LarryG's general album

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Saturday 18th april 1998 saw Hertfordshire Railtours operate 'The Roman Nose' special from London to Trawsfynydd. Class 59/2 No. 59205 L.Keith McNair and Class 37's Nos. 37098 and 37377 top & tailed the train. A special photo-stop took place at Blaenau with the Festiniog Railway Diesel Vale of Ffestiniog before proceeding to Trawsfynydd. Pictures passing the site of Manod Station...
WEB Diesels 66A.jpg

The sun broke through threatening clouds just before I was caught in a hailstone storm. 37 242 appeared around the corner with empty ballast wagons to complete the scene on 14th November 1993. Then it was a dash back to the car on what was a bitterly cold 'chase'...
WEB Diesels 66B.jpg

Much better weather, in fact I had a sleep in a field near Llan Festiniog! Class 31s Nos 31130 Calder Hall Power Station and 31319 were approaching Manod with the first train to traverse the route from Llandudno Junction for 6 days following closure of the Conwy Valley line for bridge repair work. 19th May 1995. By this date these trains were always double headed...
WEB Diesels 66C.jpg
 
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jonte

Western Thunderer
Saturday 18th april 1998 saw Hertfordshire Railtours operate 'The Roman Nose' special from London to Trawsfynydd. Class 59/2 No. 59205 L.Keith McNair and Class 37's Nos. 37098 and 37377 top & tailed the train. A special photo-stop took place at Blaenau with the Festiniog Railway Diesel Vale of Ffestiniog before proceeding to Trawsfynydd. Pictures passing the site of Manod Station...
View attachment 141388

The sun broke through threatening clouds just before I was caught in a hailstone storm. 37 242 appeared around the corner with empty ballast wagons to complete the scene on 14th November 1993. Then it was a dash back to the car on what was a bitterly cold 'chase'...
View attachment 141389

Much better weather, in fact I had a sleep in a field near Llan Festiniog! Class 31s Nos 31130 Calder Hall Power Station and 31319 were approaching Manod with the first train to traverse the route from Llandudno Junction for 6 days following closure of the Conwy Valley line for bridge repair work. 19th May 1995. By this date these trains were always double headed...
View attachment 141390

These pictures really are quite something, Larry, and in an area of the U.K. I’m really quite fond of.

Incidentally, does anybody else think that the tree in the middle distance and those in the foreground, look like they’re made of twisted wire armatures? :)

Jonte
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
I filmed 47603 trying to get the Manchester Executive Pullman coaches moving off the viaduct and back into Central station. The coaches wouldn't budge and the loco and leading coach buffers were clearly compressed. Then after a lot of revving and smoke, the coaches slowly began to move. Either the handbrake had been screwed down and not released or something because by the time the train had been propelled back to the station, the rear wheels had a distinct flat on them and was particularly audible when running down the Lledr Valley.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
TRAINS IN THE LANDSCAPE...

31272 propels a bridge inspection train towards Teigle Halt on15th October 1993...
WEB Diesels 67A.jpg

Derby Research Class 150/1 Track Recording Unit Nos. DB999600 and DB999601 working the 2Z08 between Manod and Teigl on 22nd May 1991...
WEB Diesels 67B.jpg

Class 31 No. 31270 returning from Trawsfynydd with the nuclear flask on 5th November 1993 in "Festiniog Drizzle" and low cloud...
WEB Diesels 67C.jpg

The landscape gives way to more civilized countryside as the line nears LlanFestiniog. Class 31 No. 31285 was working an Inspection Train on 25th August 1993...
WEB Diesels 67D.jpg
 
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LarryG

Western Thunderer
The 2Z01 - Officers Special (depart Llandudno 08.38hrs) being propelled towards Llan Festiniog by Class 25 No. 25313 on 6th March 1985. The steam heating would be appreciated by the occupants of Saloon No. 45024 on that cold and wet winters afternoon. To give an idea of the hours spent on that train, it could only proceed from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd at 14.10hrs after the passage of 6T91 Flask from Traws' to Llandudno Junction...
WEB Diesels 68A.jpg

Class 31 No. 31270 ticks over at the old station of Llan Festiniog while engaged on track ballasting duties on 14th November 1993. Cold air was blowing in from the north bringing with it hailstone. It was here that the nominally independent Bala & Festiniog Railway made an end on junction with the narrow gauge Festiniog & Blaena Railway in November 1882. This break of gauge was inconvenient and the narrow gauge line was converted to standard gauge in 1883...
WEB Diesels 68B.jpg

Another view of 31270 taken before the one above before the weather completely deteriorated ~ as it does up there! Llan Festiniog village lies below the railway and is spread out along the main road...
WEB Diesels 68C.jpg
 
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LarryG

Western Thunderer
A peek at the DMU service on the Blaenau to Trawsfynydd section. The first passenger train since 1960 on the branch ran on 17th July 1989 when the 1T39 Press Special took invited guests to view the temporary platform set up in Maentwrog road goods yard. PW workers stopped work on Manod viaduct to watch the passing of the train. Trains were run during the summer of 1989...

