today these trips are still running. Unlike the trip with 45231 & 45407 which hauled 9 coaches, steam engines on their own owing to the gradient and curvature of the route are only permitted to haul a max of 6 coaches. Other than the trip in 2009 which ran from Worcester the majority of trips ran from Preston to Blaenau running via Warrington and Frodsham before joining the North Wales Coast Line at Chester for the journey to Llandudno Junction. From Preston till Chester the engines run in the usual chimney first formation and from Chester after turning on the triangle the engine runs tender first to Llandudno Junction where the tour would reverse direction. Storm Gareth damage and reopening special In March 2019 the route was temporarily closed following multiple washouts along the route inflicted by Storm Gareth. The damage from the storm had left sections of the line suspended in the air as the embankments had been washed away, and other sections were under water which made the route unsafe for rail traffic. "Transport for Wales Rail" services had to be cancelled as a result of the damage inflicted and replacement bus services had to run calling at stations along the route while the line was closed to all rail traffic including charter trains. Following repair work, the line from Llandudno Junction to North Llanwrst was re-opened on 24 July 2019; the rest of the route would reopen in August. To mark the full reopening of the line, Transport for Wales Rail in co-operation with West Coast Railways ran a train called "The Conwy Quest" which ran from Chester to Blaenau Ffestiniog via Llandudno Junction on Saturday 3 August. The trip was to be worked by two steam locomotives and the two engines chosen for the trip were Chris Beet's LMS Jubilee Class no 45690 Leander & David Smith's LMS 8F Class no 48151. Like the run in 2009, the locos hauled 9 coaches up the branch, including the support coach, and the two engines ran tender first to Llandudno Junction but this time the trip was steam-hauled throughout instead of being hauled by a diesel to the junction. Locos that have visited the route in recent years include: 45231 The Sherwood Forester, 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier, 45690 Leander, 46115 Scots Guardsman, 48151 and 61994 The Great Marquess. Route The following towns and villages are served by the