4 August 1987

4 August 1987 had been a lovely day, and as evening fell there was great excitement at Porthmadog Railway Station. The National Eisteddfod was being held in town for the first time in over a century, and the festival’s visit was a chance to celebrate in every way – and everywhere.

As the clock reached 18.00, a special ceremony began at the train station as a name on a beautiful plaque on the side of the 37 429 engine was being unveiled. And the name given to the engine? Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, of course. Local member of parliament, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, was part of the celebration, and with him was John Gruffydd Jones, who had won the Eisteddfod Crown in Porthmadog that week. Wearing his Crown and ceremonial cloak, the poet was taking part in his first official events as the Crowned Bard.  

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Engine

British Rail had been running special trains to the Eisteddfod throughout the week, and this ceremony was the highlight for many including those who enjoy following and ‘spotting’ engines all over the country. The golden age of the traditional engine was drawing to a close as the next generation of ‘Sprinter’ trains appeared on more and more of our rail lines. So, naming this engine after one of the world’s greatest festivals was very symbolic.

The ‘Eisteddfod Genedlaethol’ was built between 1964 and 1965, weighed around 100 tons and travelled at up to 80 mph. It started in service on 28 August 1965 and its first home was the Canton Engine Shed in Cardiff. Some years after the Porthmadog Eisteddfod, the engine was transferred to the railfreight sector and was repainted in its original construction colours. But this must have been quite a short transfer as the engine had returned to passenger work by 1993 travelling regularly across the north Wales coast until the end of 2000.

Looking Back

Ten years later in December 2010, the ‘North Wales Coast Railway’ website published an article by ‘Dave Trains’ the engine’s final driver, reminiscing about his time driving the engine and its final journey on 30 December 2000, when class 37 engines ceased carrying passengers across the north Wales coast.

He says, “30 December 2000 was a cold day with a blanket of snow, To me and many other railfans it was to be a sad day on the North Wales Coast as the last official run of a class 37 working a regular passenger service.”

He describes the journey across north Wales, reaching the final station on the mainland, “Bangor at 15:16 - another photo stop, we take our time as the Chargeman  blows his whistle and the guard frantically paces up and down shutting doors. "We are late" he says, my reply "time does not count when history is being made". Off we go with the cab window open, one final growl through Belmont tunnel over the bridge, off the 40 mph speed restriction.

We roll into Holyhead number 3 platform, meet many friends and get my picture taken… Part of my daily life for the past three-an-a-half years has come to an end, its like losing someone you love, never to be replaced.”

What happened to the plaque?

So the days of 37 429 came to an end and the engine was finally scrapped on 8 February 2008, but what happened to the name and to the beautiful plaque unveiled during the Eisteddfod twenty four years ago? This unique piece of the history of the Eisteddfod, and of trains in North Wales, has been lost. Do you have any information about its whereabouts? Why not leave a comment here and help us solve the mystery of the ‘Eisteddfod Genedlaethol’ plate from the 37 429.

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