WEB Diesels 68E.jpg

In 1990, the Llandudno-Blaenau Festiniog 'Sunday Shuttles' service was extended to Trawsfynydd. Class 108 DMU No. CH633 is pictured crossing the road to Bala and Dolgellau at Llan Festiniog on 21st July 1990...
WEB Diesels 68G.jpg

Another view of the 'Sunday Shuttle' DMU service taken from the Dolgellau road above Llan Festiniog. The steep downgrade incline away from the station is clearly evident...
WEB Diesels 68D.jpg
 
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JasonBz

Western Thunderer
I was going to say I love the "period detail" in the picture of the 108 crossing the bridge, then realised its not all that long ago really, honest ;)
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
I was going to say I love the "period detail" in the picture of the 108 crossing the bridge, then realised its not all that long ago really, honest ;)
It's an interesting thought Jason. 1990 is 31 years ago ~ frightening really! A photo taken in 1950 would look ancient in 1981 and there would be an even bigger difference between 1900 and 1931.

Pathfinder Tours 'Trawsfynydd Trekker 2' approaching Llan Festiniog behind Class 20's Nos. 20075 and 20187 on 10th September 1994. This was the end of the one-time narrow gauge section from Blaenau Ffestiniog...
WEB Diesels 69A.jpg
 

JasonBz

Western Thunderer
That is kinda of what I realized I was getting at....
I moved my railway to Cornwall in 2000, which is now 21 years ago, but still seems like yesterday.

21 years before then was a time when you would see Class 25's shunting down to Hayle Quay and moving 'hoods on numerous clay lines!

Even the picture I have on my profile avatar is now about 16 years ago...
It is scary how time catches up with you!
 

Allen M

Western Thunderer
Having see all the photos of the line from Rhyl to Colwyn Bar reminds my of being a child in the 1940s & 50s. As a family we stayed on the Cambria Caravan Park in Towyn. It is still there where Gaingc Road leaves the main A548 but (looking at Google maps) all challis/mobile home type buildings now. I remember going from about the time I started school, so probably 1946 or 7 until I went my own way with scouts and/or cycling club in the mid 1950s.
We used to walk to the beach over the foot bridge or walk tight up the Sandbank Road and over the then level crossing. At that time it was 4 track. I remember, I think two named trains, 'The Red Dragon' and 'The Welsh Dragon' as well as other odd ones and some with just vans.
Didn't get much time to see them as my father had no time for railways and considered they should all be closed and turned into roads. He was born in 1907, had a motorbike from 16 and a car (see photo) for the family when I came along in 1941, keeping a small motor bike for work.
The two photos are, I think about 1950. the bikes where hired out on the site and I am 'driving' with my mother and younger brother. The second is 'our' car, a 1932 Morris Minor. I think this photo is the top of the Horseshoe Pass, a stopping place at the cafe, our normal route being Kidderminster Bridgnorth, LLangollen, Ruthin, St Asaph then some little roads the last bit. Somewhere in the Denbigh area we where parallel to a railway which I now know was the old, long gone, LNWR line from Corwen to the coast.
The other difference was the coaches where dark red not chocolate & cream.
13 Top of Horseshue Pass.jpg 12 Cambria caravan site .jpg

Hope this has not bored everyone.
Regards
Allen Morgan
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Allen, not at all boring! Strange comparisons, my father, born in 1898, loved railways and never drove a car in his life, finally suggesting my mother should learn just before he died in 1956. Her first car was an early Morris Minor, registration OOP 598. She drove up in the hills above Oswestry and always needed a push!

Mentioning St Asaph reminds me that the Bishop confirmed me at a too tender age, I guess the Church got you that way!

One Welsh holiday we stayed at Dolgoch on the Talyllyn Railway. It had not long been saved. Naturally we rode it several times, not having a car. Good memories.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Fantastic memories and far from boring. Bringing people together is what forums are all about; to me at any rate. Those camp bikes were fun. We rode from Pensarn (Abergele) to Llandulas and got a right ticking off when we got back! Motorists weren't too pleased either. Not been over the horseshoe for years, much preferring the direct route from Ruthin to Corwen. No reason to go there now unfortunately. The LR will be missed.

