NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 70
Milk Trains
Michael L. Roach
I always had a particular fascination with milk trains, but never managed to photograph many even though there were two in each direction through Plymouth every day. The two westbound trains comprised empty tanks returning to Cornwall and passed through in the middle of the night. The loaded trains started from Penzance at 11.20am and 6.00pm; the second one was at Plymouth Station from 9.06pm to 10.00pm which therefore left me with just one milk train to photograph in daylight hours – 3A31 the 11.20am Penzance to Kensington which ran every day but later on Sundays at 2.38pm off Penzance. The main stopping places on weekdays, mostly to attach loaded milk tanks, were St. Erth (12.30-12.45); Dolcoath Siding, Camborne (1.02-1.18); Truro (1.40-1.45); Lostwithiel (2.25-2.40); Saltash (3.26-3.36); Plymouth (3.46-4.15); Totnes (4.56-5.33); Newton Abbot (5.49-5.53). At two of the towns in Cornwall the creamery was remote from the railway and the liquid milk was brought across the town by road tanker to be loaded into the rail tank wagons. Those towns were Camborne and Saltash. It is believed that liquid milk is still sent from Cornwall to London by road from transit depots at St. Erth and Lostwithiel.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about waiting by the lineside to see 3A31 pass was what would be hauling the train that day as it could be almost any tender engine then in use on the Paddington to Penzance main line, including freight engines of the 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 classes and almost any former Great Western 4-6-0 class. The train times quoted above come from the WTT dated September 1962 to June 1963.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about waiting by the lineside to see 3A31 pass was what would be hauling the train that day as it could be almost any tender engine then in use on the Paddington to Penzance main line, including freight engines of the 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 classes and almost any former Great Western 4-6-0 class. The train times quoted above come from the WTT dated September 1962 to June 1963.
92208 arrives at Exeter St. Davids with the up milk. The time is 6.20pm on Saturday 4 July 1959 and the 9F is proudly wearing its 83D shedplate, having arrived at Laira just a couple of weeks earlier. The engine was one of 15 9Fs built at Swindon in 1959. Swindon would build a further three 9Fs the following year including the very last one 92220 Evening Star. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7031 “Cromwell's Castle” on a lengthy milk train of 12 tanks is approaching Trerulefoot at 3.12pm on Tuesday 15 September 1959. 7031 was then at Laira but moved to Swindon Shed the same month. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
4916 “Crumlin Hall” of Pontypool Road Shed is heading east soon after leaving Newton Abbot right on time at 5.56pm. It was quite appropriate for this engine to be at Pontypool because Crumlin was just 6 miles away down the Vale of Neath line; the date is 25 June 1961. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
2-8-0 no. 4702 of Old Oak Common Shed is coasting downhill at Dorseley, west of Totnes, at 5.06pm on 15 July 1961 more than ten minutes late. The engine was withdrawn 11 months later. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
5008 “Raglan Castle” of OOC Shed hurries downhill approaching Tigley Box at 5.03pm on 25 August 1962, about 15 late. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
As always Michael, many thanks. Readers may wish to read the rest of Michaels memoirs - please click here.
Around Coombe Junction Liskeard and St Germans
in November 1977
Roger Winnen
in November 1977
Roger Winnen
771126a Moorswater Viaduct. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126b Coombe Junction Halt 26th November 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126c Coombe Junction Signal Box. 26th November 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126d Coombe Junction Signal Box. 26th November 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126f Exchanging the token at Coombe Junction Signal Box. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126e A train crosses Moorswater Viaduct 26th November 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126g A DMU sits at Coombe Junction Platform 26th November 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126i The old pathway from the Station Buildings to the platforms at Liskeard. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126k St Germans Station buildings. 26th November 1977 Copyright Roger Winnen
771126m St Germans Station looking wesr on 26th November 1977, Copyright Roger Winnen
771126p St Germans Station. 26th November 1977 Copyright Roger Winnen
771126n St Germans Viaduct 26th November 1977. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126nn A Class 50 crosses St Germans Viaduct. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126o Reflections with St Germans Viaduct. Copyright Roger Winnen
5552 on the Bodmin Railway
Jon Hird
5552 puts on a fine show as she emerges from beneath the A38 road bridge and continues on her way to Bodmin General working the 12:30 Bodmin Parkway - Bodmin General service on 18.02.24. Copyright Jon Hird.