17th September 2020

The adventures of
66847 Terry Baker 
David Tozer & Roger Winnen

66847 Terry Baker works the 06.35 Westbury Down to Westbury Down via Castle Cary-Yeovil Pen Mill-Yeovil Junction-Chard Junction -Axminster-Honiton to Exeter St David's before returning to Castle Cary, then a further two runs again to Exeter St David's before returning on the same route back to Westbury Down.
A Total Milage covered was 290.78 miles

200917a 66847 Eastbound from Exeter St David's at 09.47 passes Pinhoe. Copyright David Tozer

200917b Later in the day 66847 is seen passing Cranbrook on the second run from Exeter St Davids.at 14.52 Copyright David Tozer

200917c The scene at Axminster as 66847 heads for Exeter St David's at 13.22. Copyright Roger Winnen

200917d A close up at Axminster Station as she heads for Exeter St David's. Copyright Roger Winnen

200917f 66847 is named Terry Baker seen at Honiton awaiting to pass the 15.15 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids service. Copyright Roger Winnen

200917g 66847 Terry Baker awaits departure from Honiton.Copyright Roger Winnen

200917h The arrival of the 15.15 service SWT to Exeter St David's clears the section to Axminster and the loco departs as the 159 unit stops at the platform. Copyright Roger Winnen

Then and now
Dawlish Sea Wall
Paul Barlow

Before and after photographs of the sea wall at Dawlish. A lot has happened in two years. Coincidentally the 43042 is in both shots!

The new section of seawall was closed for installation of lighting, seating, fencing and paving.

Temporary fencing has been erected on the sea wall adjacent to the station, closing off the walkway below the platform. A sign says the path is now closed until July 2021.

Big changes are on their way!

kind regards

Paul Barlow 

43092 43042 0505 Penzance to Paddington Dawlish 13th July 2018 Copyright Paul Barlow

43158 43042 0800 Cardiff to Penzance behind the wall on 16th September 2020. Copyright Paul Barlow

These two pictures emphasise  the changes in 'railscape' at Dawlish - Many thanks Paul. Well done getting the same train.

Cornish Hymeks
Neil Phillips

Hello Keith and Roger, I saw Simon Howard’s item regarding the exceptionally rare working of Lickey Banker Hymek D7022 into Cornwall in April 1969. This occurred while I was on a school trip to Germany – my first time out of the country! - Simon told me about it after I got back and I had trouble believing it! However the link provided by David Critchlow apparently showing the same loco preparing to depart Plymouth North Road with milk empties in the early hours of 15 December 1974, just three months before the class became extinct, is a total surprise – up to now it was believed that the last Hymek into Cornwall was D7093 which only made it as far as Saltash on a ballast working, on 7 March 1974. Before that on 11 August 1973 D7011 reached Truro under very similar circumstances to D7022. If ’22 did head west from Plymouth I would be very interested to know how far it got. I am also very surprised that this Bernard Mills photo has gone unnoticed until now! Regarding Phil Wilton’s assertion that the Kensington Olympia – St Austell Motorail was worked by double-headed Hymeks in 1970, I have never seen this claimed before. They certainly did work the train during summer 1970 & 1971 but only singly, and the identities are known for most if not all dates. However on 3 July 1971 D7070 collected D7085 as a pilot from Plymouth on the up working (dep. St Austell 22.50). I know better than to claim it never happened, as on the railways it seems anything is possible, but double-headed Hymeks were rare, even around their usual haunts, and photos even rarer, so confirmation of such events in Cornwall would be stupendous! One well-known Hymek double-heading of course was the use of D7001 + D7028 on the Hymek Swansong tour of 22 September 1973, for which I was fortunate enough to obtain a ticket – but this got nowhere near the South West. Best regards, Neil Phillips

Thank you for that Neil - any further comment, anybody?