NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
05 May 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) Birmingham International - 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
37 240 rests at the end of the line in Llandudno. Picture by Logan Humphreys.
Steam and diesel to Llandudno
7029 Clun Castle with the Vintage Trains 1Z31 Birmingham New Street to Llandudno charter on 3 May. Above, between Crewe and Chester near Beeston Castle. 37 240 on the rear at this point (Greg Mape).
Shotton (Scott Lewis). 37 240 leads the train from Chester to Llandudno.
Trains from Birmingham to North Wales have to reverse. Normal services simply reverse and proceed to Shrewsbury and beyond. The charter proceeded thus:
- Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton with 37 240 leading;
- Nuneaton to Chester North Junction via the West Coast Main line with 7029 leading;
- Chester North Junction to Llandudno with 37240 leading
One of the usual cases where they 'spin the train' on the Chester triangle to allow the steamer to run the majority of the trip back home (Llandudno - Nuneaton via WCML then back into Birmingham). Thanks to Jack Bowley for explaining this.
37 240 entering Llandudno Junction, together with 7029 Clun Castle on the rear, with the Vintage Trains 1Z31 Birmingham New St to Llandudno charter on 3 May.
7029 Clun Castle on the rear, with the Vintage Trains 1Z31 Birmingham New St to Llandudno charter on 3 May (Garry Stroud).
On the Llandudno Branch in threatening weather (Logan Humphreys).
7029 powers away from Rhyl station whilst hauling return 1Z32 17:35 Llandudno to Birmingham New Street on 3rd May ...
... with 37 240 passing Rhyl on the rear (Ivor Bufton)
.jpg)
Flint (Logan Humphreys)
Seen at Rhyl on Mayday - by Tim Rogers
158 818 and 158 822 1D12 09:08 Birmingham International to Holyhead.
197 107 1H87 11:42 Llandudno to Manchester Airport
57 313 Scarborough Castle ...
... and 57 601 Windsor Castle on the Northern Belle 1Z80 09:01 Coventry to Llandudno Junction.
Flashback
37 240, then in Civil Engineers 'Dutch' livery when based on the Llangollen Railway for a number of years, seen here entering Carrog station with the 14:35 service from Llangollen on 7 October 2007.
With 50 years separating the two images, 7029 is seen outside it's birthplace at Swindon Works, after being exhibited at the Works open day there. 15 Sept 1975.
Mid-Wales Heritage - report by Paul Hajdasz
Whilst away for a short break with my touring caravan in Mid Wales I took the opportunity to visit a couple of heritage railways. The first of those was to go to the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway on Thursday 1 May, where I boarded the 10:30am service from Llanfair Caereinion This was hauled by 822 The Earl, built by Beyer Peacock and Co in 1902 ( above).
I travelled on a Hungarian coach Cax418.
Once we arrived at Welshpool Raven Square the engine un-coupled to take on water.
Stabled in the bay platform were a couple of wagons.
On Saturday 3 May I travelled to the Cambrian Heritage railway, where both their sites were open to the public. I firstly travelled just under a mile from Llynclys South to Pen-y-Garreg Halt on ex-northern Pacer unit 142 055, arriving back at Lynclys South about 15 minutes later (photo 6).
I then made the short journey to Weston Wharf, where Class 73 E6036 City of Winchester was stabled.
I took another Pacer unit, 144 007, to Oswestry. This had the “200 years of train travel” board attached.
Arriving at Oswestry it was nice to see the old station building without the scaffolding that had been present for quite a while whilst undertaking repairs.
From Dave Sallery's archive
20 057 and 20 140 back a loaded Merry-Go-Round train out of Point of Ayr Colliery, 20 March 1991.
31 456 with an inspection saloon enters Blaenau Ffestiniog, 10 February 1994.
37 429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes the gate box at Llanfair PG on an up train. 1 August 1999. There must have been a shortage of passenger/brakes because of the inclusion of a BG in the formation, apparently borrowed from the Intercity sector.
92153 is on shed at Speke Junction in June 1967.
