LOCAL RAILWAY NEWS PAGE
This page is a
follow on to the original NEWSPAGE , which can still be accessed as an
archive HERE.
The original NEWSPAGE has been running since the site was launched and
is now so full that it has become
necessary to create this new page to make download speeds faster.
Submissions of
anything newsworthy would be appreciated and can be sent through the
email link on the HOMEPAGE.
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February 12th 2012.
An email from Alan Fishel, and an appeal for help in finding a missing
family are reproduced below.
| Key Words: Missing Persons, Vietnam, Southeast
Asia, Saigon, Dalat, 1956, 1957, 1958, Kidnapping, POW, Prisoner of War I am searching for a family that vanished suddenly from South Vietnam during the period 1956-1958, with the most likely period being the months July 1957 – April 1958. This is a very urgent matter, and I am requesting your assistance in solving this mystery. These were personal acquaintances of mine when I was a very small child in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). Kidnapping was a part of the situation at that time. I hope someone will recognize the boy in the photographs from about 1957 and be able to identify him. Although the photographs show a blond-haired boy, depending on when they met him in Vietnam (or earlier) he may have had dark brown hair. Age in this photograph: about 2. I am hoping someone will recognize him and/or have a photograph of him amongst their own photographs, and be able to identify him and his parents. All of them vanished suddenly from the Saigon area – exact date unknown, but this may well have been in early 1958 or perhaps during 1957 (and was definitely before 1 May 1958). I have only sparse information regarding the parents, their possible occupations and origin. Father: possible engineer, knowledgeable of shipping, ships, heavy equipment, aircraft, railroads, locomotives. Mother: concert pianist. Both parents were multilingual. My guess as to their ages is difficult – perhaps 26 – 34. Very articulate and well spoken. Industrious, very active, good humored, good natured. They lived or visited near what had been (or may still have been used as) the old British Officers Barracks in Saigon, on about #260 - #270 Phan Thanh Giang Street (also known as La Grande de la Liraye Street under French rule). I am also trying to determine what type of building (e.g., house) was to the left of the house at 267 Phan Thanh Giang Street, where there was only a large vacant lot as of my visit to Vietnam several years ago. Also, what was behind 267. If you have a photograph of either structure, or know of anyone that does, I would very much appreciate a copy. What might also be helpful would be if anyone who visited or worked in Vietnam at about the same period have photographs of their time in Saigon and would be willing to share copies of them with me. I would be particularly interested in any photographs of houses along Phan Thanh Gian Street. This is a long shot, but worth pursuing even at this late date, due to the urgency of the matter. |
February 14th 2012.
An email of thanks and further information
has been received from Alan and is reproduced below.
P.S.
I just clicked on the link you sent me in your email, and thank you
again for your efforts in my search!
I have been getting many responses from the French version of the page
I posted on Facebook.
An additional point that may be helpful, and I would welcome your
thoughts on: there was a connection between this family and people in
Norway.
Part of my search has focused on that region, but it is a very slow
going. I have been trying to locate groups in
Scotland, Wales and Ireland that had links to Norway dating back to
World War II (or before).
If any of this jogs your thinking, please let me know! Thanks!
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January 14th 2012.
With regard
to the query by Steve Morris on January 2nd 2012 below, John Powell has
provided this shot below of the first working of the
class 20 Transformer on February 19th 1961.
John tells
me that if somebody could provide him with the exact date of the second
working he could look through some of his
old railway
issues which may throw up some details.
A comment from Steve Morris regarding the above details from John
Powell is shown below.
Many thanks Geoff,
the above image is
on page 34 of my latest book – “English Electric Traction Chester to
Holyhead volume 1 1959-1983”.
It seems as if John may have the same collection of images of this
working that I have.
Steve Morris.
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January 12th 2012.
An email from Merfyn Jones (S&T) retired, is reproduced below in
response to the query by Steve Morris on January 2nd 2012 below.
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January 2nd 2012.
Steve Morris has asked for some help with details on the class 20
Transformer out of gauge workings to Bleanau Ffestiniog in the early
60's.
If anybody can help please use the email link on the HOMEPAGE.
Dear Geoff
I am doing a bit of research on the class 20
Transformer out of gauge workings to Blaenau Ffestiniog in the early
60’s.
Looks as if there were actually two of these. The first was D8036 on
19/2/61 as per relatively common knowledge and as shown on a number of
images
I have in my collection and reported in the press at the time. However,
the working shown on the BFI "Points and Aspects" DVD is different.
