Features January to April 23
N.B. Items appear in reverse order
Most recent first
N.B. Items appear in reverse order
Most recent first
2306
West Somerset Railway Williton Works
A photograpic record by a skilled engineer in 1962 Bill Elston
West Somerset Railway Williton Works
A photograpic record by a skilled engineer in 1962 Bill Elston
081A P1010121 Machining return crank for 34046 Braunton at Williton Workshops. picture dated 30th January 2023. Copyright Bill Elston
081B P1010122 Machining return crank for 34046 Braunton at Williton Workshops. picture dated 30th January 2023. Copyright Bill Elston
081C P1010123 Machining return crank for 34046 Braunton at Williton Workshops. picture dated 30th January 2023. Copyright Bill Elston
081D P1010124 Machining return crank for 34046 Braunton at Williton Workshops. picture dated 30th January 2023. Copyright Bill Elston
081E 1) A line-up of the valve gear motion pins. Copyright Bill Elston 34046 Braunton Williton
081F 2) Centre Driving wheel set with return crank fitted. Copyright Bill Elston
081G 3) Views of the valve gear etc. Copyright Bill Elston
081H 4) Views of the valve gear etc. Copyright Bill Elston
081I 5) Centre Driver with connecting rod in the foreground. Copyright Bill Elston.
081J Artist at work at Williton in 2005 Copyright Bill Elston.
081K Williton Copyright Bill Elston.
081L Williton Copyright Bill Elston.
081M Williton Copyright Bill Elston.
081N Williton Copyright Bill Elston.
081O Machining return crank for 34046 Braunton at Williton Workshops. P1010049 Copyright Bill Elston
081P P1010052
081Q P1010053
081R P1010054
081S P1010063
081T P1010077
Item 2305
GWR 150
Special edition of the CRS Magazine
First published December 1985
Special edition of the CRS Magazine
First published December 1985
Front page of CRS Magazine Dec 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
Re-print of CRS Magazine December 1985
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Some of the magazine contributors.
The magazine contributors. Roger Winnen on the left and the late Peter Moore on the right.
Copyright Trevor Tremethick.
The late Walter Julian hides behind his video camera and to the right our very good friend Maurice Dart. Copyright Roger Winnen.
The late Walter Julian who passed away in 2004 heads the party as we explore the Liskeard and Caradon Railway. Copyright Roger Winnen.
Item 2304
'Steam' - Swindon Museum. Ken Mumford and Grandson make a fleeting visit on the 2nd February 2023.
(A) In the 'Steam Musuem'. 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford.
(B) In the 'Steam Musuem', Swindon. 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
(C) In the 'Steam Musuem' at Swindon. 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
(D) In the 'Steam Musuem'
Swindon. 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
(E) The Master himself - in the 'Steam Musuem' 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
(F) The Master himself - in the 'Steam Musuem' 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (G) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (H) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (I) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (J) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (K) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (L) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (M) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Swindon steam musuem visit (N) 2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford2nd February 2023. Copyright Ken Mumford
Many thanks Ken.
Item 2303
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 1 Michael L. Roach
Pannier 6400 on the 2.10 to Tavistock South
The 6400-class of pannier tank were introduced by the GWR in 1932 as a slightly scaled down version of the standard 5700-class of pannier tank introduced in 1929. Most of the dimesions of both classes were identical including the driving wheel diameter but boiler pressure of the 6400s was 165psi against the 200psi of the 5700s. This resulted in the 6400s having only 73 percent of the tractive effort of the standard pannier tank. BR rated the 6400s as 2P whereas the 5700s were rated 3F although in practice they were used on both passenger, freight and shunting duties as though they were 3MTs. The 6400 were built from February 1932 to April 1937 and were all auto-fitted for propelling auto coaches. The first of the new class was numbered 6400, and was allocated to Aberdare Shed where I imagine it would have been used on the auto-trains to Merthyr backed up by the fact that Merthyr Shed received 6401 in the same month of February 1932. 6400 was moved to Pontypool Road Shed in 1935 and stayed there right through nationalisation until the spring of 1959. 6400 was one of five of the class at Pontypool in 1950 one of the largest allocations of the class anywhere. The 6400s would have worked the autotrains between Newport, Pontypool and Blaenavon Low Level. Up until 1941, when the service was withdrawn, the class would also have worked the Pontypool, Blaenavon High Level to Brynmawr trains.
After 24 years at Pontypool Road 6400 moved to Plymouth in the spring of 1959 and was formally shedded at Laira from 18 April 1959. After 4 years the loco moved to Exmouth Junction and then Yeovil Junction from where it was withdrawn in April 1964. When 6400 moved to Laira the Saltash trains were still 100 percent steam operated, but the vast majority were dieselised the following year and after that 6400 would operate mostly between Plymouth and Tavistock South on the line to Launceston. I worked away from Plymouth for some time around then but returned to Plymouth at the end of March 1961 and promptly bought a new and better camera. I photographed the 2.10pm Plymouth to Tavistock South and its return working the 4.30pm off Tavistock several times that summer but each time it was auto-fitted 5572 that was operating the train.
My path would cross 6400's for the first time on 21 October 1961 when I photographed the loco crossing Walkham Viaduct with two auto coaches in tow – the photo can be seen in Devon Galleries. In the next three months I would photograph the 2.10pm seven times all in different places and each time the auto coaches were being hauled out to Tavistock by 6400. The last occasion was on 16 January 1962. The loco then disappeared completely for seven months until the 18 August 1962 when it was photographed on the 12.14pm Plymouth to Launceston which was a most unusual occurrence to work a Launceston train and to proceed beyond Tavistock as well. The loco worked out to Tavistock regularly for the last few months of the passenger service on the line including the last day on 29 December 1962. The 2.10pm was also regularly worked by class mate 6430 during these last few months. 6430 was a stable mate at Pontypool Road Shed at the time of nationalisation.
Regular viewers may recall a series on this website during December 2022 titled “End of 1962” which dealt with the last two weeks of 1962 in the Plymouth area. In this new series the other fifty weeks of 1962 will be covered in similar fashion but covering a much larger area. At the start of the year there was still plenty of steam around but it was still in decline with dieselisation and line closures. Some of these photographs already appear in the Devon, Cornwall and Elsewhere Galleries, but the scans in this series are all new and will have enhanced captions with more detail.
MLR / 1 February 2023
Pannier 6400 on the 2.10 to Tavistock South
The 6400-class of pannier tank were introduced by the GWR in 1932 as a slightly scaled down version of the standard 5700-class of pannier tank introduced in 1929. Most of the dimesions of both classes were identical including the driving wheel diameter but boiler pressure of the 6400s was 165psi against the 200psi of the 5700s. This resulted in the 6400s having only 73 percent of the tractive effort of the standard pannier tank. BR rated the 6400s as 2P whereas the 5700s were rated 3F although in practice they were used on both passenger, freight and shunting duties as though they were 3MTs. The 6400 were built from February 1932 to April 1937 and were all auto-fitted for propelling auto coaches. The first of the new class was numbered 6400, and was allocated to Aberdare Shed where I imagine it would have been used on the auto-trains to Merthyr backed up by the fact that Merthyr Shed received 6401 in the same month of February 1932. 6400 was moved to Pontypool Road Shed in 1935 and stayed there right through nationalisation until the spring of 1959. 6400 was one of five of the class at Pontypool in 1950 one of the largest allocations of the class anywhere. The 6400s would have worked the autotrains between Newport, Pontypool and Blaenavon Low Level. Up until 1941, when the service was withdrawn, the class would also have worked the Pontypool, Blaenavon High Level to Brynmawr trains.
After 24 years at Pontypool Road 6400 moved to Plymouth in the spring of 1959 and was formally shedded at Laira from 18 April 1959. After 4 years the loco moved to Exmouth Junction and then Yeovil Junction from where it was withdrawn in April 1964. When 6400 moved to Laira the Saltash trains were still 100 percent steam operated, but the vast majority were dieselised the following year and after that 6400 would operate mostly between Plymouth and Tavistock South on the line to Launceston. I worked away from Plymouth for some time around then but returned to Plymouth at the end of March 1961 and promptly bought a new and better camera. I photographed the 2.10pm Plymouth to Tavistock South and its return working the 4.30pm off Tavistock several times that summer but each time it was auto-fitted 5572 that was operating the train.
My path would cross 6400's for the first time on 21 October 1961 when I photographed the loco crossing Walkham Viaduct with two auto coaches in tow – the photo can be seen in Devon Galleries. In the next three months I would photograph the 2.10pm seven times all in different places and each time the auto coaches were being hauled out to Tavistock by 6400. The last occasion was on 16 January 1962. The loco then disappeared completely for seven months until the 18 August 1962 when it was photographed on the 12.14pm Plymouth to Launceston which was a most unusual occurrence to work a Launceston train and to proceed beyond Tavistock as well. The loco worked out to Tavistock regularly for the last few months of the passenger service on the line including the last day on 29 December 1962. The 2.10pm was also regularly worked by class mate 6430 during these last few months. 6430 was a stable mate at Pontypool Road Shed at the time of nationalisation.
Regular viewers may recall a series on this website during December 2022 titled “End of 1962” which dealt with the last two weeks of 1962 in the Plymouth area. In this new series the other fifty weeks of 1962 will be covered in similar fashion but covering a much larger area. At the start of the year there was still plenty of steam around but it was still in decline with dieselisation and line closures. Some of these photographs already appear in the Devon, Cornwall and Elsewhere Galleries, but the scans in this series are all new and will have enhanced captions with more detail.
MLR / 1 February 2023
5933 6400 passes the site of Mutley Station with the 2.10pm to Tavistock on the afternoon of 16 January 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5930 6400 attacks the climb out of Clearbrook Halt with the 2.10pm on 13 January 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5928 6400 takes water at Tavistock South after arriving with the 2.10pm from Plymouth on 6 January 1962. It will run out to the north and then propel the two coaches back into the middle road to allow trains to pass. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 2 Michael L. Roach
Crossing the River Plym
On 17 February 1962 I spent some time on the bridge over the railway just to the west of Tavistock Junction, Plymouth. The bridge carried the carriage drive to Saltram House over the railway and was probably built at the time that the railway was built circa 1847 since the carriage drive was already in existence long before the railway. It was a very ornate bridge of cast iron beams and cast iron balustrades no doubt to suit his lordship i.e Lord Morley. The bridge came to be known as “Lord Morley's Bridge” but I did not know that until sixty years later. The bridge gave a good view of the railway in both directions. A very short distance to the south west the main line was carried over the River Plym on a four span bridge only just above high water level which was partly reconstructed by the GWR in 1927. At the same time Lord Morley's Bridge was raised although this is not obvious in photographs. Unfortunately Lord Morley's Bridge was demolished circa 1970 in connection with the construction of the A38 Plympton Bypass.
Two hundred and fifty metres north of the River Plym Bridge the river passed under the then A38, now the B3416 at Long Bridge. Alongside was the lodge of the carriage drive which passed over a minor stream called the Tory Brook. This often ran white, contaminated with china clay waste, and the results can be seen in the photos of the River Plym Bridge where the bridge piers and the river banks are covered in white slime. The pollution was stopped eventually and the river bank returned to more natural colours. One hundred metres further north was another very old cast iron bridge carrying the Lee Moor Tramway over the River Plym. This was built for the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway in 1823. Photos of this bridge will appear in a later part.
I spent some 70 minutes at Lord Morley's Bridge that day and saw just one mainline express in each direction. The down train was the Cornish Riviera Express and was hauled by an unrecorded diesel loco. The up train was The Royal Duchy which departed Plymouth at 2.30pm hauled by a Western and a Warship diesel. The Western was D1000 which was then just two months old being outshopped from Swindon on 20 December 1961. The next Western D1001 was outshopped on 12 February 1962 and the following ones at the rate of one per calendar month. I saw seven steam locomotives in the time I was there: one pannier, two Halls and four 4575-class prairies
APOLOGY: In Part 1 of this series I should have recorded my sincere thanks to John Hodge who provided the details of pannier tank's 6400 workings while based at Pontypool Road Shed from 1935 to 1959. John is an expert on the railways of Wales and has written many books on the subject which are highly recommended.
MLR / 31 January 2023
Crossing the River Plym
On 17 February 1962 I spent some time on the bridge over the railway just to the west of Tavistock Junction, Plymouth. The bridge carried the carriage drive to Saltram House over the railway and was probably built at the time that the railway was built circa 1847 since the carriage drive was already in existence long before the railway. It was a very ornate bridge of cast iron beams and cast iron balustrades no doubt to suit his lordship i.e Lord Morley. The bridge came to be known as “Lord Morley's Bridge” but I did not know that until sixty years later. The bridge gave a good view of the railway in both directions. A very short distance to the south west the main line was carried over the River Plym on a four span bridge only just above high water level which was partly reconstructed by the GWR in 1927. At the same time Lord Morley's Bridge was raised although this is not obvious in photographs. Unfortunately Lord Morley's Bridge was demolished circa 1970 in connection with the construction of the A38 Plympton Bypass.
