A day on the Clay

A day on the clay
A picture record of a visit to China Clay Country on 22nd November 2013

This day out by coach was organised by Mr Ivor Bowditch of IMERYS and Mr. Maurice Dart. It featured a comprehensive tour of the IMERYS work sites in the Par. Fowey and St Austell areas. This was a Branch Line Society event to which Members of the Cornwall Railway Society were invited. The coach supplied by Summercourt Travel met the party at St Austell station from whence we departed with an almost complete compliment at 09.00. The weather, as can be seen, was superb. From St Austell station we travelled to IMERYS Head Office at Par Moor where we were joined by our official guide for the day Mr. Ivor Bowditch. Those who hadn't provided their own safety gear were issued with the necessary hard hats and Hi-vis vests. The pictures featured on this record were taken by members of the Cornwall Railway Society.
After collection of two more passengers at Par station the tour commenced by entering IMERYS property at Par Docks. The journey to Fowey was made along the Haul Road via the Pinnock tunnel. Passage through the tunnel being a highlight for many of the party. Unfortunately we were not able to stop before the tunnel or on passage through the tunnel.

Appreciation is also expressed to our photographers for the day namely, Mike Bojko, Peter Jenkin, Roger Salter, Sid Sponheimer, and Roger Winnen.

A general appreciation is given at the end of this report.

On a lovely morning at Par Moor, suitably equipped the party boards the coach at the start of our wonderful day out. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen

The climb at one in fifty towards Pinnock tunnel along the haul road, This is laid on the formation of the former single track railway line the 'roadway' having been widened and provided with drainage as part of the project. 22nd November 2013. Copyright Sid Sponheimer.

In difficult lighting conditions a picture taken before we plunge into the 1173 yard tunnel. At this end of the tunnel an extension porch has been provided in the roof of which are mounted fume extraction fans. When necessary to clear the foul air in the tunnel the doors of the porch are closed and and the fans turned on. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer.

Having climbed at 1 in 50 to and through the tunnel the line drops down to Fowey at a grade of 1 in 36 - 40.

Fowey Docks 09.30 - 10.00

Notes on Fowey - from Maurice Dart's itinerary. The stationmasters house is extent at the site of Fowey station on the right preceeded by the site of sidings known as 'The Pill'. A deep water port was established at Caffa Mill Pill, Fowey after 1870. There are eight jetties. Nos. 1 and 2 are disused. Nos. 4,5,6 & 7 opened in 1896 of which 5 & 6 closed in 1950 and number 7 had restricted use from 1962. Number 8 opened in 1923 bu the rails on it are no longer accessible. It is adjacent to the rail/road unloading and boat loading systems. Also note on the left the steeply graded siding which served the Power House. On the left is the large Fowey Bulk Clay Store.

Security is very tight on all IMERYS properties these days and our party had to be booked in at each major site by Mr. Ivan Bowditch. This scene by Roger Salter shows just how attractive the location opposite the clay loading facilities is, especially on a lovely morning. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Salter.

Looking like something ready for a space shot the enormous loading rig seen here in the retracted position is capable of loading 15,000 tons of clay a day into a ship lying alongside. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Peter Jenkin

The immense size of the rig above can be better judged by scaling it off some of our visiting party seen wandering carefully amongst the works. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen

The 'rig' shown in the pictures above can be loaded directly from CDA wagon which are propelled in from behind the photographer and once uncoupled from the train are taken forward by 'Chain and Beetles'' - the device between the tracks which engage in the CDA wheels. The CDA's stop over a discharge pit from the bottom of which the clay is carried forward to the loading rig by conveyor belt. Once discharged the CDA's roll on to a traverser which carries them sideways to line up with the 'empties road' a siding on which the CDA's are progressively assembled into a complete train once again. This siding is on the extreme right. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Mike Bojko.

The picture from the opposite direction to that above shows, on the right, the traverser on to which the empty CDA rolls. The traveser then carries the CDA from the right to the extreme left where another set of 'Chain and Beetles' take the CDA away onto the empties siding. Copyright Roger Salter 22nd November 2013

Before leaving the docks complex at Fowey some of the party took a look at number 8 jetty, an older facility. Although rails are in situ they are no longer connected to the docks system. Copyright Roger Winnen 22nd November 2013

Back now through the tunnel and along the haul road to Par Docks.

