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6G NEWS PAGE........6G NEWS PAGE...........6G NEWS PAGE

THIS PAGE IS DEVOTED TO NEWS ABOUT 6G
AND RAILWAY DETAILS IN AND AROUND THE LLANDUDNO JUNCTION AREA.

PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS THROUGH THE EMAIL LINK ON THE HOMEPAGE

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July26th 2010.
The Cambrian has started it's running today and will run Mondays to Fridays until 30th August 2010.
It will be hauled by Black Five No. 44871 and will run:
Machynlleth-Porthmadog-Machynlleth (Tuesday and Thursday)
Machynlleth-Pwllheli-Machynlleth (Monday,Wednesday and Friday)

John Powell has provided the three shots below which show what is believed to be the first
Black Five to ever haul the Cambrian, arriving at Pwllheli earlier today.

44871 reversing into the sidings to await the return leg to Machynlleth earlier today.

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July 25th 2010.
An email and photo with comments from Tony Mills
is reproduced below.

Geoff

Firstly congratulations on a great site. I read a request for information from a couple of years ago relating to the attached photograph.
This has turned up on the Science and Society Picture library web site and is described as “LNWR officials at Royal lancashire Show, 1909.”

I note that this photo appears in the Anderson & Fox Pictorial survey of the Chester to Holyhead Railway  book.

The answer may have already been published but I would still take the opportunity to again congratulate you on a great site.

Once I can get my photographs sorted with your permission I will send you some of the steam specials from the early nineties along with a number of diesel
shots taken around the junction and the coast.

Regards

Tony Mills

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July 10th 2010.
An email from ex-signal man Andrew Parry is reproduced below.

Just want to leave you a small word of support for a first class web site.
As an ex signal man for Llanfair PG, Aber and Gaerwen Boxes it was nice to see the faces
of the old boys in the Bangor box photos and equally it was sad to find they had passed on.

Regards.

Andrew Parry

 Street Lighting Maintenance.

 Lincolnshire County Council.

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July 25th 2010.
My reply to Andrew and another email and photo from him, are reproduced below.

Hello Andrew,

Many thanks for your kind words and detail.

I hope you don't mind but I have published your email on the NEWSPAGE.

I am so glad you found the site interesting and I am pleased you enjoyed the photos of your old work mates.

If you have any interesting detail from those days, that you would like to share, please let me know as site visitors
are always interested in these sort of nostalgic recollections.

Regards,  Geoff.

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June 23rd 2010.
Two shots by Stéphanie Durrant, of 37409 with the observation coach "Caroline",
at Rhyl today.

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May 30th 2010.

A humorous memory from Mike Jones is reproduced below.

Coming back from Llandudno on a Sunday school outing,  
My friend Hughie had bought himself a cap gun.

  On reaching Afon Wen, his enthusiasm for shooting everything in sight had got the better of him,
and the consequences were, he dropped the gun on the track, right in mid shunt!

  Without any hesitation he pulled the communication cord.

To us kids there wasn’t a worse crime, I think it came before "don’t talk to strangers".

The train screeched to a halt, and it wasn’t long before an irate guard was striding down the train shouting
"Who pulled the Cord".

Hughie owned up , the rest of us tried to hide under the seats.

The end result was he got his gun back, and we carried on to Pwllheli.

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May 25th 2010.
New - build A1, 60163 "Tornado" approaching Chester at Shed Lane bridge, with the London Euston - Chester
"Cathedrals Express"on Saturday May 22nd 2010.

Two more shots by Stéphanie Durrant of the same train at Chester.

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May 14th 2010.
Three precious memories of a popular train spotting location (now long gone) are provided below, by Jim Fenton.

Geoff
Unearthed the attached by accident! Any interest, as I know it is a bit removed.
They show Tan-y-Bryn Rd. bridge in 1983 just prior to demolition.
There was a large end parapet at the Conwy Rd. side that was the location of all my trainspotting records at this location.
I'd forgotten how narrow it was! It used to be a significant route for traffic to Rhos! Not as clear as John Powell's photos,
but he obviously had a far superior camera!!!
Thanks for the advice on the shunter.
 Jim.

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May 6th 2010.
An email and two photos from Mike Evans Jones are reproduced below.

Hi Geoff,

Glad I found your web site,

I lived in Pwllheli, and travelled by train to Caernarfon and Pen y Groes with my friends,
every summer Saturday to Pennychain, lugging incoming and outgoing holidaymaker’s luggage at Butlins.

I went everywhere by train it was so much cheaper than Crosville buses.

I am trying to document with photos and script, the Caernarfon to Afon Wen line.

Any help would be appreciated.

I live in Norfolk now, freshly retired, but I go back nearly every year.

It saddens me when I look at the old line; it gets further away from reinstatement every year,

I like to think ONE DAY PERHAPS!

Thanks for the photos

Kind regards , Mike Evans Jones.

PS. I enclose two photographs I took at Bryncir last year.

STEAM RETURNS TO BRYNCIR STATION.

I took the two photos below in September 2009. This gentleman is building a 7 1/4" or 7 1/2" gauge
loco in a new unit at the old Bryncir station site.

Below is another interesting photo showing building work at Afon Wen Station in 1924.
Mike's grandfather David Evans Jones is on the front row (seated) with trowel, third from right.
Mike's father took the photo so he owns the copyright.

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February 19th 2010.
An email from Amanda Jones asking for any help with researching her family tree.

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February10th 2010.

BRITISH TRANSPORT PENSIONERS FEDERATION (BTPF)

The Federation and its sixty local branches are run entirely by volunteers, who are themselves
railway pensioners. But it’s not all meetings and campaigning! – some branches also organise
social activities and keep in touch with members in their area.  

Yet to remain truly representative, and to have an even stronger voice, they need
to continue increasing their numbers, especially among the ‘younger generation’ of pensioners
and deferred pensioners.

Membership is open to anyone in receipt of (or with deferred rights to) a railway pension
and/or travel facilities, including widows and widowers of retired staff.

Active staff aged 55 or over are also welcome to join the organisation and add their voice
to the campaign to protect pensions and privileges in retirement.

By joining one of the branches, you will be able to keep in touch with fellow pensioners and
ex-colleagues and make new friends, as well as supporting the Federation’s voice and objectives.

Membership fees vary from branch to branch, but are always very modest.

The North Wales branch Secretary Derek Jones tells me that coffee mornings take place
every second Tuesday in the month at the
Queens Hotel, Llandudno Promenade starting at 10.45 AM.
(except December - when a Christmas lunch at the same venue is arranged)

I'm told these meetings are well attended so if you are interested in meeting up with
old colleagues and workmates why not contact the above organisation or ring
North Wales local secretary Derek Jones on 01745 338497.

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January 23rd 2010.
An email from Terry Hughes is reproduced below.

January 16th 2010.
The "rail grinder" has been working on the Conwy Valley line and part of the main line this week (Monday - Friday AM)

It was stabled at Llandudno Junction for three days and then stabled at Rhyl on the final day.

The vehicle used this time is a smaller version of the one normally used on the North Wales coast main line which has seven vehicles.
The "grinder" usually carries it's own fire fighting equipment on board as it can cause fires at some locations with dry vegetation.

I saw the "grinder" on the main line at Mochdre earlier this week, at 01.30am, as it moved very slowly along the track.
Each vehicle carried three very bright lights along the side to illuminate the track as it crawled along.
In the dark misty light it reminded me of something out of "Close Encounters" or for even older readers "The Invaders".

(Thanks to Alan Roberts for providing the above detail and Stéphanie for the great photo at Llandudno Junction)

PHOTO BY STÉPHANIE DURRANT

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December 16th 2009.
I published an email from Ean Jones below earlier today in which Ean asks for any details on the Rhyl - Barmouth
Land Cruise trains of the 1950's.
I advised him to email "Gwenda" from Pwllheli, a contributor to this site in 2008, to see if she could add any information on the trains.
Ean has just sent me the email he sent to "Gwenda" and also her reply which are reproduced below.

Hello Ean, very interesting to learn about your mother but I couldn't have been on that train with her, I was on the Pwllheli to Rhyl
Land Cruise trains about 1959/ 1960.

I was in my late teens then, and happy days they were too.

There was a DJ giving running commentary and playing music, if I remember she was a lady from Criccieth.
Working with me in the buffet car was a girl from Bangor, if my memory serves me right that is. 

Say Hi to your mum, I'm sure she enjoyed her time on the train, and a Happy Christmas to you and family :)

Gwenda

Ean's reply....

Thanks Ean and Gwenda for the input. (Geoff)

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December 16th 2009.
An email and two great photos from Richard Roberts, are reproduced below.

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December 16th 2009.
An email from Ean Jones is published below asking for any more details on the
Land Cruise trains of the 1950's.

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December 2nd 2009.

The newly opened footbridge over the main line at Llandudno Junction gives a great new photographic vantage point
as the two photos by Alan Roberts shows below.

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October 25th 2009.
An email from Alan Williams is reproduced below.

CHRIS EVANS MODEL LAYOUT

Hello Geoff

With reference to Keith Williams' query of 19 September requesting the
whereabouts of this layout.  The first article about it appeared in
Model Rail September 1999.  A short biography of Chris Evans contained
in that article stated that he was then living in Coulsdon Surrey.

Cheers
Alan Williams.

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October 13th 2009.
This great night shot was taken by Alan Roberts when he was working Llandudno Junction
signal box one night in 1998.

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October 13th 2009.

Charlie Hulme who runs the NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY website has sent me the link below:

RNLI - LLANDUDNO JUNCTION JIGSAW

The link shows a jigsaw with Britannia 70045, before being named "Lord Rowallan", and
Ivatt 2-6-0 46447, approaching Llandudno Junction with Conwy Castle in the background.
This evocative scene is sometime in the early summer of 1957.

The Jigsaw costs £11.95 and all proceeds go to
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Possibly a great Christmas present idea !

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September 19th 2009.
An email from Keith Williams is reproduced below, asking for details on the great model rail layout
of 6G by Chris Evans, and also relating some detail he remembers from his days "spotting"
around the area.

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August 9th 2009.
An email from David Hughes of Old Colwyn is reproduced below, giving more details on the
photograph of "Ivatt" class 4F, 43027  shown on the "Steam on the Coast" page,  April 16th 2009.
Many thanks David for this interesting information.

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July 29th 2009.
An email from Tony Barlow of Perth,Western Australia (26/07/09) is reproduced below.
Many thanks Tony for your memories and kind words. I hope your email encourages
others to send in their 60's steam memories as so many site visitors find these recollections interesting.

