NORTH WALES COAST
RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
11 May 2026
Next Update: 25 May
Picture Geoff Morris
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
Thursday 28 May UK Railtours "The Coast to Coast", Great Yarmouth to Pwllheli. Train to/from Great Yarmouth to Shrewsbury TBC. Network Rail 97's onwards to Pwllheli.
June 2026
Saturday 13 June North West Rail and Transport Collectors Fair
July 2026
Friday 3 July Saltburn Railtours Saltburn to Llandudno (one way, WCRC diesel hauled)
Monday 6 July Saltburn Railtours Llandudno to Saltburn (one way, WCRC diesel hauled)
Sunday 12 July Railway Touring Company "The North Wales Coast Express", Liverpool Lime Street to Holyhead. WCRC steam loco TBC.
August 2026
Wednesday 19 August Midland Pullman "Torbay Riviera Pullman", Chester, Wrexham General, Ruabon, Chirk to Torquay and Paignton. LSL Midland Pullman HST.
29-31 August 2026 Bala Lake Railway Steam Gala
September 2026
19-20 September Bala Model Railway Show
Thursday 3 September Clwyd Railway Circle "Severn Valley Steam" Highlights of 2012 and 2013 Steam Galas - Glyn Jones
Saturday 19 September Northern Belle "Settle & Carlisle Steam Special", Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle. WCRC steam locomotive over the Settle & Carlisle line. Diesel hauled otherwise.
October 2026
Thursday 1 October Clwyd Railway Circle 'The view from a signal box window' Adrian Bodlander
November 2026
Thursday 5 November Clwyd Railway Circle "40 years of Railway in the Chester area" - Geoff Morris
December 2026
Thursday 3 December Clwyd Railway Circle Ian Mainprize 'German Railway Development'
Belmond have advertised their 2026 three-day Britannic Explorer trips to the sidings in Barmouth, start dates are: 30 March, 13 April, 4/11/25 May, 1/8/15/22/29 June, 6/20/27 July, 3/17/21/24 August, 14/28 September, 19 October and finally 9 November.
Other useful sites:
For up-to-date North Wales information
join the North Wales Trains News group
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
Barmouth Bridge on a sunny 29 April 2026 featuring 158 834 on the 13:27 Shrewsbury - Pwllheli. Picture by Ken Robinson.
News pictures
Due to issues with loading trains at Penmaenmawr, stone is being currently transported to Llandudno Junction, where it is loaded to rail in the sidings usually used for slate waste.
70 805 was captured by Ivor Bufton passing Rhyl while working 6M33 14:30 Llandudno Junction TC to Bradwell Up Sidings on 27 April.
Hereford on 28 April saw the arrival of 67 028 on a test run (0W98) from Canton. It is in de-branded DB Cargo livery, being one of the two TfW bought from DBC in Spring 2024, the other being 67 026 was bought for spares, having been inactive since 2016. The picture is of its return to Canton at 13:11 (John Oates). We understand that 67 028 will not be fitted with push-pull equipment, acting as a 'Thunderbird' rescuing failed trains.
On 26 April 197 029 on a training run to Pwllheli from Machynlleth, departing at 15:57 from the latter (Ken Robinson).
On 29 April 197 029 ran from Machynlleth Carriage Sidings to Shrewsbury (3C10) and back (3C11). Seen here passing through a very verdant Meole Brace in glorious sunshine on the return run (Graham Breakwell).
Hauled by 66 710 Karen Harrison (above) with 66 719 Michael Portillo on the rear, as 3Z45, the 11:05 from Landore TMD (Swansea), the 'Inspiration train' was briefly held in the Sutton Bridge Junction loop line on the way to Stockport where it will be in Platform Zero from 1 to 6 May (Graham Breakwell).
Karen Harrison was one of the first generation of women to be employed as a Secondman in 1979 taking the first step to eventually becoming a train driver. Born in Glasgow, she was an Oxford law undergraduate, later a union officer and also the first woman to preside over an ASLEF conference.
Stuart Broome writes: 'A visit to Holyhead produced shades of the 175s that were once
stored in the sidings, but now it 197s. I counted around nine or ten sets sat there in the sunshine.'
Left line 197 033-? - Middle 197 031; 197 023; 197 034 - Right 197.022- ?
(Units 197 003 and 197 022 - 197 041 are equipped for use on the Cambrian lines)
Gerald of Wales
On 4 May The Branch Line Society, in conjunction with the 225 Group and TfW ran a special charter train from Holyhead to Swansea utilising the 67 and Mk4 stock that would normally be laying over at Holyhead at a weekend. The Society organises railtours and events around places that do not normally feature passenger usage, this tour was planned to use both through roads at Bangor and further afield the following:
1. Non-stop runs between Shrewsbury and Newport, including Hereford Up and Down Relief Lines (through roads); 2. Leckwith Loop (Cardiff Central to Pontyclun via Radyr Branch Junction, Penarth Curve North Junction, Ninian Park and Leckwith Loop North Junction) and 3 3. Stormy Loop, Pencoed Up Passenger Loop and Port Talbot Down Loop
All profits from BLS railtours and events go to charity, in this instance the profits are donated to the Railway Children charity
DVT 82227 (complete with Gerald of Wales / Y Gerallt Gymro headboard) leads 1Z67 07:08 Holyhead to Swansea away from Rhyl on 25 April ...
