Return to Amlwch by train (1992)
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- In June 1992, passenger trains briefly returned to Amlwch as part of a feasibility study into the re-opening of the line for steam trains.
The 37 minute film starts with a silent cine film of Derby Lightweight DMUs on Bangor to Amlwch services in the early 1960s, just before closure to passengers. This film has appeared on the internet many times, but the following 1992 is not something I have seen before. This 'modern' video is now of wider heritage interest itself.
The run on 3rd June (Class 108 DMU) commemorated the 125th Anniversary of the opening of the line through to Amlwch for all traffic. You may recognise familiar Anglesey faces, including a younger Ieuan Wyn Jones, who later became leader of the Plaid Cymru nationalist political party (between 2000 and 2012).
We also see a later service (Class 101 DMU), which appears to take passengers to Amlwch and then return full of school children. We don't see it but presumably a reverse service was run later to return all to their original start points. By 1992, there was little trace of the original passenger station and we see a new temporary platform that had been built for the specials.
In 1992, the track was still in use for Railfreight traffic to the Associated Octel chemical works at Amlwch port, and the film includes some footage of a Class 47-hauled train of tankers of something deadly being delivered!
Thanks to the then 'Lein Amlwch Project' and to a small group of video-makers who filmed the specials from different locations to gather multiple perspectives that were edited together to make this Sutcliffe TV film, without commentary, who then produced the analogue VHS video tape from which this video was captured.
Now, more than 30 years later, we are still waiting for those steam passenger trains to return, and parts of the line have grown over and rotted, including an important river crossing bridge at Amlwch. But the alignment and track is otherwise still in situ and work is still going on to preserve part of the track between Amlwch and Llanerchymedd for such a time. More details can be found at www.leinamlwch.co.uk where Anglesey Central Railway Ltd have a 99 year lease. I am sure they would welcome your support.
I wonder if trains will ever run on that line again