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Day 3 : Tuesday 22 September

I wake up on the approach to Waverley again! The shunting isn't as fierce as last night and I fall asleep again shortly. 06:45 reveals mist-shrouded countryside passing by. We slow right down before Hemel Hempstead, allowing a view of the Grand Union Canal. A stopper passes us, then we pass it as it waits in the platform. Early morning commuters wait at Kings Langley. Containers are being shunted at Willesden. 56063 is waiting to leave at the southern end of the yard. We arrive in Euston at 07:30.

The 08:15 to Birmingham finally starts boarding at 08:05. The delay is because the train is "being prepared". We manage to depart at 08:16 though. First class is busy - there are only a few spare seats. A few Virgin trains are moving around at Willesden. Nothing much has changed in the yard - the 56 is still waiting to depart southward, a 31 is moving north and the 08 has finished shunting the containers.

I see the reason why we slowed north of Hemel Hempstead on the sleeper - there are TSR's on the fast lines. We pass 86401 on southbound Parcelforce trailers at Tring and an EWS-liveried 60 taking the Bedford line at Bletchley. We near the canal again south of Rugby - there are a few hire boats out. The M6, Grand Union Canal and the railway run parallel here. The northbound motorway traffic is "stop-start" queueing - how much more pleasant the two other means of transport are.

Radio masts herald the approach of Rugby and the return of the slow lines, back from their route through Northampton. A 47 "Thunderbird" waits in the station and a pair of 31's are in the yard. The station could do with some new glass and the ex-Great Central bridge to the south looks a bit forlorn, with just a few pillars and no viaduct to the east.

A freightliner passes us north of Coventry, then a passenger with a blue-liveried 86 on the rear - presumably "Caledonian". Lots of passengers get off at International. We're 5 minutes down at both Coventry and International, so why do we seem to spend ages waiting at the station stops?

We come to a stand opposite Lawley Street Freightliner terminal at our due time in New Street. We crawl forward and then stop again at Proof House Junction, holding up a Central Trains service. An HST had passed us while we were stationary, but now we pass it as it is held at the approach to the tunnel.

Today is North Wales coast day - I plan to catch all four loco-hauled diagrams. 37421 draws in just after 10:05, as the 10:00 to Wolverhampton is occupying the platform and doesn't leave until 10:02. We manage leave on time anyway. Mk1 compartment stock and a 37 - a 15 year time warp - wonderful! (I have the compartment to myself until Crewe.) A lovely sound as we climb out through the tunnel toward Wolverhampton.

47206 on a southbound Freightliner is held just north of Stafford for us to cross to the fast lines. The weather is getting worse and low cloud is threatening rain. We pass another southbound Freightliner a few minutes later. One of the other 37 workings passes us at 11:00, just south of Basford Hall. D120 is in the carriage sidings. We have a 10 minute stop at Crewe - plenty of time for a photograph.

Back to the places I used to visit as a child now (I lived in Prestatyn, just along the coast). Crewe looks a bit derelict. The "Cardiff" bay where the 33's used to leave from is just weeds, as are the "North Wales" bays at the north end. We pass canal boats navigating the locks at Beeston.

We are delayed at Chester while the catering trolley is provisioned. The station still looks odd without its tall signal boxes and semaphore gantries, but has not much changed in 15 years otherwise - the scissors crossovers half way down platform 3 have gone. Rockliffe Hall is rather different now though - I think I preferred the old signal box!

Two coasters are visible at Mostyn Docks. The sun is trying to break through the mist. Talacre lighthouse is visible but I can't see as far as the Wirral. Another 37 passes us just before Talacre, where we come to a stand at a signal.

A new estate has appeared near to the line at Prestatyn. The station looks odd without the down slow. It's also odd not to stop here. There's lots of new building between Prestatyn and Rhyl too. A supermarket (what else) occupies the site of the former goods yard at Rhyl and backs onto platform 2. At least the signal boxes here are still intact. Marine Lake is drained and the tracks of the miniature railway are rusty. Substantial works now form the sea defences at Towyn. We just outpace the cars on the dual carriage way past Abergele.

