CathEx to Holyhead Wed 1st March

Not quite sure what's going on in NR's timing dept. but times are already up for this one:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50585/2017/03/01/advanced
and:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50587/2017/03/01/advanced

Return will be almost entirely in the dark and 2320 is really late at Euston for onward connections.

 

Knowing the way the steam charter market is at the moment, this will probably run and the Buxton trip will be canned ! If you could guarantee a light load and the chance of an unassisted trip, it might become viable, but other than that, Holyhead on a weekday sounds bleak !

 

Is that path available on a weekday?

 

When RTC ran some weekday CME'S an earlier path about 6:30 was used, since the 7:10 one was not available.

 

It's even worse on a Sunday. No doubt March 1st is a bit early but in the Summer months the trip would be so much more palatable with the option of a coach journey of just a few miles to Trearddur Bay, one of the most pleasant spots on the whole Island. I'm sure some enterprising passengers have done this by taxi but I'm not aware of a railtour operator offering such an option.

 

2 hours on a weekday isn't too bad. 3 1/2 hours on a Sunday is painful! Especially when the only things open are McDonald's and a dodgy looking pub. At least Asda and Tesco are open on a weekday!

 

There is only one place worse than Holyhead on a Sunday, and that's Inverkeithing on a Sunday. It might have been over thirty years ago with Maude but the memory still haunts me!

 

The first time I took a steam special to Holyhead I asked a steward who lived locally what was the most interesting thing to do on arrival. His reply was "the ECS to the sidings & back".

 

The NWC is a nice enough run, but you are correct about Holyhead, just because it's a convenient run for steam don't assume there will be automatic appeal to passengers (Believe I've mentioned Newport in the past in this regard), Many promotors run addon coach tours round Angelsey or Snowdonia for this reason.

I think there must be something about Welsh ferry ports as Fishguard is similarly bleak.

 

It's not just the Welsh ports - Try Newhaven on a cold winter afternoon - or maybe not!

 

On the Cath Ex to Holyhead in April 2013, after having lunch, I followed the signs to the Country Park and had an enjoyable walk along the coast.

 

With electric haulage to Crewe, does this mean there's a good chance the diesel will not be needed ?

 

Only got from 1548-1750 in Holyhead. WCR have said in the past 2 hours is not long enough to service and turn the engine. DB had 3 hours last year when 46100 was there on the Pathfinder Tour.

This is up:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50586/2017/03/01/advanced

Not helpful necessarily.

 

The port isn't in Fishguard, it's in Goodwick, and I agree that it is pretty sterile. The problem is that there's never enough time to organise a bus journey elsewhere; the town of Fishguard is at the top of the cliff a mile opposite the harbour, whilst places such as St. David's are around 30 minutes away. As the place of my formative upbringing, the town of Fishguard is reasonably nice if you go to the right pub- although it has to be said they are all pretty small, and there are several closed establishements surrounding the main square due to breweries over-cooking their leases to landlords. Equally, the local town and county councils have tried their best to screw the place up by charging for parking and not following an enlightened business policy, whilst engaging in campaigns based upon personalities rather than issues. As such, it is not quite the picture-postcard location it once was. Still, the coastline is unbeatable.

 

Look at John Sparkes as Hugh Pugh the resident Fishguard reporter on utube. Hilarious!

 

We nicknamed the real mayor Kenny Tw*t for that reason.

 

I'm on this one first trip up the NWC, from the comments I'm assuming I'd do best to bail at Bangor and find a pub