The RHTT at Pill on the Portishead Branch
Tony Shore
Tony Shore
66848 TNT 66850 3S59 09.11 Hereford - Swindon via Portbury passing through Pill. Copyright Tony Shore
66848 TNT 66850 3S59 09.11 Hereford - Swindon via Portbury passing through Pill. Copyright Tony Shore
66850 TNT 66848 returning down the branch from Portbury to Parson Street. Pill old station platform. 15-11-2023. Copyright Tony Shore
Many Thanks Tony
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO
PART 51
Michael L. Roach
PART 51
Michael L. Roach
Devonport Kings Road Station (1)
The Royal Navy as we know it today was founded by King Henry VIII in 1546, although it was his immediate predecessor as King of Henry VII who founded the first dockyard at Portsmouth in 1496 to build large ships to export goods to the rest of the world. The Devonport Royal Dockyard was constructed in the 1690s on a virgin site on the east bank of the River Tamar just to the north of where the river entered Plymouth Sound. With several later extensions it would become the largest naval dockyard and naval base in Western Europe. The town which grew around the dockyard was called Plymouth Dock until being renamed Devonport in 1824. The three individual towns of Devonport, East Stonehouse and Plymouth amalgamated under the name of Plymouth in 1914. Although Devonport once had several railway stations the two main ones were Devonport GW (later Albert Road 1948 - 1968) on the line from Plymouth to Cornwall; and Devonport LSWR (later Kings Road) on the line from Exeter via Okehampton to Plymouth Friary. However when Kings Road opened on 17 May 1876 the LSWR trains arrived from the east, courtesy of running over the GWR for many miles, and the station was a terminus. It remained a terminus for 14 years until 1 June 1890 when trains started arriving from the north over the rails of the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway from Lydford. There is a very good history of Devonport Kings Road Station on the Old Devonport website; and the station is comprehensively covered in the book “The Okehampton Line.” The station closed to passengers on and from 7 September 1964 when the trains from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton were diverted away on to the ex-GWR line as far as St. Budeaux,
RECOMMENDED READING: The Okehampton Line by Irwell Press. ISBN: 978-1-911262-03-9
Heavy Trains (2)
I have written before about the lengthy and heavy trains hauled out of Paddington by quite small engines in the early years of the twentieth century in the days before every long distance express was hauled by a 4-6-0 steam engine. However I was still surprised when I read the following example. The second trip to be looked at in detail comes from Saturday 18 May 1907, which was Whitsuntide and the following Monday was the Spring Bank Holiday; and is some ways the trip is even more interesting than last time. The trip involved the 1.45pm to Stourbridge Junction with fourteen 8-wheel coaches where the first stop was at Oxford reached at an average speed of 50 mph. The driver was one William Soden and he was given engine 3219 of 1889 which was one of 20 engines in the 3206 or “Barnum” class. These were the last engines built at Swindon with sandwich frames and were William Dean's most successful 2-4-0 class – yes , nothing bigger than a 2-4-0 to haul 14 bogie coaches along the main line to the north at the time. The Bicester Cut-off from Ashendon Junction to Aynho Junction opened to passengers three years later on 1 July 1910 and shortened the main route to Birmingham considerably, which the GWR took immediate advantage of by introducing the 2-hour Birmingham express. The GWR produced a diagrammatic map illustrating the best times to stations along the route – reproduced here as the last image.
As an enthusiast in the nineteen fifties I associate 2-4-0s with seeing them in photographs in Trains Illustrated eking out their last days on two coach trains on rural lines in East Anglia and not with hauling heavy express trains along the main line. Although Soden did well on this trip to average 50 mph to Oxford he was not such a reliable driver as Tallis who we met in Part 42. With relatively unusual surnames both drivers were easy to find in general and railway records. Tallis's railway records were blemish free, while Soden's contained a long list of incidents and misdemeanours. More about these two drivers one day perhaps.
