COLWYN BEACH 1943

[thaithyme]

PHOTO OF Colwyn BEACH  1943 the tram would come over the little Orme and run around Colwyn beach on it's way to Colwyn
Reg

[DVT]

Nice pic ... but that's Conway (or Conwy as it is now)!

... and isn't it a shame they built the new bridge to block the view of the old one?

[thaithyme]

Thank you for your answer, I have a Question to ask.
Dose any one remember a WW2 sea mine being washed up on Conway beach , I can remember seeing it on the beach when on the Llandudno to Conway tram around 1943/4. I was about 7/8 years old then, and terrified every time I looked out of the tram window and saw it. It looked like a very large metal ball with many spikes sticking out of it. I can recall it as if it was yesterday.
Reg

[rhuddlan]

I remember seeing an old mine being used as a collection box for the Shipwrecked Mariners Society (possibly in Rhyl near the entrance to the open air swimming pool (brrrrr) or the old pier).
Apparently the Admiralty gave 200 to the Society after the war of which there are only 60 left.
More info here....
https://shipwreckedmariners.org.uk/news-and-events/mine-mine-challenge/

[rhuddlan]

There is more information about the mines on this site....open it up and scroll down to 30 Jan (1943)...

https://homefrontmuseum.wordpress.com/tag/second-world-war/

[Hugo]

Thanks for posting those links Rhuddlan, i found them very interesting.         As far as I remember the tram went from Llandudno to Colwyn Bay  and the only place I can think of that had a mine on display and that you were able to see it from the tram would be Rhos on Sea.
The tram did go as far as Old Colwyn at one time but when I went on the tram it  only went as far Colwyn Bay

[Helig]

I found this site which has some good photos:

http://www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com/lcbtramsoc/home.html

http://www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com/lcbtramsoc/photos56.html

Helig

[Ian]

I'll add Helig's and rhuddlan's links to our links page. 

[rhuddlan]

I had to satisfy my curiosity about the "rhyl mine" and found a pic in one of my old books of the old outdoor swimming pool. It should be attached. The mine is in the top right hand side of the photo and for those interested in Piers it shows the remains of the old pier which finally was dismantled in the 70's

[thaithyme]

Thank you Hugo, Helig, Ian, DVT, & Rhuddlan  for Your wonderful response . I love the info about the Trams together with your info about the Rhyl mine. I shall have to go through this and try and remember any further info , From what I remember the mine was about 150 yards from the tram track & some 100 yards from the sea don't know if this was full tide, or low tide, I do recall that the bottom of the mine was imbedded in the sand due to sand being washed around it as the tide came in and out. We would have passed it about 10 times, never saw any person
near it. and no passenger ever passed comment .
 Reg   

[Hugo]

Hello thaithyme,    I've attached some photos of the tram to bring those memories flooding back.    There were 3 different trams, the double decker and the single decker and also the open topped single decker tram which may have been called the Toast Rack
My  last memory of the tram was when I went across the Bodafon Fields in a Toast Rack and the noise that the tram made  when it went along the rails

1st photo is of the Toast Rack in Colwyn Bay by St Paul's Church

2nd photo is of the tram leaving Rhos promenade (notice Rhos pier in the background )

3rd photo is of the tram by Rhos on Sea golf Club, the road was owned by the tram company and was unmade as was Glan Y Mor Road in Penrhyn Bay

4th photo is of car No 3 coming across Bodafon Fields and there is another car in the background in the loop waiting to for car 3 

5th photo is of the tram in Mostyn Street by Marks and Spencers 

[thaithyme]

Hi Hugo.
 Thank you for these photos, They indeed prompted my memory but I am not 100% sure of the facts.
 I would meet my mother after school and we would take cakes and a flask of coffee and have it some ware on the Great Orme.  To get there we took tram which took us up the steep hill to a half way point. Now this tram had water tanks under the tram floor, there was two trams one would be at the bottom  and the other at the top the 2 trams must have been coupled some how the tram at the top  would fill its tanks with  (I think ) waste water the tram at the bottom would drain its tanks this would course the tram at the top to be heavier than the bottom tram thus it would be pulled up   The two trams each had a man that controlled the brakes.
 I cannot find any info on this on the internet then again I do not know what these trams are called .
I could be on the wrong track, but came remember watching the water being flushed out at the bottom and topped up at the top,
Reg
 Dose anyone remember this .,

[rhuddlan]

Hi
I think those devices were called hydraulic funiculars but I thought the Gt Orme tramway is/was cable based(indeed you can see it exposed at road level) .Here is a youtube clip of the Gt Orme tramway
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2yi_EWQ5YQ

As a child I was taken on several funiculars, Bridgenorth and Lynmouth to name just two. I did find a youtube clip which might jog you memory ..you can see the water going in to propel it downwards.,,but that is  Folkestone way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=rGAr6EY00JE

[rhuddlan]

Hi again,
I thought I would add a youyube clip of the tramway that went from Colwyn Bay to Llandudno to see if that brings back some memories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Yn7YYlC2g

[Ian]

I see the car driving was far worse then than now, if that's possible.  Wonder if it's worth starting a topic specifically devoted to you tube clips of the three towns?