The bustle of Llandudno Junction in the 1950's is recaptured in this shot of the east side of the station. A Caprotti shunts the stock of the "Palethorpes" parcels and van train as a sister Black Five  No. 45348 double heads a standard class 4 on an English bound excursion. One of the local Push-Pull sets occupies Bay 4 and across the river a train from the west approaches.                         
 [ Harry Rogers Jones ] 

The  shed was an oasis for the steam and diesel loco's that needed service and a rest on their long haul from London to Holyhead. As North Wales was a very popular holiday destination the summer timetable was hectic and consequently 6G was a very busy and important shed.

To anyone who remembers the old shed it must be upsetting to see what has taken it's place. a way of life has disappeared to make way for another cinema and fast food outlets. MacDonald's and the like can't be blamed , of coarse , as the site was neglected long before they took an interest in it.  It's just a shame that a once important and majestic building can fall into such a pitiful state and be surplus to requirements to be swallowed up by progress.   

 This photograph was taken the week before the new  multiplex cinema opened on the site of the now demolished carriage shed.

The following extract is from "Reflections on a Railway Career" by J.M.Dunn,( Published by Ian Allen Ltd), who was Foreman Fitter at 6G between 1935-39.   Below he describes the preparations that were taken , at 6G , to arrange for the historic running of three trains plus a press and film camera train, all running together, on the four track main line , from Llandudno junction to Colwyn Bay, to commemorate the Royal Trains of 1835, 1911  and 1937.  

The old Liverpool and Manchester Railway engine Lion and a train of replica contemporary coaches having been recently engaged in the making of the film on the life of Queen Victoria, “Sixty Glorious Years”, it was decided that a cinematograph film should be made of Lion and its train of 1835, the coronation and its train of 1911 and the “streamlined” (or tinned—as I prefer to call it) Coronation and its train of 1937. To this end arrangements were made for the respective engines and trains to run specially for the purpose over the main-line between Llandudno Junction and
 Colwyn Bay.

Lion and her train arrived on the night of Thursday, the 10th June 1937 from Bricket Wood on the St. Albans branch where they had been previously performing. They were all loaded up on crocodile trucks and ran as a special train, the Crewe 36-ton crane coming down to unload them in the morning. On Saturday, the 12th June we had Lion in steam and ran some trial trips about the yard when she acquitted herself well. Later in the day the other two trains arrived and at 5.30 on the morning of Sunday the 13th June I went to the shed in readiness for the event.

The three engines that made the historic run are shown opposite in this shot by Harry Rogers Jones . "Lion" and her special train on the turntable at 6G, with Streamlined "Coronation" class 6220 "Coronation" (left background} and " George the Fifth" class also named  "Coronation" ( right background)

There had been a thunderstorm over night and the light was very bad but I chanced it and took several photographs all of which, fortunately, came out well. All four lines between Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay were closed to ordinary traffic from 7.30 to 9.0 am. and given over to the three trains and the one carrying the cinematograph camera. The trains travelled, each slightly in advance of the other, on adjacent lines and the journey was made without mishap. It was thought that Lion would be unable to propel her train back to Llandudno Junction in “back-gear” so an engine was sent to pull the old train back but this precaution proved to be unnecessary as Lion, like the two Coronations easily shoved her train back to the starting place, a distance of 4 miles. It was a wonderful occasion as Lion was the oldest workable steam locomotive in the world and it was a great privilege to be associated with and present at a run of such a historic machine under its own steam. The old engine ran wonderfully well but was of necessity “light” at the safety valves owing to the age of the boiler.

The Crewe crane came again on Monday the  14th June to load-up Lion and the coaches, the former being sent to Crewe Works for a "wash and brush up" before being replaced on its pedestal at Lime Street Station, Liverpool.

The coaches which were merely replicas and lettered on one side only, were returned to store at Derby Works.

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