Par Docks - our coach parked on Cambrian Sidings. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen.

Par Moor Kilns 10.35 - out of the docks, turn left, pass under the main line and then left into the car park. From here walking across the road we could see what little is left of Par Moor Kilns.

This very low bridge under the main line was what dictated the extremely squat construction of locomotives at Par Docks, in particular Alfred and Judy. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer.

Rocks Driers. 11.00 approx. From Par it was a steady climb to reach Rocks Driers - these are served both by road and by sidings off the Newquay branch at Goonbarrow. Again there was tight security, visits to the works are rare and strictly controlled. Our party had to be booked in and we were very limited as to where we could go, no trespass on the tracks (they were fenced off anyway) and no access inside the dries. Health and Safety has to be and was observed. Nevertheless we had a good opportunity for photographs for which we were most grateful.

The bus is parked and the party assembles after 'booking in', The building to the right contains 100 tube presses - the largest such complex in the world. The dried clay is taken away from the presses by means of the conveyor seen rising to the left into a storage facility or 'Linhay'. It is from this that the CDA's are loaded. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Salter

A glimpse into the other end of the tube press. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Salter

A class 66 had been seen leaving Goonbarrow box with a loaded train just as we arrived at Rocks so there was no activity on the network rail line. However a very pleasant surprise was the sight and sound of one of the works shunters (in fact both human and mechanical) approaching from the direction of the former Goonbarrow branch, now a headshunt. The red phone box has been there many years. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer.

PD105D arrives to move rakes of CDA's as required. 22nd November 2013. Copyright Roger Salter

PD 405D 'Alex' 0-6-0 dates from 1976 but was rebuilt in 1996. It previously served at the works at Qudihampton on the outskirts of Salisbury.

The driver waits while the shunter couples the two rakes of CDA's together. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Mike Bojko

Beyond the fence lies the other IMERYS shunter P406D at Rocks, it rests together with a crippled CDA on a siding. Just beyond this lies the Newquay branch line. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer

PD406 'Isaac' 0-6-0 built in 1963 is ex Corus formerly at Round Oak, Brier Hill.

After a most interesting time at Rocks we drove to a cutting on the former Goonbarrow branch at Stenalees. Here most of the party descended on to the quite heavily overgrown and very wet trackbed of the branch. From Maurice's note - The line climbed at a gradient of 1 in 39 from Wheal Henry to Carbean bridge from where it fell at 1 in 39 to Gunheath. From here a line reversed down a gradient of 1 in 35 to Carbean.

The coach is parked just up the road to the right. Here the party is walking the Goonbarrow Branch at Treverbyn, Stenalees. Copyright Roger Winnen 22nd November 2013

After a decidedly wet walk the east end of the 341 yard Stenalees tunnel was reached. The west end of the tunnel emerged into quite a deep cutting but this end has now been covered apart from carefully guarded and very small entrance through which clay bearing pipes pass. Copyright Roger Winnen. 22nd November 2013

Peering through the grill into the darkness this was all that was to be seen. A handy hide for bats perhaps. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Salter.

It was now time for our pre-ordered pasty lunch - this was taken at the Sawles Arms at Carthew where we were made most welcome.

Lunch Break at the Sawles Arms before going on to Burngullow. Copyright Roger Winnen

Blackpool Driers at Burngullow. 13.30 These driers are now redundant and face demolition prior to the site probably being developed for housing purposes - maybe a reason for a new Burngullow station in the future?

A panorama of the east end of Blackpool Driers taken by Sid Sponheimer, 22nd November 2013. Copyright

Group picture 1 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen. A happy band of enthusiasts gathered together. At ground level from left to right we have second from the left Maurice Dart and to his left Ivor Bowditch our very able leader. Standing on the loco to the left is Roger Salter. First from the left is Mike Bojko who took the group picture below.

Group picture 2 November 22nd 2013 Copyright Mike Bojko You'll never get everybody together will you? Sid Sponheimer now occupies prime position with Roger Winnen beside him. Peter Jenkin can be seen to Ivan Bowditch's left. Quite who the rest are by name I do not know, however they were jolly good company.

