DIRTY DIESEL

Llandudno & BF did have an all year round Sunday service from last December timetable change until the flood closed the BF branch in February. BF branch closed till September now, we’ve had a few stone/spoil trains up the BF branch in the last two weeks. Slate waste will start running from January, train will start from the Buxton area and will be loaded up in the old Glan Conwy Freight yard (the old oil dept road next to BF branch). Phase two is to run trains from BF. Llandudno Junction yard will be cleared of the jungle once the summer nesting season is over. We have asked that we (NR) can stable units/tampers in the old yard next to where the old mess rooms & TCI office use to be. Stu LJ Signaller

Heard off a driver in work this morning, there’s a possible test of the MK4s down the coast this Sunday, nowt on TRUST at the moment mind, plus there’s no weekend possessions stopping it reaching Holyhead.

Merf, you walked from Crewe to Colwyn Bay!! Ha, hope you put it on the timesheet as I know a few who would who are no longer with us unfortunately. Would 1D02 shunt a BG or van out at Rhyl prior to it forming Red Bank Vans (from Bangor)from mid 80s, or an I thinking 4D11 parcels or papers or something. Might of also been a weekend shunt only?

1D02 02Xx Crewe to Holyhead was pass/vans service up to mid 80s (I think) as the relief staff use to catch it to Holyhead for early turn in the the box, think it was only one MK1 brake/pass & the rest was vans... Another train which was pass/van (which could possibly be the same rake as above) was 1KXX 20XX Holyhead to Crewe, as it was vac only any vo loco that Holyhead need to get rid of was sent out on this. I seem to remember covering ‘The Bangor’ to Bangor hoping it was a 40 (it wasn’t) then catching the 1725 Crewe to Holyhead from Bangor to Holyhead as 40020 had gone to Holyhead earlier in the day on a ballast?? As we pulled into Holyhead it was sitting on the front of the Crewe mail, this would’ve been around summer 82. I think this train lasted as pass/van up to the mid 80s same as 1D02 above...

Yes remember them well, think they ran three times a week with a trip into Llandudno with the need for the train to be dragged back to the Junction by a spare loco on hand. On one of the Sunday runs a coach with a balcony was on the rear of the train with the chairman of British Rail & local management all enjoying the hot weather. As it came to a stand outside my signal box at Colwyn Bay it suddenly dawned on me that because all the windows were open they were going to get the full range of ‘working slack’ on the bells. A very quick three flats were sent before my form one arrived....

We’re never coupled up any booked Virgin services at Llandudno Junction, the last VT Llandudno service which ran from 2004 till 2008 use to follow the 1500 Pendo drag around 1520. Platform 4 just about holds 10 car voyager, platform 1 & 3 can easily hold a 10 car for splitting but platform 1 is the only platform that permissive working is allowed in the Up (Chester) direction only if anything needs to attach.

It would have to be an EWS one, as that’s the only reason why I was allow to put it in the yard that day as EWS leased the yard! & didn’t use it!!!

Unfortunately I’ve no idea, it’s what us signallers were told from Tfw staff, it’s just for the WAG & not the Manchester/Holyhead diagram.

There’s talk (fromTfW Llandudno Junction dept) that two HSTs power cars (one as a spare) are being looked at for short term use with a DVT, Holyhead & Chester crews to be trained on them. No idea if this is with MK3s or MK4s.

Quay sidings are still open for traffic, we (NR) got them back off EWS (around 2015) as a jungle as they never looked after them. Since 2004ish we’ve only been allowed to use them if it was EWS loco/train, this was due to a ATW class 175 came off while been stabled over night, questions were then asked why it was there as the yard ‘belonged’ to EWS. Ironically I managed to stable a class 90 in there after it as left on the train from Crewe while on drags, it had EWS written on it!!! We can only use 462pts Conwy end to gain access and there’s around 300 yards of the line down towards Conwy we can use before the temporary stop block. The other set of points 457pts are in working order and maintained as is LJ69 in the yard but it’s all overgrown, there has been some freight interest of late in the yard but this never seems to come to anything unfortunately. Stu Llan Junction Signaller.....

Hi Dave, Fantastic photos, especially of the North Wales area, DAS000551 Colwyn Bay's down distant & the embankment behind is where I grew up & use to play and watch class 40s/trains in the late 70's to early 80's until the A55 was built. You've even got my old mates house in the background. A heads up if your interested, all the 'New' (coming up to 39 years old now) colour lights at the ends of Llandudno Junction Platforms are due to be renewed to LED types, (heads only I think) in the next month or so, so the Sick & Tired inform me. Keep up the good work.... Cheers Stu

It’s because it’s fenced all around with sercurity....

Chester had one at the bottom of the stairs on platform 3 & Jackie who worked there was great for gen on any 40s working down the coast in the early 80s....

Think the problem is that they are now full blown trees and the trunks have come though the sleepers, the track in there is the original yard from steam days bar the Fly Ash Road laid in1983. The whole lot would need relaying, if they could even relay just one road to gain access to Glan Conwy Freight Dept then they have a ready made servicing area with road access and hard standing, plus the bonus of getting rid of Lock Stock Storage off railway land....