... 67 029 providing the power from the rear (Ivor Bufton).
Chester (Geraint Williams)
Two Specials to Llandudno
The early May Bank holiday usually sees charter trains to Llandudno for the extravaganza and this year was no different. All pictures taken at 2 May.
First to run along the coast was an HST owned by the 125 Group and organised by the Branch Line Society, "The Welsh Dragon" ran from London Euston to Llandudno and to utilise the stock instead of laying over at Llandudno a 'mini tour' ran from Llandudno to Holyhead and back before the return working back to London Euston. Above, 43 159 leading, with 43 025 Exeter at the rear working 1Z43 09:00 London Euston to Llandudno is seen approaching Prestatyn. (Ivor Bufton)
43 025 leading, with 43 159 at the rear working 1Z48 17:32 Llandudno to London Euston is seen passing Rhyl. (Ivor Bufton)
The second charter was operated by Vintage Trains and ran from Birmingham New Street (via a reversal at Nuneaton) using GWR steam 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and 37 240, it was nice to see 37 240 again in North Wales as it was once resident at Llangollen Railway for around 20 years before being sold on and returned to the mainline. 37 240 leading and 5043 at the rear working 1Z31 08:39 Birmingham New Street to Llandudno is seen approaching Prestatyn. (Ivor Bufton)
5043 leading and 37 240 at the rear working 1Z32 17.54 Llandudno to Birmingham New Street passing Rhyl (Ivor Bufton)
From other photographers:
HST approaching Llandudno (Greg Mape)
Near Abergele westbound (Greg Mape)
5043, with 37 240 on front, passes Deganwy (Garry Stroud)
TfW troubles - by Charlie Hulme
Waiting for a train at Stockport on 29 April I noticed on the opposite platform the 10:53 Cardiff - Manchester train making its call. This is a train booked for loco-haulage but what arrived was a two-car 197, despite what it said on 'Real Time Trains.' When they run, this service is marvellous - Comfortable First Class and meal service. The trains have five coaches. The Class 197, Well, readers of this sheet know about this situation, but I thought things were improving.
At home reading Modern Railways, I found an interesting fact which you may not have read. Since 15 December the Transport for Wales website has an interesting addition: a 'dedicated customer-facing website to alert customer to operational issues on the First Class services. This is will be updated to reflect any changes ... but a last-minute fleet change may not always display.'
https://tfw.wales/service-status/first-class-service-availability
Well, they are trying. It seems that half of the failures causing these problems are caused by the carriages, not by the locos. The status showed on that on the Cardiff - Manchester direction only two of the eight runs had first class.
Another annoyance, which has carried over from earlier times is that there is no seat reservation on TfW trains, so even if your train has First Class you might have to stand. Not a problem at present, since anyone experienced to a long journey suffers a 197 on which you might get one cup of coffee and a biscuit, may not choose not to use rail again.
Rhyl Miniature Railway Gala - report by Ian Pilkington.
The Rhyl Miniature Railway celebrated the acquisition of loco "John" with a gala over the Easter Weekend. All six Atlantic locomotives built by Albert Barnes at Rhyl between 1920 and 1930 are now back home permanently, a magnificent effort by the Rhyl Steam Preservation Trust. All images taken on Monday 6 April.
The four operational locomotives were in action alongside
"John", which will eventually be restored to working order
and "Billy" which resides in the RMR museum.
Joan and Michael
Billie.
Railway Queen passes John and Billy
Joan at the head of a cavalcade of all six
locomotives lined up in order of construction.
A photo miscellany by Geoff Morris
There have been a few 'drags' of Flirt units from Cardiff to and from the wheel lathe at Holyhead. While photographing the Holyhead - Cardiff working on 9 April I took the attached photo in Chester Northgate cutting. The drag ran early and was stopped outside Chester station. During the stop it was passed by 197 025 on a Cardiff - Holyhead service. As only the rear of the drag (756 105) was visible it presented a scene that might be an everyday occurrence around Cardiff but normally impossible up here.
One photo taken during a half day visit to the Branch Line Gala at Llangollen to travel behind the visiting locos on 12 April. At Corwen 1369 is about to couple on to the van train that it had previously worked through from Llangollen.
34067 Tangmere hauled the Chester to Carlisle of the Great Britain XVIII railtour on 20 April 20th. I photographed it emerging from under the Hoole Road bridge at Chester at the start of its journey.
60 099 on a Penmaenmawr to Willesden stone train at Chester Walls on April 21st. This train is scheduled to reach Chester after 20:30 when it would be in shadow almost everywhere. Fortunately it ran about an hour early so there was a chance to catch the loco in sunlight at the Walls .
Scenes by Dave Jepson
34067 Tangmere on Great Britain Tour at Broadoak Lane near Mobberley on 20 April en route Chester to Carlisle.
Passing Chinley.
20 302 and 20 311 arriving at Guide Bridge with a track machine from Wigan on 24 April
The Heritage Section will return in the next issue.
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