Food supplies for three nunneries, funded by Jan - an update from Dr Hla Tun - 29 July 2024

Greetings from Yangon!

I went to NarLanDa, AungYaDaNar and Nunt San Nunneries in East Dagon (YwarTharGyi) yesterday morning.  There were 35, 20 and 45 nuns in those three respective nunneries.

The donations of food included rice, garlic, onion, peas, beans, vermicelli, eggs, seasonings, fish sauce, salt etc.

At the moment, the number of nuns was a little bit higher compared with summer  This is because the new academic year 2024-25 started on June 3 and some had returned back from their native Shan and KaYar State, before June 2024.

Please have a look the attached photos showing the distribution of food to the head nuns and younger nuns. 

The founders and nuns were very happy to receive the donation of food and they prayed for the donors and their families to be healthy, wealthy and more prosperous in these very, very difficult situations.

Yesterday was Sunday and therefore, government schools were closed but monastic schools were opened.  Almost all novices and younger nuns attend the Monastic School because nuns go outside with an alms bowl on Subbarth and Pre-Subbarth days.  They receive food, pocket money and drink from people living in their neighboring quarters.  In these months, nuns received less rice when compared with four or five months ago, due to increased prices and some local rules and regulations. Therefore, they wished to get more rice which is our main staple food. 

Subbarth and Pre-Subbarth days may be from Monday to Sunday.

Donation of food to the nuns

Nuns were having lunch with two kinds of curry only, vegetable soup and dried vegetables.  As you know, nuns only have two meals; breakfast and lunch, no dinner.  Before having lunch, they prayed.

Nuns are ready to go for attending classes by truck and some were in a truck for waiting their friends.

Jan Ford (1942 - 2024) - The Jan I Knew

Jan had for some time been battling with impaired kidney function, though this had not affected her work or general outlook on life. However, a few weeks ago she did have bit of a poorly turn, the result of which was the calling of an ambulance and subsequent admission to hospital.

A barrage of tests revealed aggressive cancer.

More tests and a large dose of radiotherapy followed.  There being a limit to what practically could be done, Jan was discharged and she came back to her home, Brewood Hall.  Just a few days later, Jan passed away peacefully in her sleep, at home, in the early hours of 13 July 2024.

Jan was a very dear friend.  Those of you familiar with her blog will know that there is a qualification in its heading, acknowledging that some recollections are probably unreliable.  Any inaccuracy in this piece is down to me, but this is the Jan I knew and will remember.

She and I first met about eighteen years ago.  Jan was looking for a new accountant, to look after her affairs and those of her company, Ford Electronics Limited, following the retirement of her previous adviser.  I remember visiting Brewood Hall, and the Small Barn from which Jan ran her business, for the first time.

Jan was professional, prepared and very correct in what she was looking for.  I think we probably got along professionally from the outset, but I think it was a mutual interest in railways which sealed the deal.  Indeed, in many business meetings that followed, she and I would dispatch accounting and tax matters quite swiftly, before moving to more important things such as steam locomotives, politics and her home, Brewood Hall.

From a professional relationship grew a friendship and a fondness, as well as trust in each other, which I shall forever treasure.

A photograph which reflects many of my memories of Jan

Jan’s work

Jan came from Wolverhampton.  Her family had worked at Sunbeam, a major motor factory in the town.  They and she were proud of this.  After school, Jan applied for work at British Railways.  She was not offered the job she wanted and so started work with a company called Contactor Switch Gear Electronics Limited in Wolverhampton.

From there, after a few years, she set up on her own as Jan Ford Consultant Electronic Engineers.  The business was incorporated as Ford Electronics Limited in 1977.  Ford Electronics still exists and only relatively recently completed the delivery of a number of what I understand to be “tunnel telephony cabinets” to London Underground.  There is much more technical detail about this work elsewhere in Jan’s blog.

Jan’s work for over fifty years was in railway signalling and communications technology.  Her work contributed to, and continues to do so, safety on the railway systems of both the UK and a number of other countries.

The question of retirement had been discussed a number of times over recent years, but at least three factors kept Jan working.  Firstly, she did not want to let any customers down and Jan felt very responsible for the support of the equipment her company had supplied.  Secondly, Jan needed the intellectual stimulation that the work gave her.  Again, referring to the introduction to her blog, she believed in, “The pleasure of finding things out.”  Thirdly, I think she just enjoyed it.

In the early 2000s, Jan restored the Small Barn at Brewood Hall and relocated her business into it. 

Those who knew Jan a little better will not be surprised that Jan continued to work on Ford Electronics business whilst she was still in hospital, in the week before she passed away.  I think the hospital staff were somewhat perplexed that an octogenarian lady would insist on working from a hospital bed, with a laptop cribbing off the hospital’s wi-fi, despite being so poorly.

Jan’s home

Jan loved Brewood Hall, which she bought in 1971.  Jan had seen an advert for the sale of the Hall in the local paper and had cycled out from Wolverhampton to Brewood one day, to have a look.  She made entry through a broken window.  Riding home, she said to herself, “I’ll buy that.”

It was one of the gambles that Jan made throughout her life.  I am not sure that she comfortably had the funds to buy the Hall, but she managed it nevertheless.  The Hall was in poor condition and in the earlier years of ownership, Jan was not able to afford much restoration work.

However, as time passed, the business became more successful and the finances allowed for considerable restoration work and ongoing maintenance to be undertaken.  Jan did not seek to over-restore or to modernise the Hall.  She chose to conserve it, having deep respect for its nature and history.  It was very much Jan’s home, but she saw herself as custodian rather than owner.

As with many things, Jan researched the Hall’s history and much of her work is reflected in the blog.

Jan had described herself to me as being a private person.  In some ways, this may have been so.  However, Jan shared a very great deal in and of her life.  She opened the Hall to local and national groups and societies.  When Jan found out that I was involved with the local Scout Group, she kindly extended an invitation to the Scout Troop to visit one evening.  I think it was remarkably brave on her part to have allowed a group of young people into her home, but she did.  The Scouts were fortunately well-behaved and Jan answered all their questions with patience and good humour.

Later, one winter, snow had fallen in the area and I thought it would be good if the Scouts could have a snowball fight.  The only place I knew that would have undisturbed snow was Brewood Hall.  I telephoned Jan and she was delighted to say, “Yes”.  That evening a full-on battle took place in the Hall’s gardens.  Jan had dragooned friends and, after the battle, there was soup and snacks for the Scouts in the kitchen.  Jan recorded events with her camera and subsequently wrote about it on her blog.

In 2013, Jan was instrumental in the organisation of the Brewood Vintage Garden Party.  The event was to be held in the beautiful grounds of Brewood Hall, styled as an old-fashioned fun family afternoon playing games, listening to music, enjoying refreshments and just taking in the gardens.  The event was run for many years, raising money for the Scout Group, the local church and also for Jan’s own charitable interests.

Jan was pleased to share her home with hundreds and hundreds of people and she enjoyed seeing how Brewood Hall weaved its own magic on those visitors, as it had done on her.

 

Ty Gwyn

Ty Gwyn is Welsh and it means White House.  It is also the name given to a parcel of woodland which Jan acquired long ago near Betws-y-Coed in Wales.  I suspect that the woodlands were acquired originally for the tax breaks.

However, Jan took Ty Gwyn to heart and it became a very special place for her, shared with Daemon and her friends over many visits over many years.  Although under management by a commercial service provider, Jan took huge interest in what was actually going on at Ty Gwyn and was there to see the trees harvested in 2010, marvelling at the machinery employed and then finding out all about it.

