North Wales Coast
September 2001 Part 1
Fragonset Class 47 47701 "Waverley"
was switched off in platform 12 attached to two Porterbrook vans
which sandwiched a MkII Virgin coach. The locomotive later ran
round the stock and was waiting to leave from the North end as
I left the station. 11/9/2001
Dead on the shed was 47758 (formerly
"Regency Rail Cruises" which was recently
seen failing on the North
Wales Coast Line. This locomotive was a victim of the Motherwell
fire when the burning roof fell in onto it. The hurried, partial
repaint has now produced different coloured roofs, one red and
one black. Close inspection shows that the engine was quite badly
singed. 11/9/2001
The 13.43 Holyhead-London appeared
in the form of 43180 "City of Newcastle upon Tyne"
leading 43067. Seen here leaving for London it is passing 86435
"Saint Mungo" attached to Virgin coach
12049. 11/9/2001
They're here.....another Class
220 "Voyager" passing through Crewe on test, 220 009
this time. I believe that this is the latest set to arrive from
Belgium. 11/9/2001
A visit down to Porthmadog can
never be complete without paying a call on the two railways. The
first was the Ffestiniog Railway where this exhibit, "Merlen
Gymreic, was stuffed and mounted outside the station.
4/9/2001
Inside the station was "Vale
of Ffestiniog", one of the small stud of diesels,
waiting to leave with a train for Blaenau Ffestiniog (header photo)
which later left along the cob. This locomotive bears a close
resemblance to the standard gauge Class 58 design. 4/9/2001
Always the way, I had left the
Ffestiniog site and was walking along the old trackbed near the
Co-op Supermarket when I heard a chime whistle. An unidentified
Fairlie was crossing the cob en route for the station, it is just
about visible between the two bushes. 4/9/2001
Next stop was the Welsh Highland
Railway (the real one!) situated adjacent to Porthmadog main line
station at the opposite end of town. 0-4-0 diesel "Glaslyn"
had just arrived with the last train of the day and was performing
the runround trick. The loco takes its name from the river and
pass that the Welsh Highland Railway traversed en route for Caernarfon.
4/9/2001
It later left for the Gellert's
Farm depot with the empty stock. 4/9/2001
The Welsh Highland has a great
café with very reasonable prices and extremely friendly
staff - well worth a visit even if you have no interest in railways.
The poster on the wall at the back referred to "Eisteddfod
Genedlaethol" - sob, just when I was learning to live with
the loss. 4/9/2001
I was just leaving when the road
barrier warnings began to sound so an opportune shot of Central
Trains 158782 leaving Porthmadog with the 17.07 for Machynlleth
ex-Pwllheli. 4/9/2001
The usual stop at Colwyn Bay on
the way home produced 175111 leading 175003 en route for Holyhead.
8/9/2001
A good day for Class 87's at Crewe
where, at one point, there were four locomotives waiting to leave
with trains plus this one basking in the Autumnal sunshine. 87006
"George Reynolds" 1/9/2001
87006 "William Shakespeare"
arrived with 1D87 the 08.00 London-Holyhead where it was detatched
in favour of the necessary diesel haulage for the onward journey.
1/9/2001
The diesel haulage took the form
of Class 47 number 47785 "Fiona Castle"
which had graced the coast a couple of days earlier.1/9/2001
| Listing | Top |
|
|