1962 - Part 69
Michael L. Roach
Railway Air Routes (2)
The Great Western Railway started its first air route in April 1933 from Cardiff to Plymouth as described in Part 61 of this series posted on 23 December 2023. Just one month later in May 1933 the GWR carried out improvements to the service by extending the route to Birmingham and reducing some of the fares. The details can be read in the first scan (5677) from the GWR Magazine for June 1933. The service was actually operated for the GWR by Imperial Airways. More changes took place in March 1934 when Railway Air Services was formed jointly by the Big Four Railway Companies and Imperial Airways. The second scan (7551) shows all the internal air services in the British Isles at June 1936 including those operated by RAS; but there are still some major gaps waiting to be filled: e.g. Newcastle-upon-Tyne does not figure at all and there is no direct service from London to Edinburgh which one would have thought would have been an early route.
News Item from 1952
I recently came across this item from 1952 which was new to me involving the Royal Albert Bridge. The Railway Observer for January 1953 reported, as follows: “On 12 December 1952 an unusual cause of delay to trains was a Jersey cow on the Royal Albert Bridge ! The animal, which was being unloaded at Saltash Station broke away and dashed across the bridge, finally being caught some two hours after it had first escaped, having reached St. Budeaux Station. The 11.00am Penzance to Paddington was delayed as were several local trains.” The distance from Saltash to St. Budeaux is well over a mile.
The Great Western Railway started its first air route in April 1933 from Cardiff to Plymouth as described in Part 61 of this series posted on 23 December 2023. Just one month later in May 1933 the GWR carried out improvements to the service by extending the route to Birmingham and reducing some of the fares. The details can be read in the first scan (5677) from the GWR Magazine for June 1933. The service was actually operated for the GWR by Imperial Airways. More changes took place in March 1934 when Railway Air Services was formed jointly by the Big Four Railway Companies and Imperial Airways. The second scan (7551) shows all the internal air services in the British Isles at June 1936 including those operated by RAS; but there are still some major gaps waiting to be filled: e.g. Newcastle-upon-Tyne does not figure at all and there is no direct service from London to Edinburgh which one would have thought would have been an early route.
News Item from 1952
I recently came across this item from 1952 which was new to me involving the Royal Albert Bridge. The Railway Observer for January 1953 reported, as follows: “On 12 December 1952 an unusual cause of delay to trains was a Jersey cow on the Royal Albert Bridge ! The animal, which was being unloaded at Saltash Station broke away and dashed across the bridge, finally being caught some two hours after it had first escaped, having reached St. Budeaux Station. The 11.00am Penzance to Paddington was delayed as were several local trains.” The distance from Saltash to St. Budeaux is well over a mile.
Latest news from the Magazine for June 1933. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Diagram of railway air services in 1936 which appeared in the GWR Magazine for March 1937. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Bodmin Railway - First trains of 2024
Jon Hird
The Bodmin Railway have reopened for the half term periods, with trains on Sunday 11.02, Tuesday 13.02, Wednesday 14.02, Thursday 15.02 and Sunday 18.02. Time table and info can be found by clicking here.
Bodmin resident steam loco 5552 leads the last train of the day up the bank past Charlies Gate. Bodmin volunteer and CRS contributor Sam Hooper records the spectacle from the trackside. Copyright Jon Hird.
Bodmin General as you've never seen it before - well, probably. 5552 pushes back the stock into the platform before retiring to the shed for a rest at the end of the day. Copyright Jon Hird.
We may as well have a quick look the other way too, before the light goes. The divergence at Bodmin General - left to Bodmin Parkway and the mainline, right around the sharp 'check rail curve' to Boscarne Junction, Padstow, Wadebridge, Bodmin North, Wenford Bridge and all the other long lost railway locations this line once connected to. Copyright Jon Hird.