Heritage Traction on the Llangollen Railway

We’re pleased to announce an extension to the deadline for advanced ticket prices for Saturday’s Glyndyfrdwy Growler charter. If you contact Mick Collins, GG Membership Sec via http://www.thegrowlergroup.org.uk/contact_us.html before 10:00am on Friday morning, you can reserve tickets at our advanced price and then pay on the day. After that the higher price will apply.

Thanks to further ticket sales this week and also to 2 considerable and generous personal subsidies by a member from each Group, I’m pleased to announce that the 7 trip, 100 mile charter with 6940 on the 16th October WILL now go ahead.  There is still time to book advanced tickets if you are quick, details are here.

Remember, on the day fares are available as are discounted 3 trip tickets for those who want a shorter day.

We are hoping to have an on-train raffle (prizes TBC), on-train refreshments with real ale bar and a small sales stand. The restaurant at Llan and cafe at Carrog will be open for their normal hours.

This will be the last public diesel operation at Llangollen this year, so hope we get a good throng along to celebrate what’s been a pretty good year for us.

Llan Diesel Weekend 2010 or a Euston-Aber Salop 1972?

Ticket sales for our 7 trip 100 mile charter with 6940 on Saturday 16th October have been slow and not yet covered even the cost of the fuel. If further bookings are not received by the end of the week, then we regret that it will have to be cancelled. Further details and an order form can be found here. If you are planning to leave booking it to the last minute – please don’t, you’ll miss out!

On a more positive note, we’re in the process of confirming next year’s operating dates and events. Details will be available soon. We’re pleased to announce we will hopefully have more dates than last year, including some new events.

The Group would like to express our sincere thanks to all those who turned up to support us this weekend, particularly on Sunday when the weather was, well, hideous!

Everything went smoothly, we hope folk enjoyed the range of traction on offer.

We had tractors by night….

The 26 making plenty of spirited departures:

A very smart visiting loco:

And some fine examples of DMU:

Unfortunately, ticket sales looked to be lower than we were hoping for. It’s therefore likely we will be making some changes to our events calendar next year.

Further to feedback received from a number of folk, we need to make the following announcement:

There is a 30 minute timetable in operation, so the shunters need to recess in the neck at Llan between workings. This is a very short spur, which can only just fit the van and two EE shunters in. As a result, we cannot increase capacity, nor can we rewrite the timetable at such short notice.

So, I’m afraid capacity stands at 10 folk per trip. We will have a steward to hand to try and sort out fair allocation of turns. We will have sign up sheets available first thing Saturday and Sunday morning for folk in possession of a ticket to put their name down for a trip. We will not be accepting multiple rides, unless there proves to be spare capacity.

Before folk ask, we looked at mainline running and other alternatives, but they didn’t fly with the timetable, track constraints at Llan and other locos. Many hours have been put into planning the timetable, and it’s impossible to make it all things to all men. The current situation is the best we are able to do.

We can’t guarantee you will get a ride if demand is high, so if folk are planning to travel a long way with the specific aim of bagging them, the earlier you can get to Llan to put your name down, the better the chance. We won’t be offended if you decide the shunter trips at the NeneValley or Swindon & Cricklade are a safer bet!

We hope this doesn’t see too many disappointed, but we think it’s important to manage expectations now, rather than see folk let down on the day.

Tez Pickthall

D1566 will unfortunately not now be available for the diesel weekend as the repairs required to the cooling circuit are too extensive. The phots below shows the radiators being prepared for removal and an example of the corrosion that we’re dealing with. Thanks to David D for the photos

The job will now be done thoroughly over the Winter and we may also take the opportunity to attend some other issues that we have lived with on the loco for some time.

Sorry to disappoint Folk who were hoping to come along for a spin behind her, but this decision is the best for the long term future of D1566. We will aim to put her on display at the gates by the reception road so she can be viewed from the shed car park, as will 03162

Timetables for the diesel weekend are now on the event’s own page and can be accessed by clicking here. Note that D1566 is not included on the diagrams at this stage, but will be added if the loco is confirmed as fit for traffic next week.

Our EE “Class 11-alike”Davy is shown in the photo below. The ex-ICI loco is working his first public train at Llan for many years. As far as I am aware, this is only the second public passenger train the loco has worked and also likely to be his last at the LR.

Many thanks to all those who turned up for a trip with D9521 today. Our apologies for the first trip being caped. Unfortunately D9521 experienced further problems with a sticking reverser, as experienced at the GWR175 weekend. The owners had thought the issue was sorted, so D5310 was scrambled to work the 12:00 servive while further investigations were carried out. Our 2010 fleet stalwart is shown with visiting GWR 4-6-0 No 4953 “Pitchford Hall“. Phot by Dave D.

Team Ted traced the fault to a misbehaving locking pin while 5310 was out entertaining the punters and Simon Durant in the workshop kindly machined it down to the right size in time for 9521 to successfully work the 14:00 and 16:00 services. Below we see the 14 at Deeside Halt. Thanks to Pete C for the shot. 

I’m getting reports that Paxman Ventura thrash sounds most impressive in Berwyn Tunnel, bring on the Gala!

Continuing our theme of 1960’s timewarps, feast your eyes on this superb shot of D9521 working a freight on her debut weekend at Llangollen, Sunday 12th September, as part of the GWR175 weekend. The shot was kindly provided by Dave D from our Group.

You can sample this immaculate machine again on passenger traffic next Saturday, 18th September as part of Swindon Weekend. D9521 will depart from Llangollen at 1030, 1200, 1400 ad 1600, whilst visiting ‘Hall’ 4953 Pitchford Hall will operate the 1100, 1300 and 1500. A day rover ticket is available for £11 – not bad VFM for all that visiting haulage.

D9521 will also star in our diesel weekend on 2nd/3rd October.

Newtown Television have produced this interesting video, which provides an excellent account of the sights and sounds from the weekend. Ignore the goon who’s being interviewed in the cab of 6940 though, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about! ; )