For a start the loco is working "slab end first" whilst the images I
have show the loco nose end first.
Also, the season is definitely not winter - more like late summer.
The
date of the film is given as 1962 so it looks as if the 19/2/61 working
was repeated the year after.
Difficult to see the loco number but in a scene of it leaving The
Junction it looks like D8036 again, possibly due to it being wired up
for communication from the first working.
Anyway, apart from the BFI film I have no other information on this
second working.
Can anybody out there help, perhaps there was even more than two??
Many thanks
Steve Morris.
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December 11th 2011.
46201 ' Princess Elizabeth' with today's Liverpool Lime Street -
York ----- The York Yuletide Express, only one minute
late passing Whiston.
PHOTO : DAVE WOOD
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December 11th 2011.
Mike Henney tells me that the nameplate for
LNER Thompson 4-6-0 No. 61662 'Manchester United' was sold
yesterday at the Railwayana auction at
Derbyshire County Cricket Ground.
The price plus VAT and buyers commission of 10% was £44,800.
November
22nd
2011.
Alan
Roberts
has
sent
in
this
undated
newspaper
cutting
(circa
1990's)
showing local railwaymen honoured with long service awards.
CORRECTION : The unidentified driver
in the back row is Derek Gibb, an ex Southern man.
WITH THANKS
TO BARRY TAYLOR FOR THIS INFORMATION.
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September
26th
2011.
John
Powell
tells
me
that
a
6G
shed
plate
was
sold
in
the
September
2011
sale
at
Sheffield
Railwayana
Auction for £140
and a Llandudno Junction totem reached £500.
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September 25th 2011.
Two
emails from John Steven are reproduced below. Thanks for your kind
words John.
It's nice to know that the site is still attracting new visitors after
all these years.
14/09/2011.
Hi
Geoff,
Just found your web site
and wanted to say how much I have enjoyed looking through the contents
of it.
You have some stunning photographs sir,
I have only scratched the surface of it so far but look forward to
delving deeper,
Quite brilliant.
Regards John.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21/09/2011.
Hi
Geoff,
Apologies
for
interrupting
your
holiday,
hope
it
was
somewhere
nice.
The web site is just incredible, I have spent some time on it both
reading and looking at the photographs;
think it will take me some time to get through it all.
As an admirer of steam
trains from as way back to my childhood days in the 50’s it is amazing
to see the photographs in your collections.
I made one trip to Cardiff with my father in, I
think about 1964, to see Wales taking on Scotland at football, and I
remember
the trip by steam train vividly even now.
I have a small photographic business doing mainly horse events and the
occasional wedding, but on my travels I do take photographs
of trains which I contribute to the Railbrit web site.
I much prefer the steam
trains of days gone by.
Keep up the excellent good work.
Best Wishes, John Steven.
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August
31st
2011.
A shot of 8F 48151, by Mary Hinde, is shown below departing Chester
with the "Welsh Mountaineer" on Tuesday August 23rd 2011.
August 23rd 2011.
8F
No. 48151 with today's Preston - Blaenau Ffestiniog "Welsh Mountaineer"
after entering the Conwy Valley branch line and skirting the
picturesque Conwy RSPB nature reserve on the approach to Glan Conwy
station.
This
distant
shot
shows
the
8F
with
today's
above
train
running
along
the
bank
of
the
River
Conwy,
after
passing
through
Glan Conwy station, en route to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
August
23rd
2011.
This
photo
of
today's
"Welsh
Mountaineer"
by
Dave
Wood
was
taken
early
this
morning
on
Red
Bank,
which
is between Newton - le - Willows and Warrington.
The
two evening shots below, by Dave Wood, show the return leg of the above
train.
The first one shows the 8F arriving at Frodsham station and the second
shows the train
leaving for Preston.
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August 21st 2011.
Britannia
Class
70013
"Oliver
Cromwell"
approaches
Deganwy
station
with
today's
North
Wales
Coast
Express.
Another
earlier
morning
shot
of
the
same
train
at
Whiston
station
by
Dave
Wood.
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Saturday
August
20th
2011.
Castle Class No. 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' earlier today at Pensarn
Bridge on it's approach to Llandudno Junction
with the "North Wales Explorer"
Saturday August 20th 2011.
