10th June 2020

Cornwalls first Class 31
Neil Philips

5827 at Truro in July 1973 with the Chacewater Cement alongside. Copyright Roger Winnen

Dear Roger and Keith,
 
Many thanks to Karl Hewlett for pointing out that I had omitted to include Class 31 in my ‘Cornish Diesel-Electric Firsts’ list in the item on D1660 City of Truro, despite the existence of Roger’s photo! For Cornwall these were the diesel-electric equivalent of the Hymeks - never very common. However that is no excuse!
Roger Geach has compiled an article on reported sightings of Class 31s in Cornwall, which can be found in the Articles Section and explains how 5827 arrived in Cornwall on Friday 29th June 1973. To date, pending evidence to the contrary, this is still:

• the first recorded Cornish visit by a Class 31
• the only one seen in green livery
• the only one carrying its original number
• the only time the new BR logo was seen on the old livery west of the Tamar
• the first time the Cornish hills echoed to the sound of a large English Electric power unit, over 8 months ahead of the first Class 50!

Roger G explains that 5827 would probably have come onto train 1V76 that day at Plymouth, if so I am still puzzled at Laira’s decision to provide a single unfamiliar Type 2 for a Class 1 passenger
service over a demanding main line when their own Class 25s would have been supplied as a pair. Perhaps the struggle to recover it back to Laira the following day says it all!
On 15th February 1974 5827 was renumbered 31294 while still in green livery, the only one so treated and for just 15 days, being called to Doncaster for general overhaul and repaint into blue on 2nd March. I saw it at Reading on 16th February but wasn’t quick enough to grab a photo, a pity because a search for one (at least with a fully legible number) has been ongoing ever since.....
Having mentioned the Hymeks above and just for the record, the earliest reference I’ve seen to one of these entering Cornwall was reported in Modern Railways magazine – D7001 seen crossing the Tamar on a westbound freight on 1st May 1963. Construction of the class had only reached D7076 at the time.
 
Best regards,
Neil Phillips

Many Thanks Neil

The farce at Pinhoe continues!
David Tozer

The 0901 Exeter Central to Salisbury is booked to stop at Pinhoe from 0906 to 0917. Supposedly to await a down train - which there isn't one. Today the barriers were lowered on the crossing and the service had a green signal. The service stopped at Pinhoe and after about 5 minutes the signal reverted to red and the barriers went up. Then at 0915 the barriers came down and the Salisbury service got the road.This was then followed by 37612 photographed below.

37612 is seen with 0F88 arriving at Pinhoe on the 09.20 Exeter Riverside to Bristol High Level Sidings via Yeovil Junction for 4 round trips from Yeovil Junction to Yeovil Pen Mill before returning to Exeter St Davids for a run up the Great Western main line to Bristol. Copyright David Tozer

Thanks David

Swindon to Cricklade Railway
​Ken Mumford

Swindon & Cricklade railway at Christmas. Polish loco. Copyright Ken Mumsford

An immaculate loco sits on shed on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway. 13th April 2009. Copyright Ken Mumford.

For the history of the above locomotive see  https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hudswell-clarke-works-no-1544-slough-estates-no-3-0-6-0st/

Ken has sent us nearly 250 pictures of trains and locos generally in the Swindon area.  We've added his collection of the Swindon and Cricklade Railway at the end of the section Chippenham to Swindon.   Many thanks Ken.

Terence Cuneo
​Stamps Launch
​David Ward

Hello Keith, After a bit of rooting I have found a first daycover for these stamps sent from the Great Western Society Didcot when Terence Cuneo and his Wife and lots of Dignitaries' arrived by Pullman Train at Didcot hauled by Class 47 47500 'Great Western' in lined Great Western Livery driven by Driver Yates for the launch. It is addressed to by young son Christopher. Trying to get him interested in trains. He wasn't all that interested,  more interested in Cricket and his hero Ian Botham! 
              Go Well,      Regards David.   22nd January 1985 

Many thanks David

Electrification to
Cardiff
From a regular contributor

A few days ago it was reported in these pages that the last length of OHLE had been energised and that trains could now run under electric power from London Paddington to Cardiff Central, a distance of 145 miles. The electrification of the Great Western main line to Bristol and South Wales was announced at a press conference which took place at Cardiff on 23 July 2009. The announcement was made by the then Labour Prime Minister Mr Gordon Brown. Details of the proposals can be found on Wikipedia. There were many ancillary works but minimal earthworks.
The original Great Western main line from London to Bristol was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for a group of Bristol businessmen and citizens. After much discussion the plans were approved by Parliament in an Act which received the Royal Assent on 31 August 1835. This date was also the date of the Act of Incorporation of the Great Western Railway. The first length of railway was opened from Paddington to Maidenhead on 4 June 1838. The final length from Chippenham to Bristol Temple Meads, including the Box Tunnel, opened to the public on 30 June 1841 and the length was 118 miles. There were heavy earthworks in places e.g Sonning Cutting, the embankments through the Thames Valley and Box Tunnel.   

Many thanks to our regular contributor

Praise Indeed
David Tandy

I have really enjoyed reading many of the interesting articles on your extensive website, in particular those which relate to the St Ives branch. I have always been interested in railways and was aware of the beauty and special character of the St Ives branch even though I believe my only visit to the town as a child was during a whistle stop tour of Cornwall with my family when I was a teenager. But with my own children we have now been visiting St Ives annually since the late 1980’s and although the “children” are now approaching middle age, they still join us there every year. I was particularly interested in the discussions about the Cornish Riviera Express and in particular those portions which served St Ives. Knowing a little about railway operations, particularly in steam days, I realise it clearly required careful planning and a lot of staff who knew what they were doing! I particularly enjoyed Laurence Hansford’s article “Riviera to St Ives” and notice his comment on the picture on the website which is obviously a scan or photo from a newspaper. This picture is one of several which I bought from the St Ives museum, and it is a very nice clear print. I have several historic photos of the St Ives branch, some of which I bought in the museum and some from the ticket office at the railway station. The website is so extensive that I have plenty of reading in front of me so thank you very much. Best Regards, David

Thank you for your praise David - it is much appreciated but without the support of our many readers, Laurence Hansford especially, we'd be very much poorer. Many thanks to all our contributors.