Geoff,

How can I express my delight at finding this site. I was born in Colwyn Bay in 1956 and started spotting steam locos by Penrhos College foot bridge in 1965. There was a whole gang of lads that used to congregate there on a daily basis (after school) and especially during school holidays. At weekends we'd take ourselves over to Llandudno Junction (6G) to enjoy the array of activities and get round the shed. If memory serves me right we used to sit on the embankment just up from the shed to watch all the loco movements. Plus there was a good chippy just around the corner!! Also remember "cabbing" many steam locos as they sat at the Junction waiting for the guards whistle!

I am now based in Perth, Western Australia and have been searching for information of that period in my life which I loved so much. Although I only caught the tail end of steam it was a wonderful time. I regret to this day not being a few years older so I could of fully appreciated what was happening to the railway network and seeing more of those wonderful Steam Engines especially at Llandudno Junction!

Thanks for the memories

Cheers

Tony Barlow.

Tony has also sent in the two further emails (27/07/09) which are self explanatory.
I hope you find Jim Fenton's data helpful Tony. You could also have a look at Phil Seymour's page
and also John Powell's data page.

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July 16th 2009.
Bob Barnsdale tells me that the wooden animals mentioned below, that were at Llanfairfechan station
before being moved to a private garden in Nant y Felin Road, were made by a signalman
who lived near the seafront on Shore Road East.
Any further help on this matter would be appreciated.

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July 15th 2009.
Another email from Jean Harris, in Canada, regarding the query she posed regarding a local station
that had small carved animals on the platform that she fondly remembers from her childhood days in
North Wales is reproduced below.
Originally we thought it may be Pont y Pant station on the Conwy Valley branch (see below)
but Bob Barnsdale offered an alternative of Llanfairfechan station and Jean thinks this now could be the station she remembers.
As you will see from previous emails from Bob Barnsdale He mentions that the wooden
animals etc, were removed from the station and placed in a private garden in Llanfairfechan.

I promised to try and photograph them for Jean but unfortunately could not find any trace of them and
my email to Bob is also reproduced below.

EMAIL FROM JEAN HARRIS

MY EMAIL TO BOB BARNSDALE REGARDING THE WOODEN ANIMALS

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July 8th 2009.
Another email from local railway archivist and EX-6G worker Bob Barnsdale is
reproduced below.
Bob has given more detail on the wooden animals he remembers at
Llanfairfechan station.

Dear Geoff,
When you leave Mill road and go into Nant-y-Felin road it's about the tenth house on the left where
some of the objects may still be found?
These may have been saved by possible relatives of Jim Gannon, or Jack Bala, the porters at the station
some 45 years ago. If I'm passing through Llanfairfechan sometime I will have a look to see if their still there.
Look at plate 208 in "An Historical Survey of Chester to Holyhead" and you can see part of that garden setup.

Yours Bob.

P.S. I like the picture of sirocco up the branch, I have a valve handle off it, but was too young to remember them, yet my mate Peter Owen,from Penmaenmawr, was taken on a footplate ride to Llandudno by his father, a fitter in the shed, he must be one of the few surviving people to have done that.

Thanks Bob,
I will email Jean Harris again, in Canada, and see what her feelings are regarding Llanfairfechan
being the station she remembers from her childhood.

Bob refers to "Sirocco"  in his email above. "Sirocco" was a
4-4-0 LNWR Whale "Precursor" class (shown below).
It's original number was 5297 being one of 130 built between 1904 - 1907
in the series 5187 - 5189.

Originally built without superheaters but most of the class, including "Sirocco" were
rebuilt with superheaters and Belpaire boilers.
The first engine was withdrawn in 1927 and the surviving engines were re-numbered in 1934
by having 20000 added to their original numbers.
25297 "Sirocco"  built at Crewe in November 1904, was the last survivor of the class and the only
one to come into BR stock. The engine was re-numbered by BR as 58010 but was withdrawn in
June 1949 and scrapped in October 1949 without ever carrying it's BR number.
Shown here taking water at Betws y Coed station in June 1947.

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July 7th 2009.
Bob Barnsdale has offered Llanfairfechan as another option, for the station
referred to below by Jean Harris.

I will email Jean and ask for her comments.

Bob Barnsdale's email is reproduced below.

Dear Geoff,
The lady is referring to Llanfairfechan, I should know I was brought up there.

Yours Bob Barnsdale.

p.s. what not many people know is that some of those wooden animals still survive in a private house
garden in Llanfairfechan, Nant-y-Felin Road.

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July 2nd 2009.
An email from Jean Harris is reproduced below in which she states that after having seen the photo's
of Pont y Pant station, that I sent her, it is the station that she remembers form her childhood.

The two photographs Jean has asked for are reproduced below.

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June 26th 2009.
Jean Harris has replied to the response below from John Kirwood regarding the inquiry about the
station she remembers visiting as a child. John suggested that it may be Pont y Pant station
on the Conwy Valley branch line to Blaenau Ffestiniog and it would appear that Jean thinks that it
could be this station.
I have promised to photograph the station and send her a copy as she is now living in Canada.

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June 26th 2009.

EX-6G John Kirwood has sent in the following detail that may help Jean Harris's request
Below (19/06/2009)

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June 19th 2009.
An email from Jean Harris is reproduced below with a request for information
on a station she remembers as a child. if anyone can help please email me
through the usual email address geoff@poole57.freeserve.co.uk

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May 18th 2009.
An email from 6G driver Barry Taylor is reproduced below detailing the total
complement of drivers at Llandudno Junction today.
Many thanks Barry.

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May 14th 2009.
An email from EX-6G fireman Dave Roberts is reproduced below.
Many thanks for your contact Dave, I'm sure many site visitors will remember you.

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April 3rd 2009.
An email and photo from Alan Roberts, showing a derailment at Llandudno Junction in 1973,
is reproduced below.

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March 7th 2009.

YOU TUBE VIDEO OF 6220 AT MOCHDRE IN 1937.
John Powell has sent in this great link showing actual footage of the record run of 6220
in 1937. About half way through the video it shows what must be unique film of the three
engines that ran between Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction to commemorate the three Royal trains
of 1835 - 1911 & 1937, which is described on the STEAM DAYS page.

The three locomotives are shown running towards Llandudno Junction at Mochdre.

The engines were:

Ex. Liverpool & Manchester Railway 0-4-0 "Lion" built 1838.
LNWR Bowen - Cooke 4-4-0, 3P, George the Fifth class "Coronation" built 1911.
4-6-2, 7P, Princess Coronation Class 6220 "Coronation" then brand new.

IF LINK BELOW FAILS, ENTER "1937 CORONATION SCOT RUN" in 'YOU TUBE' SEARCH BOX

LINK TO VIDEO

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February 17th 2009.
An email from Roy Harris giving details on the North Wales Land Cruise trains is reproduced below.

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February 17th 2009.
An email and appeal for information reproduced below regarding a photo on the HOMEPAGE
of 9F No. 92116 pulling a summer Saturday train from Sheffield to Llandudno on June 11th 1960.
If anyone can help please email this site through the email link on the HOMEPAGE.

Hi Geoff,

While I was browsing your fascinating website this weekend I noticed that one of
the photographs on your home page features 92116 working a summer Saturday train
from Sheffield to Llandudno on 11 / 6 /1960.  What suddenly struck me was that
the Saturday in question was the same one on which I first went train spotting to
Chester!  In the circumstances I thought I’d write to you to see whether you are able
to identify the photographer for me and if possible indicate whether he might have taken
any further pictures or made notes about other train workings while in the area.
Ideally I should like an opportunity to make contact with the photographer because
I would be interested in trying to obtain from him any information that may help me
recreate my records about my trip to Chester, none of which have survived.

I look forward to hearing from you and not surprisingly should like to take this
opportunity to thank you for featuring the photograph that has prompted this email! 
I have no recollection of the train concerned but there is a fair chance that I saw it myself
at Chester.

Best wishes.

Brian Roberts

Another email from Brian expanding the above detail (received 18/02/09) is reproduced below.

Hi Geoff,

Many thanks for your response and helpfulness.  With this and possible further reconstruction
of my early notes in mind, I should mention that apart from on 11 June 1960 it seems I had
days out to Chester on 25 and 29 July 1961, as well as 5 September that year and a brief visit
there on 19 August. 
In 1962 I went on 11 and possibly 12 April 1962, and 24 October. 
In addition a friend of mine would also love to know more about what he saw in the
early 1960s.  At the tender age of nine he enjoyed a family holiday at Talacre from
08 to 22 July 1961.  He elected to sun himself at the local station in preference to the
nearby sands but like me has no notes to help recall those happy days.

In electing to inform you about all the above additional dates I didn’t presumptuously
expect you to publish them on your website along with the request for information
about 11 June 1960. 
I appreciate that the date in 1960 is different in that it links directly with the 6G website. 
However, if you consider that broadening of my initial request for help may prove of
interest to your contributors/browsers please feel free to use the additional information
as you see fit.

I look forward to hearing from your again soon.
In the meantime I’ll have a look at the data pages you suggest with great interest!

Best wishes,
Brian Roberts.  

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February 14th 2009.
An email and four photographs from Roy Harris are reproduced below.
Roy emailed this site in August 2007 as he was building a model railway layout of Conway Castle
and surrounding track. Looking at Roy's photo's he has put a tremendous amount of detail into his layout.
It's no wonder it has taken him a while to complete as it was obviously a great amount of work involved.

Many thanks for the photo's Roy and well done!

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January 14th 2009.
An email from Ian Beattie and my reply regarding the Gordon Coltas Trust
is reproduced below.

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January 6th 2008.
An appeal for any photographs of D6841 has been made by Alex Napier for a modelling project.

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December 23rd 2008.
An email and an appeal for any photographs of the Colwyn Bay station area, especially the goods yard
area during the steam days, is reproduced below from Dave Hunter of DATON VIDEO.
If anyone can help please email me using the email link on the HOMEPAGE.

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December 17th 2008.

John Powell has answered John Bennett's appeal for more information on the Pullman loco's mentioned
in his email below (09/12/2008)

John Powell has found two shots of the class 73 loco that John Bennett refers to, on Charlie Hulme's
website, taken by Marc Jones.

He has also obtained permission from Marc and Charlie for the
two shots to be published below.

The two photos below show the class 73 No. 73101 at Llangollen in April 2008.

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December 9th 2008.
An email and an appeal for information from John Bennett is reproduced below.

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December 9th 2008.

As reported below, December's 'Model Rail' featuring an article spotlighting a working
layout of Llandudno Junction station and shed, by Chris Evans,  is now on sale.

Chris recreates a 24 hour summer Saturday timetable, in July 1961, at Llandudno Junction.
The photographs and detail are exquisite and a credit to Chris's dedication and hard work
over the twenty five years since this '00' layout became operational.