MLR / 15 November 2023
The Royal Navy as we know it today was founded by King Henry VIII in 1546, although it was his immediate predecessor as King of Henry VII who founded the first dockyard at Portsmouth in 1496 to build large ships to export goods to the rest of the world. The Devonport Royal Dockyard was constructed in the 1690s on a virgin site on the east bank of the River Tamar just to the north of where the river entered Plymouth Sound. With several later extensions it would become the largest naval dockyard and naval base in Western Europe. The town which grew around the dockyard was called Plymouth Dock until being renamed Devonport in 1824. The three individual towns of Devonport, East Stonehouse and Plymouth amalgamated under the name of Plymouth in 1914. Although Devonport once had several railway stations the two main ones were Devonport GW (later Albert Road 1948 - 1968) on the line from Plymouth to Cornwall; and Devonport LSWR (later Kings Road) on the line from Exeter via Okehampton to Plymouth Friary. However when Kings Road opened on 17 May 1876 the LSWR trains arrived from the east, courtesy of running over the GWR for many miles, and the station was a terminus. It remained a terminus for 14 years until 1 June 1890 when trains started arriving from the north over the rails of the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway from Lydford. There is a very good history of Devonport Kings Road Station on the Old Devonport website; and the station is comprehensively covered in the book “The Okehampton Line.” The station closed to passengers on and from 7 September 1964 when the trains from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton were diverted away on to the ex-GWR line as far as St. Budeaux,
RECOMMENDED READING: The Okehampton Line by Irwell Press. ISBN: 978-1-911262-03-9
Heavy Trains (2)
I have written before about the lengthy and heavy trains hauled out of Paddington by quite small engines in the early years of the twentieth century in the days before every long distance express was hauled by a 4-6-0 steam engine. However I was still surprised when I read the following example. The second trip to be looked at in detail comes from Saturday 18 May 1907, which was Whitsuntide and the following Monday was the Spring Bank Holiday; and is some ways the trip is even more interesting than last time. The trip involved the 1.45pm to Stourbridge Junction with fourteen 8-wheel coaches where the first stop was at Oxford reached at an average speed of 50 mph. The driver was one William Soden and he was given engine 3219 of 1889 which was one of 20 engines in the 3206 or “Barnum” class. These were the last engines built at Swindon with sandwich frames and were William Dean's most successful 2-4-0 class – yes , nothing bigger than a 2-4-0 to haul 14 bogie coaches along the main line to the north at the time. The Bicester Cut-off from Ashendon Junction to Aynho Junction opened to passengers three years later on 1 July 1910 and shortened the main route to Birmingham considerably, which the GWR took immediate advantage of by introducing the 2-hour Birmingham express. The GWR produced a diagrammatic map illustrating the best times to stations along the route – reproduced here as the last image.
As an enthusiast in the nineteen fifties I associate 2-4-0s with seeing them in photographs in Trains Illustrated eking out their last days on two coach trains on rural lines in East Anglia and not with hauling heavy express trains along the main line. Although Soden did well on this trip to average 50 mph to Oxford he was not such a reliable driver as Tallis who we met in Part 42. With relatively unusual surnames both drivers were easy to find in general and railway records. Tallis's railway records were blemish free, while Soden's contained a long list of incidents and misdemeanours. More about these two drivers one day perhaps.
MLR / 15 November 2023
7231 Unrebuilt Bulleid light pacific no. 34023 Blackmore Vale (PRESERVED) on the up Atlantic Coast Express approaches Devonport Kings Road Station on Saturday 21 July 1962 with nine coaches in tow. 34023 was a long-term resident of Exmouth Junction Shed – more than 13 years. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7233 Light pacific 34076 “264 Squadron” slows to a halt at Kings Road with 8C on the Plymouth to Brighton train 70 minutes after the up ACE called in the previous photo. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7234 34076 departs Kings Road at 11.16am around the sharp curve into the tunnel under Devonport Park. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7542 T9 no. 30120 (PRESERVED) waits to depart Devonport Kings Road with the up ACE on 6 May 1961. It can be seen that it was necessary to leave around a sharp check-railed curve to change from heading west to north and the line went into tunnel almost immediately. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
3607 Possibly the only picture I have ever taken of a 2-4-0 steam engine. This is the LNWR's Precedent no. 790 “Hardwicke” of a class built 1874 and 1882 seen at the parade of steam at Shildon in 1975 to celebrate S&D 150. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7559 The diagrammatic map produced by the GWR to illustrate the best times along the route to the north after the opening of the Bicester Cut-off in 1910. MLR / 15 November 2023
Many many thanks indeed Michael - wonderful pictures.
Cullompton and Wellington
To reopen??
To reopen??
The government has announced funding-in-principle to restore railway services, which will see stations reopen and reintroduce rail passenger services to Cullompton and Wellington. This announcement is part of 11 national projects, which also includes the reopening of the Tavistock-Plymouth line.
Please click below - https://www.middevon.gov.uk/funding-for-new-cullompton-train-station-announced/#:~:text=www.middevon.gov.uk/funding-for-new-cullompton-train-station-announced/#:~:text=The%20government%20has%20announced%20funding,of%20the%20Tavistock%2DPlymouth%20line.The%20government%20has%20announced%20funding,of%20the%20Tavistock%2DPlymouth%20line.
Cullompton and Wellington
Views kindly supplied by
Roger Winnen
Views kindly supplied by
Roger Winnen
These views taken by Roger on the occasion of a minibus outing.
Cullompon
770709q Cullompton Station. Copyright Roger Winnen
770709s Class 45 with a down train at Cullompton. Copyright Roger Winnen. Unfortunately little can be seen of the station other than the roof line and goods shed behind.
Wellington
770709k Class 47 heads east through Wellington Station. Copyright Roger Winnen
A nice view as a down trains passes through the station.. The signal box and remains of up buildings stand on the partly demolished up platform. Copyright Roger Winnen.
No trains in sight in this view of Wellington Station, the down platform building is clearly visible on the down loop line. 9th April 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
Many thanks to Roger for digging in his archives.