minutes more or less at the point where the rear of the train is in the image.
The crew were seen trackside during this unexpected stop, examining the motion on the fireman's side. After reversal alongside the Rock Ferry line the consist continued the traversal of the triangle and then returned to Crewe with the Castle still leading. However, the scheduled afternoon run was cancelled as were runs the following day so presumably some problem had been detected (which is the reason for these test runs).
From Dave Sallery's archive
31 410 passes the now preserved signalbox at Mostyn on an up service, 8 July 1992.
47 435 on a Holyhead - Crewe service at Mold Junction, 21 April 1984. Today's view would show just two tracks through a forest of birch trees.
60019 Bittern at Glasgow Buchanan Street on 3 September 1966. It is getting ready to work the last public run of an A4 pacific to Aberdeen and back. The train was banked by 73153 as far as Balornock.
D228 Samaria heads South light engine at Acton Bridge sometime in 1968.
Looking back: Dorset and Somerset 1965 - by David Pool
The Swanage branch was now being worked by a variety of locomotives in 1965, with the shuttles to Wareham supplemented by through trains to Bournemouth Central. On 19 June 1965 80013 was leaving Swanage with coaches which were probably heading for Waterloo – a Class 33 diesel had arrived earlier with the 10:45 for Waterloo to Swanage.
Three days later 80013 was returning to Swanage with the 17:00 from Bournemouth Central, photographed near Holme Lane. South of Worgret Junction at Wareham.
It was a dull day on 23 June 1965 at Weymouth, as West Country 34037 Clovelly was arriving with the 10:30 from Waterloo. The partially cleaned cabside number shows that the locomotive was in green livery underneath the grime!
The sun had come out by the late afternoon, and I was very pleased to see a Merchant Navy locomotive appear from the shed, since these and the West Countries were being withdrawn rapidly at that time. 35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth was relatively clean as it backed down towards the station.
The next departure from Weymouth was the 15:50 to Waterloo, but this came out behind 34009 Lyme Regis. There was a Boat Train departing from Weymouth Quay at 14:00, so I expected that 35007 would take over from the quayside locomotives. To my surprise the train emerged from the siding headed by 34034 Honiton, but there was steam at the rear from an assisting locomotive. The gradient on the bank at Upwey varies between 1 in 74 and 1 in 50, so this would be a problem for a single locomotive with a heavily loaded Boat Train. 35007 was providing the banking assistance, and would presumably be detached before Dorchester. This was the last time I photographed a Merchant Navy in BR days, and it made a memorable farewell.
I returned home on 26 June 1965, and decided to get a few shots on the Somerset and Dorset line, which would soon be closing down. The arrangements for Templecombe passengers were certainly unusual, in that the station at Templecombe was on the Southern Region main line between Gillingham and Honiton, which crossed over the S&D line. A spur provided a link between the two lines, but this required S&D trains to reverse when either arriving or departing from Templecombe station. A low level platform did exist on the S&D line, but this was served by very few trains. The reversal process involved the use of a station pilot locomotive, which hauled Northbound S&D trains back up the spur, or back down the spur for Southbound trains. Many of the S&D trains to and from the Midlands did not offer a service to Templecombe, and did not use the spur. It was also possible for a Northbound train to back onto a Southbound train and travel up the spur without the pilot locomotive, if the two trains were due to arrive at Templecombe at the same time. My photograph shows Ivatt tank 41249 arriving at Templecombe with the 14:18 from Highbridge – I did not wait to see what would happen if the train was to have a Northbound departure.
The S&D line North from Templecombe was double tracked through Wincanton towards Evercreech Junction, and passed through pleasant scenery with none of the challenging gradients later faced in the Mendip Hills. A Standard 4MT 76056 was heading the 1613 from Evercreech Junction to Bournemouth, about two miles from Wincanton station.
The next train in the other direction was Standard 4MT tank 80037 with the 16:18 Templecombe to Bath Green Park. The coaches were Southern Region stock, but the S&D was a railway on which a variety of locomotives and rolling stock could be expected. The roadside goats were not disturbed by the trains, and eight months later the line closed.
Holiday tales Part 2: on the Borderline - by Charlie Hulme
While in the area I thought we might a station which has never been pictured here: Caergwrle, on the Borderlands line. which appeared in older timetables as 'Caergwle Castle and Wells' to encourage tourism. We travelled in 230 010 again, and after negotiating a dangerous road crossing we arrived at the village centre, which is a mostly 18-19th century houses, shops and pubs from the time when mining and other industries were its bread and butter, along with people 'taking the waters', which no longer functions.
However, it does have some older structures, notably the ruins of the castle, the last to be built by a Welsh prince, built in 1278-82 by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, brother of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd (more) ...
... and the 17th Century packhorse bridge, which we crossed and walked the short distance to ...
... Hope station, a tidy but very spartan affair, and returned to Neston, again 230 010. While we stood waiting (no seats here, perhaps by request of the nearby houses) 230 006 called in the other direction.
There is a very interesting history illustrated booklet published by Flintshire Council which is available online.
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