Two hundred and fifty metres north of the River Plym Bridge the river passed under the then A38, now the B3416 at Long Bridge. Alongside was the lodge of the carriage drive which passed over a minor stream called the Tory Brook. This often ran white, contaminated with china clay waste, and the results can be seen in the photos of the River Plym Bridge where the bridge piers and the river banks are covered in white slime. The pollution was stopped eventually and the river bank returned to more natural colours. One hundred metres further north was another very old cast iron bridge carrying the Lee Moor Tramway over the River Plym. This was built for the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway in 1823. Photos of this bridge will appear in a later part.
I spent some 70 minutes at Lord Morley's Bridge that day and saw just one mainline express in each direction. The down train was the Cornish Riviera Express and was hauled by an unrecorded diesel loco. The up train was The Royal Duchy which departed Plymouth at 2.30pm hauled by a Western and a Warship diesel. The Western was D1000 which was then just two months old being outshopped from Swindon on 20 December 1961. The next Western D1001 was outshopped on 12 February 1962 and the following ones at the rate of one per calendar month. I saw seven steam locomotives in the time I was there: one pannier, two Halls and four 4575-class prairies
APOLOGY: In Part 1 of this series I should have recorded my sincere thanks to John Hodge who provided the details of pannier tank's 6400 workings while based at Pontypool Road Shed from 1935 to 1959. John is an expert on the railways of Wales and has written many books on the subject which are highly recommended.
MLR / 31 January 2023
5954 4915 Condover Hall of Reading Shed crosses the River Plym heading for Laira Shed on 17 February 1962. .Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5956 D1000 and D817 with the 11.30am Penzance to Paddington express on 17 February 1962. Super power for just seven coaches. At Newton Abbot a rake of coaches from Paignton willl be added to the train which was named The Royal Duchy. The train was due to arrive at Paddington at 7.20pm. Copyright Michael L. Roach
5959 A small prairie on the 3.05pm Plymouth to Launceston train crosses the River Plym photographed from the bridge taking the carriage drive to Saltram House over the railway. In a short distance the train will fork left at Tavistock Junction. Copyright Michael L. Roach
5960 Pannier tank 4658 of Laira Shed crosses the River Plym Bridge with a transfer freight on 17.02.1962 heading for Tavistock Junction Yard. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO PART 3 Michael L. Roach
Lord Morley's Bridge
Lord Morley's Bridge spanned the mainline near Tavistock Junction and carried the carriage drive to Saltram House over the line. It was probably constructed in 1847 when the South Devon Railway was advancing rapidly to its temporary terminus at Laira Green close to the location of the later Laira Steam Shed. Saltram House had two carriage drives. One headed south east to a minor road and the other one headed north to meet the Plymouth to Plympton Road at Long Bridge close to Marsh Mills Station. The northern one was badly affected by the construction of the Plympton Bypass and was truncated rendering Lord Morley's Bridge redundant. The bridge was removed which was a great shame as it was a very ornate bridge. The bridge gave good views of the railway line in both directions, including a panoramic view of the Tavistock Junction marshalling Yards on both sides of the line. These did not exist when the line was built and the junction signal box was directly below the bridge.
MLR / 1 February 2023
Lord Morley's Bridge
Lord Morley's Bridge spanned the mainline near Tavistock Junction and carried the carriage drive to Saltram House over the line. It was probably constructed in 1847 when the South Devon Railway was advancing rapidly to its temporary terminus at Laira Green close to the location of the later Laira Steam Shed. Saltram House had two carriage drives. One headed south east to a minor road and the other one headed north to meet the Plymouth to Plympton Road at Long Bridge close to Marsh Mills Station. The northern one was badly affected by the construction of the Plympton Bypass and was truncated rendering Lord Morley's Bridge redundant. The bridge was removed which was a great shame as it was a very ornate bridge. The bridge gave good views of the railway line in both directions, including a panoramic view of the Tavistock Junction marshalling Yards on both sides of the line. These did not exist when the line was built and the junction signal box was directly below the bridge.
MLR / 1 February 2023
5953 - 5569 plus two coaches on the 12.40pm SO Launceston to Plymouth pass under Lord Morley's Bridge on 17th February 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5957 5917 Westminster Hall emerges under the bridge possibly after bringing a freght train to Tavistock Junction Down Yard. 5917 was shedded at Laira from December 1960 to May 1962. The loco went to Exeter Shed and then three months later to Southall Shed from where it was withdrawn in September 1962. copyright Michael L. Roach.
5958 View of Tavistock Junction and its up and down yards. In much earlier days when there were no marshalling yards the junction signal box was directly below the photographer. 5568 is propelling its one autocoach on the 2.00pm ECS from Tavistock South to Millbay. Note the interesting track of the diamond crossing in front of the autocoach. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Mike - classic photograhs
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 4 Michael L. Roach
The Tramway Bridge at Longbridge, Marsh Mills.
Reference was made in Part 2 to a very old tramway bridge which carried the Lee Moor Tramway across the River Plym at Longbridge, Marsh Mills, Plymouth. The bridge was not built by the Lee Moor Tramway but by its predecessor The Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, which was much more of a tramway than a railway. Much of the route of the P&D is unfenced and located on open moorland and can be easily followed. The Plymouth & Dartmoor had a fascinating history including crossing the main railway line on the level beside Laira Junction Signal Box. Up until 1960 it was possible to see the quite incongruous sight of a horse pulling a small wagon along the line including across the main line on a long diagonal crossing. The P&D was there first of course many years before the South Devon Railway arrived with their standard gauge railway. There is much, much more to read about the Plymouth & Dartmoor on websites such Old Plymouth and Wikipedia. The bridge was built by 1823 when the 4 feet 6 inch line opened. The P&D operated no trains of its own but allowed others to run trains on payment of a toll. The 2-span bridge was originally cast iron with timber decking, but it is possible that parts have been replaced with steel in 200 years. The bridge is a remarkable survivor and hopefully will survive for a long time yet. The bridge is located at grid reference SX 5200 5684.
MLR / 1 February 2023
Reference was made in Part 2 to a very old tramway bridge which carried the Lee Moor Tramway across the River Plym at Longbridge, Marsh Mills, Plymouth. The bridge was not built by the Lee Moor Tramway but by its predecessor The Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, which was much more of a tramway than a railway. Much of the route of the P&D is unfenced and located on open moorland and can be easily followed. The Plymouth & Dartmoor had a fascinating history including crossing the main railway line on the level beside Laira Junction Signal Box. Up until 1960 it was possible to see the quite incongruous sight of a horse pulling a small wagon along the line including across the main line on a long diagonal crossing. The P&D was there first of course many years before the South Devon Railway arrived with their standard gauge railway. There is much, much more to read about the Plymouth & Dartmoor on websites such Old Plymouth and Wikipedia. The bridge was built by 1823 when the 4 feet 6 inch line opened. The P&D operated no trains of its own but allowed others to run trains on payment of a toll. The 2-span bridge was originally cast iron with timber decking, but it is possible that parts have been replaced with steel in 200 years. The bridge is a remarkable survivor and hopefully will survive for a long time yet. The bridge is located at grid reference SX 5200 5684.
MLR / 1 February 2023
In this view from 17 February 1962 we are looking across the cast iron tramway bridge over the River Plym to the Weighbridge Cottage. Just to the right of the cottage can be seen a telegraph pole and a signal on the standard gauge line from Tavistock Junction to Tavistock South and Launceston. Note the rails set in the tarmac. The fence has since been replaced by a substantial wall possibly as part of a flood protection scheme. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The two span bridge was a relatively lightweight structure because it did not have to carry locomotives. It is quite amazing that the bridge has survived to celebrate its two hundredth birthday when it is realised that the river could easily be transporting fallen tree branches and other debris. Note that the flow is polluted with china clay waste even above the inflow from the Tory Brook showing that there were at least two sources of china clay waste entering the river. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5th & 6th April, 2015 Marsh Mills. Copyright Roger Winnen.
Tramways Cottage, Marsh Mills 5th & 6th April 2015. Copyright Roger Winnen.
Many thanks to Paul Burkalter for these very recent pictures at Marsh Mills passed on by Michael L. Roach.
Tramways Crossing at Marsh Mills (1) 23rd February 2023. Copyright Paul Burkhalter.
Tramways Crossing at Marsh Mills (2) 23rd February 2023. Copyright Paul Burkhalter.
Tramways Crossing at Marsh Mills (3) 23rd February 2023. Copyright Paul Burkhalter.
Many thanks Michael and Paul.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART Five
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
Half Day Return to Callington
On Friday 23 March 1962 I made a half day trip from Plymouth to Callington. The junction for the branch line was at Bere Alston which is located on the former LSWR/SR main line from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton. It is just 5½ miles from Bere Alston to Callington as the crow flies but 9½ by rail because of the hills in the way and the need to provide stations to serve Calstock and Gunnislake. The 5 miles from Callington to Gunnislake were closed completely on and from 5 November 1966 but the remaining 4½ miles of route survive to this day as a branch from Plymouth with the train reversing at Bere Alston. Much of the present route is located in the valley of the River Tamar which forms the boundary between the counties of Devon and Cornwall for much of its length. The Tamar Valley was formerly famous for its market gardens producing hard fruit, soft fruit and flowers. Before the arrival of the railway the produce made its way to markets at Devonport and Plymouth by boat down the River Tamar. Most of the traffic transferred to road transport in the mid-1960s but the industry is now a shadow of its former self. At the time of my trip in 1962 the main loading point for the market garden produce was at Calstock Station between Bere Alston and Gunnislake and there were usually vans in the siding waiting to be loaded but much of the produce went by passenger train; some of which ran as mixed trains.
The journey along the branchline was leisurely because of the many sharp curves and steep gradients particularly over the first 5 miles out of Bere Alston. Passenger trains were allowed 42 minutes to cover the 9½ miles which would have allowed for loading the produce and the short wheel-base vans in some of the trains The last LSWR O2-class locos had left the area the previous year and from then until the end of steam in September 1964 the Ivatt 2MT-class 2-6-2 tanks hauled all the trains on the branch. The locos were at different times normally provided by Exmouth Junction and Friary Sheds. I travelled out to Callington behind 41275 then of Laira Shed, on the 3.15pm off Bere Alsaton which was a mixed train. Arrival at Callington was four minutes early; where another Ivatt was on shed and in steam. This was 41216 of Friary Shed which would later move to Barnstaple Junction, Exmouth Junction and finally Templecombe Shed. At Templecombe it worked over the Somerset & Dorset and was withdrawn from service as soon as the line closed in March 1966. 41275 returned me to Bere Alston on the 4.23pm train with the same set of two coaches. As can be seen in the second photo the loco was blowing off steam before departure and that was at 4.18pm. For reasons unknown the train did not leave until 4.30pm but still managed to arrive at Bere Alston one minute early showing just how easy the schedule was.
Searching for “Callington Branch” will bring up some interesting websites.
I cannot resist including one of the next batch of photos I took a few days later, knowing that many enthusiasts are interested in anything mechanical that moves, because the photograph shows a very rare beast. In 1962 I worked as a Junior Engineer for the City of Plymouth in the City Engineers Department. The photo shows an Allen Parsons 16/60 Trenching Machine built by John Allen & Sons of Oxford under licence to a design by the Parsons Company of the USA. The Parsons Company still makes small trenching machines but nothing on the scale shown here. The 16/60 was the largest in a range of three machines and indicated that the machine was capable of digging trenches from 16 to 60 inches wide. However each different trench width required a different set of buckets and it was a major job to change all the buckets. The City Engineer had a large direct labour organisation (dlo) capable of carrying out major civil engineering schemes. The trenching machine is seen digging the trench for the Eggbuckland Valley Trunk Sewer. I worked in the section that designed the sewer which was at the same time starting to design the Plymouth Outer Ring Road constructed some twenty years later just to the right (north) of the line of the sewer. The dual carriageway is now called the A38 Devon Expressway. The road forced the sewer uphill into deeper ground resulting in the trench being more than 5 metres deep in places. The 16/60 was very good at digging neat trenches in soft and moderately hard ground but it could not dig 5 metres deep which meant that the bottom of the trench was extended downwards by hand excavation. Fortunately the dlo had good timbermen who could keep the trench safe for the men doing the digging and laying the pipes at the bottom of the trench. At this time there were two Allen Parsons 16/60s at Plymouth – one was owned by the City and the other one shown here was on hire from Lindsay Muir Plant Hire. In fifty years of travelling around Britain I only ever saw one or two other examples of an Allen Parsons Trencher. The location of the photograph is at Reddington Road, Plymouth, roughly at the bottom of Bloomball Hill.
Michael L. Roach. 15th February 2023.
On Friday 23 March 1962 I made a half day trip from Plymouth to Callington. The junction for the branch line was at Bere Alston which is located on the former LSWR/SR main line from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton. It is just 5½ miles from Bere Alston to Callington as the crow flies but 9½ by rail because of the hills in the way and the need to provide stations to serve Calstock and Gunnislake. The 5 miles from Callington to Gunnislake were closed completely on and from 5 November 1966 but the remaining 4½ miles of route survive to this day as a branch from Plymouth with the train reversing at Bere Alston. Much of the present route is located in the valley of the River Tamar which forms the boundary between the counties of Devon and Cornwall for much of its length. The Tamar Valley was formerly famous for its market gardens producing hard fruit, soft fruit and flowers. Before the arrival of the railway the produce made its way to markets at Devonport and Plymouth by boat down the River Tamar. Most of the traffic transferred to road transport in the mid-1960s but the industry is now a shadow of its former self. At the time of my trip in 1962 the main loading point for the market garden produce was at Calstock Station between Bere Alston and Gunnislake and there were usually vans in the siding waiting to be loaded but much of the produce went by passenger train; some of which ran as mixed trains.