I'm sure visitors to this site will find this article of great local railway interest.

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November 1st 2008.
Chris Evans tells me that his model railway layout of Llandudno Junction
is to be featured as the main article in the December issue of "Model Rail" magazine.
It will also include a lot about the operational side as well as plenty of photo's.
I think visitors to this site will find this article very interesting.
Chris's website can be seen at:    http://llandudnojunction.fotopic.net/

October 16th 2008.

John Kirwood (ex-6G) has sent in the following email in response to the appeal for information
by Tony Crowther (see email below 02/10/2008) on details of the engines Tony's grandfather
R.V.Jones (Bob Bychan) would have driven during his days at 6G.

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October 9th 2008.
An email from Steve Morris is reproduced below. Steve has published a fascinating book covering
the diesels that ran on the North Wales Coast main line from 1959 to the present day.

Hello Geoff

I have finally published my North Wales Coast Diesels book! A scan of the front cover is attached for
information. This follows several years work researching Diesel loco use in North Wales between 1959
and the present day and I am indebted to a number of local people who assisted with provision of images, particularly from the early days of operation. I was wondering if you might like to include this on the 6G site. Should anybody want to order one I am selling signed copies on Ebay or just drop a note to
45 Danefield Road Holmes Chapel Cheshire CW4 7NS. Price is £14.95 + £1.00 contribution to P&P.

All the best,

Steve Morris.

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October 2nd 2008.
An email received from Tony Crowther is reproduced below. I hope John Kirwood can help
with his request.

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September 12th 2008.

A touching email from Tony Crowther, relating memories of his Grandad R.V. Jones  (Bob Bychan)
is reproduced below.

Many thanks for the contact Tony. I will email your thanks to John Kirwood.
 Geoff.

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September 12th 2008.
A welcome back email from Barry Taylor is reproduced below.

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SEPTEMBER 3rd 2008.

6G IS BACK ON-LINE.

It's great to be back. 6G has had to move from the old location to this new space.

I have to thank regular contributor John Powell for taking the trouble to
alert Charlie Hulme of our predicament.

Charlie runs one of the most popular and comprehensive North Wales railway websites
The North Wales Coast Railway

Charlie felt that 6G provided unique reference material that should not be lost to the public and
offered his immediate help and expertise to enable 6G to be re-born within his web space.

Without Charlie Hulme 6G could have been lost forever.  All of the priceless detail supplied by
so many contributors, over the last five years, could have been just a memory.

Many thanks Charlie!

************************************************

As we are now back to normal please send your comments, memories and photographic submissions
to the usual email address:      mailto:geoff@poole57.freeserve.co.uk 

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August 2008.

6G WEBSITE HAS MOVED

Due to a software change by my Internet Service Provider, making it impossible to continue on the old servers, the 6G website has been moved, for the time being, to this new site at www.6g.nwrail.org.uk. Please change your links and bookmarks.

I would like to thank all of you for your support, help and encouragement over the last five years and I know that so many people have regularly visited the site and enjoyed the content, which is rewarding for my efforts.

Geoff Poole.

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July 24th 2008.

An email from Colin Gargan is reproduced below. Many thanks for the contact Colin.

Greetings Geoff..
 
I typed 47555 colwyn into Google & came up with your website top of the list. I'm particularly impressed with the photos of the construction of the A55 & accompanying trains. 47555 (The Commonwealth Spirit) was my favourite haulage, had a few cabrides in it too. I can remember riding my new BMX along the A55 from Colwyn Bay to the Junction on Christmas Day 1984, bit bumpy in parts. The verity of tickets available in those days was good & at a very reasonable price. Evening rover (60p), North Wales Explorer (£3 for 7 days) & the Coast & Peaks Rail tour (£8 for 7 days) where regulars of mine, I was still a teenager then. I just want to thank you for a nice trip down memory lane & I'm looking forward to moving back to the bay next year after an absence of 15 years.
 
Thanks again..
Colin

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July 6th 2008.

An observation by Alan Roberts is reproduced below.

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June 11th 2008.

John Kirwood has sent in this information in response to the request by Tony Higgs
 for any information to help his research.

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June 7th 2008.
The Railway Touring Company have arranged a regular steam special from Liverpool to Holyhead and return
every Sunday in August plus Bank Holiday Monday August 25th 2008. This will entail six tours during August.
The locomotives to be used are:
71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
60009 'Union of South Africa'
46201 'Princess Elizabeth'

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June 1st 2008.

Alan Roberts who edits the SIGNALLING pages has sent in these few memories he has of ex-6G driver Les Nevitt who passed away last year and who Alan Taylor befriended in the 60s.
(see NORTH WALES COAST STEAM page ,May 8th 2008)

Re-Les Nevitt

Les was allocated to local workings up to his retirement in the 1980's together with other drivers such as George Sheedy, Bob Jones (Bob Bychan), John Owen, Wil Hughes (Wil Gyffin), Gwilym Williams (Traws) just to name a few. Les was also keen in model railways and I can recall him telling me he had quite an extensive layout at home he constructed with his son Paul who still works on the railway,


Alan Roberts.

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May 28th 2008.

An email from Ian Boulby is reproduced below. Glad the site took you back Ian.

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May 28th 2008.

An email from Chris Evans is reproduced below. Chris has supplied much detail to this site over the last few years and has built a unique working model of Llandudno Junction station and 6G which is featured on his website (see LINKS page) Chris is appealing for photo's of the Octel trains which he needs to model accurately for his layout.
Chris also provides some information on the request by Ian McKellar (NEWSPAGE 19/02/2008) regarding 70000 "Britannia"  which Ian saw on shed at 6G in July 1965 sporting a "NOT TO BE MOVED" sign.

Many thanks for the contact Chris.

Hi Geoff,

Hope you are well!

I have just been browsing your website again and noticed Ian McKellar's request for info regarding Britannia 70000 being at 6G in July 1965.

I photographed it at the end of that month (see 'North Wales Coast Steam' section) and it appeared to have been out of service for some time and probably waiting for spares from Crewe.  Britannias were regulars at the Junction at this time - note that 70013 was also on the same road looking similarly neglected on the same date, although I have a photo in a book of it working north towards Carlisle on 31/7/65.  Perhaps 'Britannia' was returned to traffic at about the same time.

A strange request - if anyone has photos of the Bromine and/or Chlorine tank wagons that were used on the Octel trains to Amlwch in the early 1960s I would be very interested as I need to model these as accurately as possible for my 'Llandudno Junction' layout which, incidentally, is scheduled to make a further appearance in 'Model Rail' magazine later this year.

Best wishes,

Chris Evans

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May 26th 2008.

Ex-6G man John Kirwood has emailed me in response to the appeal by Alan Taylor
(NORTH WALES COAST STEAM page...  May 8th 2008)
asking for any information about a 6G driver he befriended in 1964, who he thought was named Les Nevitt.
Unfortunately as you will see from John's email Les Nevitt passed away last year.

I have also included my reply to John below.

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May 24th 2008.

An email from Tony Higgs and my reply are reproduced below. Tony is researching the history of 
Monument Lane engine shed (21E). He has added some interesting detail on summer Saturday workings to Llandudno and also some detail on an ex-Llandudno Junction driver Les Jones.
If anyone can help with this research please let me know and I will pass it on to Tony.
Many thanks for your email Tony.

Dear Geoff,

Enjoyed my browse around your excellent site. I am researching the history of Monument Lane engine shed in Birmingham and that shed used to have regular workings to Llandudno, particularly on Summer Saturdays. In the 1950s the trains were normally worked by one of the three Compounds at Monument Lane. I'm also assured that one of the drivers in the 1950s, Les Jones, was an ex Llandudno Jct man.

I'd also like to contact the team behind the Gordon Coltas photographic collection. Would you mind putting me in touch please.

Many thanks and keep up the good work.

Best wishes

Tony Higgs

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May 6th 2008.

A very interesting email from Keith Stewart of Greater Manchester and my reply to him are reproduced below.

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May 6th 2008.

An email received from Jeremy Suter is reproduced below. Jeremy has formed a photographic trust,
 with others, dedicated to the work of the late Gordon Coltas who we featured on this website with the 
"Gordon Coltas Postcards" page. Please contact this website if you wish to purchase or enquire about
 any of Gordon Coltas's photographs.

My reply to Jeremy is also reproduced below.

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April 18th 2008.

An email just received from Roger Bennett is reproduced below. Thanks for the kind words Roger and
 I'm so glad you enjoyed the site. As regards the photo's and notes you mention, it would be great to 
include them on 6G.

Regards Geoff.

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March 19th 2008.

An email and an appeal for some corroboration of the points raised is reproduced below from Ian McKellar.
If anyone can throw any light on some of Ian's recollections please send your responses through the
 email link on the HOMEPAGE.

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March 1st 2008.

More response to the appeal by Gwenda from Pwllheli regarding the 
North Wales Radio Land Cruise trains.

The map of the route and an article describing the trains was sent in by John Powell,
and are shown below.

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February 28th 2008.

The Llangollen railway's Patriot Gala in April will officially launch the new-build project.

Steam Railway magazine announced that it's readers had narrowly voted for the name 
"The Unknown Warrior" by a small margin over "Remembrance" (which was my choice.)

Patriot Project leader David Bradshaw told Steam Railway 
"The name chosen will resonate with every patriot from all nations. It is universal and deeply 
poignant - a perfect name around which we can all rally."

The Patriot Gala will take place at Llangollen Railway between April 18th - 20th.
It will include the official launch of the project and the whole new-build team will
be available all weekend.
 
David Bradshaw said that the project will achieve charitable status
in late March and he urges anyone interested to 
"come along and see us and chat about  what we have got planned"

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February 21st 2008.

An email from Clive Hughes of Sheringham in Norfolk is reproduced below. He gives some detail about the 
North Wales Radio Land Cruise trains which Gwenda of Pwllheli had asked for below (February 19th 2008).

Many thanks Clive for your response and thanks also for some of the wonderful memories
you relate in your email.

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February 19th 2008.

An email appeal, from Gwenda of Pwllheli, asking for any information on the Rail Land Cruise trains
of the 1950's is reproduced below. Gwenda worked in the buffet car of these trains and would like any information on them. I must admit I hadn't heard of these trains but they must have been a great
 attraction for tourists.

If anyone can help please send your emails through the link on the HOMEPAGE. (Geoff)

February 20th 2008

Another email from Gwenda, received after I published the above email, is reproduced below which gives a little more information about the Land Cruise trains and also clarifies the dates when she worked as probably the early sixties not the mid-fifties as previously stated. Gwenda has also sent in a British Railways poster which publicizes the trains but unfortunately it is very small and all my efforts to enlarge it, enough to make it readable, have failed so I have decided not to publish it.

