NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD
Rheilffordd arfordir gogledd Cymru: Hysbysfwrdd
20 January 2025
Forthcoming events
See our Calendar Page for operator details.
January 2025
Monday 20 January Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Bromborough: AGM followed by: Jon Penn “A Miscellany of Railways” (Non M,C&NW members and Non-RCTS members will not be able to take an active part in the AGM)
February 2025
Wednesday 5 February Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Liverpool: Chris Poole “Czech Railways”
Thursday 6 February Clwyd Railway Circle David Jones and Dave Southern “Annual General Meeting” followed by “Rails to Bala”
Friday 14 February. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Macclesfield Area Railways in the 1950s and 60s" by Martin Welch.
March 2025
Saturday 1 March - Railway Touring Company - 'The Mancunian' from Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno and Holyhead via Altrincham. Steam hauled.
Thursday 6 March Clwyd Railway Circle Jeff Nicholls “A Baptism of Fire and Water-My First Wolsztyn Experience” Part One
Friday 14 March. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Navigation Road and All That" by Ted Buckley. Local rail scenes, mainly of steam, from the 1960s in the Altrincham and Dunham Massey areas and elsewhere taken by Ted's father Bill Buckley.
Monday 17 March Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch: Charles Roberts “On Line Transport Archive (OTA) Images”
April 2025
Wednesday 2 April Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales Branch Liverpool: Paul Shackcloth “L & Y Engines at Work, Part 3” Speaker and Subject TBC
Saturday 5 April Saphos Lakelander from Llandudno Junction to Carlisle. Diesel to Lancaster and return, steam from Lancaster, return via Cumbrian Coast line.
Saturday 5 April UK Railtours - The Snowdonian. No further information available at present.
Saturday 11 April Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from Swindon to Pwllheli
Friday 11 April. Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society "Steam, Diesel and Electric in the Northern Fells" by Ian Pilkington. A joint meeting with the Irish Railway Record Society Manchester Branch.
Saturday 12 April Midland Pullman Torbay Riviera Pullman from Chester, Wrexham General and Ruabon to Paignton.
Saturday 19 April Northern Belle - Settle and Carlisle Steam Special. Wrexham General and Chester to Carlisle via the S&C. Diesel to/from Carnforth, steam for remainder.
May 2025
Thursday 1 May Northern Belle "Conwy Castle & Bodnant Gardens" charter from Coventry It includes other off-train options.
Saturday 5 May - The Victorian Festival (Intercity). Birmingham International to Llandudno and return with a pair of LSL class 20s.
Saturday 9 May Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from East Midlands Parkway to Pwllheli
Saturday 10 May UK Railtours Llandudno and Chester. London Euston to Llandudno Junction and Penmaenmawr freight yards.
Saturday 16 May Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast' Express from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli
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.
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.
August 2025
September 2025
Friday 5 September Clwyd Railway Circle To be announced
Saturday 5 September Pathfinder Tours 'Cambrian Coast Express' from Cardiff Central to Pwllheli
Wednesday 10 September - Snowdonia Statesman. Cardiff Central to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Saturday 12 September Pathfinder Tours '.Cambrian Coast Express' from Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli
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
Friday 3 October Clwyd Railway Circle To be Announced
Wednesday 8 October - Snowdonia Statesman. Durham to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
November 2005
Friday 7 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.
North Wales Coast Railway website created and compiled by Charlie Hulme
Another load of stone from Penmaenmawr crosses Conwy Cob, 13 January Picture by Logan Humphreys.
News Pictures
Ivor Bufton writes: '197 036 is the latest 'Cambrian' 197 to be on test / mileage accumulation along the North Wales coast, here we see it making its booked stop at Prestatyn while working 5N71 11:09 Holyhead to Crewe on 20 January.
This leaves (I believe) 197 022/23/25/26/32 and 197 037-197041 to put in an appearance along the coast'.
HNRC loco 37 405 now has Swietelsky decals, following the European rail construction company’s acquisition all four orange HRNC locos, the others being 37 607, 20 302 and 20 311. 97 304 stands alongside.
Swietelsky Construction Company Ltd has reached an agreement to work alongside Harry Needle Railroad Company Ltd (HNRC), who will provide mainline locomotives and access to heavy maintenance facilities at Worksop. To support the current business needs for Swietelsky and SB Rail in the UK, Swietelsky have identified a need to have access to a number of locomotives together with a heavy maintenance and overhaul facility for its current fleet of OTM and Kirow Cranes.
To meet these requirements, HNRC has agreed to provide long term hire arrangements for a fleet of up to 26 mainline locomotives, together with access to the Worksop Traincare and Heavy Maintenance depot.
From Geoff Morris: on 17 January I noticed there was an STP for a Basford Hall to Llandudno Junction working that was running at a reasonable time of day (Basford Hall dep 14:53) . I assumed that this would be slate empties and as I'd not photographed one of these trains before I made the short walk to Chester City Walls to remedy this. The train ran on time and comprised Freightliner's 66 510 hauling a rake of GBRf-branded box wagons.
All in black: 82201 leads 1W57, the 10:54 Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly...