Group picture 3 The party is breaking up now, surely we've got everybody at least once! 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer.

Methrose Siding From Maurice's notes. This was opened by the G.W.R. to serve a kiln east of Burngullow. Despite closure of the kiln the siding was retained and used for wagon storage. When the main line west was re-doubled in November 2004 the siding was up-graded by laying single line new track on ballast, which in places, was laid over the existing lines. The siding is currently being used as a loading point for sand an aggregate.

Drinnick Mill Low level sidings and Nanpean Wharf
Our visit here was a bit of a surprise, gone are all the extensive clay linhays and drying plants the majority of us remember. At Nanpean Wharf the trackbed is totally overgrown.

As we drove onto the former lines at Drinnick Mill our progress any further by bus was blocked by a dam which had been placed across the road by a JCB minutes earlier in an attempt to stem the flood of water. In the distance the main branch to Parkandillack crosses from right to left. The elevated power station siding lay to the left. 22nd November 2013. Copyright Roger Winnen.

Nothing is left at Drinnick Low Level. 22nd November 2013. Copyright Roger Winnen.

Nanpean Wharf

The trackbed lay to the left under the trees. The connecting line which served Drinnick Mill Low Level passed under the main branch line which serves Parkandillack and crosses from left to right out of siight. A connecting chord line ran from the end of this platform to the left rising up to join with a facing point for trains heading towards Parkandillack. 22nd November 2013. Copyright Roger Winnen

Treviscoe 14.40

Looking out from Treviscoe Dries - the branch line heads north towards Parkandillack and the village from which the drier takes its name lies to the left. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer

Looking South at Treviscoe, the branch from Parkandillack is behind the fence heading towards Burngullow. 22nd November 2013. Copyright Sid Sponheimer

Looking from the south end of the Linhay - in the next picture we enter the door on the right and walk through the Linhay. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Sid Sponheimer

The view walking along the elevated loading platform 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen. Note the nearest JCB bears the old legend of ECC

A view of the sorted clays stored in the linhay behind dust screens. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Salter

Looks a new baby, I'd like to have a play with this toy!!! Copyright Peter Jenkin

Parkandillack /Trelavour

A bitter battle has been fought over the establishment of a 'Waste to Energy' project at Parkandillack. Those opposing the plant have lost and in a green field opposite Parkandillack Works the new plant is rising. One can only hope that arisings from the plant are taken away by rail which is, after all, alongside.

A Parkandillack panorama by Sid Sponheimer. 22nd November 2013

In use at Parkandillack is an assisted Fluid Bed Dryer. Copyright Roger Winnen

The works at Trelavour. Copyright Roger Winnen 22nd November 2013 The works here, formerly an independent concern, have this year been purchased by IMERYS' The works are no longer served by rail. As can be seen the rails are concreted over.

Turning our back on Trelavour these are the metals which served this now isolated works. The line continued on to join with the rails serving Parkandillack works which lies just around the corner. To the right can be seen earth moving equipment associated with the 'Waste to Energy' project being established in a field across the branch line. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Salter

To keep things in prospective the 'Waste to Energy' project is visible in this view looking towards Burngullow from along the sunlit tracks at Parkandillack. Picture copyright by Mike Bojko 22nd November 2013.

Our final port of call. Retew Branch Collins Siding.

Collins Siding was the end of the Retew Branch from St Dennis Junction. One of the metals can be seen, we are told that another lies beneath the tarmac. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen

Members of the party make their weary way to the last objects of interest. 22nd November 2013 Copyright Roger Winnen

Possibly the remains of the platform at Meledore Mill. Copyright Sid Sponheimer 22nd November 2013

Members of the Cornwall Railway Society party would like to express their appreciation to Mr. Ivor Bowditch of Imerys Minerals for arranging the visits and to Imerys Minerals for permitting the visits. Also to the Managers and Captains on each site for their co-operation and to Summercourt Travel for the provision of a bus and a very co-operative driver for our day out. We must also not forget to thank Maurice Dart for his very considerable part in organising this event over property and places normally strictly bounds to the general public. Maurice provided copious notes for which again, many thanks.