Freight at Bangor

There were still a number of freight workings through Bangor at this time. As well as freightliner trains to and from Holyhead, there was a daily trip freight to Holyhead and two to Amlwch. Bangor yard at this time received mainly coal, but in 1977 started to receive cement to a newly opened terminal for Tunnel Cement. Deliveries eventually became large enough to warrant a dedicated train from Padeswood. An unusual traffic was large static caravans, which were transported by road to Bangor, then loaded onto Flatrol wagons and carried to Valley for unloading in the CEGB sidings. These caravans were too wide to be transported across the Menai suspension bridge, and the traffic ended when the Britannia Bridge road deck opened in 1980.

40181/47487 Bangor 22/04/76 (s0496.jpg)

On the 22nd April 1976, 47487 waits in platform 2 with 1A72, the 15:40 SX Bangor - Euston, whilst 40181 passes on a short Freightliner train from Holyhead - consisting of only two 5-wagon sets instead of the usual four.

24047 at Bangor 14/04/77 (s0980.jpg)

On the 14th April 1977, 24047 shunts the yard at Bangor. Visible are flat wagons for carrying caravans to Valley. The goods shed was still in use by National Carriers Ltd, although by this time was not receiving traffic by rail. The cement terminal buildings are under construction to the left of the picture.

24133 at Bangor 16/12/77 (s1483.jpg)

24133 heads through Bangor on the trip freight working to Valley and Holyhead on the 16th December 1977. Interestingly, behind the loco is a bogie tank, normally used on the block LPG train between Hebrandston in West Wales and Anglesey Aluminium at Holyhead. It is obviously being worked back to join its normal set.

25210 and 25215 at Bangor 18/12/78 (s1830.jpg)

After the wagons it was shunting derailed the previous day, trapping it in the yard, 25215 awaits attention from the re-railing crew train hauled by 25210. A 'refurbished' dmu in the short lived white livery stands in Platform 3. 18th December 1978

DMU and freight at Bangor 21/07/79 (s1941.jpg)

A view of the yard at Bangor, taken on Saturday 21st July 1979. Every siding in the goods yard contains rolling stock. This remarkable sight was worth recording in 1979 - today it would be impossible to believe!. Firstly in the 'cement sidings', there are at least 34 Presflo wagons, which would have arrived carrying cement from the Tunnel Cement works at Penyffordd. Also present is a MkI sleeper - purpose unknown, but in departmental service.

In the coal yard road are the wagons and specialised rolling stock of the Tunnel Maintenance train. The other coal line is empty, but its access is blocked by a rake of Liquid Chlorine wagons, awaiting a Monday morning trip to Amlwch. Finally, nearest the camera is another engineering train containing crane DM1419.

The busy scene is completed by the Tunnel cement lorries which were based at the depot, and a 2-car DMU waiting in the old Platform 4 for its next working.

The cement terminal provided traffic for the railway here from the mid 1970s onwards. It provided the raw material for several major civil engineering projects like the North Wales Expressway and Dinorwic Power Station. However, this eventually came to an end, and the silos have now been removed. The sidings, which predated the terminal, remained after it had gone, but have since been replaced by a large car park. The view itself - from Euston Road - has disappeared now that a large brick wall has been constructed.

40186/40020 at Bangor 18/10/81 (s2554.jpg)

Open wagon bonanza at Bangor. 40020 stands on the up through line with a train of 22 open wagons and brake van, whilst 40186 shunts 31 more in the sidings. A further 11 sit awaiting attention in the former Platform 4. All appear to be loaded with old ballast. 18th October 1981.