The journey along the branchline was leisurely because of the many sharp curves and steep gradients particularly over the first 5 miles out of Bere Alston. Passenger trains were allowed 42 minutes to cover the 9½ miles which would have allowed for loading the produce and the short wheel-base vans in some of the trains The last LSWR O2-class locos had left the area the previous year and from then until the end of steam in September 1964 the Ivatt 2MT-class 2-6-2 tanks hauled all the trains on the branch. The locos were at different times normally provided by Exmouth Junction and Friary Sheds. I travelled out to Callington behind 41275 then of Laira Shed, on the 3.15pm off Bere Alsaton which was a mixed train. Arrival at Callington was four minutes early; where another Ivatt was on shed and in steam. This was 41216 of Friary Shed which would later move to Barnstaple Junction, Exmouth Junction and finally Templecombe Shed. At Templecombe it worked over the Somerset & Dorset and was withdrawn from service as soon as the line closed in March 1966. 41275 returned me to Bere Alston on the 4.23pm train with the same set of two coaches. As can be seen in the second photo the loco was blowing off steam before departure and that was at 4.18pm. For reasons unknown the train did not leave until 4.30pm but still managed to arrive at Bere Alston one minute early showing just how easy the schedule was.
Searching for “Callington Branch” will bring up some interesting websites.
I cannot resist including one of the next batch of photos I took a few days later, knowing that many enthusiasts are interested in anything mechanical that moves, because the photograph shows a very rare beast. In 1962 I worked as a Junior Engineer for the City of Plymouth in the City Engineers Department. The photo shows an Allen Parsons 16/60 Trenching Machine built by John Allen & Sons of Oxford under licence to a design by the Parsons Company of the USA. The Parsons Company still makes small trenching machines but nothing on the scale shown here. The 16/60 was the largest in a range of three machines and indicated that the machine was capable of digging trenches from 16 to 60 inches wide. However each different trench width required a different set of buckets and it was a major job to change all the buckets. The City Engineer had a large direct labour organisation (dlo) capable of carrying out major civil engineering schemes. The trenching machine is seen digging the trench for the Eggbuckland Valley Trunk Sewer. I worked in the section that designed the sewer which was at the same time starting to design the Plymouth Outer Ring Road constructed some twenty years later just to the right (north) of the line of the sewer. The dual carriageway is now called the A38 Devon Expressway. The road forced the sewer uphill into deeper ground resulting in the trench being more than 5 metres deep in places. The 16/60 was very good at digging neat trenches in soft and moderately hard ground but it could not dig 5 metres deep which meant that the bottom of the trench was extended downwards by hand excavation. Fortunately the dlo had good timbermen who could keep the trench safe for the men doing the digging and laying the pipes at the bottom of the trench. At this time there were two Allen Parsons 16/60s at Plymouth – one was owned by the City and the other one shown here was on hire from Lindsay Muir Plant Hire. In fifty years of travelling around Britain I only ever saw one or two other examples of an Allen Parsons Trencher. The location of the photograph is at Reddington Road, Plymouth, roughly at the bottom of Bloomball Hill.
Michael L. Roach. 15th February 2023.
6961 Ivatt 2-6-2T 41216 stands outside Callington Shed on the afternoon of 23 March 1962, in steam. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6963 Class mate 41275 blows off steam while waiting to depart with the 4.23pm to Bere Alston. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The photo shows an Allen Parsons 16/60 Trenching Machine built by John Allen & Sons of Oxford under licence to a design by the Parsons Company of the USA. The Parsons Company still makes small trenching machines but nothing on the scale shown here. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART Six
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
By Road to Meldon Viaduct
A near 30-mile road journey took me along the west side of Dartmoor from Plymouth to Meldon Viaduct which once carried a double track railway from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton. In fact the viaduct is located just over two miles south west of Okehampton. For a very small hamlet Meldon is well-known for three things: its railway viaduct, its dam and reservoir, and its hard rock quarry which once supplied ballast for almost the whole of the Southern Railway. The date of the visit was 14 April 1962 and the journey had taken me well over an hour because of going off the direct route to see 4591 enter Lydford Station with the 10.15am Launceston to Plymouth train.
Meldon Viaduct is in fact two viaducts side-by-side completed in 1874 and 1879 and built of wrought iron. Steel had already been invented and if the viaducts had been built just a few years later they would probably have been built of steel. The Forth Bridge was designed in the early 1880s and the contract for its construction was let in 1882. The Forth Bridge was the first major structure in Britain to be made of steel. Both Meldon and Forth bridges have lasted well with regular maintenance. Meldon is one of only two wrought iron viaducts remaining in the country:- the other is at Bennerley, Ilkeston in a completely different situation on the edge of an urban area. Bennerley is three times the length of Meldon but only half the height. Of course there is an even more famous partly wrought iron bridge (as opposed to viaduct) only some 25 miles away and that is the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. Meldon Viaduct has been a Scheduled Monument since 1976.
I took a couple of photos of the viaduct, including a train crossing it and then moved on to take some lineside pictures much closer to Okehampton Station. In all I took photos of three trains and all were headed by rebuilt Bulleid light pacifics of the WC/BB class. The class had been common on the lines from Okehampton to Plymouth and Padstow for many years but it is believed that after being rebuilt the class had been forbidden at first.
The WC/BB locos seen that day were:
34056 Croydon An Exmouth Junction loco for the previous 7 years, the loco lasted until May 1967
34062 17 Squadron An Exmouth Junction loco for the previous 10 years; it was withdrawn in May 1964
34098 Templecombe An Exmouth Junction loco although it moved to Eastleigh the following month, May 1962
After trains ceased to cross the viaduct in 1968 the track was lifted and a roadway built across on one side. The viaduct became a haul road for lorries taking aggregate to the site of Meldon Dam during its construction perion 1970 to 1972. Later the roadway became a cycle track as it still is. What does the future hold for Meldon Viaduct and will the rail route across the viaduct be restored one day. It is possible that private car ownership could decline with the gradual takeover by electric cars and their attendant high battery costs and the difficulty of charging car batteries outside some properties. I think the railway will be rebuilt one day, although it is probably some years off. Tieing the two viaducts together at track formation level would enable a single line to be laid down the centre of the available width with the cycle path retained on one side.
MLR / 20 February 2023
A near 30-mile road journey took me along the west side of Dartmoor from Plymouth to Meldon Viaduct which once carried a double track railway from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton. In fact the viaduct is located just over two miles south west of Okehampton. For a very small hamlet Meldon is well-known for three things: its railway viaduct, its dam and reservoir, and its hard rock quarry which once supplied ballast for almost the whole of the Southern Railway. The date of the visit was 14 April 1962 and the journey had taken me well over an hour because of going off the direct route to see 4591 enter Lydford Station with the 10.15am Launceston to Plymouth train.
Meldon Viaduct is in fact two viaducts side-by-side completed in 1874 and 1879 and built of wrought iron. Steel had already been invented and if the viaducts had been built just a few years later they would probably have been built of steel. The Forth Bridge was designed in the early 1880s and the contract for its construction was let in 1882. The Forth Bridge was the first major structure in Britain to be made of steel. Both Meldon and Forth bridges have lasted well with regular maintenance. Meldon is one of only two wrought iron viaducts remaining in the country:- the other is at Bennerley, Ilkeston in a completely different situation on the edge of an urban area. Bennerley is three times the length of Meldon but only half the height. Of course there is an even more famous partly wrought iron bridge (as opposed to viaduct) only some 25 miles away and that is the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. Meldon Viaduct has been a Scheduled Monument since 1976.
I took a couple of photos of the viaduct, including a train crossing it and then moved on to take some lineside pictures much closer to Okehampton Station. In all I took photos of three trains and all were headed by rebuilt Bulleid light pacifics of the WC/BB class. The class had been common on the lines from Okehampton to Plymouth and Padstow for many years but it is believed that after being rebuilt the class had been forbidden at first.
The WC/BB locos seen that day were:
34056 Croydon An Exmouth Junction loco for the previous 7 years, the loco lasted until May 1967
34062 17 Squadron An Exmouth Junction loco for the previous 10 years; it was withdrawn in May 1964
34098 Templecombe An Exmouth Junction loco although it moved to Eastleigh the following month, May 1962
After trains ceased to cross the viaduct in 1968 the track was lifted and a roadway built across on one side. The viaduct became a haul road for lorries taking aggregate to the site of Meldon Dam during its construction perion 1970 to 1972. Later the roadway became a cycle track as it still is. What does the future hold for Meldon Viaduct and will the rail route across the viaduct be restored one day. It is possible that private car ownership could decline with the gradual takeover by electric cars and their attendant high battery costs and the difficulty of charging car batteries outside some properties. I think the railway will be rebuilt one day, although it is probably some years off. Tieing the two viaducts together at track formation level would enable a single line to be laid down the centre of the available width with the cycle path retained on one side.
MLR / 20 February 2023
6988 A view of the viaduct looking north east towards Okehampton on 14 April 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6989 34062 heads across the viaduct with one GUV and ten coaches on the 11.10am Plymouth to Brighton train. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6990 Looking skywards from the middle pier showed the delicate tracery of the structure's wought iron members. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6991 On the long gentle curve to the west of Okehampton Station 34098 heads up the gradient with six coaches on the 11.47am Exeter Central to Plymouth. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6992 Just eight minutes later at the same location 34056 heads downhill with three coaches on the 11.46am Plymouth to Waterloo. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael - we look forward to Part 7.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART Seven
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
Centenary of the Castle Class Steam Locomotive
The year 2023 will see the 100th anniversary of the production of the first of the Great Western Railway's Castle Class 4-cylinder Express Steam Locomotives. The first one rolled out of Swindon Works in August 1923 and was an instant success. There was no prototype because the design was an updated and enlarged version of the 4-cylinder Star Class of 1906. The Star class was designed by Churchward and the Castle by his successor Charles Collet who were both Chief Mechanical Engineers of the Company. The design brought together all the best features of current GWR loco design and the Castle class were well proportioned, attractive to look at and highly competent. This was shown by the fact that 171 were built from 1923 to 1950.
In 1962 the number of Castles was in rapid decline as more and more diesels were coming off the production line including the first of the Western Class diesels in December 1961. On 1 January 1962 there were 151 Castles nominally in traffic but by the end of 1962 the number was down to just 54. The last Castle was withdrawn in December 1965. Laira Shed had just 5 on the books on the 1 January 1962 but by the year end there was just one left and that was 7022 Hereford Castle. There were a couple of Castles at Newton Abbot and then there were none until one reached Bristol, Reading and London. I had two trips behind Castles in 1962 both over the South Devon Banks from Newton Abbot to Plymouth. One was a good trip and the other best forgotten.
The year 2023 will see the 100th anniversary of the production of the first of the Great Western Railway's Castle Class 4-cylinder Express Steam Locomotives. The first one rolled out of Swindon Works in August 1923 and was an instant success. There was no prototype because the design was an updated and enlarged version of the 4-cylinder Star Class of 1906. The Star class was designed by Churchward and the Castle by his successor Charles Collet who were both Chief Mechanical Engineers of the Company. The design brought together all the best features of current GWR loco design and the Castle class were well proportioned, attractive to look at and highly competent. This was shown by the fact that 171 were built from 1923 to 1950.
In 1962 the number of Castles was in rapid decline as more and more diesels were coming off the production line including the first of the Western Class diesels in December 1961. On 1 January 1962 there were 151 Castles nominally in traffic but by the end of 1962 the number was down to just 54. The last Castle was withdrawn in December 1965. Laira Shed had just 5 on the books on the 1 January 1962 but by the year end there was just one left and that was 7022 Hereford Castle. There were a couple of Castles at Newton Abbot and then there were none until one reached Bristol, Reading and London. I had two trips behind Castles in 1962 both over the South Devon Banks from Newton Abbot to Plymouth. One was a good trip and the other best forgotten.
4892 5052 is seen at Newton Abbot on Saturday 17 June 1961 with a Manchester to Penzance train. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5964 Laira's own 7022 Hereford Castle approaches Saltash Station (where it did not stop) cautiously slowing to 15mph for the crossing of the Royal Albert Bridge. The train is the 1.50pm Penzance to Paddington which was the last daytime train that would get passengers to London the same day. The date is Saturday 24 February 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
4072 7029 Clun Castle is seen passing through Uffington at speed with the return leg of a railtour from Birmingham to Swindon on Saturday 3 April 1965. Michael L. Roach.