 

Jan’s travels

After Jan’s partner, Daemon, passed away, Jan started to travel.  I had always wondered at her courage, venturing forth alone on long trips all around the world.  Jan travelled to many places and, in each case, reported what she found and did on her blog.

The blog was a very significant endeavour on Jan’s part.  We never really did discuss why she did it.  I think, though, that it was in part her story for herself, but also that she was sharing her experiences of travel, people and cultures (yes, and railways) so that others may learn.  Jan’s blogs were not simply monotonous itineraries.  She took great time to research what she had seen or what had piqued her interest.  Subsequently, detailed and accurate historical or technical notes would follow.  Photographs would be labelled and sources would be properly credited.  Sign posts for further research were included.

The blog is a testament to Jan’s life and work, but is also a significant source of technical information for much of the work Ford Electronics has done, railway systems and rolling stock, architecture and culture.  It is intended that Jan’s blog be maintained as an ongoing source of information for its many readers.

 

Myanmar

Of all the places Jan visited, Myanmar (formerly Burma) had, I believe, most impact.  In simple terms, I think she fell in love with the country and its people.  The peaceful nature of the Bhuddist religion she experienced and the monasteries she visited moved her very deeply.  She was impressed by the monks and the resilience and good cheer of the people.

She visited Myanmar a number of times.  Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic and then political unrest in Myanmar made recent visits impossible.  Jan last visited in 2019.  The country’s current troubles grieved her.

Jan made good friends in Burma.  Through contacts there, Jan was able to fund the establishment of a school and a small medical facility, Bagan Clinic.  Jan continued to support these establishments with money and donations of food and medical and educational supplies, often visiting to see progress and the work being done at first hand.

The school and the medical facility have grown and Jan would receive regular updates from Dr Hla Tun about the people helped by the medical centre and the orphanages.

Jan travelled extensively within Myanmar and documented it all in her blog.  She even found time to investigate local railways and often found herself in signal boxes and control rooms, speaking with the local railway men and women – finding things out.

 

Railways

Railways formed a significant part of Jan’s life and work.  She put her interest in railways down to her grandfather and she recalled seeing the Ealing comedy, The Titfield Thunderbolt, at an early age.

Although Jan’s work was largely in the railway industry, her interest in actual railways and trains was relatively low until a chance encounter in 1988, when Jan was travelling by rail to Manchester and saw “Lion” at Crewe Heritage Centre.  Lion was built in 1838 and was the locomotive used to represent Thunderbolt in the 1953 Ealing film.  On the way home, Jan got off at Crewe and went to investigate.

Jan found Lion in steam running up and down.  The people running her were members of the Old Locomotive Committee, OLCO.  They invited Jan to ride on Lion and then invited her to join the Committee.  Jan did.

From there, a very active interest in railways was reborn.  Jan’s membership of OLCO remained until she passed away.  She was long term secretary, she assisted with the OLCO publication Lionsheart and she attended the annual gatherings called Lionsmeet, where large scale model Lions would compete at engineering society venues throughout the country.  Jan would invigilate as well as record and, in due course, a fully researched blog would follow describing not just the events of the day as far as OLCO was concerned, but also including full descriptions of the host society’s facilities and history.

Jan’s locomotive driving would also develop.  Jan fired and drove a wide range of steam and diesel locomotives, including the LNER’s “Flying Scotsman”.  She would also train others to drive steam locomotives.

Later Jan would drive steam locomotives on the preserved Peak Rail and Battlefield Lines.  Jan was particularly fond of the Battlefield Line, driving until 2023 when of her own volition she decided that it was perhaps getting a little too much.  Jan took these driving responsibilities extremely seriously, ensuring that the safety processes and protocols were followed and that the passengers in her charge were properly looked after.

I always thought it funny that a lady who could drive a 98-tonne Flying Scotsman, or a British Railways diesel multiple unit full of passengers, never learned to drive a car.

In November last year, I cajoled Jan into buying a Titfield Thunderbolt trainset in OO gauge from Rapido.  Neither Jan nor I were sure how this fitted into a normal accountant-client relationship, but Jan took my advice nevertheless.  At the Warley model railway exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham, Jan represented OLCO with a friend, John, a bit of help from me and the Rapido Titfield Thunderbolt.

Jan had always said that model railways did not appeal too much to her, as she had been able to play with a scale of 12”:1ft and that rather spoiled everything else.  However, the little Thunderbolt and its hotchpotch train enchanted her, with sound and independent running, driven off a DCC controller.  Jan later bought the Lion version of Rapido’s offering!

Jan’s interests in railways encompassed work, history, technology, geography and architecture, societies and many, many friends.  As with everything that she did, Jan gave her time and the best of herself to these endeavours.

 

Legacy

Jan’s legacy will, I believe, take many forms.

It will be in the school and medical centre which she helped to establish in Myanmar and which has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of people.  It will be in her work, contributing to safety on our railways.

Part of what Jan leaves behind is Brewood Hall, with its integrity and history, which she shared with so many people.

Her efforts have benefitted people in the various organisations she has supported for such a long time, such as OLCO and the Battlefield Line.

This blog, written over twenty years, is a historical and technical resource for anyone interested in railways, shipping, travel, history or architecture and many more things besides.

Jan’s legacy will live in the hearts of all of us who knew her as a wonderful, brave and trusting friend. 

For me, I will always remember the time spent chatting with Jan and putting the world to rights.  Jan would always make me smile with her vocabulary, not often too rude (unless the subject was Tony Blair) but usually razor sharp and very funny.  Words like “rapscallion” to describe Daemon.  Words like “rob dogs”, used variously to describe HM Revenue & Customs and banks.  Jan was one of a kind.

I loved her and I shall miss her.

 

GH

23 July 2024

Static Systems Group

Over the years, I have been treated with great kindness by many people. When I was startiing the business, I was invited to visit the managing director of Static Systems Group who showed me the hospital and hotel call system business he'd established. I was impressed, particularly with the computerised document control system in use. I didn't get any work following that early visit but I remember the kindness. Here I am, in hospital many years later and there's a Static Systems Group call system in use!

Food donations to children in two monasteries - an update from Dr Hla Tun

I would like to update you about food donation to kids in AungChanThar(ACT) and AungZayYarMin(AZYM) Monastery.
4 sacks of rice were donated to ACT Monastery, 3 sacks of rice and cooking oil 10 viss to AZYM Monastery.
There are 469 students in ACT and 1512 students in AZYM and kids can attend from KG to Grade 8 as a Monastic Middle School.
However, the abbot of AZYM has founded a High School in his Monastery and students can attend from Grade 9-12 in the AZYM. There are about 432 students from Grade 9-12.
Therefore, total number of students in the AZYM is more than 1900 students.
Since 2021, parents of students have registered more in the Monastic schools.
In ACT Monastery, the abbot has to feed rice and soup to about 40 kids at lunch during the school day because they have not taken lunch boxes. In AZYM Monastery, the abbot feeds about 220 kids (novices, nuns and ordinary children) daily.

Ongoing drinking water distribution - an update from Dr Hla Tun

Latest update from Myanmar:-
Ongoing drinking water donation to drinking water needed in villages on the way from Bagan to Mt.Popa, KyaukPaDaung, MyinGyan and Chauk. Many villages are situated inner sides of the Main Road. The drivers need to drive about 1-6 miles from the Main Road and some pathways were rough and resulted in a flat tyre occasionally and it was due to uneven road surfaces and a piece of rock and sharp objects on the road, with water loaded carrier truck.

