10 members gathered at Bangor station, meeting up with our friend (from our other recent North Wales visits) Mark Owen, NR Mobile Operations Manager. Four cars were available. It is rare that trains can be used for these visits with the notable exception of the London Area and our 2014 AGM Severn Valley Railway box visits.

Llanddaniel User Worked Crossing (243m 75ch) was our first destination with red and green warning lights, west of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. At this time there was a gentle gusting wind and light rain. The lane approaching the crossing was narrow and we were at risk of causing an obstruction so departed quickly to our next visit, Gaerwen signal box (BLN 1316.2419).

At Gaerwen (245m 9ch) Storm Callum was catching up with the group, the rain and wind becoming increasingly worse. We split into two groups of five as the signal box is small, but the signaller was friendly and welcoming. An unusual feature was a small (but still in use) Royal Mail letter box in the wall. There was some discussion as to whether this is unique - certainly no member of the party could think of another example of a letter box on a signal box - although perhaps more common in the past? The signal box diagram still shows the Amlwch branch, although the junction was plain-lined from 5 Feb 2006. Unusually, the branch had previously been protected by two sets of trap points, with a short section of yard-working in between them serving the three freight sidings near the junction. The single-line working staff for the branch still exists but is no longer kept in the signal box.

TÅ· Croes Manual Controlled Crossing (254m 31ch) has gates that have to be opened and closed by the crossing keeper on duty after electrical release from the one-time signal box. This former block post was officially downgraded to a Gate Box from Sunday 2 Apr 1989 (quite suddenly, after major wiring problems were discovered and BR deemed it more expedient to downgrade the box than to fix the problems). TÅ· Croes retains a mechanically worked semaphore distant on the Down Line. The box is part of a larger (disused and boarded up) station building and Mark kindly gave us a tour of the long-forgotten former booking office and waiting room, complete with a 1963 luggage notice. It is a remote windswept request stop with staggered platforms each side of the crossing and 5,246 passengers in 2016-17. There are few facilities but it has passenger information displays like all NR stations in Wales.

Valley Signal Box was next where the storm had worsened, with high gusting wind and very heavy rain. Most of our group was very wet and taking outside photos had become difficult due to the storm. [These signal box aficionados are a tough, waterproof lot.] One unusual feature here is the pair of emergency stop signals 'X' on the Up and Down Main Lines and their associated Distants 'Y'. These are normally unlit but can be switched on to stop trains in the event of an aircraft emergency at nearby RAF Valley which is very close to the running lines. The NR signaller has no control over these - or even an indication that they are activated - as they are operated from the RAF Control Tower.

Valley is also, of course, the railhead for nuclear flasks from Wylfa Power Station (which is now undergoing decommissioning as generation ceased on 30 Dec 2015).

The signal box controls the main line connection and an unsignalled triangle is provided with hand points at all three corners for turning steam locos to Holyhead. The triangle was traversed by our 3 Dec 2000 'Chester & Holyhead' railtour - a single coach Class 153, the longest train that could do this. Unusually, on 12 Oct 2018, a flask wagon (without locos) was occupying the terminal - possibly due to problems with the wagon.



Holyhead signal box was next, which still has a 100 lever frame, numbered 16-115. According to the 'Signalling Atlas and Signal Box Directory', levers 1-15 were removed in 1968 and levers 101-115 added in 1974. Incredibly 60 are still working - a very high number these days and all are in good condition. The box had a new panel track diagram in January 2008. The underneath locking room provided further evidence of the changes made to the frame over the years as most of the wooden beams supporting the operating floor had been cut through and replaced or supplemented by steelwork.

At Holyhead station we were shown the two manually worked ground frames, which provide engine release for P1 and P3. Engine releases, once essential at virtually all terminus stations, are now becoming unusual and indeed these two at Holyhead see little use these days. By this time the storm had caused the line to be closed west of Bangor so all returned to 'mainland Wales' by road transport.

A good, wet and windy day was had by all. Thanks to our member Barnaby Clark for the arrangements (and traditional biscuits for the signallers who readily answered our questions) and particularly Mark Owen of NR. £205 was donated to Barnardo's, NR's nominated charity, as a 'thank you' for the visits.