10th February 2020

The majesty of steam at
St Austell
Paul Barlow

Castles 4936 and 5029 stand at St Austell with the 04.50 Birmingham to Penzance on the 7th April 2001 Copyright Paul Barlow.

4936 5029 with the 04.50 Birmingham-Penzance at St Austell 7th April 2001. Copyright Paul Barlow.. The footbridge looks good - better than the modern monstrosity'

7th April 2001
        Pathfinder Tours
       The Double Duchy
Locos Used67010 & steam: 4936 'Kinlet Hall' & 5029 'Nunney Castle'
Stock Used12 mark 1's (plus support coach when steam locos were on the train)Route :
1Z36 : Birmingham International to Penzance
1Z37 : Penzance to Birmingham International
Loco(s)Route
67010Birmingham International – Stechford - Proof House Jn - Birmingham New Street – Soho South Jn - Galton Jn - Stourbridge Junction - Kidderminster – Droitwich Spa - Worcester Shrub Hill – Abbotswood Jn - Cheltenham Spa – Standish Jn - Yate - Westerleigh Jn - Bristol Parkway - Filton Jn - Stapleton Road - Bristol Temple Meads – Worle Jn - Uphill Jn - Bridgwater - Taunton
4936 + 5029Taunton - Exeter St Davids - Dawlish Warren - Newton Abbot - Totnes - Plymouth - Saltash - Liskeard - Par - Truro - St Erth - Penzance
67010Penzance - (reverse of outward route) - Birmingham International

                    Courtesy Six Bells Junction Railtour Files.

Many thanks Paul for bringing us steam in such a splendid urban setting.

Fairwood Junction
Ron Kosys

33106 hauls sets 8014 & 8015 towards Westbury seen here at Fairwood Junction with the 10.30 from Weymouth 23rd September 1089. Copyright Ron Kosys

2020 Railtour list
Courtesy Karl Hewlett

My usual list for 2020 of railtours and heritage movements for the South West as it stands in February.  There are some very good tours and traction this year, but I must stress to all that the below can change, so keep a watchful eye out on any particular tour/s you are interested in.  Some of the steam trips are also subject to whether St Blazey's turntable is operational with some tour operators suggesting ending in Plymouth if not:

Sunday 8th March 'The Devon Crompton' 33012 and WCRC loco either 33025, 33029 or 207 T&T with WCRC 37/47/ or 57

London Victoria, Salisbury Plt 3, Yeovil Jcn Plt 3 (photo stop), Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Jcn Plt 2, Honiton Plt 1 (photo stop), Exeter St Davids, Coleford Jcn, Exeter St Davids Plt 3, Exeter Riverside Yard, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads Plt 5, Bath Spa, Westbury, Salisbury Plt 2, Basingstoke, Woking and London Waterloo.

Thursday 23rd April 'The Great Briton' 6233 'Duchess Of Sutherland' 

Cardiff Central, Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance.

Saturday 25th April 'The Great Briton' 6233 'Duchess Of Sutherland'

Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Taunton, Westbury, Reading, Ascot and London Waterloo.

Thursday 7th May 'Moors & Mountains Explorer Day 1' Steam TBA

London Victoria, Salisbury, Yeovil Jcn, Exeter St Davids and Kingswear.

Friday 8th May 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' WCRC 47/57

York, Sheffield, Derby, Hinckley, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Par and Penzance.

Saturday 9th May 'Torbay Riviera Statesman' WCRC 47/57

Penzance, Par, Plymouth, Newton Abbot (Rev), Paignton, Newton Abbot (Rev), Plymouth, Par and Penzance.

Saturday 9th May 'Moors & Mountains Explorer Day 3' Steam TBA

Kingswear, Exeter St Davids, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads, Gloucester, Chepstow, Cardiff and Carmarthen.

Sunday 10th May  'Cornish Riviera Statesman' WCRC 47/57

Penzance, Par, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Bristol Temple Meads, Gloucester, Birmingham New Street, ???? and York.

