NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
28 July 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
August 2025
2 - 3 August Llangollen Railway Llangollen will be full of Hippies, Teddy Boys, Mods and Rockers next weekend as the Llangollen Railway shakes and grooves its funky stuff back to the 1960s. See More
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,
20/21 September
This year's Bala Lane Railway Model Show 10.00 - 16.00 both days. Venue: Ysgol Godre'r Berwyn (Bala School). We will have approximately 25 layouts and 11 traders, and there will be special extra trains on the Bala Lake Railway that weekend too.
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
66 719 at Birmingham Moor Street on the 'Inspiration' exhibition train on 9 July. Picture by Richard Snook.
News pictures
Firstly some good news without a photo... After a long delay - three years - since the flow was proposed, Freightliner loco 70 002 worked the first Llandudno Junction 06:31 6H67 to Earles Sidings slate waste train on 26 July. The loaded train ran via Crewe, Stoke, Derby and Chesterfield, possibly to avoid the reversal into Earles Sidings from the west, or to perhaps to avoid the gradients on the direct route empties, 4D02 22:02 Hope to Llandudno Junction used the direct route via Altrincham.
Geoff Morris writes: 'This weekend (26-27 July) the line between Shrewsbury and Crewe was closed for engineering work. South Wales - Manchester services were consequently diverted via Chester (and terminated at Crewe) bringing class 67+Mk 4 formations to the Chester - Crewe line, which normally doesn't see any such services.'
The photos were taken on Sunday 27 July and show 82216 being propelled by 67 025 over Chester East Junction and off towards Crewe on the 10:32 Swansea - Crewe service.
A photograph by Ivor Bufton of 66 783 The Flying Dustman (West End) and 66785 John Ellis (East End) with the weed treatment train parked up in Rhyl on 26 July, ready for the following days' work. The train arrived at Rhyl on 26 July on 3Q98 23:48 (25th) Bescot Up Engineers Sidings to Rhyl Civil Engineers Sidings,
On Monday evening (28th) it goes to Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bangor.
On Tuesday evening (29th) it does a late-night visit to Llandudno, then heads East as far as Flint before returning to Rhyl.
On Wednesday evening (30th) it does Rhyl - - Chester - Shrewsbury - Chester - Rhyl.
On Thursday evening (31st) it bids farewell to Rhyl and heads back to Bescot via Crewe.
(Information from Real Time Trains)
On Tuesday 22 July, 66 656 on 6V75 Dee Marsh to Margam calls at Shrewsbury platform 7 for a crew change.
The Port Sidings at Holyhead, unused and forgotten for some time, have been re-laid - with very neat ballast - as a stabling point for Class 197 units - the two in view are 197 012 and 197 033 ...
... another angle. the scene on 23 July. (Greg Mape)
197 001 Robin Goch Philadelphia / Philadelphia Robin and 197 021 cross the expressway at Old Colwyn on 24 July working the 08:18 Holyhead - Cardiff; 021 will be detached at Chester.
Severn Valley re-connected - report by Paul Hajdasz
After a five-month hiatus of full-line running on the Severn Valley Railway due a landslip at Mor Brook, on the afternoon of Tuesday 22nd July the first test train arrived at Bridgnorth station with 50 033 Glorious heading an 8-coach rake (above)
On the rear was double-header 20 142 and 20 189.
This was all in preparation for the official grand re-opening of the full SVR line, when LNER Class A3 Flying Scotsman will be making return trips from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth each day from Friday 25 July to Monday 28 July.
More about the stray loco and the sidings - by Stuart Cawthray
The photo (repeated above) by Ivor Bufton in a recent issue of electric loco 90 039 that accidentally made it as far as Llandudno Junction on 25 June 2005.
Signaller Stuart Cawthray recalls this incident:
'I was on Llandudno Junction Signalbox early turn that day, and we had a call off Control, that the class 90 had been left on at Crewe (tucked inside the class 47) after ‘Drags’ from Birmingham New Street.