Hi again Geoff, thanks for getting back to me. I'm trying to remember when it was that I actually worked on these cruises, at first I thought it was the mid 50's, but probably it was a bit later around 1960/61. I wonder how many years they actually ran for. Yes indeed they were very popular with holidaymakers and locals alike, many would board the train at the Butlins Holiday camp just outside Pwllheli, it was a most enjoyable run a great day out I think. Be great if anyone has any literature to show. Unfortunately I cannot enlarge the one below >>

  Many thanks Geoff :)    Gwenda

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February 13th 2008.

Andrew Laws, of the LMS Patriot Project, tells me that the formal launch of the project will take place at the 
Llangollen railway's Spring Gala between April 18th and April 20th 2008.

The Patriot Project website has published the details which are reproduced below.

News

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January 31st 2008.

I published an email appeal from Ken Passmore on December 22nd 2007 asking for any information on an email contributor to this site named Austin R Rimmer who was a school friend of Ken's who he was trying to contact. Due to a computer crash in 2004 I had lost the email address of Austin so I posted the appeal for help.
Ken has done some research and it would seem that sadly, Austin Rimmer is now deceased.

Below are the emails from Ken and my replies to him.

Email sent December 22nd 2007

Hi Geoff
Thanks for your reply.
I did a search and found your account of my email. However I also found using Google an account from Kent University which announced the death of a number of old students including one named Austin R Rimmer. I have subsequently confirmed that Austin did in fact go to Kent University and his middle name is Richard. It seems very unlikely that this is just coincidence and it looks as if I should have started my search a few years earlier.
Thanks anyway.
Regards
Ken

Email sent January 30th 2008

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January 29th 2008.

Another email from Terry Jones is reproduced below. Thanks for the contact Terry and I am glad the 
website provides some memories from your past. This was the original aim of this site and that objective
still remains today. I hope someone can remember your father in law, from those days at 6G, and maybe
 provide some detail which I can pass on to you.

I have visited your site many times now, looking at the old photo’s of steam from those heady days of the 60s in and around 6G and North Wales.  I view this site as a Time Portal to the past with information regarding the movement of steam locomotives clearly logged, that at the time as a train spotter from that time in the early 60s I did not know. I wish also to add my father in law worked at 6G from 1961 having moved from Gloucester to live in Llandudno at that time.  He was called Sydney Budd a Carriage and Wagon repairer who would visit many depots fixing Rolling stock between Chester and Holyhead. Sid retired in the early 80s and lives not far from us here in Chester. I wonder if former colleagues on this site can recall my father in law who also worked on the rail wagons at Llanberis Hydro Electric Dam.  

Terry Jones

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January 24th 2008.

An email from Terry Jones is reproduced below. Thanks for the memories Terry.

I came across an e mail on your 6G website, which caught my eye regarding Roy Harris’s (reply July 07) regarding Conwy station and goods trains, and especially two loco’s 44525 and 44389.  On our Holidays during school  I would visit Bryn Morfa on Conwy Morfa around 1960-62 to watch these steam trains shunting  goods wagons  just after the 11.17 Holyhead Irish Mail would go thundering through the morfa. Sometimes these fowler Tankers I saw uncoupled wagons near to San Parry’s bridge, leave goods wagon’s on the main line and would collect scrap metal from  Sean Hughes’s scrap yard using a spur line on the Morfa then couple up to the rest of the train and move on to Penmaenmawr afterwards. We used to sit on a small bridge very close to the Railway line as the loco’s would draw level with the bridge many a time we would see the fireman/driver having a large mug of tea. I did notice at that time 44525 would do one day working  and the next it would be 44389 but both these loco’s were from 6G.    

Yes, happy memories watching these work horses of steam trains during my childhood days.

Terry Jones.

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January 14th 2008.

THE PATRIOT PROJECT

The group announced that of the 100-plus names suggested to them, the five below have been drawn up as a short list. They wanted to maintain the patriotic link with the original engines, but also consider something memorable and relevant today. Project leader David Bradshaw told Steam Railway magazine that they wanted to carry on the original spirit of the class and it would be nice if the locomotive could effectively act as a memorable mobile memorial.

THE SHORTLISTED NAMES

PATRIOT
HERO
THE UNKNOWN WARRIOR
WILFRED OWEN
REMEMBRANCE

Votes should be sent to the project by February 10th 2008 using one of the following methods.

By email:   lms-patriot@hotmail.co.uk 

By post:     Via Steam Railway. More details on the project can be found at  http://www.lms-patriot.org.uk/ 

The Patriot Project is to be formally launched at the Llangollen Railway's Spring Gala.

The event will have an LMS theme to honour the 'missing' Fowler engine.

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January 11th 2008.

I have just received this email from John Kirwood in which he clarifies the details regarding the engine arrangers book given to him by 6G driver Tommy Hughes (Tommy Bodorgan) and below this email, is my reply.

Regards John.

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January 10th 2008.

An email from ex-6G worker John Kirwood is reproduced below in which he offers some answers and detail on the query posed by Gwyn Griffiths of Crewe, who's email was published on this page on December 18th 2007.

December 23rd 2007.

I have just received this interesting email from Ken Passmore who's father was Reg Passmore, a 6G driver 
and fireman for 42 years. Ken has related some of his memories and has asked if I could put him in touch with Austin Rimmer who emailed into the site in April 2004 as he was a school friend of Ken's and he would like to make contact with him. Unfortunately, as I explained to Ken, I had a complete computer crash late 2004 and I lost a lot of data including my email address book which contained Austin Rimmer's email address. So if you read this Austin please get in touch with me and I will put you in touch with Ken.

Hi
You'll probably guess from my email address that my father was Reg Passmore, a fireman, passed fireman and finally a driver who worked in the Junction for 42 years. It was obviously as a result of his influence that I was a keen trainspotter spending many hours at the bridge over the railway at the bottom of Queen's Road. The highlight of the day was the 11.17(?) train from Holyhead to Euston which was invariably driven by a named engine. We had to be there to see that as often as we could. If it rained my friend (Jeffrey Price) had a pigeon hut on a railway allotment opposite the station. My father had an allotment next to the signal box so that was also a good spot to watch the trains from.
I've looked at your web pages a few times but I've only just seen an email sent to you in April 2004 from an old school friend, Austin Rimmer, who talks about his Taid who worked at 6G. I would very much like to get in touch with him and was wondering if you still had his email address. If so could you either let me know what it is or send him my email address and tell him that I would like to get in touch with him.
Regards
Ken Passmore

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December 19th 2007.

An email from David Hughes, thanking John Kirwood for the information he sent regarding the 6G
coaling stage (see below) and my original email to David.

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December 18th 2007.

An email from John Kirwood is reproduced below, in response to the request for detail on the 6G coaling stage by David Hughes published on this page on August 21st 2007.

There is an excellent picture of the Bletchley coalhole on page 44 of the LMS 150 book by Patrick Whitehouse and David St John Thomas.  To me it looks very similar to the 6G coalhole.
The hole in the sidewall was never used for coaling engines. This was where the coalmen used to lean
out of during the quieter moments with their woodbines. It sometimes was very smoky in the coalhole;
the sidewall hole was a great aid for ventilation.

The engine line through the coalhole was on the same level as the ashpit line. 
The coal wagons line was on a higher level, with the tops of the 16 ton coal wagons being nearly
level with the tender tops, which made the coalman’s job a little!! easier.

Its unbelievable looking back to those far off days how many tons of coal a man could shift in a working day.

Hope this helps David Hughes.

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December 18th 2007.

An email from Gwyn Griffiths of Crewe is reproduced below. Thanks for your contact Gwyn. As regards the 6G engine arrangers book you mention,  I agree it would be great if we could get some of the detail published and I have suggested this to John Kirwood and I will pass on your comments to him and see what he thinks.

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December 1st 2007.

Brian Roberts emailed in to this site on Mach 28th 2005 asking if anybody could provide actual locomotive numbers that went through Chester on certain dates in 1961. I published the request on this NEWSPAGE
not thinking at the time that there would be a chance after all these years. I am glad to say I was wrong, as I have just received the following detail from Ex 6G worker John Kirwood who unbelievably has acquired the Engine Arrangers book from 6G which was filled in by 6G drivers and given to John Kirwood by one of these
men, T.A Hughes nickname (Tommy Bodorgan).

Many thanks to both of you.

John's email is reproduced below.

                      Request dated March 28 2005 from Brian Roberts. The following might be a little help for him.

                                   DOWN  TRAINS'    SATURDAY 29th  July  1961.

          45524  7.8am  ex  Wigan,   1D01.               45521  7.15am ex Liverpool   1D02

          44838  6.50am  ex  Walsall  1D03,              45060  6.55am  ex Cheadle   1D05

          44907  7.42am  ex  L/Pool  2D70                44830  5.20am  ex Leicester  1D07

          42714  7.52am  ex  Manchester 1D08        45058  7.10am  ex Stafford    1D13

          42857  8.45am  ex  M/Chester  1D15         45603  6.30am  ex  Leamington  1D18

          45072  7.47am  ex Birmingham  1D17       45385  9.23am  ex Stoke   1D23

          45307  9.5am  ex L.Pool     1D20                73096  9.30am  ex M/Chester  1D21

          45114  8.35am  ex B/ham  1D25                 45304  9.45am  ex M/Chester  1D28

          92049  8.50am  ex  Derby  1D30                 44862  10.30am  ex L/Pool  1D33

          42926  8.4am  ex  Leicester  1D36              73126  10.20am  ex M/Chester  1D35

          45645  8.50am  ex  Leeds  1M47                 92008  9.27am  ex  Derby  1D38

          44741  9.3am  ex  Leeds  1M48                   46163  11.10am  ex  M/Chester  1D44

          42771  9.45am  ex  Bradford  1M90             45438  8.23am  ex  Cardiff  1M67

          45149  11.37am  ex  M/Chester  1D45         48618   10.37am  ex  Shefield  1M65

          45592  9.18am  ex  Euston  1D50                 45382  12/40pm  ex  L/Pool   2D70

          44987  1/58pm  ex Crewe   1D57                  45417  1/34pm  ex  M/Chester1D53

          45069   1/55pm  ex  M/Chester  1D55          42810   11.18am  ex  Euston   1D57

          73070  3/2pm  ex  Crewe  1D58                    44742  3/15pm  ex  M.Chester

In addition to the above, the following were specials , the departure times were not recorded, 
but they would have passed through Chester during the morning and/or into the afternoon
on their way to Llandudno.

