NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
09 June 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
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 2025
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 2025
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 2025
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
43 046 Geoff Drury 1930-1999 at Chester with a Midland Pullman test run on 5 June 2025. Picture by Rowan Crawshaw.
Leominster accident update
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch have issued a news item about the accident near Leominster involving a train and a farm trailer on 22 May, which tells us that the train was running at approximately 80 mph - normal for this location. The train had not reached the point to slow down for Leominster station, about 1.8 miles ahead, when it hit the trailer. The train, with the trailer carried on for around 0.4 miles under braking before it came to a stand. The designers of the Driving Van Trailer which took the blow, are to commended.
A further revelation is that the driver of the farm vehicle did use the telephone to ask the signaller for permission to cross. We'll need the final report to find out what actually happened, but what we know shines a light on the risk danger inherent in this procedure.
Two events
Saturday 21 June is the date of this year's North West Rail and Transport Collectors Fair at Crewe Alexandra Football Club (close to the station) 10:00 - 16:00. Admission is £3, children under 16 free. There will be around 30 stalls, listed on the on the Transport Past Times website.
Prestatyn Model Railway Exhibition 2025.
Organised by Rhyl & District Model Railway Club.
The exhibition will be held on Saturday 28 June (one day only), at Christ Church Parish Church and Community Hall, High Street, Prestatyn, Clwyd, LL19 9AR. Opening times are 10.30am to 4.00pm.
Featuring at least 12 layouts in a variety of sizes, scales and gauges, plus demonstration and sales stands; light refreshments available. 3 hours free parking is available in Nant Hall Road Car Park adjacent to venue (see ticket machines for details), or at Prestatyn Retail Park (5 minutes walk). Prestatyn Railway Station is within a 10 minute walk. Full disabled access.
Admission: Adult £5.00, Accompanied children FREE (to 15yrs).
Photo catch-up - by Gary Thomas
Return NMT at Bodorgan on 15 May, with 43 062 ...
... and 47 277.
The 'Cambrian Coast Express' on 16 May with 97 302 'Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways / Rheilffyrdd Ffestiniog ac Eryri' and 37 685 passing Dovey Junction and crossing the Dyfi bridge heading for Pwllheli ...
... Approaching Criccieth ...
... and on the return a view from Llandanwg.
6C22 09:51 from Crewe Basford Hall, 66 846 top and tail ...
... with 56 090 on 17 May. There were significant track replacement and other works at Penmaenrhos Tunnel near Llysfaen on that weekend 17/18 May.
DCRail stone train to Leyland sidings on 22 May, loco 66 055 at Penmaenmawr...
... and passing Pensarn with a full load.
37 610 parked in the carriage sidings with a Derby to Cardiff Ultrasonic test train on 4 June.
Britannic Shakedown - report by Richard Putley
The week beginning 9 June Belmond and GBRf are doing a ''Shakedown' run in Wales for crews of their new "Britannic Explorer" Land Cruise Train. But because their ex Irish Rail Mk3s are not ready, this week's 3-day run is using a scratch set of Mk2s and 3s. I photographed to-day's London Victoria to Haverfordwest leg at Swindon, hauled by 57 310. Interestingly the outbound trip goes via the Marches line rather than the Heart of Wales. One would have expected the latter given their planned itinerary.
Tomorrow (Tuesday 10 June) will see it run from Haverfordwest to Barmouth via Hereford, Shrewsbury (reverse) and Pwllheli (reverse) with spending tomorrow night in Barmouth.
Then on Wednesday morning it will make an early morning shuttle from Barmouth to Tywyn (arr 07:07 dep 08:27) before setting off from Barmouth at 10:00 for Oxford via Birmingham, the Lickey Incline, Worcester Shrub Hill and Eversham.
57 310, one of five 57s in the GBRf fleet are mostly used for hauling EMUs for relocation, but also for passenger charters, was named UK Railtours in April to celebrate fifty years since the first trip organised by UK Railtours’ founder, the late John Farrow, who died in 2020 after contracting Covid-19.
Valley Doings - report by Stuart Broome
On 6 June I went to see how the work on Valley's listed station buildings. They are re-roofing the building; will it going to be re-opened as a cafe maybe?
I had just got on the Up platform when the barriers went down, and unexpectedly 67 013 and 67 017 came through. I was very lucky as they were fifty minutes late! 0Z17 10: 00 Holyhead depot to Crewe.
[This is presumably part of TfW's 'Improving Stations' as described in a 2019 Article in Modern Railways although Valley is not specifically mentioned. Finding anything about Valley station in search engines is tricky, as your search brings up a host of entries about the Valleys in the south. Unfortunately trains cannot stop here while the work continues.]