67 014 providing the propusion. 197 121 is approaching on 1V40, the 11:30 from Manchester Piccadilly to Milford Haven. (Graham Breakwell)
More on the Royal Scot
A few images that missed the deadline for last issue, and a quick history. (Incidentally seems that there two 'last runs' for 6100 - there was one on the south of England which also was a 'last run'. )
6100 has had a quite remarkable history. In was built in 1930 as 6152 The Kings Dragoon Guardsman, and re-named as 6100 Royal Scot for a journey to America to tale part in the International Exposition in Chicago in 1933. On return, it retained the new identity and worked for the LMS and British Railways (including a complete rebuild with a different style of boiler) until 1962 when it was withdrawn in the general decline of steam.
Pictures at Chester by Richard Snook.
At the time, Butlins holiday camps had the idea to buy locos and station then one each at their various camps as a static attraction. 6100 was sent to Skegness, until 1971 it was moved to the Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk where it was steamed for a few years. Eventually it left Bressingham for Pete Waterman's LNWR Heritage workshops in Crewe for overhaul and return to the main line Under the auspices of Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust (RSL>) in April 2009, chaired by enthusiast Jeremy Hosking.
Llandudno Junction (Logan Humphreys).
From Dave Sallery's Archive
37 013, in Mainline livery, on an Up service near Mostyn, 15 May 1998. 37 013 was scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in February 2006.
37 058 near RAF Valley on an up train, 3 July 1999. This loco worked on North Wales duty on 29 May and from 3 - 5 July. Then after working a railtour, it was taken out of service and spent some time in France. It hung around until finally cut up in April 2009.
37 116 Sister Dora approaches Rhyl on a down train, 8 June 1996, substituting for a Class 37/4. (see Nic Joynson's Flickr). This loco is now working (nameless) for Colas. The name had been transferred in 1996 from 31 430 which was named during an open day at Bescot in October 1988. 31 430 is now in preservation, and has regained the name.
A number of railway locomotives have been named Sister Dora, after the Walsall Legend Dorothy Pattison. Dorothy was born in Yorkshire on 16th January 1832 and moved to Walsall on 8th January 1865, when she worked at the cottage hospital in Bridge Street until her death on 24th December 1878 aged 46' .- Information from the Oakrunners webpage.
37 131 is deputising for a Virgin 47 on a Euston - Holyhead train, 1D88 17L30 Euston - Holyhead as far as Crewe, seen near Prestatyn on 17 August 1998. 37 131 became well known to enthusiasts for its 'Welcome Aboard' sticker on one end, above the headlight. 37 131 met its end at CF Booth Rotherham in April 2007.
Looking back: Devon and Somerset steam and diesel 1961 - by David Pool
On 11 September 1961 the Down Cornish Riviera Express was running in two portions beyond Exeter. The Penzance coaches were being hauled by 6919 Tylney Hall, one of the wartime built 4900 Class, and photographed from Langstone Rock, Dawlish Warren. Note the Camping Coaches in the siding near Dawlish Warren station.
The Kingswear portion detached at Exeter then followed, also with a similar Hall Class locomotive, 6914 Langton Hall. In contrast to the lineside fencing and barriers seen on most railway lines today, the path on the Sea Wall at Dawlish gives photographers a superb view of and from the trains.
The 09:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Plymouth on the same day featured a Castle Class, 5059 Earl St.Aldwyn. This was originally Powis Castle, but renamed in 1937. The curvature of the track at Dawlish station, together with the driver’s position on the right in GWR locomotive cabs, resulted in the starting signal being positioned on the “wrong” side of the tracks.
['Earl' Names were allocated to the 'Dukedog' (built with parts of a 'Duke' and a 'Bulldog' class loco) for use on the Cambrian lines. It's said that one of more Dukes objected to their names using for such old-looking locos, so the names were use to a batch of 'Castle' locos.]
Cowley Bridge Junction in Exeter, where the line from Barnstaple joins the main line from Taunton, has always been a good location for photographs. On 13 September 1961 I was lucky to see 5700 Class Pannier 9670 with an Inspection Saloon. This appears to be a Collett Q13 Saloon, of the type preserved on the Severn Valley Railway.
The County Class locomotives tended to be overlooked by Western Region enthusiasts, but did good work on lines North of Wolverhampton in particular. I was rather surprised to see a County on a Class 6 Express Freight at Cowley Bridge following the Inspection Saloon, but 1003 County of Wilts made an interesting shot. I had seen this locomotive in Chester in 1958, when it was based at Shrewsbury, but in 1961 it had moved to 83D (Plymouth Laira). There appears to be a cover over the coal in the Hawksworth tender – can anybody explain what this was?
The Southern Region in Devon at that time made use of through coaches to and from various destinations which would be attached to main line trains serving London Waterloo. It might have been thought that through coaches from Exmouth might have taken the line to Exeter, but the branch line to Tipton St. Johns and Sidmouth Junction was preferred. On 14 September 1961 the 0952 Exmouth to Waterloo coaches were passing Littleham on the outskirts of Exmouth, headed by Class 2MT 41307.
Returning home on 18 September 1961 I made a detour at Highbridge to photograph a train on the Somerset and Dorset line. By 1961 the 2251 Class 0-6-0 locomotives had taken over from the ex LMS Johnson Class 3F 0-6-0s, nine of which were originally owned by the S&DJR. 2277 was arriving at Bason Bridge with the 14:20 Highbridge to Evercreech Junction.
Later at Weston-super-Mare, the 10:15 Bradford to Paignton (the Devonian) was diesel hauled from Bristol. The Laira Class 42 Warship D838 Zephyr was then four months old, and the Western Region coaches were in Chocolate and Cream livery.
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