          45051  ex  Smethwick  1Z09                         42849  ex  Walsall  1D00

          45071  ex  B/ham    1Z12                               45139  ex  Coventry  1Z11

          42776  ex  Derby  1T07                                  45113  ex  Northhampton  1Z63

          73096  ex  Stechford  1Z18                            48346  ex  W /ath ??  1Z62

          48407  ex  Barnsley   1Z63                             44715  ex  Coventry  1Z15

          75032  ex  Warrington  1Z39

All the above engines would have been serviced at the Llandudno facilities  where an Engine  Arranger was in charge usually Drivers Meurig Roberts or T.A.Hughes (Tommy Bodorgan)  At Llandudno there was a  turntable, water column, pits,and a few wagons of coal and of course a cabin for the staff which included a coalman, firedropper and a set or two of enginemen..Everybody did their best to get the engines serviced and ready
for their return jobs.

                               UP TRAINS FROM LLANDUDNO. Saturday 29th  July  1961

          44679  8.5am  To  Bradford  1N85,                        44728  8.45am  to  Leicester  1F15

          46110  9.5am  to Euston   1A25                             45198   9.15am  to  Newcastle  1N82

          45043  9.22am  to  Leamington  1B13                   44742   9.45am  to  Manchester  1C61

          46140  10.0am  to Euston  1A28                            46115  10.7am  to   Liverpool   1K13

          44842  10.15am  to  Derby  1P17                           44917  10.30am  to  M/Chester  1C65

          73093   10.42am  to  Cardiff  1V56                         45430  11.0am  to  L/Pool   1K16

          44740   11.15am  to  Sheffield  1E20                      61151  11.30am  to  Sheffield  1E21

          45524  11.50am  to  M/Chester  1J03                     45521   12/20pm  to  Euston   1A36

          44830   12/55pm   to  Leicester   1F04                   45247   1/5pm  to  Euston  1A43

          45060  1/20pm  to Derby  1P19                              45139  1/40pm  to  Derby  1P21

          73096/45304cpld  2/0pm  to M/Chester 1C82      45114/92049cpld  2/50  to  Birmingham  1G27

          45149  3/38  to  M/Chester  1C86                           45307  4/40 pm to  Chester  

          92008  5/10pm  to Stoke  1H64                               73126  5/30pm  to  M/Chester   1C89

          42771  6/45pm  to  M/Chester  1C93                      45259  7/0pm  to  B/Head  1D98

          44987  7/20pm  to Crewe  1K84                              42810  7/45pm  to M/Chester  182.

                                                                            SPECIALS

          42967  10.22am to  Bacup   1Z82                            42776  12/40pm to  Hadfield  1Z80

          45321  1/0pm  to Glasgow    1X93                           46114   1/54pm  to  Glasgow   1X94

          45603   2/35pm  to  Coventry  3Z35                         44715  4/0pm  to Soho Sidings  3Z36

          45071  4.35pm  to  Vauxhall   3Z37                          45113  6/0pm  to Northhampton  3Z38

          45051  6/33pm  to  Soho  Sds  3Z43                        45058  7/10  to  Coventry   3Z39

          42926  8/0pm  to  Stoke   3Z44                                 48407  L.E. Chester.

         
Hopefully some of the above numbers will jog Brian Robert’s memory back to that
Saturday in 1961.

By the way, I started as a cleaner on 24th July 1961 at Llandudno Junction shed. On the Friday 28.7.61 my job was to scrape off the paper numbers off the metal headboards and paste on the new numbers , then line all the headboards  along the inside shed wall in a sort of numerical order. The numbers were made waterproof by the simple method of coating them with  glue.

All the above train and engine numbers obtained from T.A.Hughes (Tommy Bodorgan's) Engine Arrangers book Llandudno, which Tommy has kindly given me.

John Kirwood.

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November 15th 2007.

LMS PATRIOT PROJECT

Because of the many memories we all have of the Patriot's running along the North Wales coast main line and 
the links with 6G plus the several engines in the class named after areas of North Wales, this website wholeheartedly supports the LMS Patriot Project. We will be publishing progress reports of the project and any news items as they become available.

Steam Railway magazine (November 2007) announced a competition to name the "new build" Patriot.
There is a link to the LMS Patriot Project website on the LINKS page. 

The text below is taken from the projects website explaining the details of the competition.

LMS Patriot to be named by public and nameplate to be won - November 2007

The November 2nd edition of 'Steam Railway' magazine included a story where readers were asked to decide the identity of the new Patriot. Three nameplates will be made with one going to the competition winner and two eventually fitted to the locomotive. Some names were allocated to Patriots but were never carried and as David Bradshaw said, "There may be others that no-one has ever thought of before".

Readers are asked to send in their ideas along with any donations to the LMS Patriot Project.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

November 6th 2007.

An email from Geoff Owen is reproduced below with an appeal for any information on the line through Abergele, Pensarn, Towyn and Rhyl. Although Geoff has nothing to submit to 6G he has still taken the time to relate some of his memories which I know will bring it all back to many site visitors. I just wish more would follow his example as I have said many times these little anecdotes and personal memories of the wonderful steam days are appreciated and understood by so many of us. 
Many thanks for the contact Geoff.

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October 19th 2007.

An interesting email from Steve Davis is reproduced below. Thanks for the contact Steve.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

October 18th 2007.

An email from 6G website visitor Gwyn Griffiths is reproduced below which gives a possible answer to the query posed by John Powell's postcard "find" published on this page on May 30th 2007.

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September 30th 2007.

An email from John Kirwood is reproduced below in which he fills in some detail requested by Steve Morris
(31/08/07) regarding his request for any information on the class 05 diesel shunters that were allocated to 6G
between 1965-1967. As John points out there is a picture of one of these engines (D2607) in the Norman Kneale 
gallery (6).

Many thanks for the details John.

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September 5th 2007.

An email from Chris Evans and an appeal for information is reproduced below. If anyone can help Chris please email me at geoff@poole57.freeserve.co.uk 

Hello Geoff

I've just been browsing your website again and enjoyed Jim Fenton's spotting memories 
from not long after my own holiday recollections.

One subject which is rarely mentioned is the variety of DMUs which appeared in the late 1950s and early 60s.  After the original Derby 'Lightweights' appeared in 1956 a succession of the later varieties appeared and there were many re-allocations in the years between 1959 and 1962.  Also, some services which were worked by DMUs, such as the 'Welsh Dragon' between Rhyl and Llandudno (which I believe holds the record as BR's shortest distance regular named-train route) and the Amlwch branch services occasionally reverted to steam haulage.

I wonder whether any of your regular correspondents - or indeed web-browsers - have any record of which units were running from Llandudno Junction in the summer of 1961?  I know that many spotters of the day recorded only steam loco numbers but maybe somebody at that time made a note of DMU numbers too, so that they could underline them in their ABCs!

Any help would be most welcome as I am replacing some of my DMUs on my model railway layout with Bachmann Class 108s which have recently been introduced - there are a couple of photos of them (amongst the steam ones!) on my layout website: www.llandudnojunction.fotopic.net     if anybody is interested.

Keep up the good work!

Chris Evans

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August 21st 2007.

An email from Roy Harris is reproduced below thanking John Kirwood for his help with the queries about the Conway goods yard which were published on August 15th 2007 on this page.

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August 21st 2007.

An email from Steve Morris who is working on a book covering diesel locomotive operation across 
the North Wales Coast from 1960 onwards is reproduced below. 
Steve would appreciate any information on the subject.
 
Please email me on the usual link at the foot of the HOMEPAGE if you can help

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August 21st 2007.

An email from Bob Ellison and my reply are reproduced below.

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August 21st 2007.

An email from David Hughes of Colwyn Bay is reproduced below, appealing for information on the 
coaling stage at 6G for a modelling project he is undertaking, plus any information on one of the 
Land Cruise Trains "The Welsh Chieftain".
 
If anyone can help please email me through the email link at the foot of the HOMEPAGE.

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August 15th 2007.

I published an email on July 1st 2007, on the NEWSPAGE , from Roy Harris of Conway who is building a working model of Conway station. Roy appealed for some answers to his questions regarding the movement of freight in and around the Conway area during the steam days, in the hope that someone could answer his queries.
I am glad to say that I have just received the email, reproduced below from ex-BR fireman John Kirwood, which answers Roy's queries. Many thanks John.

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July 28th 2007.

I have just received an email from John Kirwood correcting my description of him (below) as a "driver"
instead of a fireman.
Sorry about the error John.

Geoff,    Thanks for the reply,  A  small error ,I notice you promoted me to driver!! I was only a fireman, I left the railway late 1968 to join the North Wales Police, and am now retired, spending my leisure time firing and guarding  at Llangollen.

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July 28th 2007.

An email just received from ex- BR driver John Kirwood with some information on ex-BR driver 
R.V.Jones nickname "Bob Bychan" is reproduced below. Thanks for the email John. I'm sure his grandson, Tony Crowther, will appreciate the memories as many others will, including me. Great stuff John!

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July 26th 2007.

An email from David Jones is reproduced below. Glad 6G brought back some memories for you David.

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July 6th 2007.

Roy Harris has sent in this follow-up email to the two below. He has had some success with his appeal for details about the movement of freight around Conway but there are still some unanswered questions he would like help with.
Please email me through the email link on the HOMEPAGE if you can help.

Hi Geoff,

Thank you for putting my queries on your website.

My apologies for the mix up with my emails.

In reply to your question on the site, I subsequently found one UP and one
DOWN train shown in the June 1965 freight WTT.   Both "Stop as required (R)"
and are as follows:

8D54 SX
      Llandudno Jc  dep.   dep 0530
 R    Conway
0547  arr. Penmaenmawr

At first sight it would appear to be a trip working, although the timing
shown would amplify my original query about how you would get wagons off a
DOWN train into the sidings on the UP side without too much time consuming
running back and forth.

6D15 SX
     Penmaenmawr        dep 0715
 R   Conway
0730 arr. Llandudno Jc  dep 0800
0902 arr. Bagillt       dep 0930
1009 arr. Chester

This raises another question to my inexperienced eye.   Why was a class 6
train originating at Penmaenmawr and running all the way to Chester with so
few stops?   Hardly looks like the sort of pick-up goods I had expected to
call at Conway.

My other questions still remain.   i.e. were the loops in the goods yard
used as such, how you would shunt the wagons and what were all those coal
wagons doing there?

Hoping somebody out there can fill in a bit of background, please.

Roy.
Crewe.

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July 1st 2007.

Two emails from Roy Harris are reproduced below. Roy has built a working model of Conway station and originally asked for some help, from 6G visitors, regarding movement of goods wagons from the sidings. 
After sending the first email appeal he explains, in his second mail, that he has now had his queries answered, but he would appreciate any comments from interested parties.