In some villages , they managed to put water into the water reservoir but in some villages, the staff gave water directly into containers, bins or barrels with the pipe by means of pump from the truck.

On May 25, the team went to ChaungShay village which is 22 miles from Bagan. ( 1000+1000 gallon).
On May 26, TelTike ( old village) 1,000 gallon and Cel-Lun Villages(360 houses, 1460 villagers) (1,000+1,000+1,000) gallon .
On May 27, Nga-Tha-Yauk( middle part, northern part, southern part) 1000 +1000+1000 gallon
On May 28, Nga-Lin-Poke village 207 houses, 1110 villagers (1000 gallon). Ma-Kyee-Sout Village 220 houses, 1210 villagers, 1000 gallon.
Since May 29 to June 5, we repaired many openings on lower part of rusty water tanks.
On June 6, Nyaung - To Village 417 houses, 1898 villagers, ( 1,000+ 1,000 + 1,000 gallon,)
On June 12, Cel-Lun Village (1000+ 1000 gallon.)
On June 17, Primary School in Kyan-Sit Quarter New Bagan. There were about 42 students. (1,000 gallon)
On June 20, post primary school in Kan Saungt Village and there are about 102 students 1000 gallons.
On June 21, Cel-Lun Village 1000+1000 gallons,
On June 30, San-Pya Village (74 houses, 385 villagers). 1000 gallon
On July 1, Bone Taw Village . Drinking water 3200 gallon.,
On July 2, Tor- Ywar Village. Drinking water 3200 gallon.
They were requested to donate drinking water to respective villages if drinking water was in shortage. Thus, the team went to some villages for 3, 4 or 5 times.

Even though, a Monsoon started early in June, there was a lot of rain in many parts of the country like eastern, western, southern, northern, coastal, delta and etc, but there was not much rain in some parts of Central part of Myanmar ( Dry Zone).
AyeYarWaddy River is formed by confluence of May Kha and MaLiKha rivers in Northern Myanmar ( KaChin State). It's direction is from North to South and it ends in Delta and near the Yangon. The ChinDwin River joins the AyeYarWaddy River before it passes the Bagan( not far from the the Pakokku Town) . Thus, the water from AyeYarWaddy River is combination of ChinDwin and AyeYarWaddy Water when it reaches to Bagan. The current of ChinDwin River is so fast (turbulent flow) in rainy season because it is narrow and deep and therefore, turbidity of AyeYarWaddy River Water is worse in Bagan when there is a Monsoon. They usually get the water from AyeYarWaddy River for drinking purpose for donating. Therefore, they tried to pump water from AyeYarWaddy to water reservoirs in the rainy season. However, they usually pump water directly from AyeYarWaddy River for drinking water donation to needy villages in Summer and Winter.

The Pianola

When my wonderful mother, Edith, was alive she trawled for all sorts of wonderful things for Brewood Hall. She found a number of items when Rushall Methodist Chapel was demolished. The most magical for me was a WW1 vintage Pianola complete with many player rolls of that period.


The rather corny lyrics from many of these 'shows' really appealed to me - things like 'Gilbert the Filbert'.

GILBERT THE FILBERT

I am known round Town as a fearful blood
For I come straight down from the dear old flood
And I know who's who, and I know what's what
And between the two I'm a trifle hot
For I set the tone as you may suppose
For I stand alone when it comes to clothes
And as for gals just ask my pals
Why everybody knows.

Chorus: I'm Gilbert the Filbert the Knut with a K
The pride of Piccadilly the blasé roué
Oh Hades, the ladies, who leave their wooden huts
For Gilbert the Filbert the Colonel of the Knuts.

You may look upon me as a waster, what?
But you ought to see how I fag and swot
For I'm called by two, and by five I'm out
Which I couldn't do if I slacked about
Then I count my ties and I change my kit
And the exercise keeps me awfully fit
Once I begin I work like sin
I'm full of go and grit.

Chorus:

Written and composed by Arthur Wimperis & Herman Finck - 1914
Performed by Basil Hallam (1889-1916)

(From: https://monologues.co.uk/musichall/Songs-G/Gilbert-The-Filbert.htm)

Joining the dots...

The 'Jan Ford's World' has lots of blog posts on all sorts of topics but they don't join up. An enforced stay in hospital in July 2024 suggested that this might be a good time to start "joining the dots" between different events. A warning from the doctors that they were not sure how much improvement their efforts might give encouraged me to post 'partial blogs', rather than wait for the finished product, which may produce some odd effects.

After passing School 'A' Levels, I spent a few years working for Contactor Switch Gear Electronics Ltd in Wolverhampton, then I set up a small business called Jan Ford Consultant Electronic Engineers before registering Ford Electronics Ltd in 1977, which we're still operating.

In 1971 I bought Brewood Hall and have since attempted to renovate this. Over the years we have been able to have visits from various groups like the Brewood Civic Society and also started having an annual garden party (sadly not possible in 2024).

Intending my estate to go for charitable purposes I set up a trust deed for the 'Jan Ford Foundation'.

my In 1988 I saw 'Lion', the world's oldest locomotive then capable of being operated in steam at Crewe and joined the support society for 'Lion' called 'The Old Locomotive Committee'. I worked on the locomotive firing and very occasionally driving at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and Birmingham Railway Museum, until she was taken out of steam and stored first at Dinting and then at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Nextn 'Lion' was stored at the Museum of Liverpool, then prepared for display at Whaley Bridge and finally put on display at the new Museum of Liverpool (along with some of my 1988 video of 'Lion' in steam).

Having been bitten by the steam bug, once 'Lion' was out of steam, I became a volunteer at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, where after a period as trainee fireman and fireman I began to drive their industrial locomotives, giving rides to the public.

I also became a volunteer at Birmingham Railway Museum and went through their strict training programme successively becoming shunter, guard, signalman, fireman and finally driver with the introduction of Birmingham Railway Museum's 'Learn to be a Driver' courses. There was lots of work for drivers capable of acting as Instructors on the courses. Originally I worked on the industrial locomotives but as demand increased I was promoted to large locomotives. Initially this was '5080' 'Defiant' and '7029' 'Clun Castle' but later a wide range of visiting locomotives including '35005''Canadian Pacific'. When the 'Learn to be a Driver' courses offered 'Flying Scotsman', demand significantly increased and I spent many shifts on the locomotive (both as '4472' and '60103').

Birmingham Railway Museum also developed 'Learn to be a Driver' courses pulling passenger coaches in conjunction with The Battlefield Line and I also became a volunteer member there. These courses operated with various locomotives including 'Pannier Tanks' and '45593' ''Kolapur', from Birmingham Railway Museum and '34027' 'Taw Valley'.

When my friend Tony Thomas started a different set of 'Learn to be a Driver' courses at The West Somerset Railway I became a driving instructor on the small locomotive before trainees went onto the main part of the course with a large locomotive and a train of passenger coaches.

Later still, I became an operating volunteer at Peak Rail where Tony Thomas ran a number of 'Learn to be a driver' courses initially using a six-coupled 'Austerity' tank where Tony was my regular fireman. A 'Black 5' was hired for two successive seasons (the same loco was called 'M5337' in the first season, '45337' in the second season) which I greatly enjoyed ("Anything by Stanier is sure to please2). I also got to drive the mighty '9F','92203'called 'Black Knight', then owned by wildlife artist David Shepherd, later sold to the North Norfolk Railway.