Three classic photographs of steam in action. Many thanks Michael.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART Eight
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
Halwill Junction Michael L. Roach
In Part 6 on 22 February I recounted a road trip to the Meldon area to do some lineside photography. After nearly two hours in the area it was time to move on some 13 miles to Dunsland Cross on the Bude Branch. There were few properties or villages in the area and it looks as though the station was only put there to break up the 8 miles from Halwill Junction Station to Holsworthy Station. I took one photograph west of the station of 82017 on the 1.55pm Bude to Halwill Junction. This was one of a class of 45 BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2 tanks numbered 82000-44 designed and built at Swindon. The last two of the class were withdrawn at Nine Elms Shed in July 1967 with the end of steam on the Southern Region. Sadly not a single example of the class made it into preservation, but that ommission is now being rectified by the construction of 80045 which has been proceeding for a number of years. 82017 was the first of the class that I photographed but there would be several more over the next two and a half years with the last seen being 82038 on 11.09.1964 at Bristol Temple Meads on the 5.55pm to Bath Green Park and 82040 on a freight train at Exeter St. Davids on 17.04.1965.
I did not find the area around Dunsland Cross very conducive to photography so returned to Halwill Junction which was much better. At this time Halwill saw a good range of locomotive classes but the next loco to arrive at the station was Mogul 31406 on the 3.11pm Bude to Okehampton. I did not recognise the numbering series which at first was thought to be a U-class. I had seen many of the N-class at Plymouth and elsewhere but they were all in the 318xx series, but 31406 was also an N-class built earlier by Maunsell for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway to the general design principles laid down by the Great Western Railway's G.J. Churchward in his 4300 class Moguls. 31406 had arrived at Exmouth Junction Shed just two months earlier and had joined 31409 which had arrived there in October 1961. I photographed 31406 arrive at 3.54pm and leave at 4.03pm with its two coaches and two vans, and I immediately departed for Plymouth and home some 40 miles away. This was an early finish for me so perhaps I was going out for the evening. I had left Plymouth before 10.00am that morning for my journey to Lydford and Meldon described in Part 6 but had been taking railway photos even before that. Somehow I had gained access to the 11-storey tower block at Plymouth Station; perhaps as some part of an open day as the building had only just then been completed. Birds-eye views of the station were taken looking west and east.
MLR / 2 March 2023
In Part 6 on 22 February I recounted a road trip to the Meldon area to do some lineside photography. After nearly two hours in the area it was time to move on some 13 miles to Dunsland Cross on the Bude Branch. There were few properties or villages in the area and it looks as though the station was only put there to break up the 8 miles from Halwill Junction Station to Holsworthy Station. I took one photograph west of the station of 82017 on the 1.55pm Bude to Halwill Junction. This was one of a class of 45 BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2 tanks numbered 82000-44 designed and built at Swindon. The last two of the class were withdrawn at Nine Elms Shed in July 1967 with the end of steam on the Southern Region. Sadly not a single example of the class made it into preservation, but that ommission is now being rectified by the construction of 80045 which has been proceeding for a number of years. 82017 was the first of the class that I photographed but there would be several more over the next two and a half years with the last seen being 82038 on 11.09.1964 at Bristol Temple Meads on the 5.55pm to Bath Green Park and 82040 on a freight train at Exeter St. Davids on 17.04.1965.
I did not find the area around Dunsland Cross very conducive to photography so returned to Halwill Junction which was much better. At this time Halwill saw a good range of locomotive classes but the next loco to arrive at the station was Mogul 31406 on the 3.11pm Bude to Okehampton. I did not recognise the numbering series which at first was thought to be a U-class. I had seen many of the N-class at Plymouth and elsewhere but they were all in the 318xx series, but 31406 was also an N-class built earlier by Maunsell for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway to the general design principles laid down by the Great Western Railway's G.J. Churchward in his 4300 class Moguls. 31406 had arrived at Exmouth Junction Shed just two months earlier and had joined 31409 which had arrived there in October 1961. I photographed 31406 arrive at 3.54pm and leave at 4.03pm with its two coaches and two vans, and I immediately departed for Plymouth and home some 40 miles away. This was an early finish for me so perhaps I was going out for the evening. I had left Plymouth before 10.00am that morning for my journey to Lydford and Meldon described in Part 6 but had been taking railway photos even before that. Somehow I had gained access to the 11-storey tower block at Plymouth Station; perhaps as some part of an open day as the building had only just then been completed. Birds-eye views of the station were taken looking west and east.
MLR / 2 March 2023
6993 Standard tank 82017 is seen west of Dunsland Cross Station with the 1.55pm Bude to Halwill Junction on 14 April 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6998 34075 264 Squadron sets out from Halwill Junction with the Padstow portion of the down ACE, Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6999 N-class 31406 arrives at Halwill Junction Station with the 3.11pm Bude to Okehampton. Copyright Michael |L. Roach.
7001 31406 waits departure time at Halwill. Three trains and three different classes seen in the area. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks indeed Michael.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART Nine
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
Marsh Mills and the Forder Valley Link Road
This series has visited the Marsh Mills area of Plymouth before in Parts 2, 3 and 4. The railway station was a quarter mile north of Tavistock Junction and was the first station on the line to Tavistock South and Launceston. Just south of the station the A38 trunk road (Bodmin to Mansfield – 292 miles) passed over the branch in 1962. From Marsh Mills the A38 went right through the centre of the city, including down Royal Parade, on its way to the Torpoint Chain Ferry. Part 4 of the series dealt with the Tramway Bridge 150 yards to the west of Marsh Mills Station. In image 5961 the rails of the Lee Moor Tramway can be seen set in the tarmac of Longbridge Road on a ninety degree bend. The next mile or so of Longbridge Road was narrow and with a section that was both narrow and steep. However this was the A374 road around the north side of Plymouth to Crownhill and St. Budeaux. The Tamar Bridge had opened in the autumn of 1961 and overnight drivers were using the bridge in preference to the Torpoint Ferry and they were also using the A374 and Longbridge Road in preference to going through the City Centre. Early in 1962 the City was offered a sum of money by the Ministry of Transport, underspent elsewhere, if they could spend it quickly in the spring of 1962. The City Engineer decided to spend the money on bypassing the first mile of the A374 westwards from Marsh Mills with a single carriageway 24 foot (7.3 metres) wide. The scheme was called the Forder Valley Link Road. and the budget for the construction works was in the region of £70 – 80,000.
The road was built by the City's direct labour organisation using mostly hired plant and in about 10 weeks. The road would later become part of the Plymouth Outer Ring Road twenty years later. I was the junior engineer dispatched to site to set out the horizontal and vertical alignment of the road and ensure the men and machines were not held up waiting for pegs to be driven into the ground. I was lucky to be expertly mentored by a senior engineer (Donald J.R. Butler) who was only six years older than me but already had a wealth of experince. He was a great engineer to work with and when he moved employer a couple of years later I followed him to that firm in Plympton. There was a lot of plant on-site to complete the scheme in only ten weeks, including many types that have now been superceded by the ubiquitous 360 degree hydraulic swing shovel; the first one of this type arrived in Plymouth the following year and was a Poclain demonstrator. Because the road was built mostly across a flood plain there were no less than six road rollers including a Marshall steam roller to compact the formation, the sub-base and the base of the road. In a twist of fate a new length of road was opened recently further up the same valley and was named The Platinum Parkway but the working title before opening was The Forder Valley Link Road. This new road is one kilometre long, took three years to build and cost £50,000,000.
The last time that an item of construction plant was shown it was appreciated by some viewers so here is one of the smaller items used on the site of the original FVLR. It is an International Harvester BTD 6 with a Drott 4-in-1 clamshell bucket. The machine was a British built version (in Doncaster) of the TD 6 made by IH in the USA. The bucket was made by Rubery Owen in Darlaston under licence from the Drott Company of the USA, and the International Drott was very popular in Britain from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s because it was so versatile particularly for site clearance, grubbing up trees and loading lorries. I even witnessed one Drott digging a trench by bringing each bucket load up a ramp out of the trench.
MLR / 8 March 2023
This series has visited the Marsh Mills area of Plymouth before in Parts 2, 3 and 4. The railway station was a quarter mile north of Tavistock Junction and was the first station on the line to Tavistock South and Launceston. Just south of the station the A38 trunk road (Bodmin to Mansfield – 292 miles) passed over the branch in 1962. From Marsh Mills the A38 went right through the centre of the city, including down Royal Parade, on its way to the Torpoint Chain Ferry. Part 4 of the series dealt with the Tramway Bridge 150 yards to the west of Marsh Mills Station. In image 5961 the rails of the Lee Moor Tramway can be seen set in the tarmac of Longbridge Road on a ninety degree bend. The next mile or so of Longbridge Road was narrow and with a section that was both narrow and steep. However this was the A374 road around the north side of Plymouth to Crownhill and St. Budeaux. The Tamar Bridge had opened in the autumn of 1961 and overnight drivers were using the bridge in preference to the Torpoint Ferry and they were also using the A374 and Longbridge Road in preference to going through the City Centre. Early in 1962 the City was offered a sum of money by the Ministry of Transport, underspent elsewhere, if they could spend it quickly in the spring of 1962. The City Engineer decided to spend the money on bypassing the first mile of the A374 westwards from Marsh Mills with a single carriageway 24 foot (7.3 metres) wide. The scheme was called the Forder Valley Link Road. and the budget for the construction works was in the region of £70 – 80,000.
The road was built by the City's direct labour organisation using mostly hired plant and in about 10 weeks. The road would later become part of the Plymouth Outer Ring Road twenty years later. I was the junior engineer dispatched to site to set out the horizontal and vertical alignment of the road and ensure the men and machines were not held up waiting for pegs to be driven into the ground. I was lucky to be expertly mentored by a senior engineer (Donald J.R. Butler) who was only six years older than me but already had a wealth of experince. He was a great engineer to work with and when he moved employer a couple of years later I followed him to that firm in Plympton. There was a lot of plant on-site to complete the scheme in only ten weeks, including many types that have now been superceded by the ubiquitous 360 degree hydraulic swing shovel; the first one of this type arrived in Plymouth the following year and was a Poclain demonstrator. Because the road was built mostly across a flood plain there were no less than six road rollers including a Marshall steam roller to compact the formation, the sub-base and the base of the road. In a twist of fate a new length of road was opened recently further up the same valley and was named The Platinum Parkway but the working title before opening was The Forder Valley Link Road. This new road is one kilometre long, took three years to build and cost £50,000,000.
The last time that an item of construction plant was shown it was appreciated by some viewers so here is one of the smaller items used on the site of the original FVLR. It is an International Harvester BTD 6 with a Drott 4-in-1 clamshell bucket. The machine was a British built version (in Doncaster) of the TD 6 made by IH in the USA. The bucket was made by Rubery Owen in Darlaston under licence from the Drott Company of the USA, and the International Drott was very popular in Britain from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s because it was so versatile particularly for site clearance, grubbing up trees and loading lorries. I even witnessed one Drott digging a trench by bringing each bucket load up a ramp out of the trench.
MLR / 8 March 2023
7019 Small prairie 5569 stands in Marsh Mills Station with the 10.15am Launceston to Plymouth on Easter Monday 23 April 1962. The china clay works was just out of the photo top left. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7020 The train leaves Marsh Mills for Plymouth at 11.51am The ruins on the right are the remains of the corn mill that gave the area its name. The photographer is standing on the bridge carrying the A38 over the line. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7004 The International BTD 6 Drott doing site clearance on the Forder Valley Link Road on 16 April 1962. The machine was built in Doncaster and supplied by Savile's of Stratford-on-Avon through their Exeter Depot.
7005 Details as above. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 10
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
The Rundown of Steam at Laira Shed 1958 - 1964
The first mainline diesel locos arrived on the Western Region in 1958 in the shape of Class 41 and Class 42 Warships, followed by the Class 22 in 1959 and the much-loved Class 52 Westerns in January 1962. That month was a water shed because there were now so many diesel locos that express steam locos were being withdrawn in their hundreds each year on the Western Region alone. In the worst month for withdrawals 70 Great Western designed express 4-6-0 locos were condemned. None of the above diesel classes lasted long and with the benefit of hindsight it would have been better if British Railways had ordered more locos of the successful Class 37 and Class 47 locos, both of which have examples still running in 2023. The 37s dated from 1959 and the 47s from 1962.
The year 1962 was the last that there was a reasonable amount of steam at Laira Shed; travelling to Plymouth, being serviced at the Shed; and being rostered on trains out of Plymouth. That picture changed dramatically on the last weekend of December 1962 when the branch from Plymouth to Tavistock South and Launceston closed to passengers and Laira lost perhaps half of its steam-worked trains. The year 1963 was a much leaner year except that there was a short temporary boost to steam during The Big Freeze of January and February 1963 as steam took over and replaced diesels due to the extreme weather. I can only recall two regularly steam hauled trains on the ex-GWR mainline that summer:- the Excursion from Saltash to Goodringron during July and August and a freight train to Cardiff that left Tavistock Junction mid-evening. However with the complete closure of the ex-Southern Railway shed at Friary on 6 May 1963 more steam locos came into Laira's domain. These were mainly the Ivatt 2-6-2 tanks for the Calington Branch and the locos working the line around the north side of Dartmoor to Okehampton and Exeter Central which were mostly rebuilt Bulleid 4-6-2s and BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0s. This situation continued into 1964 when no steam was rostered up the line to Newton Abbot but still the occasional steam loco came down that line to be serviced at Laira. The steam locos arriving from Okehampton continued until the first weekend in September 1964 when Laira steam shed finally closed its doors for good consequent upon the almost complete dieselisation of trains from Exeter Central to Plymouth via Okehampton.
