Another Vintage Trains journey brought GWR locos No 4965 Rood Ashton Hall and No 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe northwards to Crewe, where we joined for the westward run to Chester and along the North Wales coast, headed for the annual Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza. We dawdled out of Crewe for the first few miles but were then quickly into the sixties, continuing thus to Waverton on the outskirts of Chester. After a slow passage through the city, we were up to 60 again by Saltney Junction, but signal checks meant repeated slowings, followed by quick accelerations to the sixties, all the way to Llandudno Junction. Here the Hall detached and ran round to the rear of the train, in order to release the Castle from the terminus at Llandudno, so they could go together to Valley to turn while the stock remained in the station.
A sunny though windy day at Llandudno permitted a ride up the Great Orme on the tramway and a vintage bus ride to and from the Transport Festival before returning to the station. Here both locos joined the head of the train together, dispensing with the need for further shunting at the Junction. Thus we were able to leave ahead of schedule, and were treated to further bursts of fast running, interspersed with frequent signal checks, arriving back at Crewe 11 minutes early after an excellent day out.