I had a marvellous time at two ladies' days at the North Norfolk, struggling with a very 'bouncy' 'Harlaxton' on their dining train, trying a six-coupled 'Austerity' with a Giesl Ejector then being enraptured by their GER '1500' (LNER 'B12') with its curious driving position like riding a horse with the reverser between your legs.

Eventually, the '8F' locomotive restoration at Peak Rail was completed as '8642' in LMS red and I was driver in the first day in pub'lic service, meeting Pete Waterman. I met Pete Waterman again when he commissioned the 60 foot vacuum turntable from Mold Junction at Row sley, again with the '8F' as one of the stars.

Perhaps the high spot for Peak Rail was ten days in 2000 when Tony Marchington, then 'Flying Scotsman's' owner, honoured a promise to steam the famous locomotive at Peak Railgiving passenger rides. I was on the footplate of either 'Flying Scotsman' or the six-coupled 'Austerity' used to 'top-and-tail' these services on seven of those ten remarkable days.

At most of these railways, I was also involved in driving a locomotive almost as famous as 'Flying Scotsman' - 'Thomas the Tank'.

But remaining interested in development of early locomotives, I took every opportunity to examine or drive locomotives like six-coupled 'Bellerephon', and various replicas like the amazing broad gauge 'Iron Duke, 'Rocket', 'Sans Pareil', the improbable 'Novelty' and, of course, Manchester's 'Planet' replica. I also gave a few lectures at railway clubs and Manchester's 'Riot of Steam' on locomotive design and my experiences. Including some fascinating New Zealand, Polish and Russian steam locomotives, various other Great Western types, Drummond's splendid 'Greyhound' and a few diesel mechanical, diesel electric and electric machines that's comfortably over 100 types I've handled. I've been very fortunate. .

Unexpectedly, in 1980 I fell in love with Daemon and twenty rumbustuous years followed including work, railways, travels and various adventures. This giant of a man was cruely bedbound for the last five years of his life with me as principal carer in the hastily-converted dining room at Brewood Hall. He insisted that I continued work and voluntary driving turns. We did re-visit a few of his earlier'haunts' like Weston Super Mare, Llandudno and, during the final commissioning of the Jubilee Line Extension in 1999, London, indulging in a marvellous suite at the Mandarin Oriental (formerly Hyde Park Hotel). Back home after this final adventure, he turned to me one night in October 1999 and simply said "Oh well, I didn't make the Milennium". He died peacefully at Brewood a few days later. After the death of my partner Daemon in 1999, I started on a number of oversea holidays to various parts of the world (continuing the volunteer locomotive driving, work and restoraration of Brewood Hall in the UK). One of these trips was to Burma (now called Myanmar), when I became very impressed with an initiative to provide a local medical centre in Bagan. I have supported this and similar Educational initiatives financially in a small way since.

Parry People Movers Prototype

The first electric locomotive I drove was the Dick Kerr battery shunting locomotive at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - a very useful machine with control gear similar to early electric trams.


Preserved Battery Electric locomotive at MOSI: General view in Central Electricity Generating Board livery.

The second 'electric' was not a conventional electric locomotive but a narrow-gauge prototype 'flywheel electric' tram made by Parry People Movers. John Parry had established a business designing and making simple, practical tools for use in developing countries. He became interested in cheaper ways of transporting people by rail, particularly in urban areas, and he became impressed by the amount of energy a large, spinning flywheel could store. I'd heard of similar flywheels used in certain telephone exchanges to provide a 'no break' supply. Continuously spun by an incoming power source until that supply failed when the rotational energy of the flywheel was used to generate power for a short time to keep the telephone equipment powered, allowing a short time for a standby generator driven from an internal combustion engine to start and take over the electrical load.

In John Parry's protototype tram, when in the station, a connection to an electric supply powered an electric motor connected to a large flywheel which absorbed energy by being spun at high speed. This stored energy was then used to drive the tram to the next station, where the flywheel was 'spun-up' again electrically.

The prototype I drove was a narrow gauge single-station loop around a garden centre but they managed to get a similar system installed on Network Rail.


Parry People Mover 139 001 used between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town (pictured in 2011 in London Midland livery when displayed at 'Tyseley 100')

John Parry died 17-Feb-2023 aged 85

British Rail Class 139 (Wikipedia)
Flywheel energy storage (Wikipedia)

Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2023

I'd volunteered to help on the stand which the Old Locomotive Committee (OLCO) had taken at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition in November 2023. There's a brief introduction to OLCO

John Brandrick, in his Chairman's Report to the 36th AGM of OLCO on 7th May 2024 said:-

"The future of OLCO may depend on appealing to modellers in smaller scales served by Hornby and Rapido offerings".

Accordingly, the AGM approved a motion to man a stand at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition planned for 25th and 26th November 2023 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

The unexpected death of John Brandrick later in May prevented further action until John Hawley offered to finalise arrangements and man the stand, with the help of Jan Ford and two other OLCO members. Just before the event, the two other OLCO members dropped out but Jan Ford managed to recruit two alternative 'volunteers' so OLCO was able to appear at the show as planned and the stand attracted considerable interest.

The exhibition space provided was too small to allow the display as used at previous model railway shows to be erected so a simpler arrangement was adopted with three main features - a 7.25 inch gauge live-steam model of 'Lion' owned by John Hawley, a working oval of '00' gauge track showing both the Rapido 'Lion' (in 1930 livery) with an appropriate train and the Rapido 'Thunderbolt' with the train from the film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt'. The displat featured:-

7.25 inch gauge model of 'Lion'

Working oval of '00' gauge track

The 'Rapido' model of 'Lion' (in 1930 livery) and train was arranged to run clockwise on the oval whilst the Rapido model of 'Thunderbolt' with its train was arranged to run anti-clockwise on the oval. A single siding at the rear of the stand served as a 'fiddle yard' so that either train could run continuously until a simple shunt, periodically, allowed the other train to run instead. Occasionally, both trains were brought out to the front of the stand, head-to-head so that the detail on these remarkable models could be better appreciated.


Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2023: This was the last appearance at the show of Hattons Model Railways, which opened in 1946. In January 2024, Hattons announced their Closing Down Sale.

My pictures at the 2023 event

Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2023.

Review of the Year 2023

It would be nice to preface this year's report with a more optimistic outlook than last year's (which you can see here) but I'm not sure that would be justified. Although the special measures imposed during the Covid 19 Pandemic are no longer in force in the UK, new variants of the Coronavirus and 'Long Covid' remain a threat. 'Working from Home' remains popular and, whilst inflation has reduced under the effect of raised bank borrowing costs, the UK economy struggles with low growth. Energy costs, food prices and continued high taxation lower the mood. The UK experiences various poorly-performing public services, not helped by continuing strike action. Whilst initially many counties, including the UK, provided support to Ukraine as Russia attempted to annexe its neighbour, the continuing attrition is causing this support to wane. This year in Israel, the Hamas organisation launched a lethal, bloody attack on Israelis which has provoked a violent response (ongoing at present) with an increasing death toll. Other counties and organisations in the Middle East are also implicated in this conflict. I'm very glad to still be here but my health has definitely deteriorated over the last year. This is the 18th annual review since I started this blog.

FORD ELECTRONICS LIMITED

I'm still running the small electronics business I set up a long time ago. It normally doesn't feature much in this blog although there are currently 36 posts under the heading 'Work' (you can find them all here). But in 2023, quite a lot of my energy was taken up in organising the completion of five equipment cubicles for a Transport for London order to provide emergency traction discharge facilities on the London Underground. Happily, this equipment was tested and delivered on schedule.