How about some photo's of your model Roy! I'm sure site visitors would appreciate your endeavors. 
Also it would be helpful if you could email me with the answers that you have now acquired regarding your 
original queries in order for me to publish them on the site.

Thanks for your contact Roy.

Hi again,   (second email)

I finally find somebody to ask all this stuff and minutes later find some of
the answers myself!   However I would still be obliged if any of your
readers have any comments.

Hereafter have rewritten my original - thought it may be easier to cut and
paste.   Sorry for confusion!

Thanks again,

Roy.

 ________________________________________________________________________

Hi there, (first email)

Have only just discovered your web site about 6G.   Looks like I have got a
lot of reading to catch up on!

Many years ago my Dad said "Wouldn't The Junction make a good model?".
Main line, two branches, engine shed, seaside and a castle in the
background.   This thought stuck with me for many years until I bought a
house with a spare (railway!) room.   To my great disappointment it was too
small to fit in any meaningful representation of The Junction.

Leafing through my copy of Anderson & Fox "Chester to Holyhead Railway" I
came to Conwy.   A lot less points to buy, nice compact station, a few
sidings (it's still 1960!) and with the town wall behind it I won't have to
spend time making scenery and trees.   (Having spent all winter in a
snowstorm of polystyrene making the walls I'm not so sure now!)

Now I have a series of questions;  I wonder if any of your readers can
assist, please?

According to the June 1965 freight WTT one train each way is booked to call
at Conwy as required.

An article in the December 1981 Model Railways infers that a DOWN train
would cross over, draw into one of the loops within the goods yard and then
run round to shunt.

This seems like a lot of running back and forth.   Is this correct or would
a DOWN train just service the sidings on the DOWN side, keeping wagons for
the UP side for its return trip?

Would an UP train wishing to exchange a few wagons leave the bulk of its
train standing on the main while it shunted or would it be required to clear
the main?   I take it that the headshunt is so short in relation to the
sidings that a loco might have to run out onto the main line and into the
tubular bridge if handling a quantity of wagons?

I had assumed that by the 60's a small station such as this would have had
an almost deserted yard.   However, I have a picture copied from an unknown
book showing the yard with 20+ loaded coal wagons in situ.   Seemed a lot to
me.   Would they have been for delivery to Conwy or would they be stored for
some reason?   If so where are they going from/to?   Incidentally the wagons
pictured would effectively stop anything using those lines to run round.

I wonder if anyone can help clear up these points, please?   It feels so
much more realistic if you can operate the model prototypically.   Having
said that, at times my Conwy does seem to have been allocated its very own
diesel shunter...but it's a nice model and I don't want to leave it in the
box!

Many thanks,

Roy.

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June 10th 2007.

An email from Barry Taylor is reproduced below with a tale to tell from when he was on the footplate.

Good evening Geoff,
Barry Taylor here again (note new e-mail address)
just been looking at the pictures of the Junction Reunion.
Brought back some memories of working with some of them when
I was a Trainman (freight guard) at the Junction.
 
One small tale to tell comes from driver Vic Thomas, he said to me one early morning on the
Amlwch tanks as we entered the Conwy Tube at about 0400 in the morning,
"This is the worst job in the world" Then on the return journey back
through the Tube at about 10-30 he'd say "This is the best job in the world"
 
He did have a good point though!!!!

Many thanks for the contact Barry.

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Friday June 8th 2007.         [PHOTO'S NOW ON NORTH WALES COAST STEAM PAGE    09/06/2007]

LMS Coronation Class 4-6-2 No. 46233 "Duchess of Sutherland visits the North Wales Coast 
tomorrow (Sat) with,
THE WELSH DRAGON Crewe-Holyhead-Crewe.

She arrives at Llandudno Junction from Crewe at 11.04 takes water and departs at 11.38.

She arrives back at the Junction from Holyhead at 17.46 takes water and departs at 18.12.

I hope to have a photo on the NORTH WALES COAST STEAM page tomorrow evening.(Sat)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

June 1st 2007.

THE MEN OF 7A & 6G LOCO SHED.
LLANDUDNO JUNCTION 1920 - 1966
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

CLICK THUMBNAIL



The above book by Derek Williams which was published in September 2006 has been a 
tremendous success in such a short time. Below is a news article from the North Wales Weekly News
showing a photo of Derek presenting Marie Bugler , the fundraising coordinator for 
St David's Hospice Llandudno, with a cheque for £300.00 which is part of the proceeds from
the sale of his book. The Railway Pensioners Club have also received a donation.

CLICK THUMBNAIL

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May 30th 2007.

John Powell has sent in this old postcard, he picked up at a car boot sale, with no detail or
description of place or date.
Can anyone help with the details?

( February 1st 2010 )
 John has since discovered that the photo is of the London & North Wales officials and it
was taken at the Royal Lancashire Show in 1909.

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May 29th 2007.

An email from Gwyn Griffiths and an appeal for help is reproduced below.
If you can help please email me through the email link on the "HOMEPAGE" and I will contact Gwyn.

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May 4th 2007.

An email from Russ Jones who is a driver for Arriva Trains is reproduced below. 

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March 3rd 2007.

Alan Roberts has provided the following chart of bridges or crossings on the Llandudno branch line, past and present.

1.        Llandudno Junction crossing (demolished 1968)
1C.     Flyover at Llandudno Junction (new bridge built 1968/69, replacing level crossing at Llandudno Junction)
1A.     Deganwy Station footbridge
1B.     Deganwy level crossing (demolished mid 1970's) [next to signalbox]
2.        Castle Hotel footbridge (original 1866) still in use
2D.     Platt Fields (steel footbridge) [erected 1988]
2C.     Concrete rainbow bridge (located near the former swimming pool) demolished 1978
2B.     Maesdu Bridge (concrete) [erected 1929, to replace a level crossing]
2A.     Culvert beneath the main lines and sidings at Llandudno Junction

As a rule bridges are numbered as e.g. 1.2.3. etc. Any additional bridges built later in between the main numbers often carry the prefix A,B,C, etc.

Alan Roberts.

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March 2nd 2007.

An email from previous contributor Alan Morris who is originally from Deganwy but now living and working as a tunnel engineer in Hong Kong.
Thanks for your contact Alan. I look forward to seeing any photo's of the old footbridge at Deganwy if you can find them. Thanks also for your explanation on the "up" and "down" line details.

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February 17th 2007.

An email from G. Parry is reproduced below. I sent him the photo by John Powell that appears on the "JOHN POWELL COLLECTION"page on the site. 

Many thanks for your contact and I hope the photo is what you are after.

Geoff.

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January 31st 2007.

I have just received this email reproduced below from Jonathan Parry. Thanks for your contact and kind words Jonathan and I am really pleased your Grandmother enjoyed seeing your Grandad's photo at the reunion. I'm sorry I don't have any photo's of your Grandad or Great Uncle but I would urge you to contact Derek Williams who recently published a book on 6G as he may be able to help you. Derek's details are on the
"DVD, Video and Book" review page on the site.

Geoff.

Hi,

Just been having a look at your website after a search for my Grandad Reg
Collinson and my Great Uncle Jonny Calvert who both passed away recently,
I was just wondering if you had any pictures of them at all (I found the
one of Reg at the re-union).

May I also say what a wonderful website you have and it made my Grandmothers
day to see the picture of my Grandad

Many Thanks

Jonathan

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John Powell has sent me one of his favourite poems and I must admit it conjures up many memories of days long gone for myself also. It is from a book  called "Railway Poems" by Barry Allen published by Finial Publishing.

John has obtained publishing rights for inclusion on the site, so the poem is reproduced below.

January 26th 2007.

An email from Barry Taylor, a driver at the "Junction" is reproduced below.
Many thanks for the contact Barry.

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January 26th 2007.

An email from Lorenzo Hughes from North Yorkshire is reproduced below.
Many thanks for your interest Lorenzo.

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December 10th 2006.

An email from a Network Rail employee is reproduced below with a plea for help. If you can help Neil please send details through the email link to me on the "HOMEPAGE".

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November 7th 2006.

Below is an email from Alan Morris, who is a Tunnel Engineering Manager in Kowloon ,Hong Kong,  and my reply to him.
If anyone can help Alan he can be contacted through the email link on the HOMEPAGE.

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October 22nd 2006.

More recollections of our area during "The Glorious Years " have been sent in by T Jones, of Chester.
He asks how many sheds were in operation during the 50s/60s era, and if there was a depot at Rhyl.

There was a shed at Rhyl and the full list of sheds in the Chester - Holyhead area was :

                                        6A                            CHESTER
                                        6B                            MOLD JUNCTION
                                        6C                            BIRKENHEAD
                                        6D                           CHESTER (NORTHGATE)
                                        6E                            CHESTER (EX- W.R)
                                        6F                             BIDSTON
                                        6G                            LLANDUDNO JUNCTION
                                        6H                            BANGOR
                                        6J                             HOLYHEAD
                                        6K                            RHYL

October 21st 2006.

An email from T. Jones of Chester is reproduced below. Many thanks for your memories and 
It's nice to know the website brought back some happy memories for you. 

There must be so many " old spotters " out there who could relate similar tales
of the " Glorious Years " who possibly don't realize the interest these stories hold for the 
many 6G enthusiasts who visit this site. If you have any memories you could share, like T. Jones ,
why not drop me a line.

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October 18th 2006.

Another glowing tribute from regular contributor Alan Roberts for Derek Williams's new book is reproduced below.

Geoff,

I would like to congratulate Derek on his new book on 7A & 6G. Excellent book with many faces recognized, with some of the faces known worked till the late 1980's during my career on the railway.

Alan Roberts
Relief Signaller,
Llandudno Junction.

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October 15th 2006.

An email from Chris Hazlehurst , who is a very happy recipient of Derek Williams's new book, 
is reproduced below.

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October 15th 2006.

An email from Richard Thornton is reproduces below with a plea for any photo's
of the Park Royal DMU's on 6G. 

Please email me if you can help!

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October 10th 2006.

An email from passed cleaner Eddie Hughes,  from Holyhead shed (6J) and later fireman and driver on the Southern Region, is reproduced below. Many thanks Eddie, I'm sure a lot of people will remember you from those days. Thanks for the contact, Geoff.

Hi Geoff,
         Just found the website, what a great memory provider.
I was a passed cleaner at 6J between August 1960 and May 1964. Terry Hughes,
John Kirkwood and Kevin Aitcheson who themselves were passed cleaners at 6G
during that time, our paths crossed many times during the "on loan" times in
the 60s. John and myself have been lifelong friends since that time and he
has informed me of the Reunion on Wednesday.
I left Holyhead in 1964 to go on loan to Wolverhampton where the Llandudno
trio and self met up once again.
Left W/hampton in October 1965 to go as a fireman at Old Oak Common on the
Western Region till 1969, left Old Oak Common to go as a driver at Slade
Green on the Southern Region.  Left railway in 1976. started as a cleaner or
janitor at Anglesey Aluminium Metals and left last month to retire having
been a site manager for 20 years.
Look forward to Wednesday

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October 3rd 2006.