Unfortunately the yard at Junction is a jungle thanks to the up keep of EWS/DB, we can still get into the Quay sidings just but there’s no road access unless you come in from the overgrown yard. The only other place you could stable a unit would be the Tamper Sdg which you require a MOM to operate the GF, road access would be from station car park. We use the Bay platform to stable but how you’d fuel the unit would be a problem. We are sick to death of telling every manager/ top brass about the farce of Junction yard over the last 20 years, as this out stabling would’ve been perfect if it hadn’t been left to the state it’s now I n. Ironically the last train I put in there was an EWS class 90 as it had been left attached by mistake after Brum to Crewe drags back in 2003/4 when the HSTs went off lease with VT.... The last tamper we stabled in BF loop overnight needed security as it got vandalised...

Do we know if these units will get up the hill to BF? Plus the diagram for the branch stock leaves Chester on 5D02 at 0345 and is in continuous use until it goes back to Crewe on IK21 2145 Llandudno to Crewe, presumably it has the fuel & battery life for a 21 hour day? Those seats don’t look very comfortably in that photo....

Use to catch it home (as long as it was a class 40) after finishing my shift as a box lad in early 80s, conversation went.... “Junction Box” “Hi Bobby Amlwch Tanks are ready” “If I can have a lift home I’ll get you out before the 1700 London’s, as Jack is on (Jack wouldn’t let them out till booked time)” “No problem, Raymond is the driver & he’ll pick you up at the box” now you didn’t have to ask Raymond to put his foot down!! Many a time ‘The Amlwchs’ we’re going under Queens Road Bridge and the London’s we’re coming off the Cob into platform 1, just because a 40 was on the front & the thrash world be ace!!,! Martin, looks like Crumps as Shooton Steelworks is in the background I think.....

I’m on nights tonight in the Junction and will make a note in the TRB when they close with their relevant dates when they were opened etc. It’s going to be a weird night shift with so many boxes going that I’ve worked over my long railway carreer....

The middle photo next to the siding to the left use to be a fun fair & when shunting took place I use to mither my parents to go on the big slide as it overlooked the goods yard. The last photo is from the Horse Landing & you can see Pyes Coaches, we use to sing "risk you lives travel by Pyes" when they use to take us on school trips. Happy Days

Same as Jinty, my grandad use to take me to this spot in the early 70s to watch the shunting & my love of class 40s was born out of standing above one of theses giants whistling away. So many lovely memories & good luck with your project. Stu

The Flyash was dry but once it got wet it set like concrete, in Merf's photo the 56 is stood on 65 points which use to stand off if one of the hoppers had a leak & it was raining, no doubt Merf was called out to them on a few occasions no doubt. The Ash was also used under where the diverted North Wales Coast Mainline now runs between Colwyn Bay & Mochdre, once loaded the train would draw forward onto the Quay Sidings back road (siding closest to the River Conwy on the photo) and if the main yard was full, we would run it round outside the box (it was very tight) via the main line then set it back down the Quay Siding to take the empties back Warrington from there. Stu

Hi Pete, Ace photos yet again, all be it correct shape, right wheel arrangement but doesn't whistle...haha.... When the "Bangors" stopped & went over to Peaks in the summer of 1983 I would after finishing by shift as box lad at the Junction catch the 17xx Bangor to Scarborough home to Colwyn Bay, depending who the driver was they'd ask you if you wanted to ride up top. One day while the Guard off the Amlwch Tanks was asking for the road to Elsmere Port (which would always get a run in front of the Londons if it had a 40 on it) a loud voice in the background shouted out "Tell the the lad if he lets you go early he can ride with me on the return Scarborough". As the returning Scarborough pulled into the platform a big red face was hanging out of the cab shouting to me "this is a good un". As I sat down in the secondman's seat I was told how he'd managed to get 98mph out of it but not the the top speed of 125mph! I said "Raymond they are only supposed to do 100mph", with that he pointed at the sign above the window, with his usual big grin he said "says 125 up there". So I said "No Ray that's 45125 the loco number!", still laughing Ray said "still a bl***y good un,". Within a few minutes we were pulling into Colwyn Bay platform....happy memories...

Hi Pete, Just catching up with your thread, the Hope St to Penmaemawr was a Friday only train if my memory is correct. When it used to return around 1900hrs if I was on late turn at Colwyn Bay SB it would always get a signal check at my home signal either on purpose or on block to another train, which would mean a rather loud noise from the pair of 37s! There was another Hope St working from Penmaenmawr, think it was the loco off 4D11 Man Vic to Bangor Papers, loco would rtn to the Junction LE for a morning trip working, but on a Wednesday morning it would return to Penmaemawr Yard around 0430 to work to Hope St on a train of chippins. If the loco was a Rat you could guarantee lots of sparks & wheel burn especially if it was wet!!! Stunning photos as usual.... cheers Stu

No mate, trying to keep it all going the right direction, Bobby for the Yellow team....

All be it not passenger turns a few weeks back on my day turn I had pair of 37s on the flasks with the top & tail water canon on block behind it Then early afternoon top & tail Derby RTC to Holyhead & return test train, plus 67s on WAG & DFT loco hauled turns. Bit common theses 37s now days..... Stu