Five cubicles during Factory Acceptance Testing

OVERSEAS TRAVEL IN 2023

Alas, none (unless you count trips to the devolved country of Wales, (currently asserting its independent powers through all sorts of legislative distinctions). To find more about overseas visits I've made in earlier years, see:-

Jan Ford's Travels (2001 onwards).
Jan Ford's Travels - The early trips (before 2001).
Jan Ford's Travels: Around the World in pictures
(alphabetic list of countries with links to pictures).

Myanmar (Burma)

My last visit was in 2019 (described here), after which Covid 19 prevented travel and then the powerful army in Burma, the Tatmadaw, seized power from the democratically elected representatives in a cruel and continuing putsch. With peaceful protest met by violence, many groups have turned to armed struggle against the junta. Western countries and international organisations have expressed disapproval of the army junta and imposed some sanctions but the civil war continues and the junta receives some support from Russia and China. Western investment in Burma has reduced, for instance, luxury tour company Belmond have disposed of the river cruise ship 'Road to Mandalay' and the hotel 'The Governor's Residence' in Yangon, both of which have given me many happy memories.

TRAVEL IN THE UK BY TRAIN

The situation on the railways deteriorated further. With the franchise model failing, a number of services have been re-nationalised by the U.K. in a crazy manner which still allows train operators to remit profits to foreign government owners (Germany, Holland). Cancellations with short- or no-notice seem commonplace and various railway Trades Unions have carried out strikes in 2023 (with further strikes being planned for 2024). After my winter hibernation, my first railway trip in 2023 was to Liverpool on 23rd March. The success of this trip (despite suffering a fall) encouraged me to use rail to Liverpool again on 15th April, to attend the OLCO A.G.M. (although this trip, by London North Western Trains EMUs didn't produce a post). Just four posts chronicle the trips I made during the year:-

Merseyside in March posted 13-May-2023
Trade Show at the NEC (Railtex 2023) posted 21-May-2023
By Train to Newport posted 28-Aug-2023
More Train Travel posted 21-Dec-2023

Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' approaching the re-opened Seacombe Landing Stage, showing one of the new linkspans connecting the pontoon to the land.


Newport Station: Platform 2 buildings viewed from Platform 1


Euston Station Concourse following introduction of new Passenger Information system, viewed from Avanti First Class Lounge on 28-Nov-2023. Note Christmas tree


Bangor Station: View looking east from Up platform (No. 1) with signal box in background

RAILWAYS AND PRESERVATION

Although less active in 2023, I continued as a member of the Old Locomotive Committee and The Battlefield Line and also attended a most interesting Open Day at the embryonic Global Centre of Rail Excellence in South Wales.

The Old Locomotive Committee

On Saturday, 15th April 2023 the Old Locomotive Committee (OLCO) held its 36th Annual General Meeting at the Museum of Liverpool where the locomotive 'Lion' is on public display. A full report on the A.G.M. itself has been circulated to OLCO Members.

In May, OLCO was shaken by the unexpected death of its energetic and knowledgeable Chairman, John Brandrick. The denuded Executive Committee agreed to carry out the two events planned by John for later in 2023 but the future of the organisation is in some doubt and will be determined by the Membership in 2024.


John Brandrick at 'Lionsmeet', Worcester, in 2022.

OLCO has a day of running live steam models of 'Lion' at a different venue each year. In 2023, the event was overshadowed by the death of the Chairman, John Brandrick. However, since the Birmingham club had been John Brandrick's 'home club' some years ago, it was considered appropriate to proceed with the arrangements John himself had made for our visit which took place on 1st July at the Illshaw Heath Road site of the Birmingham Society of Model Engineers. There's a report on the event here.


Lionsmeet 2023: The Steaming Bays at Birmingham Society of Model Engineers

OLCO also booked a stand at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition on 25th and 26th November 2023 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, displaying a 7.25 inch gauge live-steam model of 'Lion' owned by John Hawley, a working oval of '00' gauge track showing both the Rapido 'Lion' (in 1930 livery) with an appropriate train and the Rapido 'Thunderbolt' with the train from the film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' and archive video of the full-size 'Lion' in steam in 1988. My pictures are here.


Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2023: John Hawley on the OLCO Stand.


Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2023: OLCO Stand public view, with 7.25 inch 'Lion', video of full-size 'Lion' in steam in 1988 and Rapido 'Lion' head-to-head with Rapido 'Thunderbolt'.

All my posts about the Old Locomotive Committee are here and you can find more information on the OLCO website here.

The Battlefield Line

Days operating the Diesel Multiple Unit are always enjoyable and I had turns on 6th May (Coronation of King Charles III), 20th May and 3rd June. You can find all my posts about Diesel Multiple Units here (or refer to the 'Index' here).


Coronation Day service at Shenton 6-May-2023 (Battlefield Line 2022 and 2023)

The railway held an excellent Models Weekend on 19th and 20th August at Market Bosworth. I attended with Dean on the second day and my report is here. There was a splendid range of layouts on display, in various scales. I found the layout featuring Birmingham Railway Museum very evocative, having previously been a volunteer there for many years.


Birmingham Railway Museum Layout: This detailed 4mm layout of the Museum was displayed as a static exhibit: Battlefield Line, Models Weekend 2023

Global Centre of Rail Excellence

The Nant Helen Opencast Mine and associated Onllwyn Washery in South Wales finally closed in 2022. The Welsh and English governments, together with Councils in the area, developed an ambitious scheme to convert the site into a world-class test site for railway rolling stock and advanced railway infrastructure construction techniques called the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE). The ambitious plan calls for a single, high-speed, overhead-electrified, standard-gauge continuous circuit. On 12th June I had a fascinating (if exhausting) tour of the site, which is described here. The truncated Neath and Brecon branch is currently mothballed and will connect GCRE to the South Wales Main Line, via indirect connections at Neath. There's a short history of this railway here.


GCRE: View from bridge over the railway serving Nant Helen and Onllwyn Washery.


The continuous circuit will be built around the former opencast mine site.

Myanma Railways

As explained in 'OVERSEAS TRAVEL' above, my last visit to Myanmar allowing study of the interesting railway system there was in 2019 and no new posts on the topic were added in 2023.

You can find all my earlier posts about Myanma Railways (in reverse date-of-posting order) here or refer to the 'Index' here.

BREWOOD HALL

On 25th July 2023, Brewood Garden Party was held, for the ninth time, in the garden at Brewood Hall. In 2023 we had heavy, intermittent rain throughout the day so visitor numbers were somewhat down but most people seemed determined to enjoy the event, rain or no rain! There's a report here.


Not all rain! In the background (L-R) Coconut Shy, Hot Dog Stall, Beer Tent: Brewood Hall Garden Party 2023

There's an album of pictures showing the 1-acre garden at Brewood Hall through the seasons in 2023 here with a separate album (covering a number of years) showing the fungi which appear annually here.


Brewood Hall Garden 2023: June brought prolific roses

During the year, as every year, various repairs were carried out around the property. External repainting, started in 2022, continued in 2023, with a small album of pictures here. Various posts exist in draft but I'm afraid completing and issuing them currently eludes me.


Brewood Hall: The 2022-2023 repainting successfully used a portable access tower.

You can find all the posts about Brewood Hall which I have managed to complete (in reverse date-of-posting order) here.