Weedspray to Rhyl - by Driver Jim Scott
On Sunday night 8 June I was diagrammed to work 3Q98 from Bescot to Rhyl engineers sidings ready for the coming week's weed treatment. Above, Bescot yard with 66 749 Christopher Hopcroft MBE leading and 66 766 Gail Richardson on the rear.
Due to line blocks I was routed Bescot - Wolverhampton -Shrewsbury (seen above) - Crewe - Chester and Rhyl.
On arrival in Rhyl I had to change ends and take the train into the engineers sidings.
The platform end signal will give a position light once the road is set and I can proceed.
Stabled up.
And a view of the old No.1 signal box .
Weeding trains in daylight
The train (Ivor Bufton)
Some weeds (Roland High).
One of the vehicles (Roland High)
The workings from Real Time Trains:
3Q98 19:30 Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdg to Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdgs | 09/06/2025
3Q98 21:26 Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdg to Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdgs | 10/06/2025
3Q98 22:57 Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdg to Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdgs | 11/06/2025
3Q98 22:57 Rhyl Civil Engineers Sdg to Bescot Up Engineers Sdgs | 12/06/2025
From Dave Sallery's archive
47 424, on test, leads 47 607 past Gronant, 4 March 1987.
In one of those quirks thrown up by privatisation this is D9000 Royal Scots Grey at Oxford on 10 July-1999. The loco was booked to haul the Saturdays only Ramsgate to Glasgow service as far as Birmingham.
56 131 backs a train of scrap metal wagons into the EMR sidings in Liverpool docks, 8 April 2002.
50 044 Exeter leaving Llandudno Junction for North Llanrwst on 4 September 2011. The train is the 'Snowdon Ranger run by P.T.G. tours. On the rear is 57 304. The coaches are Virgin's 'Pretendolino' rake of Mk 3 vehicles, which was created as a standby for the Pendolino fleet, but also on relief on busy services. Sadly, it was withdrawn in 2014.
Dave's archive in flickr format is here.
Steam, Electric and Diesel in 1967 Part 1 - by David Pool
I was wondering how I came to take this shot of 9F 92045 with a train of caustic wagons on the Folly Lane branch at Weston Point, Runcorn. The date was 21 January 1967, which was a Saturday, so I must have been going to the ICI Recreation Club for a Hockey match, and happened to have a camera with me! The branch was electrified at the time, and the masts were still present when I was photographing on the branch in 1992. I would be interested to know when they were removed.
The 10:45 Manchester to Llandudno on 11 February 1967 at Prestatyn comprised six coaches, the first being a Class 104 unit M50528. I’m not sure why anyone going to the Prestatyn Holiday Camp would need to be told that they should alight at Prestatyn station, while other Holiday Camps in the district had no such advertisements.
Birkenhead Woodside Station was due to close in November 1967, and the end of through trains to Birmingham was marked by two Steam Specials between Birmingham and Birkenhead on 5 March 1967. The main locomotives were a Castle 7029 and a Black 5 44680, with a couple of shuttles between Chester and Birkenhead worked by 9F locomotives 92234 and 92203. The first Special returning to Birmingham behind 44680 at Bromborough was illustrated in the Notice Board of 10 August 2020, the next movement at Bromborough being 92203 coming from Chester with passengers for the second train. This locomotive has of course been preserved as 92203 Black Prince, currently on the North Norfolk Railway.
The star of the show was the final Special from Birkenhead featuring 7029 Clun Castle. Pity about the odd blue/grey coach in the rake, and no chocolate and cream coaches for the remainder, but 7029 looked superb.
On 11 March 1967 Class 108 units M51569 and M50933 were arriving at Caergwrle – nothing unusual at first sight, but the train had started from Chester Northgate as the 10:35 to Wrexham Central, via Saughall and Shotton High Level, and not from the Wirral. The other interesting detail is the name on the signal box “Caergwrle Castle Station”, the “Castle” being removed from the name in 1974. The ruins of the Castle still exist, but are not amongst the most visited tourist locations in Wales.
The end of the Bridgewater Canal in Runcorn in 1967 was a scene of decay. The Runcorn Locks to the Manchester Ship Canal had been closed when the new approach road was built to the Runcorn Bridge, and the train entering Runcorn Station on 3 May 1967 was the 07:55 Lime Street to Euston (the Liverpool Pullman) headed by E3130. The Runcorn Locks Restoration Society’s webpage gives further details of the site.
After a visit to Crich Tramway Museum on 20 May 1967, I photographed the 14:00 Manchester Central to Nottingham Midland arriving at Matlock with Peak D62 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (later 45 143). Apparently one of these nameplates sold for over £10,000 at an auction in 2004.
Moving on to Buxton, I was surprised to see one of the ex Franco Crosti 9F/8F locomotives on the shed. 92029 looked as though it had not moved recently, although some of the motion had been cleaned. It was withdrawn in November 1967.
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