KEN WOOD

KEN WOOD
PHOTO
COLLECTION
Page 1

COMPILED AND EDITED BY GEOFF POOLE

Ken Wood was a signal man in our area for all of his working life. Ken had a passion for recording
on film, the steam and diesel locomotives he controlled during his working day.

He probably never envisaged that years after he passed away these unique photographic records
would still be of such interest to railway enthusiasts.

Many of Ken's photographs are published elsewhere on this website but
the photos below are more memories that his son Dave, has recently unearthed and allowed me to
publish here to form this new collection.

Why was it that some men who worked on our railways had the foresight, like Ken, to record what was
really , at the time , very ordinary everyday scenes while others just watched it all go by.
Whatever the reason, without people like Ken we would have so few records of those glorious days.

Ken Wood retired from the railway on ill health in 1999 after 41 years service and sadly passed away
in May 2000. Although his short time in retirement was more than a little unfair, I like to think
that Ken enjoyed his working life more than most of us do, which in some ways may bring
some comfort to his family for their loss.

I must thank Ken's son Dave Wood of Rainhill, Merseyside, for taking the time to search
out the following memories from Ken's photographs. It must have been an upsetting task
for him to sift through his fathers collection of memories and he deserves my thanks for his effort
and his permission to publish what must be a very personal record for his family.

Dave has also sent in some shots of this years Spring gala at Llangollen and his son (and Ken's
grandson) Ieuan , has also provided a couple of great shots from a recent visit to York which are
shown below Ken Wood's collection.

This page is dedicated to the memory of a proud railwayman, Ken Wood.

Ken looking happy doing what he loved best, working at the box.
(Llanfair P.G. - 1963)

(PHOTO : Allan Judd)

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This first shot shows A4 - 60009 "Union of South Africa, displaying A1 - 60131 'Osprey' nameplate, with an 'up'
North Wales Coast Express passing Bangor box (circa 1990).

"Princess"class 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' with the Ynys Món Express (circa 1990).

Class "N15" 777 (30777) 'Sir Lamiel' undated and in an unidentified location (circa 1990)

[CORRECTION] Allan Judd has written to point out that the location of the photograph below is
Llanfairpwll, and 30777 is approaching the down platform.
You can just see the 'up' colour aspect signal just to the left of the engines right hand smoke deflector, also a little of the crossing
can be seen halfway along the train, but the big give away is the electricity pylon.
The previous photo of 6201 is at exactly the same spot but photographed from the end of the 'up' platform.

(Thanks to Allan Judd for this correction). Well spotted Allan! (Geoff Poole)

Undated shot of "Princess" class No. 46203, 'Princess Margaret Rose' passing Bangor box with an 'up' Ynys Món Express.

31317 backs on to a goods train at Gaerwen on August 22nd 1987 with 47334 at the rear.

37713 approaches Llandudno Junction with a heavy load on June 6th 1999.

47334 with a goods train at Gaerwen on August 22nd 1987.

Double- headed 37710 and 37133 with a full load of ballast from Penmaenmawr on February 18th 1999.

An undated shot of Black Five 5407 with a North Wales Coast Express, at Llanfair.

47292 with a short 'up' goods passing through Bangor station on June 30th 1991.

A mixed livery four car DMU at Bangor with a Chester - Holyhead train in 1990.

47454 with a Saturday only Coventry - Holyhead express On September 25th 1987.

37715 with the water cannon at Bangor in 1998.

An undated shot of an unidentified class 47 with a Wednesday only goods passing through Bangor station
at 20.15 and noted by Ken as 12 minutes late.

37191 leaving Penmaenmawr with a heavy ballast train to Chester in June 1995.

An undated shot of an Inter - City at Llanfair.

Three class 47's approaching Bangor box on May 14th 1985. The leading engine is 47286, the middle
engine is unidentified and the third is 47146.

'Princess' class 46209 "Princess Beatrice" at Holyhead on May 5th 1959.

33030 and 33051 at Llanfair P.G Món in 1997 with a Pathfinder tour called Crompton Culminator.

Black 5, 5407 with a North Wales Coast Express Crewe - Holyhead in August 1992 at Bangor.

The same train below with the return leg.