'Around that time we couldn’t use any of the Yard/Quay sidings, unless it was an EWS train. We hadn’t had regular EWS traffic since EWS had lost the Pen Stone a number of years earlier, and since a North West Trains unit had come off the road one Saturday night while stabling, the yard was barred to just about everything. The yard was turning into a jungle as nothing could use it. EWS did eventually use it a few years later when they dumped a load of wagons in the yard that were eventually scrapped on site.
'On that morning I rang Rhyl Box and asked Alan ‘Ginge‘ if the Class 90 was in EWS livery, ‘yes’ was the reply. So my plan to use the yard was coming together. A quick call to control to explain what I was doing. (Luckily in control that day was a fellow 'crank', so getting the 90 into the yard wasn’t going to be an issue, not that we had many options, Tamper Siding or the Bay possibly).
'The train was brought into platform 4 where we unhooked the the two locos and the Driver took the ‘Cats Eyes’ for the Quay Sidings and set back in front of the box exactly where the VT Class 57 Thunderbirds used to stable.
'I seem to remember the Sprirex Valve popping all day, and it was an interesting hand over to the late turn explaining what a Class 90 was doing 60 odd miles from the nearest ‘juice’.
The line that the Class 90 is standing on is now out of use as the road has spread either side of the points LJ462, the points are still useable and still get maintained but nothing is allowed down the Quay Sidings anymore.'
The sidings today
'Around 2010 Network Rail finally took back ownership of all the sidings at the Junction and when the slate traffic was in the early stages of planning, it was suggested that the trains could use the Quay Sidings as a head shunt so no need to set back off the Main Line. It was also suggested that TfW/NR should bring back into use a couple of sidings for stabling but this opportunity was never taken and nature is now taking control of the Quay Siding.
'On the original photo you can still see the ‘Stop and Wait Instructions’ board and also the old lamp stand that is still there in the trees & bushes. It’s hard to believe that 43 years ago, as a Box Lad in the Junction, I would use that lamp ladder to sit and dangle my feet over the wall and have my sandwiches watching the swans in the Conwy River, and more importantly watch a Class 40 shunt the Warrington Goods!
The photo shows LJ462 points 'collared up' to prevent use. Slate traffic uses LJ457 points, note the short head shunt to the temporary stop block that allows the slate waste train to draw forward when shunting its wagons.
Somewhere in there is the old lamp stand & Tesco!
Where the class 90 was stabled.
Belmond Troubles
As predicted, the 21 July run did not run, reportedly due to 'problems with the doors'. It seems from the press that passengers, including visitors from far and wide with travel and hotel booking, were informed the day before departure. Passengers will receive 'a complete refund and at least one complimentary journey later this year or in 2026.' Elsewhere we read that they will pay for some travel expenses.
A newspaper report says 'Train enthusiasts spotted Britannic Explorer when it was brought up to Victoria station for a test run on June 13 and noticed there was a problem with its retro-fitted automatic doors.' Clearly they haven't fixed the problem after several weeks.
Some timings (not not necessarily correct) for the Welsh trips starting 4 August, not including the many empty stock and light-engine loco movements. GBRf Class 66 locos are used, except for the Cambrian line section which requires Class 97/3 locos fitted for ERTMS signalling. It will be interested to see whether this goes smoothly, with all that single-track railway.
15:48 dep London Victoria to Haverfordwest arr 22:44,
10:30 dep Haverfordwest to Llandrindod arr 05:14
13:35 dep Llandrindod to Pwllheli arr 22:16
23:05 dep Pwllheli to Barmouth arr 00:33
06:33 dep Barmouth to Tywyn arr 07:07
08:17 dep Tywyn to Barmouth 08:51
10:01 dep Barmouth to Oxford loop arr 21:44
22:48 dep Oxford loop to Honeybourne Staff Hut arr 00:08
05:50 dep Honeybourne Staff Hut to London Victoria arr 00:06
Notes:
"Honeybourne Staff Hut" is the timing point for movements onto and off the Long Marston branch, which is where the train stables overnight.
Passengers reboard at Kingham 23:32 after their visit to a "traditional English pub".
For more detail, we suggest joining 'https://groups.io/g/NorthWalesTrainsNews'
From Dave Sallery's archive
31 276 leaves Prestatyn with a Crewe train, 16 May 1992.
