13th March 2021

Photographs from the Wearde Area
Ross Griffiths

150202 passes the long closed platforms of Defiance Halt with the 1332 Plymouth to Liskeard service. Copyright Ross Griffiths

Between Forder viaduct and Wearde an unidentified IET glides past Churchtown nature reserve with the 1344 Liskeard to London Paddington service. Copyright Ross Griffiths

Many Thanks Ross

Bridge replacement at
Lostwithiel

Today is the day for the major bridge replacement work at Lostwitiel - the forecast is not good - gales and showers - severe westerly gales at first one hopes that the sheltered location in the valley is helpful.  We wish them well.

Setting the scene - here is s superb drone picture of the worksite very kindly sent in by Nathan Stockman Copyright, The FGW main line runs across the view with Lostwithel station top right, a massive crane is in position for the lift of the new bridge. The river Fowey meanders past Colsden park up through the town.

Many thanks to Nathan
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37674 'St Blaise Church' comes into Lostwithiel with an empty CDA working from Carne Point. The 'up bridge is that on the right hand side of this picture which was taken in 1996 Copyright Andrew Jones

This is the down side portion of the bridge giving a very good impression of the span over the river Fowey at this location. There were at one time three separate bridges here, The Fowey branch ran indepently into Lotwithiel over a bridge supported on pillars one of which can be seen on the left hand side. In this view 25217 is obviously 'opened up' as it leads 50018 'Resolution' hauling the 08.42 Plymouth to Penzance away from a Lostwithiel stop on the 30th July 1976 Copyright Roger Geach

A 25" 1950's map courtesy of the National Museum of Scotland (non commercial use) of the Lostwithiel area showing the town, the station and the bridge location across the river Fowey. Copyright.

Many thanks to Andrew Jones and Roger Geach for the use of their photographs,
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Ashbury Crossing
Ken Mumford

Ashbury Crossing formerly a road crossing but now a footbridge is some six miles east of Swindon.

​Ken writes :-  This is the fourth scrap train this week going to Newport (Sims) for scrapping:-
08/03/21             57312 hauling    10302, 11299, 11302, 12232, 12302, 12448, 12450, 82202 from Worksop
10/03/21              66716 hauling    41046, 42124, 42230, 44085 from Gascoigne Wood
11/03/21              57312 hauling    40742, 41064, 42106, 42134, 42180, 42181, 42188 from Ely
12/03/21              57305 hauling    321347 - 78131 63105 71991 78280 and 321363 - 78147 63121 72007 78296 from Parkstone Quay
My photos are of 5Q76 pasing Ashbury Crossing this afternoon on time - view of 57305 + aforementioned coaches and a rear view as the train heads west for Newport [via Swindon and Bristol (Parkway)]
Kind regards,
Ken (Mumford)
P.S.  In total, 27 vehicles from four different locations have made their last journey this week.
and 23 such trains this year!

Ashbury Crossing 57305 12th March 2021 Copyright Ken Mumford. 6 miles east of Swindon. Copyright Ken Mumford.

ASHBURY CROSSING - Tilbury Container to Trostre Works hauled by 66777 on the 12th March 2021. Copyright Ken Mumford

Many thanks Ken, the coaches in the scrap trains always look as if they have just been through the washer!
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Around the
Exe Estuary (4)
Paul Barlow

First Great Western HST the 17.30 Penzance to Paddington. 23rd June 2002 Seen from Turf Hill

Many thanks Paul
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Hemyock Memories
The late John Vines

Some more of Dad's pictures, this time at Hemyock in the summer of 1970.  The station appears virtually complete despite losing its passenger service some seven years earlier.  Note the ornamental planting alongside the stream at the entrance to the milk factory, with one line in the foreground and the other, with some milk tanks, including an orange barrelled one, hiding behind the shrubbery.
Best wishes, Andrew Vines.

The station appears virtually complete despite losing its passenger service some seven years earlier. Summer 1970 Copyright John Vines

Hemyock - the station throat. Tiverton Junction was seven and a half winding miles away. Summer 1970. Copyright the late John Vines.

Note the ornamental planting alongside the stream at the entrance to the milk factory, with one line in the foreground and the other, with some milk tanks, including an orange barrelled one, hiding behind the shrubbery. Copyright the late John Vines.

Many thanks Andrew for sharing these invaluable views of your Dads with us.
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A footnote re the
Hemyock branch
Dr.] Brian Jeffery

What a wonderful collection of photographs of the Hemyock line on the CRS website! Well done.
I was there on that fateful day 7 September 1963. My parents had a house in nearby Sampford Peverell. I was 24 at the time, and that might well be me:
-          the young fellow standing to the left of the engine in the fifth photo counting backwards from your section WALKING THE HEMYOCK BRANCH.
-          Also in the sixth photo counting backwards from your section WALKING THE HEMYOCK BRANCH, just to the right of the engine,
-          and in the eighth photo counting backwards from your section WALKING THE HEMYOCK BRANCH, just to the right of the engine.

Someone there was selling photocopies of the timetable from the FIRST day of the Hemyock line on 29 May 1876, and I still have it, I’m looking at it as I write.

I remember that at Tiverton Junction that day they CHARGED for parking whereas normally they didn’t charge, scandalous I thought. I slightly knew Sir David McKenna who was Assistant General Manager of Southern Region at the time when the Bluebell Line was being sold off and I said to him: “I hope you are going to sell it to them at a low price?” and he replied “Oh no, we are going to charge them the highest price we can get”.
The other thing that I remember about the Hemyock line was that when it got to a level crossing the driver got out and opened the crossing for the train and drove through and then stopped, and then the guard got out and opened the crossing to let people and vehicles through.

I also think I remember that the carriage had gas lighting and that someone – I don’t remember who – told me that it was because the train never got up enough speed to feed a battery for electric.

And that after the line closed they bulldozed a station (at Culmstock? Or Uffculme?) and someone wrote “What a pity, it would have made a lovely little house for someone.”

I once arrived at Tiverton Junction from London via Taunton: “The train at platform X”, for “Wellinton, Buurlescumbe, sam´frd Pevrell ‘alt, Tiv’ton junction . . . “ and there caught the connection to Tiverton where I had two hours to wait for the bus to Sampford Peverell. I asked a policeman if there was anywhere to get a coffee and he replied “Tiverton ’arnt no raring metropolis like”.

Another time I arrived at Sampford Peverell Halt at night and when the train departed the guard collected the oil lamp which had been on the platform.

Dr Brian Jeffery 

Many thanks for the memories Brian - those were the days!
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