North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board 21 April 2025

NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd 


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 9 May Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from East Midlands Parkway to Pwllheli
Cancelled

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.
Cancelled

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 Breakwell

As 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 Signals

Readers 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



Tornado was scheduled to pause the overnight testing of the ECTS signalling and return to Carnforth at 13.14 on 19 April but the trip was cancelled and remained at Coleham . There ere paths in the system on RTT scheduled for next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 



A 'night shot' fron 15 April.


More about Nunney Castle - by Ell Jones

I was lucky enough to see Nunney Castle when it ran on 11 April, and on its return run the Crew were working it hard (lots of black smoke, and sparks) though unfortunately due to the hot (and dry) weather it caused no less than six lineside fires between Chester and Crewe - incurring lots of delays and the cancellation of a shuttle so the decision was taken by Network Rail to curtail the second run so as not to risk further fires as it took until 3pm to finally extinguish them all!

Although only one full trip was completed she did seem sound good and it seemed to steam well despite the aftermath it
caused.


 
Two pictures of the test run by Richard Snook .
Above: a dramatic departure from Crewe...



... and arrived at Chester.


A Pair of Pullmans - Report by Richard Putley



Having found out that the Midland Pullman HST would be passing through Bristol Temple Meads on a Chester to Paignton charter I decided to pop over to Bristol and photograph it. It arrived a couple of minutes late, having largely recovered from a 20 minute delay at Cheltenham, about 11:00. Power Car 43 049 Neville Hill was leading with 43 058 Loch Eil on the back (above)..



Having studied RTT I'd noticed that a Network Rail Inspection train running from Exeter to Derby was due through at 13:45. This turned out to be hauled by 37 610.



Thinking that was it, I decided to return home on the 14:00 to Paddington. But as we passed Bristol East Yard I saw 67 024 with the Belmond British Pullman. A check of RTT revealed that this was the empty stock from a London Victoria to Bath Charter. The return leg was due to depart Bath at 15:52. So I stopped off there and photographed it.


From Dave Sallery's archive



31 319 and 31 163 at North Llanrwst on flasks from Trawsfynydd, 24 June 1994.



37 431, then named 'Bullidae' for use on Shell tanker trains, at Ellesmere Port, 10 May 1991.



47 108 leaves Prestatyn on a Saturday Up extra, 1 September 1990.



47 704  Dunedin at Llanfairfechan on a Holyhead - Llandudno local, 21 November 1990.  47 704 went for scrap in December 2006 at Ron Hull Jnr, Rotherham.


Looking Back: Scotland 1965 - by David Pool



In the years before the advent of Motorail in 1966, cars were carried on flat wagons with the passengers in coaches, but operated under the name of “Car Ferries”.  On 21 August 1965 I photographed a Car Ferry at Beattock hauled by D1856, the line on the right being the branch to Moffat which had closed to freight in 1964, having ended the passenger service in 1954.  The route indication 1M36 would signify a train from Scotland to the London Midland Region, which in Motorail days would be Inverness to Crewe or Newton le Willows, so this may have been the case in 1965.



The main attraction at Beattock in 1965 was the survival of steam haulage and steam banking locomotives on some trains.  BR Standard 5MT 73079 (from 67A Corkerhill shed) had just started the climb with an Express Freight train comprising a Mail Coach and an assortment of wagons, and the banking locomotive on the rear seemed to be working hard. 



 The Banker turned out to be a Fairburn tank 42129, based at Motherwell.  The condition of the smokebox reflected the way in which the locomotive must have been worked, and I understand it was withdrawn in the following month. 



Having stayed the night in Pitlochry, I continued North following the main line towards Inverness.  There was a nice location for a shot a few miles South East of Dalnaspidal in Glen Garry, and soon the 08:20 Inverness to Edinburgh appeared, double headed by D5115 and D5322 (later 24 115 and 26 022).  Note the four digit headcode box and the recess for the tablet catcher on D5115 – typical of the Scottish Region’s Class 24/1 locomotives. 



By 23 August 1965 I had reached the West Highland line, and leaving Tulloch (East of Spean Bridge) was D5348 (later to be renumbered 27 002) with a freight from Fort William.  A single figure in the headcode box was common practice on West Highland locomotives, but this had some additional non-standard numbers.   Identification of the wagons has been a challenge!  There are several types of Covhops, one ex LNER 17 ton hopper, various vans and a few oil tanks probably from Mallaig.  The first seven wagons are particularly distinctive, but I have not been successful in identifying these, and any suggestions would be welcomed. 



Kyle of Lochalsh station must be one of the most frequently photographed in Scotland, with Skye in the background.  On 23 August 1965 D5128 had brought in “The Hebridean” from Inverness, and was waiting to leave at 17:30.  The headcode was a single figure as usual, and there was an Observation Car on the rear. 



By 30 August 1965 I had travelled up the West Coast, and across Caithness to Thurso.  The day was overcast when I arrived, and D5337 was engaged in some shunting of wagons before eventually returning to Georgemas Junction, where they would be attached to a train from Wick. 



The following day I explored Duncansby Head via John O’Groats, but the weather then deteriorated, and it was drizzling in Wick as passengers were preparing to board the 11:10 to Inverness.  The locomotive was D5322.  I was determined to try again someday when Caithness was having better weather, and returning in 1972 I enjoyed full sunshine! 


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