TY GWYN

Ty Gwyn is a small commercial woodland around 27 hectares in area near Corwen in Wales. I made a brief visit on Monday, 21st August with Alex and Steve, who'd not previously seen the woodland. This visit is mentioned in the post here.


Alex and Steve at Ty Gwyn

I made a second visit to Ty Gwyn with Dean on 25th October to discuss the maintenance plan for 2024 with the forest manager, Matthew Whitehead. Pictures of both these visits are here.


Ty Gwyn 2023: Matthew assisted in collecting a young, rooted spruce to be installed in a large pot at Brewood.

To see all my posts on Ty Gwyn, click here.

PREVIOUS ANNUAL REVIEWS

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[Date of Models Weekend corrected 8-Jan-2024]

The Neath and Brecon Railway

My visit to the Open Day of the Global Centre for Rail Excellence in June 2023 (described here) led to curiosity about the story of one of the minor standard-gauge railways of South Wales, the Neath and Brecon.

A very brief history

The geology of Wales gave the country massive deposits of coal and other minerals. The Dulais Valley north of Neath had a number of mines which, in turn, prompted the establishment of a number of iron and copper works in the area. Initially, tramroads were used to assist mineral extraction but the growth of steam power (in manufacturing, railways and steamships) increased demand for coal and this led to the building of a number of railways in Wales with virtually each valley producing its own railway. The Dulais Valley spawned the standard gauge Neath and Brecon Railway (N&B). At Neath, the railway ended in a junction with the broad gauge Vale of Neath Railway (VoN) from where a third rail was added for a short distance so that N&B trains could terminate at the VoN station initially called Neath Low Level. This station also formed an end-on connection with the broad gauge Swansea and Neath Railway which in 1863 merged with the Vale of Neath. The first ten miles of the N&B route, from Neath to Onllwyn, was a reasonable proposition because of the established mining industry. But continuing to Brecon, via an arduous route through largely barren uplands made matters problematic. The line opened in 1864 from Neath to a colliery at Onllwyn and in 1867 was extended initially to Brecon Mount Street station, then, in 1874, to an end-on connection at Free Street joint station with the Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway which also served the Mid Wales Railway (giving connections to the Cambrian Railway) and, via the junction at Three Cocks, the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway. There are links to articles on these other railways in the 'Related articles on other websites' below.

The early days of the Neath and Brecon were not unusual amongst many railways of the period in being associated with various enthusiastic amateurs and dishonest men, resulting in bankruptcy narrowly averted. Improbably, an agreement with the Midland Railway was to provide a lifeline. The Midland was seeking a route from the Midlands to Swansea and this was achieved by a complex web of agreements. The Swansea Vale Railway (SVR), a standard gauge line, was seeking investment and their terminus at Swansea St. Thomas with access to the docks appealed to the Midland. The SVR line passed through Ynysgeinon and the construction of a new Neath and Brecon Junction line from here for seven miles on a rising gradient of 1 in 50 and 1 in 55 to join the N&B at Colbren Junction gave the Midland Railway a route from Swansea to Hereford and beyond. The Junction line opened in 1867 (and was finally closed to all traffic in 1967). Through traffic from the Midland Railway secured the railway's future but local passenger traffic remained poor. The demand for coal and anthracite allowed the Neath and Brecon to continue as an independent company until absorbed into the GWR in 1922 by the Grouping. In the 1920s Neath Low Level was first renamed Neath Bridge Street and finally, a couple of years later, Neath Riverside.


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Neath and Brecon Railway Map in 1871. The N&B Junction line is shown dotted (National Archives)


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Neath and Brecon Railway Gradient Diagram (Tudor Watkins Collection)


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Map of Swansea Vale Railway, 1875, showing how the Swansea Vale Railway (in red) paralleled the Neath and Brecon Railway (shown in green) and part of the N&B Junction line which joined the two routes. (By Afterbrunel - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Railway after Nationalisation

The railway was the haunt of the various classes of 'Pannier' tank. Although demand for coal remained strong, by 1954 there were only two passenger round trips daily from Neath to Brecon, worked by one locomotive based at Neath. In 1958 this had reduced to one round trip on weekdays. By 1961, passenger services beyond Colbren Junction ceased with three round trips daily between Neath and Colbren Junction. The line between Craig-y-Nos and Brecon was closed to all traffic in 1962 and the remaining passenger services were withdrawn in 1964. From 1970, the quarry at Craig-y-Nos started to supply limestone to Llanwern steelworks.


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A Brecon train prepares for departure from Neath Riverside on 14 July 1962, a few months before closure. The South Wales main line crosses on the overbridge in the distance (Photo: Flying Stag, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Change to Opencast Mining

Over time, underground mining in the area gave way to opencast mining. Excavators first remove topsoil which is stored in soil mounds to be reused in remediation work when mining is complete. Excavators then remove the unwanted material ('overburden') to access the coal-bearing layers beneath, resulting in a large pit or void. A network of roads allows the coal extracted by excavators to be hauled away. Remediation of areas once extraction ceases can start in some areas even as opencast mining continues in others. Opencast coal is frequestly "washed" to meet the customer's requirements by removing impurities. In a typical industrial Coal Washing process, water is added so that different particles in the coal sink to various depths depending on their densities, allowing separation. The Nant Helen Opencast Mine, near Onllwyn was authorised in 1985 and Onllwyn Wahery was built to process the product which was then transported by rail. The UK commitment to 'de-carbonise' the economy meant that fossil fuel burning needs to be eliminated and friction has arisen with the mining companies. More information can be found on the Coal Action Network site and a report specific to Nant Helen is here. A similar report on the nearby East Pit is here. The refusal by the Coal Authority (a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) to issue a license for continued extraction at Nant Helen precipitated closure of the mine and Washery and the railway was mothballed.

Recent history of the line to Onllwyn

Until 2022, coal from Nant Helen was loaded onto rail wagons at Onllwyn Washery and carried away using the former Neath and Brecon Railway via the remaining connections to the South Wales Main Line in the Neath area. In the future, it is intended that the branch to Onllwyn be used to provide a railway connection to the proposed Global Centre for Rail Excellence. Before closure at Onllwyn Washery, for a time coal was also brought from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen (situated on the branch diverging from the Central Wales Line at Pantyfynnon which had served East Pit) to Onllwyn, as shown in the picture below.


Class 60 No. 60054 arrives at Onllwyn Washery on 26-Oct-2018 with the second train of the day of loaded coal wagons from Swansea Burrows sidings (the wagons having arrived the previous day from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen opencast site). Once unloaded all the empty wagons will return to Swansea Burrows as one, long train (Photo: Gareth Jones)

Signalling

The Neath and Brecon was signalled following Great Western practice. All the signal boxes are abolished but the much-altered and modernised signal box at Neath Riverside was retained to control the remains of the Neath and Brecon (the 'long siding' to Onllwyn) and the remains of the Vale of Neath (the 'long siding' to Cwmgwrach). There's a very informative illustrated report by the Branch Line Society here describing their visit to Port Talbot Power Signal Box and the Neath Riverside Box.

Book references

[1] 'Track Layout Diagrams of the Great Western Railway: Section 52 Neath and Brecon 2nd edition'' by R A Cooke, published Lightmoor Press (ISBN 9781871674507).
[2] 'The Neath and Brecon Railway: A History' by Gwyn Briwnant Jones, Denis Dunstone & Tudor Watkins, published Gomer (ISBN 1-84323-452-1).
[3] ‘A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 12 South Wales' by D. S. M. Barrie, published by David & Charles (ISBN 0-7153-7970-4).