A coaster is tied up at the quarry jetty as we pass Penmaenrhos. The Little Orme is visible as we pass Colwyn Bay. Strange not to stop here too. Penrhos School for Girls (where my sister went to school) is now Rydal Penrhos Girls Division. The exhaust note echoes off the concrete retaining walls here - built when the A55 was converted to dual carriageway.

There's bright sunshine by the time we reach Conway - the yachts in the river and the castle make a very picturesque setting. There are a few yachts making the passage from the estuary to the Menai Straits. When we get to the straits, the water is racing in the stretch between the two bridges. A 2 car 101 passes us just before Bodorgan tunnels.

The water tower is still standing at Holyhead although the shed has been demolished. Yet another station undergoing "refurbishment". Ships can no longer get right up to the station - a road bridge across the inner harbour takes precedence now. 37421 runs round the stock and 101685 arrives just before I leave, behind 37414 "Cathays Carriage and Wagon Works 1846-1993".

Conversation with another passenger turns to the Amlwch branch. The rusty rails are just visible through the grass as we pass the branch junction. The guard remembers to switch on the lights by the time we reach the middle of Bangor tunnel. As we run along the coast after Bangor, the Great Orme at Llandudno is visible across the bay. We pass a pair of 37's on ballast in the sidings at Penmaenmawr (still here from when I passed previously). We get to fill in a travel survey while we run along the coast.

The shed at "The Junction" stills stand forlornly, hemmed in by a new road. The new road bridge at Flint is of interesting construction - suspended from one end only.

I leave 37414 at Chester to catch the next loco-hauled back along the coast. This is the 15:48 to Holyhead, and is headed by 37426. I get a refurbished compartment in a Brake Corridor First. It makes a change from the down at heel open in the previous train. The 37's on the ballast from Penmaenmawr pass us as we pass Mold Junction. Clouds are encroaching on the fine weather. 37421 passes us just east of Prestatyn. No lights again as we pass through the tubular bridge at Conway, although there's a glow coming from the guards compartment!

I alight at Bangor to catch the final loco-hauled diagram. The green 101 is here when we arrive. The old shed building still survives, albeit with a modern extension on the front. There's a little time before my return train - time to enjoy an ice-cream in the sun, before 37401 arrives with the 17:18 to New Street. This is one of the diagrams with more stops - first stop Llanfairfechan. The lady guard has words with a basher about not window hanging - because it's an encouragement to children.

I see there is a cycle track from Rhos-on-Sea to Abergele - a few cyclists are making use of it. Rhyl station building has been cleaned up nicely - just a pity that part of it is boarded up. Prestatyn again - the new footbridge isn't an improvement - you think they would have gone to the trouble of making a wheelchair/pram-friendly one if they were building a replacement. Point of Ayr sidings are empty - I'm surprised that the box is open - presumably to break the section between Prestatyn and Flint.

We are passed by an EWS-liveried 60 by the canal at Chester. The GWR shed is having a new roof fitted. A Regional Railways-liveried 101 pulls in just after us (the Manchester via Altrincham service?). A "Queen Mary" brake van with "SR" on the side is parked in a line of vacuum-braked engineer's wagons. Just outside Chester, the driver of a westbound 158 warns our driver of a swan on the line ahead. There is indeed a young swan at the side of the line. We pass carefully and then accelerate toward Crewe. We are sent up the slow line from Crewe. An 87-pushed London train passes us as we slow north of Stafford. We are brought to a stand just north of the station - at the same point 47206 was halted earlier in the day. We arrive at New Street 5 down.

82129 arrives on the front of the 20:45 to Euston (87009 is on the rear). A very short stop and we are off. 90016 is on the sleepers at Euston. Straight to bed tonight.

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Day 4 (Wednesday)

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Introduction Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Timetable Mileages

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Text and photographs Copyright J.D.Coleman 1998.

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