31 421 on a Llandudno to Manchester train leaves Llandudno Junction, 22 March 1993. The 47 in the yard is on the Octel train from Amlwch. This was just before that traffic finished which accounts for the lack of wagons.
37 075 is on a down test train from Crewe at Prestatyn, 26 February 1992.
A Holyhead - Euston HST passes Norton Bridge on 20 March 1992. Both the signalbox and station have since been closed.
Feedback
Andrew Mcfarlane writes: A correction to something mentioned on the last noticeboard Talyllyn Railway loco no. 7 Tom Rolt was not built by the Talyllyn Railway in 1949. Parts of no. 7 were built by Andrew Barclay in 1949 as a loco for the Bord na Mona in Ireland. The loco was later acquired by the TR and parts from it were used to build a new loco in 1991.
Looking back: Steam in 1968 part 2 - by David Pool
With the end of steam approaching, a number of Railtours were run in 1968. These were mostly in the Northwest of the country, using several different locomotives on each Railtour. Black 5s tended to be the favoured motive power, often double headed, since these were readily available from the sheds in the district. The majority were relatively clean for the occasion. On 20 April the RCTS ran “The Lancastrian” Railtour 1T85 from Liverpool Lime Street, visiting branches to Fleetwood, Windermere and Heysham. The locomotive on the first leg was 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry, one of the few named Black 5s, and was photographed at Broadgreen. I think the shot could have been better focussed or maybe have had a faster shutter speed.
A few days later on 23 April I was at Halewood, and managed to get a shot of another Black 5 44855 on a heavily laden coal freight heading towards Speke Junction.
On 21 July 1968 the Roch Valley Railway Society ran a Railtour from Manchester to Southport, traversing four different routes. The first leg of 1T40 from Manchester Victoria with 44888 used the direct route via Earlestown to Olive Mount Junction, where it took the Bootle branch in order to reach the electrified line to Southport. It was photographed on the branch at Pighue Lane (known as Piggy Lane), just before Edge Lane Junction.
The final steam working was scheduled for 11 August, so the previous Sunday saw a variety of Railtours from Birmingham, Euston and the Manchester districts. I went to Bolton in the afternoon of 4 August to photograph some of these trains, the first I saw being 1Z79, the second of “The Farewell to Steam” SLS (Midland Area) Railtours from Birmingham, which came from Blackburn and used the Bolton avoiding line to reach Wigan. This had been due at 1503, but was running 50 minutes late. The Black 5s were 44874 and 45017.
The RCTS “End of Steam Commemorative Railtour” from Euston had been due at 13:21, but arrived at Bolton at 16:01 behind 8F 48476 and Standard 5MT 73069. The participants on this Railtour eventually reached Euston at 02:15, having spent 18 hours on the train. The Railtour Files website has a Review of this Railtour, which provides interesting reading!
The timings for the final “Fifteen Guinea Special” 1T57 on 11 August 1968 were generous, and after getting a shot of 45110 at Huyton I had time to drive to Dent to see the two other Black 5s travelling Northwards light engine to Carlisle, before making my way to Ais Gill, where 1T57 was to make a photo stop. The up Royal Scot (diverted and headed by D1620) passed Ais Gill box, somehow managing to avoid the crowd of spectators which had been gathering. Finally 70013 Oliver Cromwell arrived with 1T57, and the scene was chaotic and memorable.
I decided to go back to Dent Head viaduct to see the returning train, my shot being in the Notice Board of 22 February 2021, and then made my way Southwards, not expecting to see 1T57 again. To my surprise I found it had stopped longer than expected at Blea Moor, so I was able to get a nice shot of 44871 and 44781 from the main road at Ribblehead. Why anyone would choose to walk along the embankment to the viaduct to get a head on shot astonishes me, but the behaviour of some photographers on that day was inexcusable.
Arriving back in Merseyside in time to see 45110 on the final leg of 1T57, it was approaching 8pm and too overcast for colour film, so my final shot at Rainhill was on FP3. I was by then resigned to the inevitable photographer leaping out in front of me, and overall it had been a successful day’s photography.
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