NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARDRheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
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21 April 2025![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Forthcoming events See our Calendar Page for operator details. 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 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 |
![]() The NMT seen from Bangor Mountain, 17 April. Picture by Logan Humphreys. Note: To make room on this page I have inserted the Llangollen Branch Line gala pictures at the top of the 14 April issue. You can view it using this link. It's well worth a look.- Charlie Class 175 news![]() It's now confirmed that Great Western are taking on the Class 175 units (all except two fire-damaged vehicles) for service predominantly on the line between Exeter St Davids and Penzance, as well as to Barnstaple and Okehampton. Units have already been transferred, including 175 114 (above). GWR say 'In the run-up to service launch, GWR will undertake a comprehensive programme of training for staff, as well as preparing Laira depot, where the trains will be maintained. ' It's reported that another unit has been sent to Wolverton works for overhaul and repaint in GWR Green. News Pictures![]() Sunny Rhyl on 17 April, with the New Measurement Train with 43 013 Mark Carne CBE and 43 062 John Armitt passing. A 'traditional' consist using Network Rail's own traction (Gary Thomas) ![]() Bagillt on the return (Russell Withington). Russell writes: 'now that the ETCS-fitted power cars are back at RTC what turned up was exactly the same consist as in March: 43013; 977994; 975984; 977993; 975814; 977984; & 43062. Looks like the days of ex-CrossCountry and East Coast power cars are behind us.' ![]() Two more sunny scenes by Gary Thomas - subject: the Snowdonian railtour on 5 April. Seen passing Conwy Castle on the outbound wth 47 848 ... ![]() ... and passing Rhosneigr on the return, after 57 314, sent from at West Coast's depot at Carnforth took over take over. What was wrong with the first two locos? ![]() TfW trains were diverted through Styal over Easter due to the lines through Stockport being closed as part if the project to replace the bridge near the station, which doubles as a Roundabout. Greg Mape photographed passing at 18:56 on 19 April the 13:00 Fishguard Harbour - Manchester Piccadilly (arrival 19:10), a distance of 234 miles, four miles longer than Holyhead - Cardiff. The train started out as just 197 001, 197 118 was added at Swansea to make up a 5-car trains. 197 101 is named Robin after a Wrexham footballer - you can just make out a small rectangle above the first pair of windows. The Chairman's Train![]() Pensarn (Gary Thomas). LSL's 'Chairman's Train' made a trip to Llandudno on Saturday 19 April, hauled by 45 118 from Crewe. It was late, having left Cornwall earlier in the day some three hours late (see next item), but that had been reduced to 74 minutes on arrival at Llandudno. ![]() 57 002 went light engine to Llandudno earlier in the afternoon and it hauled the train the following morning on the next leg to Oxenholme. The picture by Gary Thomas is at Deganwy. 57 002 had been named Winston Churchill at London Paddington on Thursday 17 April. ![]() Backing in to the sidings at Llandudno, framed by the signal gantry which is possibly the last of its type on Network Rail metals. ![]() 45 118 returned light engine to Crewe shortly afterwards, seen at Llandudno Junction (Logan Humphreys). ![]() Talacre (Gary Thomas). ![]() 57 002 in charge of 1Z37 10:00 Llandudno to Oxenholme Lake District on 20 April passing Marine Lake on the approach to Rhyl station (Ivor Bufton). The train, turned out in Carmine and Cream comprised 6707 (Zanzibar); 35467 (Generator Car); 10520; 10519 (both Sleeping Cars); 6708 (Mount Helicon); Pegasus (which is Pullman Car 310, and also carries ’The Trianon Bar’); 99993 (Dining Car); 6706 (Mount Mgahinga); 46014 (Moidart); & 6705 (Ardnamurchan). ![]() Bagillt (Russell Withington). It's good to see that the vegetation is being kept in track. What happened before - report by Graham BreakwellAs mentioned above, the Chairman's train had problems on its trip from Cornwall. The charter passed through Shrewsbury on 19 April with “The Chairman’s Train” headboard but with no passengers on board except for two men seen looking back from the veranda of an observation coach on the rear! Jeremy Hosking perhaps? ![]() The train in question was 1Z33, the 06:00 from St Ives to Shrewsbury, due to arrive at 15:02 and depart at 16:02 as 1Z34 to Llandudno. However, both locos, D6817 (37 521) and D6851 Flopsie (37 677) failed on arrival in Penzance where a run round was scheduled. Eventually Flopsie was revived sufficiently to depart 188 minutes late, hauling the 9-coach train and a dead D6817 as far as Bristol Temple Meads where D1924 Crewe Diesel Depot (47810) took over having been sent to the rescue from Crewe. ![]() Arrival in Shrewsbury was 155 minutes late and two minutes later D1924 powered away to Crewe with both 37’s shut down. Unfortunately, the 4 car 17:30 service to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli was standing in platform 3 obscuring the view of the charter passing through on platform 4 but here are two images. The three locos were replaced at Crewe by Peak 45 118 for the final leg to Llandudno. Green SignalsReaders may have heard of the 'Green Signals' website (and podcast) run by Nigel Harris , formwe editor of Rail magazine, Richard Bowker, former chairman and chief executive of the Strategic Rail Authority, a former chief executive of National Express, and more, and Stef Foster a former Acting Editor of RAIL magazine. Some of their content is the endless discussion about how the railways should be organised, etc., but recently there have been two features which are topical interest to our readership. A piece about the ECTS test with Tornado, testss which are carried out in the night time between Shrewsbury and Newtown. It seems that they think they have managed to squeeze into the cab the necessary screen, which directs the train driver, and the hot and rattling steam loco cab. The other: On track for £15M of track renewals on the Cambrian Line & The future of ‘Local Railways’ is worth look. You might remember mention here of the 'Local Railway' on the Cambrian, and how it could be created on the North Wales line. They mentioned how it became possible to run 4-coach trains on the coast section, but now how they did it, or what were the problems. Tornado progress - report by Graham Breakwell
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