GWR
Castle Class 4-6-0 No. 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' with today's
"North Wales Explorer" Tyseley - Llandudno Jct - Langley Green
At Beeston Castle. This early morning shot is by John Frodsham.
August
31st
2011.
Another
shot
of
5043
with
the
"North
Wales
Explorer"
on
August
20th
2011
at
Llandudno
Junction.
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August 10th 2011.
Stéphanie
Durrant
has
provided
this
atmospheric
shot
below
of
8F
48151
with
yesterday's
"Welsh
Mountaineer"
at
Abergele.
This
colourful
evening
shot
of
the
same
train
,
at
Abergele,
is
by
Darren
Durrant.
August
10th
2011.
Two great shots of yesterday's Welsh Mountaineer by John Frodsham are
shown below.
The first shows 48151 with the outward leg and the second is an evening
shot of it's return
in the fields in between Frodsham and Helsby.
August
9th
2011.
8F 48151 storms out of Llandudno Junction station , 20 minutes
late, with today's
Preston - Blaenau Ffestiniog " Welsh Mountaineer"
The
8F leaves the main line and enters the Conwy Valley branch line en
route to Blaenau Ffestiniog earlier today.
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August
31st
2011.
An
evening shot of Britannia 70013 'Oliver Cromwell' by Mary Hinde, at
Chester with the returning
"North Wales Coast Express" on August 7th 2011.
August
9th
2011.
Alan Roberts was working at Llandudno Junction signal box on Sunday
August 7th 2011 and captured these four
shots of Britannia 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" on her way to Holyhead with
the North Wales Coast Express.
August
8th
2011.
Britannia 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" passes Penmaenmawr with
yesterday's Holyhead - Liverpool
North Wales Coast Express. (PHOTO
:
Stéphanie
Durrant)
August
8th
2011.
Britannia 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" emerges from the tunnel at Conwy
station with the homeward leg of yesterday's
North Wales Coast Express.
(PHOTO : John Frodsham)
August
7th
2011.
Britannia class 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" approaches Deganwy station,
over the level crossing, with the return leg of
today's Liverpool - Holyhead - Liverpool 'North Wales Coast
Express'.
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July 23rd 2011.
Black Five 45305 stands in for 'Britannia' 70013, which was
unavailable, with today's Liverpool to Carlisle
Cumbrian Mountain Express at Eccleston Park on the climb to St Helens.
July 4th 2011.
Dave Wood has sent in this great shot of Black Five 45305 at Rainhill
on July 2nd 2011 with the
Coast to Coast Liverpool - Scarborough and return.
Dave tells me that it was a very early start for the special and he had
to be
in position for the shot at 7.00am.
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June
29th
2011.
Ieuan
Wood
has
sent
in
these
shots
taken
at
the
East
Lancashire
railway
on
June
26th
2011.
Ex - NCB, Hunslet Austerity, 0-6-0 ST WD132 "Sapper" rests
at Bury Bolton Street station.
Standard class 4, 2-6-4T 80080 is shown below light
engine with a Lancastrian headboard.
80080 at work on the ELR.
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June
9th
2011.
Dave
Wood
has
sent
in
this
shot
of
60163
"Tornado"
on
a
loaded
test
run
yesterday
evening, at Winwick Junction on the West Coast main line, after it's
recent repairs.
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April 23rd 2011.
An
email from Gamelyn Chase is reproduced below along with my reply and a
further response from Gamelyn.
Gamelyn is the author of the novel Redemptor Domus which has
great local interest as the action is set along the North Wales coast
near Llanfairfechan.
Gamelyn remembers with affection the carved animals on Llanfairfechan
station which were the subject of a query
by Jean Harris of Canada.
(see NEWSPAGE June 19th 2009)
Dear Geoff Poole,
Regarding the query from Jean Harris (Canada):
http://www.6g.nwrail.org.uk/newspage.htm
regarding carved animals at a station on the North Wales coast:
I came across
your site when reprising an old search for Llanfairfechan station where
I seemed to recall seeing the carved animals on
day trips ‘up the coast’ in yesteryear.
I seem to
recall a bumblebee and a caterpillar on a wall. More pertinently, I
distinctly remember being told off for hitting a low slung
housefly – or was it a bluebottle – with my wooden spade (as in
bucket’n’spade).
Yes, I was very young at the time. It must have been Llanfairfechan
because we never went to the other place mentioned, Pont-y-pant.