Looking back: North West 1966 - by David Pool
Electrification did not reach Hooton until 1985, so the 1343 Birkenhead Woodside to Chester service on 5 February 1966 at Bromborough was worked by two Class 108 DMUs. The first car was a trailer M56223, which has survived in preservation, and is now at Llangollen where it runs as a hybrid unit with a Class 127 power car.
The scene from the footbridge at Moore would be recognisable today, although the water troughs and tower have gone and electrification masts and equipment now obscure the view. A Class 40 might have used the troughs, but on 19 February 1966 the 10:00 Glasgow to Euston (“The Royal Scot”) was headed by D1677, a Class 47 which did not have pickups for water. This particular locomotive has had an interesting life, with five different numbers and four different names. Its TOPS number was 47 091, and on the Western Region it acquired the name Thor. Later it was renumbered 47 647 and then 47 846, following various modifications, then was selected to be rebuilt as a Class 57, becoming 57 308 Tin Tin. Its final owner was Direct Rail Services, where at first it was County of Staffordshire and currently Jamie Ferguson.
The sidings to the South of Ruabon station had been cleared by 12 March 1966 when a Black 5 45353 was on the 14:30 Chester to Paddington. I assume there would have been a locomotive change at Wolverhampton. The line from Ruabon to Llangollen and Corwen had been closed to passengers in 1965 and would be closed to freight in 1968.
Later that week I had business in London, and with time to spare on the return journey I decided to return via the Midland line through the Peak District as a change from the West Coast main line. At Millers Dale on 19 March 1966 the 15:44 to Buxton was a Class 104 two car unit headed by M50433.
It was a frosty morning on 4 April 1966 as the 07:46 Liverpool Central to Manchester Central was passing through the outskirts of Widnes. The Black 5 was 44806, at that time a Speke Junction locomotive, and another which has survived. At the end of steam in 1968 it moved from Lostock Hall to Carnforth, and in 1973 appeared at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, where it was named Magpie after a children’s TV series. By 1984 it was a static exhibit at Liverpool Road Museum in Manchester, then moved to the Llangollen Railway. returning to steam in 1995 and running until 2003, when it had a major rebuild before returning to work at Llangollen. It was then bought by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 2013, since when it has run regularly. Now owned by Pete Best, it still operates on the NYMR and is permitted to work into Whitby on the main line.
Another Black 5 45112 was heading the 06:38 Workington to Euston through Grange over Sands on 11 April 1966. Note the small snowplough on the locomotive, and the Camping Coaches in the siding.
The Clan Class of BR Standard locomotives were relatively difficult to find by 1966. I was lucky to see 72008 Clan Macleod at Settle on 12 April 1966, on the 12:00 Hellifield to Carlisle. This was the only occasion I was able to photograph a Clan in colour, and by the end of that month it had been withdrawn.
The 9Fs were still working the iron ore trains from Bidston Dock to John Summers Steelworks in 1966, and the afternoon train to Shotton on Sunday 17 April was headed by 92055. It was an overcast day, and 92055 was adding to the gloom as it accelerated away from Bidston Dee Junction.
Feedback: Presflo
David Pool's superb picture from 23 August 1965 (repeated here) D5348 leaving Tulloch with a freight from Fort William generated some interesting correspondence. David asked for the type identity of the wagons behind the loco: they were Presflo wagons, a type recently introduced for the carriage of powered materials, notably cement. They were unloaded by air pressure from a compressor . These particular wagons were, according to a post on RMweb, carrying Alumina from Burntisland in Fife out to Ballachulish for unloading onto wagons to be delivered to the aluminium smelter in Kinlochleven. There is a photograph on Railscot showing them.
Another use was actually relevant to the North Wales line. Dave Plimmer of the 2D53 website has allowed me to include this image showing 'Presflos galore' in Bangor goods yard in 1979. They were carrying cement from Penyfford for several major civil engineering projects such as the North Wales Expressway and Dinorwic Power Station. (The tank wagons carried liquid chlorine for the works at Amlwch.)
A memorable event in 1973 was the derailment of a long train of Presflos on the embankment in Hazel Grove on the Midland line near Stockport, scattering wagons around and nearly hit the signalbox. Picture by the late Graham Neve, now in the collection of the
Home page | Archive | Previous Notice Board