Rhyl

Although not the biggest or busiest station on the Noth Wales coast line, in the 1970s, Rhyl was the only station to retain two signal boxes. It also had three through platforms, a bay platform, two centre through roads, carriage sidings and a large goods yard. It also retained a large number of semaphore signals. Despite all these attractions, my collection of photographs taken at Rhyl is very disappointing, especially as many of them seem to be of the 'loco in close-up' variety which could have been taken anywhere!. Some indication of what I missed, is seen in the timetable extract at the bottom of the page - westbound arrivals and departures for summer Saturdays in 1976.

47187 at Rhyl 24/07/76 (s0612.jpg)

47187 rolls into Platform 1 at Rhyl with an unidentified excursion or relief train on the 24th July 1976. It carries a headcode of 1P72 on paper letters stuck to the cab window. In the background is Rhyl No 2 box, which controlled the west end of the station layout.

40115 at Rhyl 24/07/76 (s0613.jpg)

As the train seen above waits in Platform 1, 40115 arrives in the down platform with a westbound train. This platform had tracks on both sides, although Platform 3 (to the right) only had booked traffic on Summer Saturdays when a couple of trains terminated at Rhyl. (see the timetable below). 24th July 1976.

40001 at Rhyl 27/07/76 (s0636.jpg)

40001 stands in the bay platform 1a at Rhyl with a relief or excursion train on the 27th July 1976. Notable is the underslung starter signal for the up loop, and the repeater signal for the up through line. Just visible in this picture is the cross beam that connected the two posts. Hung from this was the post for another underslung signal, which had once controlled access from the up through to up slow. On the left hand post, the lamp for the up loop to up slow signal is still present. Beyond is Rhyl No 1 signal box. For a number of years this box closed overnight, which meant that all down trains stopping at Rhyl after 10pm had to use the Down Slow line from Prestatyn. This arrangement was in the WTT from May 1977 to May 1985.

25054 at Rhyl 27/07/76 (s0637.jpg)

On the same evening, 25054 passes on 7T46, the freight working from Amlwch to Mold Junction, on this occasion conveying traffic picked up intermediately. The loco shows a variation on the '0000' headcode - four dots.

24082 at Rhyl 12/07/77 (s1208.jpg)

24082 sits in platform 1 at Rhyl with the 17:55 Bangor-Crewe Parcels on the 12th July 1977. This train called at Rhyl and Chester, the Colwyn Bay stop having been removed earlier that year. The train is formed of the usual variety of vans, some of which travelled on to further destinations beyond Crewe. Interestingly, this train does not appear in the Working Timetables for 1977-78 or 1978-79. It continued to run until October 1978, and then briefly at Christmas 1978 and 1979.

Summer Saturday Arrivals and Departures at Rhyl 1976
Down Direction

H/CFromArrDepToNotes
5D56Chester DD09:24  

DMU. ECS. To work 09:56 to Crewe

2D99Manchester Victoria09:3909:41Bangor

DMU

2D62Manchester Victoria09:5709:59Llandudno

DMU

2D54Stoke10:2010:22Holyhead

 

2D83Liverpool Lime St10:2910:31Bangor

DMU

2D98Rock Ferry
Manchester Victoria 		10:4010:42Holyhead
Blaenau Ffestiniog

DMU.

1D20Manchester Victoria10:47  

DMU. Runs Slow Line from Prestatyn. Works 11:00 ECS to Chester.

1D30Nottingham10:5210:54Llandudno

 

1D25Birmingham New St11:0111:03Llandudno

 

2D99Manchester Victoria11:10  

DMU. Runs Slow Line from Prestatyn. Works 11:15 ECS to Chester

1D43Eustonpass11:16Holyhead

 

1D42Eustonpass11:32Holyhead

 

1M48Leeds11:3111:38Llandudno

Runs Slow Line from Prestatyn.

1D32Birmingham New Stpass11:47Holyhead

 

1D31Manchester Victoriapass11:59Holyhead

 

2D62Manchester Victoria12:1312:15Llandudno

 

2D52Crewe12:2012:22Llandudno

DMU

1M71York12:3112:33Llandudno

 

2D62Manchester Victoria12:54  

DMU. Works 13:04 ECS to Chester

2D82Liverpool Lime St13:0213:04Llandudno

DMU

1D56Euston13:3013:32Holyhead

 

2D62Manchester Victoria13:3913:41Llandudno

DMU

1D53Euston13:4813:50Llandudno

 

5D14Crewe CSpass14:01Holyhead

ECS. To work 20:15 to Crewe

2D62Manchester Victoria14:3414:36Llandudno

 

2D62Manchester Victoria15:3415:36Llandudno

 

2D53Crewe15:4615:48Bangor

DMU

2D62Manchester Victoria16:1716:19Llandudno

DMU

1D59Euston16:2716:29Holyhead