Q17.03 – Locomotive Stabling Point at Llandudno.
Q17.03. Locomotive Stabling Point at Llandudno. In 1953 a member visiting Llandudno found a locomotive stabling point along with a turntable close to the Westshore. It is believed to have been used on Summer Saturdays only. Any details including accessibility of photographs of this site and its closure date? (John Pigott: 7855)
ANSWER The facilities at Llandudno consisted of 10 carriage sidings (10 – 12 coaches: the limit on trains into Llandudno was 11 coaches) on the down side with a turntable and water column, and very limited storage for engines. The carriage sidings were generally used for summer workings, most of which remained in Llandudno for a few hours before working back. Other stock remained for a week: arriving one Saturday and leaving the next. Engines arriving in Llandudno were of two types: turn round engines which were present for only a short time and engines finishing their diagram. The latter would normally run tender-first to Llandudno Jct loco to be disposed of whilst the former would turn on the Llandudno turntable and propel their stock into the station. One example of the latter was the 17.05 ex Liverpool Lime Street which was worked by a Holyhead 5MT 4-6-0. The train arrived at 20.03 and the engine worked out at 21.05 which was only just enough time to propel the stock back, turn, and then propel into the station the stock for the outward working. Any turn-round engines that arrived short of coal would be sent light to the Junction locoshed for coal with the pilot, a 2P 4-4-0, bringing the train up to the Junction and changing engines there. A relief set of men was kept at Llandudno on Saturdays to relieve trains as they arrived. Classes of engine varied but Black 5s predominated, taking over from Compounds as the fifties progressed. LNER B1 4-6-0’s were not unknown especially following the absorption of the Wakefield District into the NER and the Sheffield (Midland) area into the GC. (Anon)