From GWR to ARRIVA
THE FOUR AGES OF THE ‘CAMBRIAN COAST EXPRESS’ - 50 YEARS AFTER BRITISH RAIL’S LAST HURRAH
Not many train titles have had four incarnations in regular use, spanning more than 80 years - but one of the GWR’s best-loved holiday expresses can claim that honour. This long history has given the ‘Cambrian Coast Express’ an even more unusual place in history. It is possibly the only named train on which steam was ousted by the march of modernisation - not once but twice. The ‘CCE’ name first appeared in 1927, when it was bestowed upon the 10.10am train from Paddington to Aberystwyth (and its through portion to Pwllheli) which made its inaugural titled run on July 15 that year. Withdrawn during the dark days of the Second World War, by the time the name reappeared in 1951, it was under the auspices of the nationalised railway - with which it would continue through another 16 years and two different regions. The classic image of the ‘CCE’ will forever remain a sparkling ‘Manor’, its spotless BR green livery and gleaming brass and copper set off by an application of ‘Danny’s Bull’ - the trademark white embellishments applied to the smokebox door hinges and buffers by Aberystwyth’s proud shedmaster Danny Rowlands. The Collett 4-6-0s remained synonymous with the Cambrian section even after its transfer from the Western to the London Midland Region on December 30 1962 - the class retaining a presence on the line until November 1965, when the last six were withdrawn and replaced by BR Standard ‘4MT’ 4-6-0s. It was two of these, Nos. 75021 and 75033, that brought down the curtain on the ‘CCE’ for the second time,
on March 4 1967 - making it the last ex-Western Region named express to be steam-hauled for part of its journey to or from Paddington. For the last Up train, No. 75033 was famously cleaned by the ‘Master Neverers Association’ and adorned with an original ‘CCE’ headboard - the last WR example to be used in service - while No. 75021 sported the original WR reporting number of 917, also the final time this appeared in normal running. In the 1980s and early 1990s, BR revived the ‘CCE’ name for a Euston-Aberystwyth train, but steam would not return to the Cambrian Coast line for another 20 years. When it did, a ‘Manor’ and Standard ‘4MT’ were again in charge - namely No. 7819 Hinton Manor and No. 75069 from the Severn Valley Railway - although the trains bore the name ‘Cardigan Bay Express’ rather than that of their illustrious predecessor. Weight restrictions on the wooden Barmouth Bridge, which was being eaten away by marine shipworm, put an end to this revival - but against all the odds, the ‘Cambrian Coast Express’ would return in 2005 as a regular tourist operation promoted by Arriva Trains Wales. Once again, a Standard ‘4MT’ was responsible, lightweight ‘Mogul’ No. 76079 proving its worth on Barmouth Bridge and the line’s other timber viaducts. Had Ian Riley not sold it to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 2009, No. 76079 would probably also have had the honour of ending this fourth age of the ‘CCE’ - but in 2010, it was ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 that was the last steam to run over these metals for the foreseeable future. After six successful seasons, latterly operated by West Coast as ‘The Cambrian’, steam was once again squeezed off the Cambrian Coast - this time by Network Rail’s installation of the new and steam-incompatible European Rail Traffic Management System. If a way can be found to make this newfangled signalling dovetail with 19th century technology, could a ‘Manor’ or a ‘4MT’ return to the Welsh coast for another re-creation of the ‘Cambrian Coast Express’? We can but hope…