It’s good to
know the carvings have survived. Maybe it could be arranged for them to
be on public display somewhere (safe) rather
than hidden away in a back garden.
I’m the author
of the novel Redemptor Domus, the action of
which is set a mile or two east along the coast from Llanfairfechan
(locals can make informed guesses as to the fictional locations).
The timing is c.1950 when I assumed the carved animals would still be
in situ.
I was going to give them a passing mention in the narrative but I
couldn't track down any information on them at the time
(this would be back in 2007) so I had to forego the opportunity. It
would only have been a makeweight.
I find it hard
to believe there are no photographs of the station in its heyday. I
revisited the station about twelve years ago
and it had been ‘redeveloped’ into some anonymous slum overshadowed by
the A55. Heigh ho!
A very interesting site, seeing the old locations and motive power and the people involved. I’m still working my way through it.
Yours sincerely,
Gamelyn Chase
April 23rd 2011.
April 24th 2011.
Dear Geoff,
Quick work! I
never expected such a swift response on such an old topic. I
omitted to mention that my father was a railwayman
all his working life; he ended up as Chief Clerk at Chester Northgate.
He did occasional stints at Chester General. And one of my uncles was a
top link guard working out of Crewe.
Regards,
Gamelyn
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April
22nd
2011.
An email from Ex - Signalman Vincent Cummings is reproduced below.
So pleased you enjoyed the website Vinny and many thanks for your kind
words.
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April
8th
2011.
An email from Tony Crowther is reproduced below. Tony wishes to thank
ex - 6G John Kirkwood
for his help with photos of his grandfather "Bob Bychan".
Geoff,
Can you please send on my sincere gratitude to John Kirkwood who gave
me information on possibility that my
Grandfather Past 6G driver Bob Bychan (R V Jones of Rhyl) appears in
photographs of two books on the Steam era in North Wales.
I can confirm and so with the help of my late Grandmother and Mother
that they are photos of Bob Bychan.
I'm very humbled to know like so many deceased and living drivers,
Signalbox men, Guards, Station staff retired
and still on the Railway, are remembered on this website 6G like my
Grandfather.
When I look and
read all the photos and emails from everyone who visits your site who
were working on the Railway
with my Grandfather, their names like George Sheedy,Dai Llanwrst,John
Kirkwood I remember Bob talking about these men
and on the last time I saw my late Grandmother I showed her the photo
of all the drivers, firemen and
shed members of Rhyl of which John Kirkwood gave me the information.
She looked at the photo and remembered all the men in the photo.
My thanks again to John Kirkwood.
I still look at books on British Rail in North Wales at the time
of when my Grandfather was a familiar face on the mainlines and the
branchline to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
I am always looking on the 6G website for more interest of the North
Wales coast line.
Tony Crowther
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February 26th 2011.
An email and photos are reproduced below from Andrew Weare whose
Grandad was local main line driver Hugh Owen Williams.
Hugh Owen Williams
is on the left of the two men in the photo below of 6127 "Old
Contemptibles".
Andrew's mother "Gloria" with
Hugh.
Royal Scot 6132 "The King's Regiment
Liverpool" in April 1943 driven by Hugh Owen Williams.
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February 26th 2011.
A list of platform staff and shunters at Llandudno Junction in October
1980 is provided by Alan Roberts.
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January
22nd
2011.
An
email from Richard Roberts , who is a driver for DB Schenker, and who
remembers Ken Wood with affection, is reproduced below.
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December
19th
2010.
While I spent most of yesterday looking out of my front window at my
car buried in a foot of snow and glad I was
in the warmth, John Frodsham decided to brave the elements and get some
shots of steam at Llangollen.
The two shots below show that his effort was worthwhile.
They show Black Five 44806 near Carrog set in a magical snow covered
scene.
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December
11th
2010.
An exquisite portrait by John Frodsham, of A1 No. 60163 "Tornado"
earlier today with the London Euston - Chester
Cathedrals Express powering through the fields in front of Beeston
Castle.
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December
1st
2010.
An email from M. Vincent Mcbride is reproduced below.
I'm
sure many site visitors will understand the sentiments of Vin and if
anyone can supply him with any detail
of the Welsh Dragon Push and Pull shuttle, please let me know and I
will pass it on to him.
December
15th
2010.
John
Powell
has
provided
some
detail
below
that
could
possibly
be
related
to
Vin
Mcbride's
"phantom"
train.