Heritage Traction on the Llangollen Railway

Many thanks to all those who came along for a trip behind 6940 in the sunshine today (remember that funny yellow shiny thing?). We are very sorry for the failure of the loco and loss of the 2pm ex-Llangollen train and hope nobody was too disappointed or had headed home to find out that she was then repaired in time for the 4pm working. The fault was traced to a broken main fuel feed pipe to A6 injector, which was repaired quickly enough to allow 6940 to resume her turn in time for the final trip. The photo below shows the stricken 6940 and her train being towed away from Llangollen station by 08195 – before the repair was made. Thanks to James Poole for the photo.

Sunday May 13th will see 6940 work the 4 trip B service diagram, full timetable available at http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/times.php?year=2012&month=May. First departure away from Llan at 10:15. Adult Day rover available for £12.

Saturday May 26th will see A1A’s Class 31 5580 out to play. Arrangements are the same as the 13th - 4 trips, B diagram, £12 day rover.

Victoria’s Tearoom at Llangollen staton and Carrog Station Tea Rooms will be doing the usual honours of keeping passengers nourished through both days if required.

Traction for the remaining running dates is still TBC. Apologies for the delay, we will try to confirm asap.

Following on from a very successful Spring Diesel Day, D5310 was used to work a ballast train to apply some of the finishing touches to the Bonwm extension before it was handed over to the operating department for the massive 9 day Steel, Steam and Stars 3 Mega-Gala, which ran from April 21st to 29th. The extension was used throughout the gala and we look forward to offering diesel haulage to Bonwm later this year at our Autumn Diesel Day on Saturday September 22nd.

With such varied and awesome steam firepower on offer and Llangollen MPD very pushed for space, the LDG fleet and 03162 were all stabled at an unusually empty Pentrefelin Carriage sidings throughout the event. They made for a rather impressive-looking line-up not usually visible from LR services, as George Jones’ photo below shows. Front to back 03162, 6940, D1566, 5580 and D5310. Note the DMUs stabled behind the locos which add to the BR feel.

Tez Pickthall.

The LDG would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported last weekend’s events. Our Diesel Day was an operational success, with all 4 locos and Class 104 DMU performing well. Takings were also slightly up on last year, which is most encouraging.

The Sulzer contingent had D5310 and D1566 to enjoy, including them working together:

And there was plenty for the EE fans as well, with 5580 and 6940 working together to provide 24 cylinders of that famous growl!

Then early on Sunday morning, we ran the PLEG “Carrog Gronks” charter, which was very well attended with 72 passengers enjoying a sedate run to Carrog and back on a bright and frosty morning. Our sincere thanks to Kev Adlam and the team at PLEG for their enthusiasm and support in making this event a great success. Many thanks to Mark Riley for providing the photo – I was on the train selling pens and mugs!

Best wishes and thanks again to all our supporters and members of the LR who helped make the events a success.

Tez Pickthall

We are delighted to announce that D1566 was successfully started and moved under her own power this afternoon. Thanks to Tom Shilliam for the photo.

The life-expired batteries in the loco were found to have failed completely after the winter, so this has only been possible thanks to the kind loan of a replacement set of from 47703, owned by Harry Needle Railroad Company.

The LDG would like to offer our sincere thanks to Harry Needle for his help and also to Paul Warren at the Wensleydale Railway for his assistance in making this happen. Colin Cooper and Pete Coole also get a worthy mention for undertaking a mammoth trans-pennine Llangollen-Leeming and back road trip earlier this week in a decidely rancid van to collect the batts!

Subject to completion of a full FTR exam, D1566 should now be available for traffic at next Saturday’s Diesel Day.