Saturday 30th May 'Minehead And The West Somerset Railway' 7029 'Clun Castle'

Dorridge, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Worcester Shrub Hill, Bishops Lydeard (WSR steam loco on), Minehead, Bishops Lydeard, (7029 on), Worcester Shrub Hill, Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham Moor Street, Tyseley, Solihull and Dorridge.

Saturday 6th June 'The South Devon Explorer' 6233 'Duchess Of Sutherland' And WCRC Class 47/57 Diesel

Guildford, Reading, Westbury, Bristol Temple Meads (6233 on), Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Totnes, Exeter St Davids, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads (6233 off), Westbury, Newbury, Reading, Guildford and Woking.

Friday 26th June 'Visit Torquay Saltburn Railtours' WCRC Diesel TBA

Saltburn to Torquay

Monday 29th June 'Visit Torquay Saltburn Railtours' WCRC Diesel TBA

Torquay to Saltburn.

Saturday 27th June 'Mazey Day Cornishman' 2X Class 50 and GBRF Class 66

(GBRF class 66), Birmingham New Street, Worcester Parkway, Gloucester (class 50's on), Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Bristol Temple Meads, Gloucester (class 50's off), Worcester Parkway and Birmingham New Street.

Saturday 18th July 'English Riviera Statesman' WCRC 47/57

Peterborough, St Noets, Hitchin, Potters Bar, ????, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, ???? and Peterborough.

Sunday 19th July and 30th August 'The Royal Duchy' 6233 'Duchess Of Sutherland'

Bristol Temple Meads, Yatton, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Par, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Taunton, Yatton and Bristol Temple Meads.

Saturday 25th July and 15th August 'The West Somerset Steam Express'  6233 'Duchess Of Sutherland'

London Paddington, Reading, Newbury, Westbury, Bishops Lydeard (WSR steam loco on), Minehead, Bishops Lydeard (6233 on), Westbury, Newbury, Reading and London Paddington.

Sunday 26th July and 9th August 'English Riviera Express' either 46100 'Royal Scot', 34046 'Braunton', 70000 'Britiannia' or 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'

Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Bradford On Avon, Westbury, Exeter St Davids, Kingswear, Exeter St Davids, Westbury, Bradford On Avon, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.

Sunday 2nd August 'English Riviera Express' either 46100 'Royal Scot', 34046 'Braunton', 70000 'Britiannia' or 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'

Bristol Temple Meads, Weston Super Mare, Exeter St Davids, Kingswear, Exeter St Davids, Weston Super Mare and Bristol Temple Meads.

Wednesday 12th August 'Devonian Express' 2X Steam eeither 46100 'Royal Scot', 34046 'Braunton', 70000 'Britiannia' or 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'

Cardiff, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Bradford On Avon, Westbury, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Westbury, Bradford On Avon, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff.


Saturday 15th August 'West Country Explorer' Steam TBA

London Paddington, Westbury, Taunton and Exeter St Davids.

Saturday 22nd August 'The South Western Adventurer' 2X DRS Class 68 T&T

Norwich, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Stratford, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Taunton, Stratford, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich.

Friday 28th August 'Dartmouth Regatta Statesman' WCRC 47/57

Rugby, Birmingham New Street, Cheltenham Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St Davids, Kingswear, Exeter St Davids, Bristol Temple Meads, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street and Rugby.

Monday 14th September 'Mayflower 400 To Plymouth And Cornwall: Day 1' 61306 'Mayflower' And 61264

London Paddington, Reading, Plymouth and Penzance.

Tuesday 15th September 'Mayflower 400 To Plymouth And Cornwall Day 2' 61306 And 61264 T&T

Plymouth to Par and return (Three round trips).

Thursday 17th September 'Mayflower 400 To Plymouth And Cornwall Day 3' 61306 And 61264

Penzance, Plymouth, Reading and London Paddington.

Regards, Karl (Friends Of Penmere Station).

Many thanks to you Karl for your time and trouble - readers may care to print off the above list for your own personal use.