In the process of compiling an index of my colour negatives I came across the above long forgotten view taken about 50 years ago. There may be a print carefully filed away with the exact date written on the back - somewhere ?, but without that I can only date it approximately from the photos each side of it on the negative strip, the one before it is of a single deck tramcar taken at Beamish Museum in September 1975, and the one after it is two Indian broad gauge WG 2-8-2s taken at Baroda Loco depot in March 1976, so that dates it late 1975 or early 1976.
It shows a Class 25 on a mixed freight approaching the west portal of the tunnel under the Penmaenrhos Headland between Colwyn Bay and Abergele on the North Wales Coast Mainline, taken late afternoon judging by the light. The train comprises vans, a string of tank wagons from the Octel Works at Amlwch, a couple of oil tank wagons and 16 ton mineral wagons. Unusually perhaps, in addition to the brake van at the rear of the train there appears to be two additional brakevans in the train.
The Penmaenrhos Headland (commonly known locally as Penmaen Head) is reputed to be the place where King Richard II was ambushed on his way back from Ireland in 1399 by supporters of Henry Bolingbroke, who then took the throne as Henry IV. The limestone headland was quarried away until it was only a few yards from the tunnel before the quarry closed about 1960. The quarry floor was later used to construct the new A55 North Wales Coast Road round the headland in the 1980s.
The construction of the new road required an overbridge for the rail line, and this was constructed on the original alignment by temporarily diverting the line around the bridge site. In this view taken on 3rd March 1982, 47442 on the 10.22 Holyhead to London train passes on the original up line. The down line has been diverted and work is in progress to divert the up line. Note that most of the properties shown on the left in the earlier view have been demolished to make way for the new road.
On the same date BR officials visited the site with 25027 and inspection saloon DM45029.
Six days later 47466 passes on the 10.22 Holyhead to London train on the diverted down line. In the distance 25220 on a ballast train stands on up line waiting to ballast the diverted up line.
The following day 25057 with a permanent way train stands on the new up line to collect the track sections from the old line, while 47488 on the 12.52 Holyhead to London train passes on the diverted down line.
tbc
