Welsh Highland Railway

Russell Weekend 30-31/7/22

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Modern images updated from 30/7/22

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Saturday 30/7/22

This was a low profile weekend trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid COVID after two successful years of dodging the bullet by extended voluntary lockdowns!

The first image was taken at Bangor where the ECS stock movement takes place from Holyhead to Crewe Carriage shed.

This westerly view (30/7/22) shows the ECS loco hauled running from Holyhead to Crewe in the rain at 10:18 with 67014 in TfW livery passing through Bangor on the (rather overgrown) through line There was a return working later with a different loco/set. There trains along the North Wales Coast should really be available for passengers and not run as ECS on Saturdays. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for4 full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows Lyd at Dinas giving cab rides in the bay platform at 11:34. The loco is stabled at Dinas over the Summer to give an additional midday service from Caernarfon to Rhyd Ddu TWThO. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for4 full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows Russell at Dinas at 11:37 with No.87 behind allowing a comparison is size. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for4 full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows Lyd at Dinas at 11:40 shunting in the bay platform. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for4 full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This southerly view (30/7/22) shows Russell at Dinas at 11:49 shunting its rake ready for the next trip to Rhyd Ddu. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for4 full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows Russell arriving at Rhyd Ddu at 13:50. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This southerly view (30/7/22) shows logs on wagons at Rhyd Ddu at 13:52. At the time the NWNGR section north of Rhyd Ddu was reopened there was a wood extraction railway along the PBSSR trackbed for a mile as far as Cwm Ddu in the Beddgelert Forest. This may be the wagon formerly displayed at Tryfan Junction. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster

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This southerly view (30/7/22) shows Palmerston at Rhyd Ddu at 13:57 returning to Dinas with the FR heritage rake.  Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows Russell taking water at Rhyd Ddu at 14:10. Some construction work seems to be going on in the field behind the water tank. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows Russell taking water at Rhyd Ddu at 14:16.  Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This southerly view (30/7/22) shows Russell shunting onto its return working at Rhyd Ddu at 14:21.  Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This westerly view (30/7/22) shows DB liveried 67013 propelling the return ECS Crewe Carriage Sidings to Holyhead passing through Penmaenmawr at 16:09. Recently the silver Wrexham & Shropshire/Chiltern livery has been seen on this service. This is another train that could carry passengers and break the dreadful overcrowding on the North Wales Coast line. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

This northerly view (30/7/22) shows No.87 on the shuttle at Dinas  at 17:16. The headboard refers to the Cambrian Radio Cruise which was a land cruise train from the North Wales coast via Rhyl (reverse) Denbigh, Corwen, Barmouth, Porthmadog and Bangor with a broadcast commentary (hence the 'radio'). The train ran on the BR section of line now occupied by the WHR between Dinas and Caernarfon. Click on the image to enlarge and click again for full size where available. This image was taken on Canon EOS 2000D camera by your webmaster.

Your webmaster saw the stock of the Cambrian Radio Cruise train stabled on The Cob at Llandudno Junction in the late 1950s and read out the coach destination board to his disbelieving mother ... she also disbelieved me when I told her that the formation and tunnels in the Aberglaslyn Pass looked like a railway to me! I was only 10 so was not credited with knowing anything! The Cambrian Radio Express and similar land cruises in North Wales ran from 1951-1961. See North Wales Coast Railway website for more details.