An email from Chris Hazlehurst from Boston, Lincs is reproduced below along with my reply.

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September 30th 2006.

6G Reunion 2006.

Derek Williams has organized another reunion of 6G workers at the Llandudno Junction Labour Club
 on Wednesday October 4th 2006 at 7.00 PM. It is also a celebration of the 40th anniversary
of the closure of 6G on October 3rd 1966. The evening will include large board displays 
of old photographs entitled:
THE HISTORY OF THE JUNCTION-FROM BEGINNING TO END.

Copies of Derek's new book described below will also be offered for sale.



----------------------------------------------------------

CLICK THUMBNAIL

September 23rd 2006.

The eagerly awaited book on 6G by Derek Williams has now been published. The 112 page book is titled 
THE MEN OF 7A AND 6G LOCO SHED, Llandudno Junction  1920s till 1966
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

It took five years of hard work by Derek to compile this superb book and to sort out the many
copyright problems he faced. He should be thanked and congratulated for his efforts
which we enthusiasts of the 6G story can now enjoy.

 I think 6G must be a unique story
as I don't think any other steam shed has had a road named after it, plus a website and a book dedicated to 
the memory of the workers who ran the depot.

    Derek tells me that the book is on sale at most major local book sellers including W H Smith, at £9.00.
Signed copies can also be obtained direct from Derek Williams for £9.00 plus £2.00 P&P by phoning
Derek on 01492 572217.


All profits from the book will be shared between 
St David's Hospice, Llandudno and
The Railway Pension Charity.

I will be reviewing the book on the soon to be published 
DVD, VIDEO AND BOOK REVIEW PAGE
on this website.


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August 21st 2006
An email appeal from Alan Roberts for ID of personnel in a Colwyn Bay station staff photo is reproduced below.

Geoff,
Please find enclosed a photograph I have taken from the North Wales Weekly News.
Photo shows presentation given to two members of staff from Wil Edwards, Station Master.
Pictured from left to right :
Top Row : Nefyn Hughes,   ?   ,  Richard Roberts.
2nd Row :   ?    ,  E. H Davies, G. Parry, Gwynfor Roberts, J.E.Lloyd
Bottom Row :  ?  (Ladies Waiting Room), Wil Edwards (SM), D.J.Hughes, H.G.Goodier,  
                         Fred Crossley & Richie Williams.


Can anyone find the missing names please. I would be quite grateful.
Thanks
Alan Roberts

If you can help please email me through the email link on the HOMEPAGE. (Geoff)

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August 11th 2006.

An email and an appeal from Tony Robinson is reproduced below. If anyone can help Tony 
with any photo's of Kinnerton Bank" he can be contacted through the email link on the "HOMEPAGE".

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July 10th 2006.

An email received from Alan Roberts is reproduced below.

Geoff,

May I congratulate Tom Slaven and his new page - excellent stuff and some of the faces recognised such as Vic Thomas, D.J.Evans and Nigel Forest (still driving).

All good stuff,

Alan Roberts
Relief Signaller
Llandudno Junction.

July 4th 2006.

A NEW BOOK BY D.R.WILLIAMS COVERING 7A AND 6G IS ABOUT TO BE PUBLISHED AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE LATE SEPTEMBER 2006.

THE BOOK IS TITLED:
THE MEN OF 7A AND 6G LOCOMOTIVE SHED LLANDUDNO JUNCTION
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (1920s till 1966)

I know Derek Williams has been working on this book for some time and he tells me that all copyright issues have now been settled and a September release is expected. I have seen some of the work Derek has done and I am very excited at the prospect of plenty of new and unpublished details on 6G. I know Derek has put a lot of effort into this book so I think he should be congratulated for all his hard work and dedication which has paid dividends at last. This will be the first book to be published celebrating the workers of Llandudno Junction Locomotive Depot and I'm sure copies will be snapped up very quickly. I will announce more details as soon as I get them.

Derek also tells me that he is arranging another reunion of 6G men on October 4th 2006.
I will publish details on this later in the year.

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June 7th 2006.

An email from Roy Thompson, with some interesting recollections from the "glorious days",  is reproduced below.

I came across your website after entering J.M.DUNN. I have just read his
book "Reflections on a Railway Career- LNWR to BR". I was trying to find out
the date of his death but didn't come up with anything. My memories of LJ go
back to the late 1940's when I was an Engineering Apprentice in Crewe Works.
I had nothing to do with the shed there but used to take the train up the
Conway Valley when going Youth Hosteling. In those wonderful 'All Steam'
days our train was enviablely headed by a 'Coal Tank' but on one occasion we
had a 'Cauliflower'. It was a Saturday and the train was Bettws-y-Coed only.
It was a good job as the poor old thing was so run down it would never have
managed the steep grades from there up to Blaenau.

I am a very early Member of the LNWR Society. We have a very large
collection of photos including those taken by G.M. Dunn. If you are at all
interested in the Premier Line you should join us.

Roy Thomson.   Winchester.

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June 7th 2006.

An email from David L Jones of Criccieth, Gwynedd is reproduced below. Thanks David , I will pass on your request to Jim... ( see below).  I hope he can help.     Geoff Poole.

Hi Geoff

Stumbled across your excellent website whilst doing a search for the above
and saw the e-mail from Jim Johnson who owns the name plate of "Bangor".
I'm reliving my memories of steam using Microsoft Train Simulator and I've
just started repainting some of the stock that's available.  I've managed to
get photos of "Llandudno" and "Colwyn Bay" nameplates and was wondering
whether you could kindly pass on my request to Jim for a photo of his
nameplate so that I can model that engine?  Your help would be very much
appreciated.  I enclose photos of the two I've managed to get so far on the
internet.

The highlight of my train spotting days in Bangor where I used to live was
seeing "Black Watch" in ex-works condition in Bangor sheds and being hauled
from Bangor by the "Duchess of Buccleuch".

Thanks for your help.

David L Jones
Criccieth
Gwynedd

CLICK THUMBNAILS

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April 4th 2006.

An email from Alan Roberts and photo of Colwyn Bay Station staff is reproduced below.

Geoff,
Another photo discovered in my collection, this time of the station staff at Colwyn Bay in 1980. During this time I was working in Colwyn Bay station 12 months or so before I went on to the signalling grade. Rodney on the left of the picture now works in Llandudno Junction station.

Alan Roberts.

CLICK THUMBNAIL

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March 20th 2006.

An email from Selwyn Price who supplied the photo's for the new page "Station Staff Photo Page" is reproduced below,  with a few interesting details about some of the personnel shown. Many thanks Selwyn..

Hi Geoff,

Glad the photos arrived safely, they look good on the web site. One correction though,
Dilys Hughes was mums maiden name, she became Mrs. Dilys Price on her marriage
to my dad.

Looking through some of your old emails, one from Haydn Morris ( 19 September 2004 )
mentions Jack Armstrong. Jack married Eleanor Jones, who appears in one of the
photos I sent in. They lived in Pen Garth, Conway and had two children, James and
Lynne. I think Jack became a local councilor later on.

Olwen Edwards, who also appears with mum and Eleanor, later married Ritchie Williams,
who worked in the booking office at Colwyn Bay station. They had two children, Tudor
and Ceinwen and still live in Old Colwyn.

Mum does still have more photos which I will forward when she locates them.

Best regards,

Selwyn.

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March 17th 2006.

An email from Tony Williams identifying an "unknown" on the Reunion 2003 page. Many thanks Tony, I
have now corrected the caption...... Geoff.

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March 14th 2006.

Another email from Alan Bartlett , and my reply  , is reproduced below. Many thanks again Alan for the offer of photo's and your comments....

geoff. Thanks for your swift reply.Photos are not A1 but will probably come up with a bit TLC.  I will see what i can do. There are only four at 6G have another taken from first coach behind a Black 5 returning to Abergele near Pennanmawr(never could spell it). A few others at Abergele , also found one in shed yard at 6G of 44661. If i cant get use of scanner icould drop them in the post if you dont mind returning them.               

          I only visited Llandudno Junc. a couple of times when on holiday but there was still plenty of steam even then. At the time i was an ardent shed basher and travelled all over the place, i think i must have lived in steam sheds. As it happens you may know the fireman leaning out of the Blackie.  Just checked out a good site of an ex Annesley fireman, (now that was a good shed to top up your 9Fs) Great pics and stories.

          Always wanted to go on footplate but eyes let me down, nearest i got was Pway in the seventies, at least i can say i did work for BR.

          Anyway thats enough rambling on.

                                  Cheers Alan Bartlett

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March 13th 2006

An email from Selwyn Price received February 24th 2006 is published further down on this page. Selwyn promised some photo's of the Junction and 6G when he received them from his mother. True to his word I have received some very interesting shots of Junction Station staff and rare shots of 6G from 1937 to 1943. I am sure the content and quality of these nostalgic memories will be of great interest to site visitors. I have decided to dedicate a new page to these wonderful shots as soon as I can, so watch this space!      Many thanks Selwyn....(Geoff)

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March 13th 2006

An email from Alan Bartlett, and my reply,  is reproduced below...

Geoff. Great site, wonderful photos. Used to visit 6G when on holiday at Abergele, lived in Birmingham then about 15. Have shots of 46235 departing station from the road overbridge and 44525 and  84020 stored in depot yard. Also a Black 5 leaving the depot. Great days.

     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

February 24th 2006.

Below is an email from Selwyn Price with some detail about the photo on the "Junction Men" page, showing a young "Tommy Gill" at the naming ceremony of Patriot 45525 "Colwyn Bay". 

Many thanks Selwyn.

Geoff,

If you would scroll down on the 6G website to JUNCTION MEN, to the photo of the
Patriot 45525 - COLWYN BAY -and the young Tommy Gill. The chap to the far right of
the photo, wearing a bowler hat, is William James Hughes, Foreman. His second
daughter Dilys was employed as a Telegraphist at the station during the war and has a
photo taken before World War 2 of all the Station Staff, of whom there are now only 3
alive to date. She also has a lot more photos in her possession, taken at the station,
which may be of interest to your group. I will ask my mother to sort them out in order that
they can be scanned and forwarded to you.

Regards,
Selwyn Price.

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January 2nd 2006.