Even the closure of Laira Steam shed did not stop steam locos arriving at Plymouth Station and for four complete months September to December 1964 twice a day a commuter train arrived from Okehampton to return shortly later without the engine leaving the station. I caught the returning morning train just once on 9 September 1964. The 9.50am from Plymouth to Okehampton was hauled by 80036 and I was the only passenger in the three coaches leaving Plymouth. It is hoped to return to the last days of steam at Laira again one day. The railway photos shown below have been used before but hopefully are worth repeating
In the last part of this series we saw a British-built BTD 6 Drott on site clearance. The machine was built by International Harvester whose headquarters were in Chicago USA. Just 150 – 160 miles away from Chicago in Peoria, Illinois was the then HQ of Caterpillar the largest manufacturers of construction equipment in the world and IH's biggest competitor. Caterpillar also built traxcavators which were then much used for loading lorries. The Cat equivalent of the BTD 6 was the 933 which had a similar size diesel engine. There was one Cat 933 on the site of the FVLR which did not have a Drott bucket (although it could have done) but the plain bucket that it did have was a clever invention because it was known as a side-tipping bucket. After loading its bucket in the stockpile the 933 would reverse straight back and empty the spoil into the back of lorry by raising the far end of the hinged bucket. By contrast the BTD 6 had to slew through ninety degrees to unload each bucketfull. The 933 was quicker doing each cycle with less wear on the tracks. The 933, and its bigger brother the 955, were very useful for loading railway wagons in the narrow confines of a railway formation and British Railways used the Cat 955 (or similar traxcavators) with side-tipping bucket for many years.
The Cat 933 used on this scheme was actually owned by the Council and had the registration TDR 227. It was loading away from a stockpile of excavated material which had been deposited there by a tractor and scraper combination which we will see later in the series. The lorry that the 933 had finished loading one minute earlier had the registration EJY 25 or FJY 25 and was owned by R. Westlake and Sons (Devonport) Ltd. The firm had started in 1880 with one horse and cart but had a large fleet of 4-wheel tipper lorries in 1962. The firm had an interesting history which can be read on the Old Devonport website. Much excavated material like this went to the Council's refuse tip where it was used to mix with and cover the domestic refuse, making it easier to compact and minimise settlement and seagull nuisance.
MLR / 10 March 2023
The first mainline diesel locos arrived on the Western Region in 1958 in the shape of Class 41 and Class 42 Warships, followed by the Class 22 in 1959 and the much-loved Class 52 Westerns in January 1962. That month was a water shed because there were now so many diesel locos that express steam locos were being withdrawn in their hundreds each year on the Western Region alone. In the worst month for withdrawals 70 Great Western designed express 4-6-0 locos were condemned. None of the above diesel classes lasted long and with the benefit of hindsight it would have been better if British Railways had ordered more locos of the successful Class 37 and Class 47 locos, both of which have examples still running in 2023. The 37s dated from 1959 and the 47s from 1962.
The year 1962 was the last that there was a reasonable amount of steam at Laira Shed; travelling to Plymouth, being serviced at the Shed; and being rostered on trains out of Plymouth. That picture changed dramatically on the last weekend of December 1962 when the branch from Plymouth to Tavistock South and Launceston closed to passengers and Laira lost perhaps half of its steam-worked trains. The year 1963 was a much leaner year except that there was a short temporary boost to steam during The Big Freeze of January and February 1963 as steam took over and replaced diesels due to the extreme weather. I can only recall two regularly steam hauled trains on the ex-GWR mainline that summer:- the Excursion from Saltash to Goodringron during July and August and a freight train to Cardiff that left Tavistock Junction mid-evening. However with the complete closure of the ex-Southern Railway shed at Friary on 6 May 1963 more steam locos came into Laira's domain. These were mainly the Ivatt 2-6-2 tanks for the Calington Branch and the locos working the line around the north side of Dartmoor to Okehampton and Exeter Central which were mostly rebuilt Bulleid 4-6-2s and BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0s. This situation continued into 1964 when no steam was rostered up the line to Newton Abbot but still the occasional steam loco came down that line to be serviced at Laira. The steam locos arriving from Okehampton continued until the first weekend in September 1964 when Laira steam shed finally closed its doors for good consequent upon the almost complete dieselisation of trains from Exeter Central to Plymouth via Okehampton.
Even the closure of Laira Steam shed did not stop steam locos arriving at Plymouth Station and for four complete months September to December 1964 twice a day a commuter train arrived from Okehampton to return shortly later without the engine leaving the station. I caught the returning morning train just once on 9 September 1964. The 9.50am from Plymouth to Okehampton was hauled by 80036 and I was the only passenger in the three coaches leaving Plymouth. It is hoped to return to the last days of steam at Laira again one day. The railway photos shown below have been used before but hopefully are worth repeating
In the last part of this series we saw a British-built BTD 6 Drott on site clearance. The machine was built by International Harvester whose headquarters were in Chicago USA. Just 150 – 160 miles away from Chicago in Peoria, Illinois was the then HQ of Caterpillar the largest manufacturers of construction equipment in the world and IH's biggest competitor. Caterpillar also built traxcavators which were then much used for loading lorries. The Cat equivalent of the BTD 6 was the 933 which had a similar size diesel engine. There was one Cat 933 on the site of the FVLR which did not have a Drott bucket (although it could have done) but the plain bucket that it did have was a clever invention because it was known as a side-tipping bucket. After loading its bucket in the stockpile the 933 would reverse straight back and empty the spoil into the back of lorry by raising the far end of the hinged bucket. By contrast the BTD 6 had to slew through ninety degrees to unload each bucketfull. The 933 was quicker doing each cycle with less wear on the tracks. The 933, and its bigger brother the 955, were very useful for loading railway wagons in the narrow confines of a railway formation and British Railways used the Cat 955 (or similar traxcavators) with side-tipping bucket for many years.
The Cat 933 used on this scheme was actually owned by the Council and had the registration TDR 227. It was loading away from a stockpile of excavated material which had been deposited there by a tractor and scraper combination which we will see later in the series. The lorry that the 933 had finished loading one minute earlier had the registration EJY 25 or FJY 25 and was owned by R. Westlake and Sons (Devonport) Ltd. The firm had started in 1880 with one horse and cart but had a large fleet of 4-wheel tipper lorries in 1962. The firm had an interesting history which can be read on the Old Devonport website. Much excavated material like this went to the Council's refuse tip where it was used to mix with and cover the domestic refuse, making it easier to compact and minimise settlement and seagull nuisance.
MLR / 10 March 2023
5729 Modified Hall 7914 Lleweni Hall of Reading Shed rests after being serviced at Laira on 3 October 1962. The shed sent out its best Halls for pilot work at Reading Station knowing that they could be called upon to assist or replace a diesel loco at short notice. The engine was photographed again on an ECS train at Newport High Street Station on 31 July 1965 when it was based at Bristol Barrow Road. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5730 On the coaling stage loop on 3 October 1962 is 5983 Henley Hall of Tyseley Shed. In front are 6822, 6988 and 4904 which was the oldest loco in this trio of photographs. 4904 Binnegar Hall was sent new to Penzance Shed in December 1928. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5740 Seen across the depression in the ground which housed a pumping station is 6438. The loco went new to Ebbw Junction Shed and spent most of its 25-year life in or near South Wales. It arrived at Laira from Radyr Shed in May 1962 and was withdrawn a couple of weeks after this view taken on 20 October 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7010 The Cat 933 is showing off its side-tipping bucket while tidying up the stockpile of excavated material soon after loading a lorry on 17 April 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael. An amazing and valuable collection.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 11
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
The Origins of North Road Station, Plymouth
North Road runs from Eldad Hill roughly east north east for about one mile to the top of North Hill which is on the original road route from Plymouth to Tavistock. Up until 1971 North Road crossed two railway lines just north of Cornwall Junction on the railway heading north from Millbay to North Road Station. Millbay was the main passenger station for Plymouth from when the South Devon Railway arrived in 1849 until closure due to bomb damage in 1941. The first station out of Millbay on the SDR was Mutley situated a short distance west of Mutley Tunnel. Millbay served the Town Centre and Mutley the northern outskirts of the town in Victorian times. The arrival of the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway / LSWR line in 1877 from the opposite direction to the SDR upset the status quo. Plymouth was expanding rapidly in the second half of the nineteenth century and the centre of gravity was moving northwards. The SDR and the PDSWJR (backed by the GWR and LSWR) decided that a new joint station should be built between Cornwall Junction and Mutley Station. The original double track broad gauge line through the area passed through fields and at the site of the future station was on a low embankment before passing over Pennycomequick Hill which carried the railway over one of the major routes leaving the town (it did not become a city until 1928). The 1877 station had just two through platform lines which was expanded to four through platform lines in improvements carried out in 1908. The layout of the station after the 1908 improvements can be seen in the attached diagram. Note the tram route including a spur into the station forecourt.
Major rebuilding started just before the 1939 – 1945 war when more through lines and platforms were added but the work was not finished until 1962. Each time the station expanded northwards involving more filling and when viewed from the north side the station appears to be constructed on a huge embankment. Meanwhile the original 1877 entrance on the south side remained in use until 1958 by which time it was showing its age.
The new joint station was opened on 28 March 1877 and named North Road Station after the road running roughly parallel a short distance away. The SDR had been absorbed by the GWR in 1876 although it had been one of the four “Associated Companies” and the trains operated by the GWR for some ten years. Plymouth North Road was one of those stations where trains to the next large city up the line could depart in both directions out of the station. The first three photos attached show Southern Region trains heading west into the station for a destination that was 45 miles away by road to the north east of Plymouth i.e Exeter. The rail distance was 52 miles via Newton Abbot and Dawlish and 58 miles via Tavistock and Okehampton. The writer's grand parents lived in the first property in Sydney Street, just off North Road, for several decades prior to 1939. The house and adjoining builders yard survived the war but sadly the grand parents did not with one dying as a result of enemy action. I never met either of them. My grandfather was one of the 1,174 civilians to die as a result of the bombing of Plymouth. More than 3,000 civilians were injured.
The last photo in this group shows another item of plant in use on the Forder Valley Link Road in the spring of 1962. In Part 10 we saw a Cat 933 traxcavator. Image 7017 shows its big brother a Cat 977 traxcavator which had a huge appetite for work. The diesel engine of the 977 had three times the horse power of the 933 and the bucket capacity was more than 2.5 cubic yards. The driver was a character who had previously used the 977 on the improvements to the A374 between Saltash and Trerulefoot to prepare the road for the opening of the Tamar Bridge, when the road became the A38. On the steep hill bewteen Notter Bridge and passing the village of Landrake is an enormous cutting on quite a sharp bend. The cutting is long, wide and deep and this driver was there excavating the cutting with the 977 for many months in 1960. It was his boast that he could load a lorry so quickly with his 977 that there were 27 lorries taking away the spoil. Strange how one remembers some characters so well even after more than 60 years. In this case its not because of his driving ability or because of his wellington boots turned down at the top but because of his walk when he climbed down from the 977 and strode across the site with such a swagger. There was no doubt that of the 10 or 12 plant operators on the site he was the king of them all with the biggest machine. The 977 weighed 21 tons and its size can be judged from the figure stood at the back of the machine in image 7017. He was Don Butler, and he was supervising the construction works on behalf of the City Engineer of Plymouth. Don was about 1.9 metres (6 feet 3 inches) tall.
MLR / 17 March
North Road runs from Eldad Hill roughly east north east for about one mile to the top of North Hill which is on the original road route from Plymouth to Tavistock. Up until 1971 North Road crossed two railway lines just north of Cornwall Junction on the railway heading north from Millbay to North Road Station. Millbay was the main passenger station for Plymouth from when the South Devon Railway arrived in 1849 until closure due to bomb damage in 1941. The first station out of Millbay on the SDR was Mutley situated a short distance west of Mutley Tunnel. Millbay served the Town Centre and Mutley the northern outskirts of the town in Victorian times. The arrival of the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway / LSWR line in 1877 from the opposite direction to the SDR upset the status quo. Plymouth was expanding rapidly in the second half of the nineteenth century and the centre of gravity was moving northwards. The SDR and the PDSWJR (backed by the GWR and LSWR) decided that a new joint station should be built between Cornwall Junction and Mutley Station. The original double track broad gauge line through the area passed through fields and at the site of the future station was on a low embankment before passing over Pennycomequick Hill which carried the railway over one of the major routes leaving the town (it did not become a city until 1928). The 1877 station had just two through platform lines which was expanded to four through platform lines in improvements carried out in 1908. The layout of the station after the 1908 improvements can be seen in the attached diagram. Note the tram route including a spur into the station forecourt.
Major rebuilding started just before the 1939 – 1945 war when more through lines and platforms were added but the work was not finished until 1962. Each time the station expanded northwards involving more filling and when viewed from the north side the station appears to be constructed on a huge embankment. Meanwhile the original 1877 entrance on the south side remained in use until 1958 by which time it was showing its age.
