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A55 REMODELLING PAGE

A PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF THE PROGRESS OF THE MOVING OF THE LINE AND BUILDING OF THE NEW A55 IN THE TAN-Y-BRYN/MOCHDRE AREA, BETWEEN APRIL 1982 THROUGH TO 1986/87.

ALL PRINTS AND SLIDES WERE TAKEN BY JOHN POWELL OF PWLLHELI .

THE PERMISSION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD BE ACQUIRED BEFORE PUBLISHING OR COPYING ANY OF THE IMAGES .

JOHN POWELL CAN BE CONTACTED THROUGH THE EMAIL LINK ON THE HOMEPAGE.

To enable construction of the new A55 Expressway the original four- track North Wales Coast railway line had to be lifted and reduced to the present day two- track between Colwyn Bay and Mochdre, and moved across to it's present position adjacent to the new road. John Powell realized the importance of this engineering work and took a series of photographs to document the change.

The photographic record below is John's work and I have included his notes where appropriate.

Once again I would like to thank a photographer for sharing a unique record for our interest.

The first photo shows the site at Tan-Y Bryn/Mochdre before any work had started in 1982. The rest of the collection shows the progress at this site up to 1986.

CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW

The way it was on 23rd April 1982. The rest of the photo's on this page show the way the scene changed over the years.
47485 at Tan-Y-Bryn with an East bound express. 23/04/82

25320 at Tan-Y-Bryn 9th June 1982
The work to clear a path for the new track bed had now begun on Bryn Euryn

47120 with a Holyhead-Crewe express on 29th September 1982.

45143 with a Bangor-Manchester train October 26th 1982.

47482 with an east bound express, December 1982

47448 with the 11.47 Bangor-Manchester express at Tan-Y-Bryn January1st 1983

47439 at Tan-Y-Bryn February 2nd 1983

March 3rd 1983

47565 pulls the 08.15 from Holyhead on April 9th 1983

47575 at Tan-Y-Bryn May 19th 1983

47138 with a Bangor-York train October 7th 1983

47524 pulls a Holyhead-Crewe express on October 13th 1983 on which was soon to become the new A55.

47489 at Tan-Y-Bryn October 26th 1983

47534 with a Bangor-Manchester train November 11th 1983

The beautiful old bridge is now half demolished next to the new footbridge which is now complete.
In the foreground the new track is ready to be laid on November 16th 1983

Cable laying at Tan-Y-Bryn on the 30th November 1983. (08633)

same date as above

47555 on December 29 1983.

25095 on January 19th 1984.

45019 at Tan-Y-Bryn on January 21st 1984.

47468 and 47340 on January 31st 1984

January 31st 1984

Track-lifting with 47360 in attendance February 3rd 1984

47598 with a Crewe-Holyhead express passes 47360 on track-lifting duty on February 3rd 1984.

40126 on it's final North Wales working before withdrawal, later that week, passes the track-lifting work with a mineral train on February 3rd 1984.

April 27th 1984, and the beautiful old bridge has sadly disappeared to be replaced by the ugly footbridge. I think that's what they call progress.

47503 on June 23rd 1984

47555 at Tan-Y-Bryn July 4th 1984

40181 pulls an Amlwch-Stanlow (Octel) freight passing the new Euroway on July 25th 1984

47412 at Tan-Y-Bryn on October 23rd 1984.

45138 passes the major workings with a Bangor-Scarborough train on January 1st 1985

A Bangor-Scarborough train passes Tan-Y-Bryn, behind 47593 "Galloway Princess" on January 26th 1985.
NOTE: Highland Terrier Motif.

47491 with a Holyhead-Euston express on April 27th 1985

47638 with a Holyhead-Euston express races traffic on the newly opened A55 on September 9th 1986

33207 with a Bangor-Cardiff train on September 27th 1986. This was the last appearance of this class on regular trains in North Wales.

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