Tez Pickthall

Our March 31st Spring Diesel Day timetable and loco diagrams are available at: http://www.llangollen-diesels.org.uk/?page_id=1179

We are also pleased to confirm traction for our first 3 4 trip B Timetable running days as follows:
April 14th – Class 26 D5310
May 13th – Class 37 6940
May 26th – Class 26 D5310

Preparations for the Diesel Day continue. The overhaul of number 1 end cab on 6940 has just been completed by Pete Coole and Paul Williams and the results are stunning as Bryn Jones’s photo below clearly shows:

 Work has included replacing all the control and gauge labels, warning notices, power controller trim caps and fire panel surrounds and reinstating the driver’s desk draft excluder- a real labour of love by Pete. He has even restored the secondman’s control panel, which is operational again for the first time in about 25 years. This includes returning a steam pressure gauge to the panel (bottom left gauge in Pete’s photo below), courtesy of one of 6940′s big and long-lost sister’s – 40101. Now all we need is something to supply steam to it!

Our March 31st Spring Diesel Day timetable and loco diagrams are now available at: http://www.llangollen-diesels.org.uk/?page_id=1179

6940 was successfully started and tested today following several days of reactivation work and careful checks after winter storage. Following passing an FTR exam and brake test, the loco worked a test trip to Glyndyfrdwy and back hauling D5310 for insurance. All continued to appear well aftewards, a big relief after previous year’s woes.

Well done to all concerned, shown below, who have braved the wind, hail and sleet to bring our Type 3 out of slumber. Welcome also to our new recruit, Mr Mitchell.

Thanks to Bryn Jones for the phots.

And between shunts Llangollen shed saw a most atmospheric line up. Thanks to Paul Williams for the photo. Roll on Diesel Day on March 31st!

The PLEG shunter shuttle has now sold a whopping 62 tickets, but places are still available at £15 a ticket. See PLEG’s website or e-mail kev.adlam@pleg.org.uk for more details.

6940 is seen in the company of 5580 a Llangollen today. The 37 is receiving a battery charge whilst Colin and Co work on checking the oil cooler and re-assembling the cooling circuit in preparation for filling and testing for leaks. Fingers crossed all will be well. Thanks to Col for the phot.

The photo below was taken today by George Jones and shows Davy at the head of works train on the Corwen extension which had delivered materials and a crane to the rapidly advancing railhead. The location is near the A5 at Llidiart y Parc, just west of Bridge 25. This is the first diesel locomotive West of this bridge of line since the demolition trains in the 60′s, but not the first locomotive as 7822 “Foxcote Manor” christened it the previous weekend by delivering a brake van. Either way, what a great sight!

Happy new year to all our supporters. The turn of the year has seen a marked increase in Diesel Group activities around the Railway.

Details of our Spring Diesel Day, to be held on 31st March can now be found here or using the menu above.

We are also delighted to announce a PLEG shunter charter using 08195 and Davy on Sunday 1st April. Details can be found on PLEG‘s website, here or using the menu above.

Last weekend saw maintenance work undertaken on D5310′s brakes, which have been adjusted to address a handbrake security issue. Grease was applied to brake rigging and underbody grease points.

Pete Edwards’s photos below show Peter Coole at work on the brakes, another fine example of the lovely working conditions typical to keeping the fleet going. Note the obligatory tin of WD40!

After a short charge the 26 started successfully. The adjusted brakes were tested by shunter pull and under her own power. The straight air is now noticeably more responsive and easier to moderate at low speeds.

5580 was also given a charge for a few hours. A1A plan to dewinterise the 31 in March ready for the Spring Diesel Day, with the LDG similarly dealing with 6940 and D1566 when the weather looks to be staying reliably warmer.

D5310 was used for a crew training special on Tuesday with the aim of getting more steam drivers trained up to increase the loco’s usefulness.

The Group would like to wish all our supporters a very merry Christmas and thank you for all your help in 2011. Here’s to another great year of heritage traction action in the Dee Valley in 2012!

The photo below shows D5310 at Pentrefelin Goods Dock whilst engaged in a spot of festive shunting on a grey December 14th. Many thanks to Colin Cooper for the photo.

Best wishes

Tez Pickthall