The new joint station was opened on 28 March 1877 and named North Road Station after the road running roughly parallel a short distance away. The SDR had been absorbed by the GWR in 1876 although it had been one of the four “Associated Companies” and the trains operated by the GWR for some ten years. Plymouth North Road was one of those stations where trains to the next large city up the line could depart in both directions out of the station. The first three photos attached show Southern Region trains heading west into the station for a destination that was 45 miles away by road to the north east of Plymouth i.e Exeter. The rail distance was 52 miles via Newton Abbot and Dawlish and 58 miles via Tavistock and Okehampton. The writer's grand parents lived in the first property in Sydney Street, just off North Road, for several decades prior to 1939. The house and adjoining builders yard survived the war but sadly the grand parents did not with one dying as a result of enemy action. I never met either of them. My grandfather was one of the 1,174 civilians to die as a result of the bombing of Plymouth. More than 3,000 civilians were injured.
The last photo in this group shows another item of plant in use on the Forder Valley Link Road in the spring of 1962. In Part 10 we saw a Cat 933 traxcavator. Image 7017 shows its big brother a Cat 977 traxcavator which had a huge appetite for work. The diesel engine of the 977 had three times the horse power of the 933 and the bucket capacity was more than 2.5 cubic yards. The driver was a character who had previously used the 977 on the improvements to the A374 between Saltash and Trerulefoot to prepare the road for the opening of the Tamar Bridge, when the road became the A38. On the steep hill bewteen Notter Bridge and passing the village of Landrake is an enormous cutting on quite a sharp bend. The cutting is long, wide and deep and this driver was there excavating the cutting with the 977 for many months in 1960. It was his boast that he could load a lorry so quickly with his 977 that there were 27 lorries taking away the spoil. Strange how one remembers some characters so well even after more than 60 years. In this case its not because of his driving ability or because of his wellington boots turned down at the top but because of his walk when he climbed down from the 977 and strode across the site with such a swagger. There was no doubt that of the 10 or 12 plant operators on the site he was the king of them all with the biggest machine. The 977 weighed 21 tons and its size can be judged from the figure stood at the back of the machine in image 7017. He was Don Butler, and he was supervising the construction works on behalf of the City Engineer of Plymouth. Don was about 1.9 metres (6 feet 3 inches) tall.
MLR / 17 March
5466 31847 passes the site of Mutley Station with the 8.20am Friary to Yeoford freight on Saturday 3 March 1962. On Mondays to Fridays the destination was Exmouth Junction yard. Note the'gang' out in bitter conditions, fresh snow lying on the rails. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5935 34075 264 Squadron enters Plymouth Station with 4C ECS from Friary to form the 2.25pm to Waterloo on 17 January 1962 photographed from the lane at the rear of Glen Park Avenue. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5945 34074 46 Squadron enters Plymouth with exactly the same train as in the previous photograph on 8 February 1962. Both locos had worked between London and the coast of Kent before the Kent Coast Electrification when they moved to Exmouth Junction Shed. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7017 In this view, looking north on 18 April 1962, the 977 has been excavating a shallow cutting on the only bend in the scheme to the left of the photograph, and loading the spoil into lorries. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael, superb photographs.
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 12
Michael L. Roach
Michael L. Roach
1000 or County class 4-6-0s
British Railways rated the Great Western Railway's 4-6-0 Counties as 6MT; this put them between the Hall class at 5MT and the Castle class at 7P. With their relatively high tractive effort of 32,580 (later reduced to 29,090) and 6 feet 3 inch wheels they were particularly useful on hilly routes such as the Cornish main line. The year 1962 started with the class of 30 engines intact. Withdrawals started in September 1962 and ended in November 1964 with the withdrawal of the last one; and all 30 were cut up for scrap. The Great Western Society are now constructing a replica County class loco from scratch using some donated parts from other classes. At the start of 1962 there were a total of five Counties at Laira (2) and Penzance Sheds (3); but by the end of the year there were none with all five locos withdrawn or transferred to other steam sheds. In the first four photos attached are shown three different Counties from three different sheds: Swindon, Penzance and Laira
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER BTD 20
The final three photos being shown today were taken on the Forder Valley Link Road in the spring of 1962 and show another crawler tractor. This time it is a BTD 20 the big brother of the BTD 6 seen in Part 9 on 10 March. The tractor was made in the Doncaster factory of International Harvester and was normally equipped with a blade for bulldozing. The blade was so long that it was removed and travelled separately to the next site. Some 3,000 BTD 20s were manufactured in Britain from 1959 to 1974. I think many must have been exported as it is doubtful the British market could have absorbed that number.
In these views of the BTD 20 at work the tractor is towing a Le Tourneau 9 cubic yard scraper and is lowering the formation to the requisite level to build the road. A scraper was used to scrape, lift, transport and spread the material being excavated either into a fill area or as here into a stockpile to be removed later. The scraper was operated by a winch on the back of the tractor through a friction clutch and cables which meant that the driver spent some time sat at an angle pulling levers during loading and unloading; the spoil being ejected slowly in a thin layer (for compaction) by a door at the rear of the scraper which could be moved forward. In 1950 Caterpillar had invented the integral motor scraper on wheels where the tractor and scraper units were permanently coupled together and operated by hydraulics rather than wires. The motor scraper would become universal on large construction sites in the 1960s rendering the combination the tractor and separate scraper redundant except for smaller sites where the large capital cost of a motor scraper could not be justified. During World War Two dozens, if not hundreds, of new airfields were built for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Naval Air Service. Contemporary views of construction of these airfields usually show the bulk of earth moving being done by a large crawler tractor and a towed scraper as in the photographs shown blow. There were a number of manufactures of large crawler tractors at the time but many of the photos will show the ubiquitous Caterpillar D6 crawler first introduced in 1935 and still in production today. Caterpillar use their own diesel engines which are made in Britain at a factory in Peterborough. These engines have also been used in diesel multiple units and many other applications. The BTD 20 featured in the photograph was powered by a 12 litre 6-cylinder Rolls Royce diesel engine, which like the Cat engines were available for many different applications. At the time many of these tractors and excavators also had hidden in the engine bay (although it was not obvious) a small petrol engine whose sole purpose was to run for a short time and get the big diesel engine started. It was called a donkey engine.
The crawler tractor on steel tracks had been popular as a farm tractor for decades in the USA but in Britain it was only in a few counties that they were used as farm tractors in any number, and those counties were Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The crawler is still being bought by farmers in those counties because they cause less compaction to the soil and they have better grip on heavy soils but these days they are on rubber tracks, with the first one produced in 1986. There is still a place for crawler tractors on steel tracks and Lilac Farm at Orwell, 7 miles south west of Cambridge is still using an International crawler tractor for harrowing that the farm bought new in 1959. It looks like a BTD 6 to me.
International Harvester was formed in 1902 as a merger between two US companies; one was McCormick which could trace its history back to 1830. McCormick tractors were made at the Doncaster plant for many years but the last one rolled off the production line in December 2007. The tractors are now made in Italy and still sold in Britain through a network of dealers, of which one is located at Stoke Canon. The current range of McCormick tractors have horse powers up to 310. For comparison the BTD 20s Rolls Royce engine gave out 135 hp net. Finally a story about the machine from 1963 when I was setting out a new estate at Deer Park Road, Eggbuckland about half a mile up the same valley to most of the FVLR. The same BTD 20, scraper and driver were stripping and stockpiling the topsoil. On this particular morning, after a night of rain, the tractor was making its way into and across a new field of long grass with a steep side-slope of about 1 in 10 when suddenly it started sliding sideways on the wet grass and travelled some 10 to 15 metres before the grousers finally dug in and stopped the machine. I suppose it proved just how a 14 ton machine could be quite light on its feet. The steel tracks of the BTD 20 were 20 inches (500 mm) wide.
MLR / 30 March 2023
British Railways rated the Great Western Railway's 4-6-0 Counties as 6MT; this put them between the Hall class at 5MT and the Castle class at 7P. With their relatively high tractive effort of 32,580 (later reduced to 29,090) and 6 feet 3 inch wheels they were particularly useful on hilly routes such as the Cornish main line. The year 1962 started with the class of 30 engines intact. Withdrawals started in September 1962 and ended in November 1964 with the withdrawal of the last one; and all 30 were cut up for scrap. The Great Western Society are now constructing a replica County class loco from scratch using some donated parts from other classes. At the start of 1962 there were a total of five Counties at Laira (2) and Penzance Sheds (3); but by the end of the year there were none with all five locos withdrawn or transferred to other steam sheds. In the first four photos attached are shown three different Counties from three different sheds: Swindon, Penzance and Laira
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER BTD 20
The final three photos being shown today were taken on the Forder Valley Link Road in the spring of 1962 and show another crawler tractor. This time it is a BTD 20 the big brother of the BTD 6 seen in Part 9 on 10 March. The tractor was made in the Doncaster factory of International Harvester and was normally equipped with a blade for bulldozing. The blade was so long that it was removed and travelled separately to the next site. Some 3,000 BTD 20s were manufactured in Britain from 1959 to 1974. I think many must have been exported as it is doubtful the British market could have absorbed that number.
In these views of the BTD 20 at work the tractor is towing a Le Tourneau 9 cubic yard scraper and is lowering the formation to the requisite level to build the road. A scraper was used to scrape, lift, transport and spread the material being excavated either into a fill area or as here into a stockpile to be removed later. The scraper was operated by a winch on the back of the tractor through a friction clutch and cables which meant that the driver spent some time sat at an angle pulling levers during loading and unloading; the spoil being ejected slowly in a thin layer (for compaction) by a door at the rear of the scraper which could be moved forward. In 1950 Caterpillar had invented the integral motor scraper on wheels where the tractor and scraper units were permanently coupled together and operated by hydraulics rather than wires. The motor scraper would become universal on large construction sites in the 1960s rendering the combination the tractor and separate scraper redundant except for smaller sites where the large capital cost of a motor scraper could not be justified. During World War Two dozens, if not hundreds, of new airfields were built for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Naval Air Service. Contemporary views of construction of these airfields usually show the bulk of earth moving being done by a large crawler tractor and a towed scraper as in the photographs shown blow. There were a number of manufactures of large crawler tractors at the time but many of the photos will show the ubiquitous Caterpillar D6 crawler first introduced in 1935 and still in production today. Caterpillar use their own diesel engines which are made in Britain at a factory in Peterborough. These engines have also been used in diesel multiple units and many other applications. The BTD 20 featured in the photograph was powered by a 12 litre 6-cylinder Rolls Royce diesel engine, which like the Cat engines were available for many different applications. At the time many of these tractors and excavators also had hidden in the engine bay (although it was not obvious) a small petrol engine whose sole purpose was to run for a short time and get the big diesel engine started. It was called a donkey engine.
The crawler tractor on steel tracks had been popular as a farm tractor for decades in the USA but in Britain it was only in a few counties that they were used as farm tractors in any number, and those counties were Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The crawler is still being bought by farmers in those counties because they cause less compaction to the soil and they have better grip on heavy soils but these days they are on rubber tracks, with the first one produced in 1986. There is still a place for crawler tractors on steel tracks and Lilac Farm at Orwell, 7 miles south west of Cambridge is still using an International crawler tractor for harrowing that the farm bought new in 1959. It looks like a BTD 6 to me.
International Harvester was formed in 1902 as a merger between two US companies; one was McCormick which could trace its history back to 1830. McCormick tractors were made at the Doncaster plant for many years but the last one rolled off the production line in December 2007. The tractors are now made in Italy and still sold in Britain through a network of dealers, of which one is located at Stoke Canon. The current range of McCormick tractors have horse powers up to 310. For comparison the BTD 20s Rolls Royce engine gave out 135 hp net. Finally a story about the machine from 1963 when I was setting out a new estate at Deer Park Road, Eggbuckland about half a mile up the same valley to most of the FVLR. The same BTD 20, scraper and driver were stripping and stockpiling the topsoil. On this particular morning, after a night of rain, the tractor was making its way into and across a new field of long grass with a steep side-slope of about 1 in 10 when suddenly it started sliding sideways on the wet grass and travelled some 10 to 15 metres before the grousers finally dug in and stopped the machine. I suppose it proved just how a 14 ton machine could be quite light on its feet. The steel tracks of the BTD 20 were 20 inches (500 mm) wide.
MLR / 30 March 2023
5742 Plymouth Station. 1029 County of Worcester of Swindon Shed takes water at the east end of platform 6 on 20 October 1962. The loco was withdrawn just two months later and had brought in a parcels train believed to be the 9.00am from Bristol (TM). Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7021 1004 County of Somerset of Penzance Shed is seen Laira Shed on 23 April 1962. Penzance was its last shed as the loco was condemned September 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7022 The coaling line was empty at the time – a common sight as the few steam locos were soon dealt with on arrival. The locos on the coaling line loop were, front to back, 1004, 5065, 5024, 4972, 6938 and 6909. Copyright Michael L.Roach.
7024 Outside the long shed is 1008 County of Cardigan of Penzance Shed on 23 April 1962. The loco would move to Neyland Shed the following September. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7013 In this view of the BTD 20 the scraper bowl is being emptied and the driver is starting to form a stockpile of excavated material on 18 April 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7014 Looking west with the houses in Grizedale Road, Plymouth on the right there is much to note about the BTD 20 tractor:- the IH logo; the size of the 6-cylinder diesel engine; the number of levers and foot controls; and the winch/cable controls etc. The driver is filling the bowl with material scraped up over some distance. Copyright Michael .L. Roach.
