Pwllheli - Euston

[BeijingDave]

When this service was still running (I think it may have ceased mid to late 80s?) what stops did it make?

I'm struggling to think of stations that would be long enough to accommodate it in Wales. Or did it consist of only a few carriages, with more added at Shrewsbury?

 

[jfollows]

I don't think it ran even in 1974, only as far as Aberystwyth from Euston. But I haven't looked in detail.

Until 1967 there were through services from Paddington.

 

[hexagon789]

When this service was still running (I think it may have ceased mid to late 80s?) what stops did it make?

I'm struggling to think of stations that would be long enough to accommodate it in Wales. Or did it consist of only a few carriages, with more added at Shrewsbury?

I'll need to check timetables for calling points, but a quick look at carriage marshalling and photos on Flickr suggests:

The regular Euston/Aberystwyth Cambrian Coast Express was Air-Con Mk2s, certainly by the mid-80s. 47s were too heavy for the Cumbrian, so 37/4s were used. These didn't have a high enough ETH index for the full 10-coach set so it was split in Shrewsbury with just the 5 second class coaches going forwards.

By the 1990s, there appears to have been 0800 Pwheli/Euston using AC Mk2s, load 6. I'm remember if this working was Summer Saturdays only or a regular service, again I need to check my timetable.

Going back to the mid-80s, the two Summer Saturday workings used the otherwise idle Northampton Commuter sets, in both cases full 11-coach sets were used for both the Pwhelli and Aberystwyth services. The Pwhelli set did a fill-in turn to Porthmadog as well.

 

[BeijingDave]

I'll need to check timetables for calling points, but a quick look at carriage marshalling and photos on Flickr suggests:

The regular Euston/Aberystwyth Cambrian Coast Express was Air-Con Mk2s, certainly by the mid-80s. 47s were too heavy for the Cumbrian, so 37/4s were used. These didn't have a high enough ETH index for the full 10-coach set so it was split in Shrewsbury with just the 5 second class coaches going forwards.

By the 1990s, there appears to have been 0800 Pwheli/Euston using AC Mk2s, load 6. I'm remember if this working was Summer Saturdays only or a regular service, again I need to check my timetable.

Going back to the mid-80s, the two Summer Saturday workings used the otherwise idle Northampton Commuter sets, in both cases full 11-coach sets were used for both the Pwhelli and Aberystwyth services. The Pwhelli set did a fill-in turn to Porthmadog as well.

Wow, thanks for the detailed information!

 

[hexagon789]

Wow, thanks for the detailed information!

No problem, I'll dig out my timetables some point this afternoon if I remember.

 

[Magdalia]

The summer Saturday train with class 37s ran from 1986 to 1990.

Between 1980 and 1985 locomotives were banned over Barmouth Bridge.

 

[The exile]

The summer Saturday train with class 37s ran from 1986 to 1990.

Between 1980 and 1985 locomotives were banned over Barmouth Bridge.

It ran with 31s in (I think) 1992. Not sure what happened in 1991.

 

[Merle Haggard]

In the first half o the 1960s the service still used the LNWR/LMS routing; The Welshman, 11.00 Pwllheli - Euston via Afon Wen - Caernarvon - Bangor and 11.20 Down from Euston. Also had Portmadoc and Holyhead portions.

 

[Gloster]

18 April 1966 to 5 March 1967 saw an 11.10 M-S throughout, while on Saturdays 18/6-3/9 there also 08.20 and 10.10 Paddington-Pwllheli. The return was 08.20 M-F throughout and SO except 18/6-9/3, but on SO 18/6-3/9 were 07.30 and 10.30. SO 18/6-3/9 there was also a 09.10 Barmouth-Paddington.

6 March 1967 to 5 May 1968 Pwllheli had nothing through from further south than Birmingham New Street that only a 06.47 departure and a 15.13 return SO 17/6-2/9. There was a 09.40 Euston-Aberystwyth and 08.22 return on the same dates.

Source: public timetable without amendments.

EDIT: First sentence corrected.

 

[Mogz]

I could have sworn this service was still running in the early 90s.

I’ll have to dig out my 1991 timetable and check!

 

[Bevan Price]

Looking through Railway Performance Society records, 1990 was the last summer with through services between Euston & Pwllheli.
Loco hauled services between Birmingham & Pwllheli continued until Summer 1993.

 

[splashoutradio]

I've got timetables for the summers of 1988, 1989 and 1992.

In 1988, there were Saturday only services, departing Euston at 07:40, arriving into Pwllheli at 14:39, with SO journeys departing Pwllheli at 08:00 & 15:05, arriving into Euston at 14:59 & 22:25.

By 1989, the 0800 from Pwllheli had been replaced by a 09:40-15:51, but otherwise the same as the previous year.

All Pwllheli to Euston services had ceased by 1992.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I used it c1980 as part of a Festiniog round trip. Haulage from Wolverhampton to Portmadoc was a class 24+25 double header. Trip also memorable for the Conway valley leg being my one-and-only ride on a 103.