Related articles on other websites

Neath and Brecon Railway (Wikipedia)
Neath and Brecon Railway (and related lines) (Welsh Railways Research Circle)
Vale of Neath Railway (Wikipedia)
Swansea and Neath Railway (Railscot)
Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (Wikipedia)
Mid-Wales Railway (Wikipedia)
(Wikipedia)
Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway (Wikipedia)

Onlwyn No.1 Colliery (Railscot)
Branch Line Society Signal Box visit 12/12/2019 (Branch Line Society)

History of Onllwyn Collieries (Welsh Coal Mines)
Report on Nant Helen (Coal Action)
Report on East Pit (Coal Action)

Usual disclaimer: the above links worked when this post was published but may cease to work in the future if the site owner makes changes.

Related posts on this website

Global Centre for Rail Excellence Open Day

My pictures

GCRE: The Neath and Brecon Railway.

More Train Travel

In 2023, my rail trips have been reduced due to my poor mobility, but I thought I'd mention a recent flurry of activity.

25-Nov-2023: Wolverhampton-Birmingham International (return)

The 'Lion' supporters group 'The Old Locomotive Committee' (OLCO) took a stand at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition on 25th and 26th November held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). There are a few random pictures of the event here which may trigger a post at some point. To reach the Exhibition on Saturday 25th November, I travelled with John H. and Geoff H. from Wolverhampton to Birmingham International to man the OLCO Stand. The outward journey was by TfW Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU), rather noisy and crowded but at least fairly fast. The connection from International station to to the NEC by a long, covered footbridge is quite convenient, particularly compared with access by road which I'd undertaken on the previous day (when we'd been setting up) and the following day (when we'd stripped down after the event). Road transport scores when you're transporting all the materials for a small stand (including a 7.25 inch gauge live-steam model!). On Saturday evening, the tired trio walked back to international and caught an Avanti 'Pendolino' service back to Wolverhampton.

28-Nov-2023: Wolverhampton-London Euston

On Tuesday 28th November, I had a Trustee meeting in London so I had booked on-line to travel on the 09:45 Avanti service from Wolverhamton to London (Euston). Sadly, on arrival at Wolverhampton station, I learnt that the train was cancelled at short notice. As far as I could gather from a barely-audible platform announcement this was due to 'equipment failure' and travel to Birmingham by the next available service was recommended. This was the inevitable TfW DMU, noisy and fairly crowded. Birmingham New Street seemed to be fairly disorganised that morning and, failing to find any clear guidance, I reluctantly boarded a West Midland Trains Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) bound for Euston but via the Northampton Loop and stopping everywhere. When the lady train manager came round on ticket inspection, she suggested changing at Coventry as she'd already confirmed that the following Avanti service from Birmingham was running. For some reason, I'd failed to find mention of this at New Street, although I'd expected to find it. This meant about 45 minutes waiting on a rather cold Coventry station but, eventually, I was able to board First Class on a warmer Avanti 'Pendolino'. Of course, I was too late to take breakfast which, in any case, is a very diminished experience compared with a few years ago but with tea and a nicely-presented cheese platter, the day rapidly improved.


A nicely-presented cheese platter, Coventry-Euston by Avanti

Being used to the unreliability of British trains, I'd fortunately allowed a margin in my timings so my later arrival at London still allowed me time to walk the one mile to Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square where the Trustee meeting took place and arrive on time. Following the meeting, I retraced my walking route to Euston.

28-Nov-2023: London Euston-Bangor (Gwynedd)

I had some time to wait before my next booking - the 19:02 Avanti service to Holyhead, alighting at Bangor. I was able to wait in the Avanti First Class Lounge on the Mezzanine Floor, with views of the busy Concourse. It was the first time I'd seen the new Passenger Information System, white-glowing electronic screens arrayed in two banks in the centre of the concourse, at right engles to the north west wall which gives access to the 16 platforms. Previously, that north-west wall hosted a long array of yellow-glowing electronic screens (the black area on the right in the picture below).


Euston Station Concourse following introduction of new Passenger Information system, viewed from Avanti First Class Lounge on 28-Nov-2023. Note Christmas tree

Modest refreshments were available in the lounge and the staff were helpful so I was content to wait to be joined by Steve M. Late arrival of the incoming train to form our departure and the need for staff to perform some cleaning/servicing before passenger loading meant that no early announcement of departure platform had been made. With a clue from the lounge receptionist and the Railcam.UK 'app' on my mobile phone (there's a brief explanation of Railcam.UK here), I'd worked out the platform number and our train's reporting number (1D93). Steve and I were already en route when the announcement of platform was finally made, only a few minutes before scheduled departure. Steve and I became swept up in the all-too-common rush to join the train. As expected, the train was formed of two Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 5-car 'Voyagers' where one end carriage of each unit provides First Accommodation and a Kitchenette. We found our reserved seats fairly readily. I was sure departure would be late but, in fact, we were not more than one or two minutes adrift setting off up Camden Bank on a cold, dark evening. I remembered that, in 2008, I wrote a brief review of King's Cross, St. Pancras and Euston stations (here which was rather scathing about Euston. Over the following years many changes have occurred at Euston but I'm afraid a more up-to-date review would be no kinder.

Modest refreshments were provided during our journey. I was very tired so I was inattentive on the journey. We lost six or seven minutes to Tring but I couldn't work out why - we didn't seem to be following a slower train, as often happens. The lady Train Manager made an apology over the public address but without a full explanation. But, as we approached Milton Keynes, Railcam.UK revealed that we were now closing up to an earlier Euston-Manchester train We were about thirteen minutes 'down' passing Milton Keynes without a scheduled stop and I expected slow progress onwards to Rugby but the Manchester train scooted ahead and showed us a clean pair of heels (or, more accurately, a series of green signals). We didn't stop at Rugby either and picked up some lost time along the Trent Valley line. The train then made a series of scheduled stops at Tamworth, Lichfield and Stafford, arriving at Crewe's platform 12 only about five minutes late. Our diesel-powered train had just come 158 miles 'under the wires' of the 25kV a.c. electrification system. Whereas in some parts of the world even minor lines received some form of electrification following World War II, the particularly blinkered politics of the U.K. have resulted in vast deserts of non-electrified lines, including the whole of the North Wales route. I don't find the appearance of Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) attractive but the extensive use of diesel power when we are supposedly committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions seems, at the very least, odd. The 'wheeze' of going 'bi-mode', providing trains which are both overhead electric and diesel power as in Class 800 does not appeal either, saddling designs with extra weight, complexity and costs.

Soon, we were off on the Chester line (non-electrified, except in the vicinity of Crewe) for the short 'hop' to Chester. The North Wales line is a fairly 'easy' route, as shown by the gradient diagram below.


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Historical Gradient Diagram: Crewe-Holyhead

With stops at Flint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction, the train picked up and then lost occasional minutes along the way but was very close to right time when Steve and I left the train at Bangor after our 239 mile journey from London in reasonable comfort at an average speed of around seventy miles an hour.

Background to the TfW 'Premier Service'

At the end of 2008, Arriva Trains (Wales) introduced a locomotive-hauled 'Premier Service' from Cardiff to Holyhead funded by the Welsh Government. Originally, this operated via Crewe with a pair of Class 57 locomotives top-and-tailing four Mark 2 coaches. Later, a single 57 was used, replaced in 2012 by DB Schenker Class 67s when the coaches were upgraded to Mark 3.