37421 at Bangor backs on to waiting train through an overnight dusting of snow on December 29th 1995.

25321 with a Holyhead - Llandudno Junction train at Gaerwen, Món , on August 29th 1986.

3X47 passes track work at Gaerwen in 1981.

Same day working below.

47432 passes Bangor box at 17.35 on May 5th 1980 with a Holyhead - London Euston train.

Another shot of A4 , 4498 "Sir Nigel Gresley" with support coach at Bangor. (undated)

'Jubilee' class 45596 "Bahamas" approaching Llanfair signal crossing in 1990.

37211 and 37509 at Llandudno Junction on September 9th 1997.

47286 rescues 5305 passing Star, Món, after the 'Black 5' failed at Bangor in 1992.

56052 and 47645 pass Gaerwen box at 09.35 with 1D43 Euston - Holyhead express on August 15th 1991.

'Princess' class 6201 "Princess Elizabeth" with the returning North Wales Coast Express, taken from
Bangor box on August 15th 1991.

An unidentified class 47 battles through a heavy snow storm with a load of Castle cement wagons
at Bangor, on December 12th 1987.

Track work at Gaerwen in 1982.

DMU, 153359 at Llanfair in 1985.

47334 on August 22nd 1987 joins the main line at Gaerwen with a heavy load of wagons.

37407 leaves Penmaenmawr with a train of fully laden ballast hoppers on January 13th 1997.

Three unidentified class 37's at Bangor in the 90's.

An undated shot by Ken taken from Bangor box of the track gang at Bangor.

A4 60009 "Union of South Africa" masquerading as "Osprey" at Gaerwen on a wet August day in 1991.

Unidentified class 47 in the early 90's with a ballast train.

West Country Pacific No. 34027 "Taw Valley" at Llanfair, approaching the crossing, heads the North Wales Coast Express (1990)

Llanfairfechan station (undated).

37518 with a stone train passes 47744 & 47782 with a test train at Llandudno Junction on February 9th 1997.
37892 waits in the foreground.

Bangor station (undated)

DMU at a bleak looking Gaerwen (undated).

Flint signal box on July 22nd 1989.

Below is the interior of the above box taken on the same date.

Unidentified 47 with a Holyhead Freightliner in June 1979.
Ken made a note that it past at 07.40, 20 minutes late.

31162 with a ballast train.

34027 Taw Valley at Malltreath in July 1990.

Unidentified 47 going up the Amlwch branch with a ballast train on October 9th 1987.

A2 No. 60532 "Blue Peter" at Star crossing, Anglesey in 1997.

47320 joins the main line at Gaerwen at 08.44, with a short goods from Amlwch to Llandudno Junction on September 27th 1987.

Royal Scot class 46101 "Royal Scots Grey".
It is not known if Ken took this shot or if it was just part of his collection. (circa 1956).

DMU at Bangor (undated).

Sunday working at Gaerwen (1987).

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The following two photos were taken by Ken's grandson Ieuan at York earlier this year (2010)

'new build' A1, No.60163 "Tornado" waits at York station.

Royal Scot Class 46115 "Scots Guardsman" also at York station.

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The next selection are by Ken's son Dave Wood.

Princess class 46203 Princess Margaret Rose enters Bangor with the Cymru Coaster in September 1990.

46203 waits at Chester in an undated shot with the "Ynys Món Express".

Princess Coronation class 46229 "Duchess of Hamilton" passes Bangor signal box on June 30th 1991.

25249 with an Amlwch - Llandudno Junction train at Gaerwen, on October 8th 1986.

A1 4472 "Flying Scotsman" in March 1991 with a North Wales Coast Express headboard reversing to Holyhead
through Valley after turning on the triangle.

This Ken Wood shot shows 4472 passing Bangor box with an undated return leg of a North Wales Coast Express.

25912 "Tamworth castle" with a Mostyn / Amlwch sulpher train on August 8th 1986.

Diesel shunter 08695 in the late 80's outside Bangor box.

2-6-4 T 80072 awaits it's next duty near Berwyn at Llangollen's spring gala earlier this year (2010)

Class five No. 44806 approaches Berwyn at his years spring gala (2010)

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