I drove buses in the 1970's from a bus garage in St.Asaph station yard. The goods shed was the paintshop and the offices were the station buildings.
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Has the LR actually now failed, Larry? My understanding was that the company may be in administration but that the supporting part of the business was in a good state. I understand that there was a plea for funds to retain the stock on site.

Can you precis the present situation? I've looked on line but there's little beyond the statements of 1st March and I don't subscribe to any of the heritage railway mags.

The loss of the railway to Llangollen, should that occur, will be enormous.

Brian
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Has the LR actually now failed, Larry? My understanding was that the company may be in administration but that the supporting part of the business was in a good state. I understand that there was a plea for funds to retain the stock on site.

Can you precis the present situation? I've looked on line but there's little beyond the statements of 1st March and I don't subscribe to any of the heritage railway mags.

The loss of the railway to Llangollen, should that occur, will be enormous.

Brian
Sorry, I burned all the communications including the one that arrived yesterday, so I cannot help with accurate information.
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
Just to clear thing up, the following are extracts from Press Releases by the PLC (which has gone bust) and the Trust (which has not). As the information was released to the press I would assume its OK to publish the same information here.

Llangollen Railway PLC - Press release 1st March 2021
It is with great regret the directors of Llangollen Railway PLC have had to take the reluctant step of inviting the bank to appoint a receiver. A number of significant engineering contract disputes have crystallised in the last few days. The claims against the company are compelling and are in excess of £250,000 in total. There is no prospect of meeting these liabilities, even over an extended period. As a result, the balance sheet is now insolvent to the extent of £350,000 approximately, adjusting for intangible assets also. In such circumstances the company cannot legally continue to trade.

Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd - Press release 16 March 2021
Whilst the PLC will go into administration or liquidation shortly, the Trust remains fully solvent and debt-free, and the directors will be considering the options over the next few days and weeks. The first task is to preserve the line and then to bid for such assets of the PLC as limited resources will permit. Directors and key volunteers are compiling a list of assets they consider essential for the continued running of the railway.
The Trust does own 3 locomotives as well as passenger rolling stock which, together with the Railcar and Diesel Groups, will be able to operate after regulatory, legal and licensing matters have been resolved. The assets of the PLC are now effectively available for sale to the highest bidder. Consequently the Trust needs to raise as much money as possible for this purpose in 3 ways:
First - Donations
Second - Opportunity to acquire heritage assets - by bidding for the assets, such as rolling stock, individuals or groups have a unique opportunity to acquire heritage coaches and other items. It is hoped that, following sale, the items would remain on the Railway.
Thirdly - the opportunity to purchase one or more of the Trust's steam locomotives - the Trust does not have the income or resources to own and maintain them. Sale of one or more, if completed quickly, would enable the Trust to be a more competitive bidder for the assets of the PLC. Again, it is hoped that the locomotives would remain on the Railway.

We hope to be able to run trains again later this year but placing a timescale on that would be purely speculative at this moment. The volunteers building Corwen station have made excellent progress, albeit necessarily slowed by lockdown, and we do anticipate being able to run to Corwen when the Railway reopens.

So hopefully trains will run again before too long.
Note the Trust's 3 proposals - anybody feeling generous ? :)
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thanks Phil.

Due to the situation about which we all aware I'm fully committed to keeping my pet line alive. It'd be lovely to have a few hundred thousand of spare cash kicking around as I've really enjoyed the LR when I've visited a couple of times in the past.

Brian
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
Perhaps it should be emphasised that the main reason for the failure of the Llangollen Railway PLC seems to be due to problems with contract work undertaken by the company on behalf of other locomotive owners rather than a lack of viability of the railway itself.

Two of the locomotives involved were the ex LNER D49 4-4-0 MORAYSHIRE and the new build Patriot UNKNOWN WARRIOR, and further details of the problems involved with both locos can be found here:
No.246 Morayshire Back on the Rails Appeal – SRPS Steam

Engineering Up-date - December 2018 | The LMS-Patriot Project

The latter report in particular makes very unhappy reading concerning the standard of workmanship carried out at Llangollen. The liabilities which the PLC are unable to meet include claims for remedial work necessary following their removal from Llangollen, so in addition to the closure of the railway the failure of the PLC will also adversely affect the owners of these two locomotives.
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thanks for that info, Phil. What a very sad state of affairs.

Sadly not without precedent. Boscastle boiler work was not up to the required standard (it had been sent away for overhaul mainly due to lack of capacity at Loughborough) and was rejected by the boiler inspector. Fortunately the works carrying out the work made good but I can understand how easily this can occur. It's notable that quite a few companies set up to deal with heritage loco repairs have faded away or gone bust. Whether that's down to lack of financial acumen or technical failings I'm in no position to comment.

Brian
 
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