Arriva Trains (Wales) Class 67 002 in between platforms 11 and 12 at the North end of Crewe on 11-Apr-2012

The addition of a Driving Van Trailer (DVT) to the formation later in 2012 allowed push-pull operation and the routing was changed to use the former Great Western route between Shrewsbury and Chester, introducing a reversal at Chester. The Covid pandemic caused suspension of the service between March 2020 and June 2021 when the service was re-introduced using Mark 4 coaches and DVT. A similar service between Cardiff and Manchester, operating via Crewe was also inaugurated.

I'd not managed to plan a journey on the Premier Service but, as explained in the post here, on 27-Jan-2022 I unexpectedly found myself a passenger from Rhyl to Shrewsbury on one of the trains.

30-Nov-2023: Bangor (Gwynedd) - Wolverhampton

Both Steve and I were keen to sample the TfW 'Premier Service' so, when our business was concluded on 30th November, a taxi took us the Bangor station to see what was possible.

It's many years since I passed through the main entrance to Bangor station on the North side of the line and I was delighted to see that the original features in the booking hall are largely intact, including two large, round L.M.S. monograms on the walls. Travel, however, remained rather problematic. Although the Holyhead-Cardiff service is nominally three 'Premier Service' trains a day each way, this does not always happen. The suggestion the lady booking clerk made was to travel First Class on the Avanti Holyhead-Euston service departing at 13:15 as far as Crewe where we could join a TfW 'Premier Service' from Manchester to Cardiff, in my case just for the short 'leg' to Shrewsbury, in Steve's case to Newport.

Tickets were booked and we made our way to the Up platform (now No.1). This involved leaving the booking office on the railway side at ground level, crossing the access road to station car parking via a zebra crossing markings and ascending a ramp to the platform itself. This really 'spooked' me because I'd known and been impressed by Bangor station from childhood. Then, the station had two island plaforms giving four main platform faces. Two through lines were provided for non-stop trains with loops serving the inner faces of the island platforms whilst additional tracks served the outer faces of the island platforms. Originally, the booking hall led to a footbridge across the additional track on the up side leading to steps down to the Up island platform or to a further footbridge across the through and platform loop lines with steps descending to the Down island platform. What confronted me was a mere ghost of what I remember. I get this sense of loss in many places on our emasculated railway system, I'm afraid.


Bangor station, showing Up platform. Cars now park in the area where an additional track formerly served the outer face of the Up island platform

I think the booking hall and footbridges date from the 1927 expansion of facilities (hence the 'LMS' monograms). I'd assumed the remaining station building on the Up platform was earlier but I'd not realised that, although modified over the years, it is the original 1848 Chester and Holyhead railway building designed by architect Francis Thompson of Derby in Italianate style with a hipped, slate roof. I'm pleased to report that the building is now listed Grade II: there are more details here. It was completed to serve the opening of the railway from Chester to Bangor in 1848. Two years later, with the opening of the Britannia Tubular Bridge, Bangor became a through station and facilities were expanded in 1852. I'm afraid I'd not spotted the various Chester and Holyhead monograms set in the outside walls of the building (although four are just visible in my 2014 picture below, snatched from a Down train).


Bangor station buildings on Up platform.

Steve introduced me to the Refreshment Room on the Up platform, with its magnificent wooden counter and fittings. Sadly, the various modernisations render the overall effect rather nondescript.


Bangor Station: Counter and fittings in Refreshment Room on Up platform


Bangor Station: View looking west from Up platform (No. 1) with signal box in background

My view looking east from the Up platform does gives a poor view of the imposing West Portal of Bangor Tunnel. The Resident Engineer for this section of the line, Mr. Forster, adopted an Egyptian style portal using coursed stone forming a square headed opening with tapered sides, a wide swept entablature and cornice. Happily this,too, is listed and you can find brief details here.


Bangor Station viewed from Up Platform (No. 1) looking east showing West Portal of Bangor Tunnel

Our train arrived, a 5-car 'Voyager', and we found accommodation in the leading First Class coach. Modest refreshments were provided during the journey. I tried the cheese and onion 'toastie' which I found excellent. Once east of Abergele, I was able to track our progress on Railcam.UK (our reporting number was 1A50). We made the usual stops and approached platform 3 at Chester very cautiously, which did not surprise me, but the final stop was very firm with a metallic 'clang' which suggested that we'd coupled to another set standing on front of us, using the Dellner autocouplers. This seemed to be confirmed as, on Railcam.UK, our reporting number flickered on and off for a few seconds, presumably as the driving cab next to us was closed and the driving cab now at the head of the train was opened. A brief 'sprint' took us to Crewe, where we arrived at platform 6.

The platform was very busy with people getting off, getting on and trying to work out their next train but I was able to confirm that we'd acquired another 'Voyager' trainset in front of us at Chester. We determined from the passenger displays that the Manchester - Cardiff 'Premier Service' was expected at platform 5, departing at 15:10, so we headed for the lift and made our way to the indicated platform. Before long, the headlights of a class 67 appeared, heading a short train of Mark 4 coaches looking quite smart in black livery. Railcam.UK gave the reporting number as 1V46 and arrival at Shrewsbury at 15:44. The last vehicle was the Driving Van Trailer (DVT) with the First Class/Kitchen car last but one. We were welcomed on board by a young, enthusiastic Chief Steward and settled into the comfortable seats as our train set off from Crewe on the Shrewsbury line. I didn't see much of the unfamiliar route as it was already dusk but mainly because, as I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate, I chatted to the Chief Steward about the 'Premier Service' of which he was clearly proud. He agreed that the original Holyhead-Cardiff service had been affected by poor availability of trainsets but said that the Manchester-Cardiff service was establishing a strong following. TfW have eight trainsets to cover both routes with two trainsets out of service awaiting repairs on that date, he said.

All too soon, we arrived at Shrewsbury, ending my sampling of the 'Premier Service'. I said goodbye to Steve, who was continuing to Newport, and the Chief Steward, descending onto a cold, dark, windswept platform. I took a few pictures of the train as it left and then faced a wait until 16:34 when a West Midland Trains service from Crewe to Birmingham International (reporting number 1I22) would complete my journey back to Wolverhampton after an interesting, if exhausting, odyssey.


Shrewbury: 'Premier Service' 1V46 in platform 7 on 30-Nov-2023


TfW 'Premier Service' from Manchester to Cardiff at Shrewsbury: 1V46 in platform 7 on 30-Nov-2023


TfW 'Premier Service' from Manchester to Cardiff leaving Shrewsbury showing DVT at rear

Related posts on other websites

TfW Premier Service (Wikipedia)
Bangor Station Building (British Listed Buildings)
Bangor Tunnel Portal (British Listed Buildings)

Usual disclaimer: the above links worked when this post was published but may cease to work in the future if the site owner makes changes.

Related posts on this website

Rail Travel in January 2022

Historical Gradient Diagram, North Wales Line

BR Gradient Diagrams published by Ian Allen

My pictures

Whilst I added very few pictures on the journeys described above, there are a number of earlier pictures in albums covering areas passed through which are linked below:-



Crewe Area Rail
London & Birmingham Railway
London: Euston Station
North Wales Line (Llandudno-Holyhead)
North Wales Line (Crewe-Llandudno)
Nuneaton Station
Rugby Station
Shrewsbury Area Railways
Stafford area rail
Wellington, ex-Great Western Railway
West Midland Railways
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line