7015 A view of the tractor and scraper looking north towards the western end of the Forder Valley Link Road. The scraper was made by LeTourneau in the USA. The properties in the background now look out on the A38 Devon Expressway. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks for part 12 Michael - what a collection of valuable histiry =you have amassed.
Item 2302
Railholiday Open Day Sunday 29th January 2023
St Germans Station
St Germans Station
230129a The Royal Coach GWR 264 Clerestory of 1897 built for the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129b The Clerestory Roof. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129bb Plenty of work still needed on this Royal Saloon. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129c Visitors were able to walk around outside of the coach protected with polythene sheeting. Copyright Roger Winnen
750118gg The Dining Carriage photographed at Liskeard Station on 18th January 1975. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129d The Dining Carriage of 1896 being a restuarant first which spent many years at Liskeard Station. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129e The Millpool Van of 1896 number 2639 discovered by the late Jon Wood in the Germoe area. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129f Inside of this vehicle showing the spendid restoraion carried out by Dave Lizzy and family.Copyright Roger Winnen
230129g The sleeping accomodation in the Millpool Van. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129hh Mevy GWR Dean Clerestory Slip Tricomposite 1091 of 1898. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129h We now move to the Mevy GWR Dean Clerestory Slip 1091 of 1898 Copyright Roger Winnen
230129i Restoration at its best. many hours of works must have went into the restoration. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129j A most comfort nights sleep. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129k The Old Luggege Van LSWR PLY 1353 of 1898 also found in a builders yard at Liskeard. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129kk Inside the Old Luggage Van. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129kkk Details of the TPO
230129l Inside the TPO 841adjacent to the platform at St Germans Station. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129ll The kitchen facilities and racks originally used for the letters carried by the TPO. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129lll The Kitchen on the TPO. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129m The Travelling Post Office GWR TPO 841 of 1889. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129mm An outside end view of the TPO at St Germans. Copyright Roger Winnen
230129n The Travelling Post Office at St Germans. Copyright Roger Winnen
Photograph by Peter Murnaghan
Hi Roger,
It was good to see you again at St Germans today. I hope that your trundle to Gunnislake worked out OK afterwards.
I expect that you've got plenty of photos of the carriages at St Germans - I'm quite pleased with my shots. There is one that you probably didn't manage to take; this was the grounded carriage body in the 10 acre Colgear Woods. It seems to be in use as a crib hut for the people who work in the woodland, but my picture of the back of the carriage looks nice and 'undiscovered'. I don't know any of its history, but I guess it wasn't needed for holiday accommodation, so ended up in the woods.
It was good to see you again at St Germans today. I hope that your trundle to Gunnislake worked out OK afterwards.
I expect that you've got plenty of photos of the carriages at St Germans - I'm quite pleased with my shots. There is one that you probably didn't manage to take; this was the grounded carriage body in the 10 acre Colgear Woods. It seems to be in use as a crib hut for the people who work in the woodland, but my picture of the back of the carriage looks nice and 'undiscovered'. I don't know any of its history, but I guess it wasn't needed for holiday accommodation, so ended up in the woods.
Item 2301
Totnes
The accidental demolition of Totnes footbridge.
A photographic record by Peter Bailey.
A photographic record by Peter Bailey.
Totnes Railway Station Footbridge
by an Old Totnesian.
In Totnes for a weekend in Autumn 1987, I took my 4 yr old son down to Totnes Station on the Sunday morning to watch the trains. The weather was wet and miserable.
On arrival, so much engineering activity and clearly no trains.
It seems that a PW crane that had not lowered its jib sufficiently had struck the footbridge as it passed underneath some time earlier that morning. Imagine the language and comments!
The Engineering people (presume Network Rail) then deemed the bridge unsafe and it was therefore untenable to retain it. By the time we arrived preparation was being made to cut it away from its mountings with oxy acetylene. A crane and engineering train stood in the UP main, a class 50 was in the UP platform road with flatbeds (unseen). Services must have been stacking up at Newton Abbot and Plymouth as HSTs were passing on the DOWN platform road only at 5 mph, some on wrong line working. Not sure where the crossovers were to make that happen – maybe Dainton, maybe Aish on the Down side. I am sure someone will know.
So the Engineering team rigged the crane with a spreader beam and 2 pairs of chains rigged as *bridles onto the bridge to take the weight, and the connections were severed andthe span was manoeuvred 90 deg onto flatbed wagons propelled into the UP platform road. (Technically a *bridle is the shape of a piece of rigging i.e. a triangle. The correct word for the chains are slings. I was cutting corners on my terminology!)
The sequence of photographs is self explanatory, but I remember that station staff at Totnes were much upset as the bridge was 1 year short of its 100th birthday.
01/02 Oxy acetylene cutting on the UP side. Limited barriers
03 Increased barriers. Crane bridle chains slack. Class 50 arr with flatbeds
04/05 bridle chains under load
06 Down HST on platform road. It did not stop. 5 mph
08 Breakdown train on UP through. HST approaching from Plymouth on wrong line.
09/10 HST passing through. Wrong line working. 5 mph It did not stop
11-18 Bridge span being craned from supports over to UP platform line.
12/13 onward increased spectator activity.
19/20 Flatbeds propelled into position.
by an Old Totnesian.
In Totnes for a weekend in Autumn 1987, I took my 4 yr old son down to Totnes Station on the Sunday morning to watch the trains. The weather was wet and miserable.
On arrival, so much engineering activity and clearly no trains.
It seems that a PW crane that had not lowered its jib sufficiently had struck the footbridge as it passed underneath some time earlier that morning. Imagine the language and comments!
The Engineering people (presume Network Rail) then deemed the bridge unsafe and it was therefore untenable to retain it. By the time we arrived preparation was being made to cut it away from its mountings with oxy acetylene. A crane and engineering train stood in the UP main, a class 50 was in the UP platform road with flatbeds (unseen). Services must have been stacking up at Newton Abbot and Plymouth as HSTs were passing on the DOWN platform road only at 5 mph, some on wrong line working. Not sure where the crossovers were to make that happen – maybe Dainton, maybe Aish on the Down side. I am sure someone will know.
So the Engineering team rigged the crane with a spreader beam and 2 pairs of chains rigged as *bridles onto the bridge to take the weight, and the connections were severed andthe span was manoeuvred 90 deg onto flatbed wagons propelled into the UP platform road. (Technically a *bridle is the shape of a piece of rigging i.e. a triangle. The correct word for the chains are slings. I was cutting corners on my terminology!)
The sequence of photographs is self explanatory, but I remember that station staff at Totnes were much upset as the bridge was 1 year short of its 100th birthday.
01/02 Oxy acetylene cutting on the UP side. Limited barriers
03 Increased barriers. Crane bridle chains slack. Class 50 arr with flatbeds
04/05 bridle chains under load
06 Down HST on platform road. It did not stop. 5 mph
08 Breakdown train on UP through. HST approaching from Plymouth on wrong line.
09/10 HST passing through. Wrong line working. 5 mph It did not stop
11-18 Bridge span being craned from supports over to UP platform line.
12/13 onward increased spectator activity.
19/20 Flatbeds propelled into position.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 01 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 02. Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 03. Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 04.
Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 05 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 06 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 07 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 08 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 09 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 10 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 11 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 12 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 13 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 14 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 15 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 16 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 17 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 18 Copyright Peter Bailey.
The railwayman in yellow coat is Colin Harmes, Station staff/former DVR driver/ now on SDR.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 19 Copyright Peter Bailey.
Totnes station footbridge 1987. 20 Copyright Peter Bailey.
We are most grateful to Peter for searching his archives and sending us his pictures taken back in 1987, in retrospec it is lucky that the crane struck the footbridge and not a bridge bridge or even worse got jammed up in a tunnel.
A brief quirky railway history – Peter Bailey
My father was in dental practice before WWII in Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambs and following his release from the RNVR he moved back to Wisbech and set up practice on his own. I was born ‘above the shop, in 1952. Soon after we moved out of the ‘shop’ on to a house on Elm High Road toward Emneth.
On the opposite side of the Elm High road (long and straight, we were next to a garage that still exists) was the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway, with flat fields and orchards stretching beyond for what seemed miles.
I have no visual remembrance of the tramway trains but I do remember the noise of the trains clanking past. Our local church was Emneth, who’s parson was of course Rev. W Awdry. My father and mother were church supporters but I do remember visiting the vicarage occasionally, my two elder sisters were christened by Rev W but I was not I think. We were lucky enough to receive signed copies of each new book which seemed to arrive at Christmas. I still have a selection now, some have been enhanced with additional children’s coloured scribbles unfortunately.
We moved away from Wisbech when I was five +, to South Devon for my father’s health and to my mother’s family.
My grandmother had a house in Newton Abbot and my first proper train memories came from spending hours on a Saturday (c.1958 – 1963) when Mum visited my granny; we sat on the wall overlooking the western approaches to NA station (in the top left of this photo by the shed), 5 tracks. We could see: 2 outbound lines (Plymouth and Torbay), 2 inbound (ditto) and 1 carriage siding, 2 elegant signal gantries which told us of arrivals, 2 outer homes and distants down toward Aller Junction which signalled westbound departures, and the Torquay road bridge.
My father was in dental practice before WWII in Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambs and following his release from the RNVR he moved back to Wisbech and set up practice on his own. I was born ‘above the shop, in 1952. Soon after we moved out of the ‘shop’ on to a house on Elm High Road toward Emneth.
On the opposite side of the Elm High road (long and straight, we were next to a garage that still exists) was the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway, with flat fields and orchards stretching beyond for what seemed miles.
I have no visual remembrance of the tramway trains but I do remember the noise of the trains clanking past. Our local church was Emneth, who’s parson was of course Rev. W Awdry. My father and mother were church supporters but I do remember visiting the vicarage occasionally, my two elder sisters were christened by Rev W but I was not I think. We were lucky enough to receive signed copies of each new book which seemed to arrive at Christmas. I still have a selection now, some have been enhanced with additional children’s coloured scribbles unfortunately.
We moved away from Wisbech when I was five +, to South Devon for my father’s health and to my mother’s family.
My grandmother had a house in Newton Abbot and my first proper train memories came from spending hours on a Saturday (c.1958 – 1963) when Mum visited my granny; we sat on the wall overlooking the western approaches to NA station (in the top left of this photo by the shed), 5 tracks. We could see: 2 outbound lines (Plymouth and Torbay), 2 inbound (ditto) and 1 carriage siding, 2 elegant signal gantries which told us of arrivals, 2 outer homes and distants down toward Aller Junction which signalled westbound departures, and the Torquay road bridge.
As it was always a summer Saturday I remember the quantity of trains with sometime 2 arriving from the West side by side and a third leaving from NA, it was mesmerising. It was all still steam and chocolate and cream.
My father who was now in dental practice in 141 Queens St, NA, regularly rail-commuted from Totnes and I was also at school in Newton Abbot, so using the train was easy. I remember my Dad waiting behind and showing me the efficient and complex shunt that occurred as the Plymouth train arrived in front of the Torquay train (or the other way round) in the morning, loco separated over the crossover, the stock pushed forward and coupled to the Torquay rear – onward to Bristol I think.
My father who was now in dental practice in 141 Queens St, NA, regularly rail-commuted from Totnes and I was also at school in Newton Abbot, so using the train was easy. I remember my Dad waiting behind and showing me the efficient and complex shunt that occurred as the Plymouth train arrived in front of the Torquay train (or the other way round) in the morning, loco separated over the crossover, the stock pushed forward and coupled to the Torquay rear – onward to Bristol I think.
4993 Dunster Castle in a deplorable condition & D838 Rapid come off the train at Newton Abbot running out onto the up through line on the 8th Aug 62 Copyright Michael Forward. This train will have arrived from the Plymouth direction and stopped short at the west end of the very long island platform to uncouple and release 4993 and D838 over the crossover. The train will then be propelled slowly up the platform to join stock from the Kingswear branch already standing at the east end of the platform. 8th August 1962. Copyright Michael Forward.
I also remember
….my Auntie taking me to just watch the station activities viewed from behind the fence on the main Torquay road above where the new carpark is now, with 51xx and 61xx on station pilot and so much activity, - again late fifties early sixties.
…. as a family going to Teignmouth beach on a summer Saturday on the bus to Totnes then onward by train there, watching endless lines of holiday trains always steam on the end of the seafront where they headed inland toward Teignmouth station. Dad would come by car from NA and join us for the afternoon the drive home.
….. And later in 66/67 going to NA station and seeing Westerns hauling long china clay trains on the through roads – still lots of proper signals and the large layout.
I was lucky to go to Totnes Grammar School in 62 ( and by mid-60’s) locos 1365,1466 and 6998 were all at the Cattle market sidings on Totnes racecourse with occasional steam open days. Then one day ‘everyone’ boarded a train and we travelled to Buckfastleigh behind 4555! The second train to do so. I joined the DVRA, as member no. 85, with a school pal Alf Perry, and when about 15 became part of the DVRA permanent way gang.
Alf’s father was BR signalman at Rattery and we would go and visit him in the box on Saturdays I remember going there and pulling the signals and watch the Western’s pounding up to Morley tunnel from Totnes.
….my Auntie taking me to just watch the station activities viewed from behind the fence on the main Torquay road above where the new carpark is now, with 51xx and 61xx on station pilot and so much activity, - again late fifties early sixties.