An e-mail and photo from Alan Roberts is reproduced below:

Hi Geoff,
HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Another of my photo collection enclosed shows two unidentified Class 25 hauling a loaded spoil train of 28 wagons through Colwyn Bay in 1982. The train originated from Llandudno Junction off an engineering job at the east end of the Junction. The uphill gradient from Mochdre to Colwyn Bay would have meant the driver having the controller in full position to keep the train moving doing not more than 35mph maximum !. Note the brake van at each end of the train which meant the wagons were probably "unfitted" throughout the train. Nowadays unfitted trains are a thing of the past and are fitted throughout without the necessity of having a brake van at the rear.

Alan Roberts.

CLICK THUMBNAIL

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November 21st 2005.  With regards to the recent photo and worries about the safety aspect of the sidings, leased by EWS, at Llandudno Junction station, Alan Roberts has just sent me this note to update the story.

Hi Geoff,

Speaking to one of my colleagues working for EWS and he stated that they had requested for the sidings to be lifted. The sidings could then be reinstated in a more simplified form to what the layout stands now and for possible use if the slate traffic ran on the Conwy Valley line. At the moment trains can either run round in the platforms or the so called "Quay Shelf" located opposite the signal box - formed as a short loop.


Alan.

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November 18th 2005.  Barrie Williams, who lived in the area from 1937-60, has just sent me this e-mail with some interesting detail and a plea for help. Barrie is trying to obtain the film made on the 13th June 1937 of 6220, Lion and Coronation running on the four-track main line from Llandudno junction to Colwyn Bay to commemorate the Royal Trains of 1835,1911 and 1937, as featured on the  "STEAM DAYS" page of the site.

If anyone can help please contact me through the e-mail link on the HOMEPAGE.

Many thanks for the contact Barrie.

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November 17th 2005. I have just received this e-mail from Norman Smeddles, who spent many happy hours watching the steam trains passing through Llandudno Junction when he was a boy. Thanks for the contact Norman. It is rewarding for me to know the website took you back to those happy days. These sort of stories make my efforts worthwhile. Many thanks Geoff.

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November 15th 2005.

An email and photo from Alan Roberts, showing all that remains of the Junction sidings, is reproduced below.

What a sad and disgraceful scene this makes. 

If anyone was in any doubt, this sort of sight emphasizes the level our railways have sunk to, and it makes you wonder how safe we are when we travel on our modern track, if this amount of deterioration has been allowed to develop at a main line station.

It's also very sad to see the track,  bottom right of picture, cut and lifted, 
which was one of the tracks leading to 6G. Another poignant reminder of the glorious days long gone.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention , Alan......  (Geoff)

Hi Geoff,
This is the sorry state of the sidings at Llandudno Junction. Three out of the seven sidings are still in use for EWS trains only. The points at the Queens Road Bridge end cannot be used anymore restricting run round movements in the yard.

Alan Roberts.

TAKE A BOW !     EWS.........
(What a wonderful world this would be if the price of weed killer dropped)

CLICK THUMBNAIL

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November 13th 2005.

 Below is an email I have received from Tom Slaven, an ex-6G driver.

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October 25th 2005.

Below is an email just received from Phil Harper-Smith with some comments on 6G.

Hi,

Just a quick e-mail to say how fascinating I have found your site. I am
afraid I have no connection with the area or its history, but I have an
abiding interest in the the railways of Wales, I  blame the acquisition of
a book by Bill Rear for that, nearly a decade ago! (Since joined by many
others).

I came across your site when finding out a bit more about the station area
and trying to work out how much of the sidings towards the seawall / quay
area survived. I gather that the three sidings at the end have gone but I
was trying to see how much of the end closer to the station has survived.

I found Alan Roberts comments and diagrams very interesting, especially his
latest e-mail on your news page, about the state of the sidings - they will
certainly need some 'fettling' if the slate waste trains are to run.

Anyway keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Phil H-S

Thanks for the contact Phil. You are right, not much of the track layout from 6G days still exists, as Alan Roberts described on this page (see email below). Very sad! (Geoff.)


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September 30th 2005.

I am in the process of compiling a new page featuring rare photo's of 6G from the 80s and 90s , by John Powell. Among them were the two shots below of Bulleid "West Country" class, 4-6-2,   34027 "Taw Valley" at Llandudno Junction Station when she pulled the "NORTH WALES COAST EXPRESS" on the 25th July 1989. I thought it would be more appropriate if they were published here as I think they will be of interest to site visitors.

Taking water on the return journey to Crewe

Ready to join her train after the water stop.

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September 10th 2005.

Some interesting detail comes in this email from Alan Roberts.

Hi Geoff,

Sorry I haven't been in touch for a while - so much other commitments going at the moment. Good letter from Ian about the Junction since 1986. I worked the Junction box on a regular basis 1990 - 1992 having previously been on relief based at Colwyn Bay and worked with Ian on the platform by radio (walkie talkie) communication. I then moved to be a relief again.

The "new" yard at Llandudno Junction is now a sorry state. Sidings 1 - 4 are blocked due to the condition of the track. Sidings 5 (former Down Avoiding line between No1 and No2 boxes), Siding 6 (former Down Slow & old Platform 4) and Siding 7 (short loop) are the only ones in use. Just because the sidings belong to EWS no other trains apart from their own can stable in the yard. Additionally the run round facilities in the yard now don't exist as the points in the remaining sidings at the Queens Road bridge end have rusted up and don't work !!.


Some other important dates.

From Monday 28th September 1992 (Start of Winter Timetable)
                                                      No shunting will be carried out at Llandudno Junction 
                                                      platform staff (formerly shunters). Trainmen now to
                                                      set the appropriate road for their train to enter the
                                                      yard or carriage shed/sidings. However the platform
                                                      staff will work yard during emergencies only.

From 1800hrs Saturday 3rd April 1993. : No fitters available at Llandudno Junction at any 
                                                           time. Nearest are Chester or Holyhead. This was 
                                                           the very last chapter of the history of the 6G shed.




   Geoff, please note I have changed my e-mail address once again !!!! following my recent move of house from Colwyn Bay to Abergele. My new e-mail is now as follows :-

                            alnrbrts9@aol.com 



                            Thanks,

                            Alan Roberts.               

Many thanks Alan, It really is sad when you consider the state of the Junction today. It's sad when you say this is the final chapter in the history of 6G.

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September 6th 2005

An Email from current 6G driver Ian Sansom,  is reproduced below.

September 3rd 2005

 Jubilee class 5690 "Leander" on the North Wales Coast Main Line. (PHOTO'S GEOFF POOLE) 

CLICK THUMBNAILS

Leander races away from Conway at Morfa.

Leander at the Junction

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August 26th 2005.

I noticed this article and picture in "Steam Railway" (313), about 46200 "Princess Royal" on 6G.

‘Princess’ on 6G: I was there!

  Our two-part ‘Glorious Years’ tribute to Keith Pirt has generated lots of

  favourable feedback. Reader John Wilkinson from Bromyard wrote with a very

  p ersonal memory: “When I saw the wonderful picture of No.46200 The Princess

  Royal at Llandudno shed (SR311), it bought back some memories as I was there

  on that day! It was very rare for a Stanier ‘Pacific’ to be on 6G as they always

  worked through to Holyhead.

  ‘Sorting through my photographs, I found some pictures of it on shed the same

day. Keith Pirt’s photograph shows it on the water-tank road so I guess I must

have been there a few minutes later as you can see the tank in the background.

The reason why it was on shed was that it had come off a RCTS special from

Bradford to Porthmadog.”

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August 2nd 2005

An email asking for records of the stored engines outside 6G has been received from Rick Woodall, and is reproduced below along with my reply. If anyone can help let me know and I will pass it on to Rick.

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June 19th 2005. 

An email from new contributor John Powell is reproduced below.  Many thanks for your email and interesting detail John, I will contact you soon. Geoff.

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6233 heading for Colwyn Bay with the "up" Welsh Dragon Relief on June 18th 2005.

CLICK THUMBNAIL
PHOTO GEOFF POOLE

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June 4th 2005.  6233 " Duchess Of Sutherland " powers her way through Conway with the down
 "Welsh Dragon"

CLICK THUMBNAIL

PHOTO GEOFF POOLE

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May 10th 2005. An email from Jim Johnson who is the proud owner of the nameplate "BANGOR" from the fireman's side of the rebuilt Patriot 45523, is reproduced below along with my reply. If anyone has another shot of the fireman's side that they wouldn't mind passing a copy of, to Jim,  please let me know.

May 8th 2005....As promised I report on the Official Caution I mentioned last month.

A WARNING TO ALL RAILWAY ENTHUSIASTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

I attended Colwyn Bay Police Station this morning to receive an Official Caution by Police Sergeant Andy Hemmings, Officer in Charge, Bangor Police Station. 

Sgt Andy Hemmings explained to me that an official Caution stayed on file for five years before becoming spent. This means that if I am convicted of any offence in the next five years, before sentence this Official Caution would then be read to the court and taken into consideration when sentencing was decided.

It was explained to me that on average 250 people (mainly adults) lose their lives on railway land every year. The other concern that the BTP has is that children could be influenced seeing adults trespass on railway land and think that it's alright to follow this example ( a point my wife wholeheartedly agrees with) so I have to hold my hands up and learn my lesson for the future,  no matter how tempted I am to get into that better position to take my photo.   I have to accept that the railways have changed and are obviously a very dangerous place to expose the general public without the special safety training that all railway staff are given.

I must thank Sgt Andy Hemmings,  for dealing with this matter sensibly and respectfully.

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71000 "Duke of Gloucester" heads towards Colwyn Bay at Mochdre with the up Irish Mail 
on  Saturday May 7th 2005.

PHOTO GEOFF POOLE

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April 29th 2005.

An email from Syd Winward ,an expat now living in New Zealand ,is reproduced below and also my reply.

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LMS Coronation Class 4-6-2. 6233, Duchess of Sutherland visits the North Wales Coast main line on April 9th 2005 with the "Irish Mail". 

Photo (1) was taken at Abergele as she heads for Holyhead running 45 minutes late.  Unfortunately shortly after taking this shot I was approached by Transport Police, was cautioned and had to make a statement as to why I was on Railway property. I explained that I felt it was safer to position myself in this position because of the danger to myself from passing road traffic on the narrow lanes due to the major road works taking place . They felt that it was still necessary to report me and I await proceedings. I will keep the site updated on developments.

Photo (2) shows 6233 at Morfa heading for Penmaenmawr.

Both shots by Geoff Poole.

(1)

(2)

click thumbnails

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March 28th 2005.     An email is reproduced below from Brian Roberts with a plea for help. If anyone can help Brian, please email me with the details and I will pass them on. I have given him a few  names (Bob Barnsdale , Derek Williams and Bill Rear) who may be able to help him.