50044 Exeter
50044 Exeter on the return leg of the journey at Chester (September 2011)

2011 The Snowdon Ranger

50044 Exeter was used for The Snowdon Ranger two-day tour run by PTG Tours. The locomotive worked from London Euston to Holyhead via Northampton and Chester, a total of over 560 miles. Locomotive 57304 Gordon Tracy, supplied by Virgin Trains, was used as tail-gunner throughout the tour to provide an electric train supply (ETS) and for stock positioning purposes.

The tour carried people wishing to visit Bodnant Gardens, Portmeirion or the West Highland Heritage Railway.

The Class 50 ventured half-way up the Conwy Valley line to Blaenau Ffestiniog as far as North Llanwrn where it then reversed. On the return journey, the tour traversed three sides of the traingle at Chester to allow the Class 50 to still lead whilst taking a differing route back via Wrexham and Shrewsbury.