Headline News
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THE Llangollen Railway was aiming to restart services on Friday, July 9.
Subject to inspection and approval of maintenance work carried out on the River Dee bridge, the Llangollen Railway Trust – which has now taken over the running of the line following previous operator Llangollen Railway plc entering administration with £350,000 debt – will begin with a Llangollen to Berwyn shuttle service using diesel railcars operating between Fridays and Sundays.
The work on the Dee Bridge was scheduled to restart on Monday, June 28 and is expected to last for one week. The volunteer permanent way team has to fit the check rails to the timbers, align the track and weld up the rail joints to complete the work started in March, when new baulk timbers were installed prior to the plc receiver suspending work.
The works will then be inspected by an independent engineer and, if all is well, the bridge will be signed off. The railway's permanent way engineer will then inspect the track between the bridge and Berwyn Tunnel before trains can start running to Berwyn.
Operations director Mike Williams said: “Before we can run revenueearning train services, we have to complete the railway's Safety Management System for approval.
“We are also starting refresh sessions for steam and diesel crews, signalmen, guards and so on from July 2. This will be an ongoing need, as will be competency examination.”
Beyond Berwyn station, essential engineering works are needed in Berwyn Tunnel, the west end pointwork at Glyndyfrdwy to relay and repairs to occupation crossings at Carrog.
Initial DMU operation
Once the tunnel work is finished, train services can extend to Glyndyfrdwy, initially again using DMU traction until the west end points become available. When run-round facilities are operational at Glyndyfrdwy, the options for using steam or diesel locomotive-hauled services become available.
On completion of the occupation crossings, trains can start running to Carrog, hopefully by early August. That paves the way for an engineering train to run to the new terminus at Corwen and drop ballast on the pointwork and station loop prior to the tamping of the track through the station, as a longer-term aim.
As we closed for press, Mike said: “We are looking to restart a limited service between Llangollen and Berwyn on Friday, July 16. However, if the Dee bridge works are completed on time and the permanent way is signed off, we will bring this forward to Friday, July 9 by way of a ‘shakedown weekend operation' for trains and staff, pending a more formal reopening when local dignitaries will be invited to travel on the trains and lend their support.”
All services will be using DMUs provided by Llangollen Railcars, whose spokesman John Joyce said: “We are expecting to roster the Class 108 DMU with the Class 109 Wickham set in reserve, if demand warrants additional seats, subject to social distancing.
“Trains will depart Llangollen hourly, Fridays to Sundays, from 11am through to 4pm and allow a 15-minute stopover at Berwyn to enjoy the view of the Dee Gorge or sample the
Chain Bridge.
Other options for passengers are to visit the Horseshoe Falls or take the traditional walk back to Llangollen along the canal.
“Running a heritage DMU service to Berwyn will be recreating the pioneering days of 1986/87, when services at Llangollen first extended across the Dee Bridge.
“We hope our supporters will turn out to ride the shuttle if revenues are to cover operational costs, and make a contribution to the railway's overheads when costs like insurance and utility bills remain substantial expenses for the trust.”
Following the appeal for more help in lieu of paid staff, there has been a very encouraging response from existing volunteers. The estates department has had numerous offers to join the maintenance team and help at Berwyn, where scaffolding is erected to allow roof repairs to the station house and external painting.
Volunteers wanted
Trust chairman Peter Edwards said: “One area where we really need more people is carriage and wagon. In order to run loco-hauled trains on the railway, we need our Mk.1 carriages to be maintained to a documented standard and to then pass a fitnessto-run examination. Some former PLC employees have offered to return as volunteers.” Volunteers interested in joining an initial carriage and wagon training session in July are invited to contact the trust office. The volunteer liaison officer is Maureen Theobald (telephone 01978 860979; email info@llangollenrailway.co.uk).
Meanwhile, trust officials have been left angered and disappointed by moves from the plc administrators to seize four wedding deposits and advance ticket sales money from 312 customers. It was understood that £30,000 of customer money placed in a client trust account will have to go to creditors as part of insolvency proceedings, and legal advice was being sought.
The trust's Phil Freeth said: “We took insolvency advice and were told that putting the money in the trust would protect it. It is an outrageous decision.”
Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has called on the Welsh Government's economy minister Vaughan Gething to help the railway. Mr Skates said that, during a visit to Llangollen in April, First Minister Mark Drakeford said he wanted to work with local people to come up with a plan to be part of the help they will need to get the railway back up and running.
The sole operational steam locomotive available at Llangollen is Nick Gilbert's GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802, which has undergone runningin trials following a complete mechanical overhaul to the running gear and the certification of the boiler following a steam test. It last ran in 2020.
The trust's Kitson 0-6-0ST No. 5459 of 1932 Austin 1 is now on hire to the Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton. The hulk of ex-Barry GWR 4-6-0 No. 5952 Cogan Hall, owned by the 6880 Betton Grange Society, is being relocated to Tyseley Locomotive Works, beginning with the tender in late June. It will be dismantled and parts used to form the new tender for Betton Grange and eventually the tender for Cogan Hall.
Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No. 1731 of 1942 Jennifer has gone to the Aln Valley Railway and Barclay 0-6-0T No. 1338 of 1913 NCB West Ayr
No. 17, has been reassembled and will be completed at the Gwili Railway. Privately-owned blue RB coach No. 1697 went to Buckfastleigh for use on the South Devon Railway.
“We are looking to restart a limited service between Llangollen and Berwyn on Friday, July 16. However, if the Dee bridge works are completed on time and the permanent way is signed off, we will bring this forward to Friday, July 9.”