…. as a family going to Teignmouth beach on a summer Saturday on the bus to Totnes then onward by train there, watching endless lines of holiday trains always steam on the end of the seafront where they headed inland toward Teignmouth station. Dad would come by car from NA and join us for the afternoon the drive home.
….. And later in 66/67 going to NA station and seeing Westerns hauling long china clay trains on the through roads – still lots of proper signals and the large layout.
I was lucky to go to Totnes Grammar School in 62 ( and by mid-60’s) locos 1365,1466 and 6998 were all at the Cattle market sidings on Totnes racecourse with occasional steam open days. Then one day ‘everyone’ boarded a train and we travelled to Buckfastleigh behind 4555! The second train to do so. I joined the DVRA, as member no. 85, with a school pal Alf Perry, and when about 15 became part of the DVRA permanent way gang.
Alf’s father was BR signalman at Rattery and we would go and visit him in the box on Saturdays I remember going there and pulling the signals and watch the Western’s pounding up to Morley tunnel from Totnes.
Alf had a distinguished career in Engineering with Ove Arup and sadly died in 2017
He and I went down to Totnes station after school one day and saw 6412 and 6430 (I think) newly arrived in the down bay platform, they had been delivered ‘out of service’ to the DVR and were still warm from their trip. In later years after school I used to go to Staverton and pick up the late afternoon train with Driver Alan Gosling and Fireman Dave Knowling, they would let me drive 6435 (heavily supervised and very gently, the best engine in the world) from Staverton to Totnes and back.
The years leading up to the opening of the DVR by Beeching in 1970 were fun and raucous – and not good for my education. I remember the arrival of the wonderful Dave Knowling straight from BR service, the tough old Station Master Dick (Mr.) Dunwoddy, the coach gang led by Tony Goss, the arrival of the Hither Green mob Brian and Dolly, Alun Gosling and of course Colin Harmes with their Southern cap badges! horror; Richard Eliot starting the campaign to save 7827 Lydham Manor, 2 trips to Barry for parts, the BBC documentary with 2 trains in section; but we worked for the famous FLICKER, Ashley Burgess. He was legendary on the Western Region as a PW inspector – he cajoled us into driving a pump trolley to Ashburton and back. He never swore, never used the f word or b word, but it always that ‘flicking thing’, we learned such a lot, we built the first loop at Totnes Riverside, renovated the pw hut at Hood/Riverford Bridge and were appalled when the news came that Ashburton would be cropped off by the new A38. Somewhere I have some slides of views taken from the Buckfastleigh signal box looking toward Ashburton. I worked the B’f’leigh old signal box under Russel Maiden, even sending trains to Ashburton. We drank a lot – all of my pals and I were underage and we drank cider at the Globe Hotel in Buckfastleigh or the Sea Trout at Staverton, it was always ‘take an earlier lunch’, Ganger (later GM) Cogar kept an eye on us. See the link to a picture taken in about 1969. Scroll to the bottom of the page PW gang http://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/Archives_2.html
We had a jaunt in 1971, with Cogar, Dineen and Mike Eden, onward from Bristol, where they collected me, to the Severn Valley Railway at Bridgnorth in the rain, met their new GM, as Cogar had recently been appointed GM of DVR. Onward then to Aberystwyth to meet up with John Brodribb, who was there at university.
In 1965 my dad took me to Towyn for a summer week holiday to the Talyllyn and for my birthday bought me membership to the TRPS 65/A78.
The following summer 1966 my mother made arrangements for me to spend a week in Wales with Rev W Awdry (I have always known him as Uncle Wilbert). So I took the train from Devon to Stroud where he then lived, stayed overnight at his house and played on the infamous Ffarquhar model railway (YES) and then the following day we drove to Towyn. RevWA had made arrangements in advance for me to assist in the Pendre workshops (not sure who, maybe Bill Faulkner who was GM or Pendre W/s manager, John Bate, I don’t remember), which I did without overalls and made the digs landlady of Elan House (nr the BR Station) v cross. The local workshop staff called it Elsan House! On that week, we were joined by RevWA’s brother George, very tall and Edwardian in a 3-piece tweed suit with an enormous ginger moustache which was further coloured at supper by tomato soup, much to my private amusement. We went to the Festiniog travelled to T-y-B and walked up the line to the Garnedd tunnel I remember, it was wet and mossy, the original track. George had the ability to walk on one rail and using his walking stick with a rubber cap to balance on the other, extraordinary! We might have gone on to Blaenau in the car but I don’t remember. We also did a day out in Aberystwyth and travelled the VoR from the old station. Glorious green locos and C+C coaches. Also the Fairbourne (why?). At Aberystwyth and Towyn there were still class 76s shunting and on trains.
I didn’t see RevWA again until 1985, where we saw a show called God’s Wonderful Railway in celebration of GWR 150 and it did a one night at Stroud. He was guest of honour.
I was on a camping weekend on Dartmoor in 1967 with a bunch of village friends, when my cousin Gerald Fox, came to find us to recruit me for the Deviation at Dduallt. I am afraid my older pals weren’t very civil toward him and I regret that very much. However, after debate with railway school friends (we debated whether the FR or TR was best) we did do a couple work trips to the Deviation, 1969 & 70. At the time I didn’t know how significant Gerald’s contribution to the Deviation was. First time we stayed at Campbell’s Manor, an upgraded cowshed. We met Bruce Yarborough now webmaster at VoR (?and GLTW) and became part of the Yorkshire Group (Devon Section). We drank in the Bunch of Grapes, Maentwrog (still just about age!), travelled down to T-y-B on a gravity slate wagon much to annoyance of FR mgt, and dug out of the quarry which is now called ‘0’ and extended site ‘1’ by about 6”, hard work. Second visit was more established at the Moelwyn tunnel base. Don’t remember where we dug. It was only by this time I had realised the significance of my cousin Gerald Fox!
To revise for my A levels, I was 18, I was sent for peace and quiet to another cousin’s house in North Devon, nr. Westward Ho! She was elderly and married to David Cozens, retired genealogist. His brother was the railway author, Lewis Cozens, who came to visit for a few days. We explored the long defunct Bideford Westward Ho and Appledore Railway and talked endlessly. When he died that family kindly left me his library which I relish.
I have managed to rekindle my interest after a lifetime of work and was lucky enough to travel on the first train on the new WHR from Port to Caernarfon on 19th Feb 2011.
Having worked for 50yrs, all over the UK, in Europe, and in Japan and New York briefly, retired, I now live back in Devon.
Peter Bailey
He and I went down to Totnes station after school one day and saw 6412 and 6430 (I think) newly arrived in the down bay platform, they had been delivered ‘out of service’ to the DVR and were still warm from their trip. In later years after school I used to go to Staverton and pick up the late afternoon train with Driver Alan Gosling and Fireman Dave Knowling, they would let me drive 6435 (heavily supervised and very gently, the best engine in the world) from Staverton to Totnes and back.
The years leading up to the opening of the DVR by Beeching in 1970 were fun and raucous – and not good for my education. I remember the arrival of the wonderful Dave Knowling straight from BR service, the tough old Station Master Dick (Mr.) Dunwoddy, the coach gang led by Tony Goss, the arrival of the Hither Green mob Brian and Dolly, Alun Gosling and of course Colin Harmes with their Southern cap badges! horror; Richard Eliot starting the campaign to save 7827 Lydham Manor, 2 trips to Barry for parts, the BBC documentary with 2 trains in section; but we worked for the famous FLICKER, Ashley Burgess. He was legendary on the Western Region as a PW inspector – he cajoled us into driving a pump trolley to Ashburton and back. He never swore, never used the f word or b word, but it always that ‘flicking thing’, we learned such a lot, we built the first loop at Totnes Riverside, renovated the pw hut at Hood/Riverford Bridge and were appalled when the news came that Ashburton would be cropped off by the new A38. Somewhere I have some slides of views taken from the Buckfastleigh signal box looking toward Ashburton. I worked the B’f’leigh old signal box under Russel Maiden, even sending trains to Ashburton. We drank a lot – all of my pals and I were underage and we drank cider at the Globe Hotel in Buckfastleigh or the Sea Trout at Staverton, it was always ‘take an earlier lunch’, Ganger (later GM) Cogar kept an eye on us. See the link to a picture taken in about 1969. Scroll to the bottom of the page PW gang http://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/Archives_2.html
We had a jaunt in 1971, with Cogar, Dineen and Mike Eden, onward from Bristol, where they collected me, to the Severn Valley Railway at Bridgnorth in the rain, met their new GM, as Cogar had recently been appointed GM of DVR. Onward then to Aberystwyth to meet up with John Brodribb, who was there at university.
In 1965 my dad took me to Towyn for a summer week holiday to the Talyllyn and for my birthday bought me membership to the TRPS 65/A78.
The following summer 1966 my mother made arrangements for me to spend a week in Wales with Rev W Awdry (I have always known him as Uncle Wilbert). So I took the train from Devon to Stroud where he then lived, stayed overnight at his house and played on the infamous Ffarquhar model railway (YES) and then the following day we drove to Towyn. RevWA had made arrangements in advance for me to assist in the Pendre workshops (not sure who, maybe Bill Faulkner who was GM or Pendre W/s manager, John Bate, I don’t remember), which I did without overalls and made the digs landlady of Elan House (nr the BR Station) v cross. The local workshop staff called it Elsan House! On that week, we were joined by RevWA’s brother George, very tall and Edwardian in a 3-piece tweed suit with an enormous ginger moustache which was further coloured at supper by tomato soup, much to my private amusement. We went to the Festiniog travelled to T-y-B and walked up the line to the Garnedd tunnel I remember, it was wet and mossy, the original track. George had the ability to walk on one rail and using his walking stick with a rubber cap to balance on the other, extraordinary! We might have gone on to Blaenau in the car but I don’t remember. We also did a day out in Aberystwyth and travelled the VoR from the old station. Glorious green locos and C+C coaches. Also the Fairbourne (why?). At Aberystwyth and Towyn there were still class 76s shunting and on trains.
I didn’t see RevWA again until 1985, where we saw a show called God’s Wonderful Railway in celebration of GWR 150 and it did a one night at Stroud. He was guest of honour.
I was on a camping weekend on Dartmoor in 1967 with a bunch of village friends, when my cousin Gerald Fox, came to find us to recruit me for the Deviation at Dduallt. I am afraid my older pals weren’t very civil toward him and I regret that very much. However, after debate with railway school friends (we debated whether the FR or TR was best) we did do a couple work trips to the Deviation, 1969 & 70. At the time I didn’t know how significant Gerald’s contribution to the Deviation was. First time we stayed at Campbell’s Manor, an upgraded cowshed. We met Bruce Yarborough now webmaster at VoR (?and GLTW) and became part of the Yorkshire Group (Devon Section). We drank in the Bunch of Grapes, Maentwrog (still just about age!), travelled down to T-y-B on a gravity slate wagon much to annoyance of FR mgt, and dug out of the quarry which is now called ‘0’ and extended site ‘1’ by about 6”, hard work. Second visit was more established at the Moelwyn tunnel base. Don’t remember where we dug. It was only by this time I had realised the significance of my cousin Gerald Fox!
To revise for my A levels, I was 18, I was sent for peace and quiet to another cousin’s house in North Devon, nr. Westward Ho! She was elderly and married to David Cozens, retired genealogist. His brother was the railway author, Lewis Cozens, who came to visit for a few days. We explored the long defunct Bideford Westward Ho and Appledore Railway and talked endlessly. When he died that family kindly left me his library which I relish.
I have managed to rekindle my interest after a lifetime of work and was lucky enough to travel on the first train on the new WHR from Port to Caernarfon on 19th Feb 2011.
Having worked for 50yrs, all over the UK, in Europe, and in Japan and New York briefly, retired, I now live back in Devon.
Peter Bailey
Footnote - It is not long ago that Peter Bailey, previously unknown to me, wrote in and asked if the CRS might be interested in some twenty phographs he took back in the Autumn when he happened during a station visit to Totnes with his four year old son. They arrived just 'right time' to catch the action when the jib of a rail mounted crane had caught and seriously damaged the 99 year old footbridge. You can follow what happened in Peters article.
Peter also offered some details of his 'Railway History' which I found very interesting and asked if he would be willing to share it with our readers. I must admit that my particular interest was triggered when he mentioned the Wisbech and Upwell tramway. This was still in operation when I was based at nearby RAF Wittering - at the time i had little interest in railways and never saw it - an opportunity missed.
Another conection came when I went on a railtour in the 60's and by co-incidence sat with the Rev. W. Awdry - I don't think he mentioned the 'Thomas the Tank Engine' books at the time!!
I hope you will enjoy as I did reading Peter's Railway History.
Peter also offered some details of his 'Railway History' which I found very interesting and asked if he would be willing to share it with our readers. I must admit that my particular interest was triggered when he mentioned the Wisbech and Upwell tramway. This was still in operation when I was based at nearby RAF Wittering - at the time i had little interest in railways and never saw it - an opportunity missed.
Another conection came when I went on a railtour in the 60's and by co-incidence sat with the Rev. W. Awdry - I don't think he mentioned the 'Thomas the Tank Engine' books at the time!!
I hope you will enjoy as I did reading Peter's Railway History.