1st September 2018

View opened up at
Lea Mount
Clive Smith

(31st August)  Friday's beautiful weather saw me in Dawlish and I took the opportunity to get a bird's eye view from Lea Mount of GWR HSTs as they now gradually hand over to the IETs. By coincidence some tree surgeons were just finishing clearing six to ten feet of trees from the very top viewpoint and this has now opened up the highest possible vista of this wonderful iconic railway and coastline. 

Regards
Clive Smith  Many thanks Clive

A very attractive and interesting Notice Board at Lea Mount. 31st August 2018

A few hours earlier a row of trees block this view! ! 31st August 2018 Copyright Clive Smith.

(3) The 10.33 Paddington to Paignton leaves Dawlish after calling there. This view is from the first vantage point on the zig zag path up the Mount. 31st August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith

(4) The 11.03 Paddington to Plymouth as seen from the top of Lea Mount. 31st August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith

(5) The 11.03 snakes its way along the sea wall towards the Parson and Clerk sea stack. Taken from the gardens at the top of Lea Mount. 31st August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith

Totnes 30th August 2018
Clive Smith

​A few photos of HSTs and the cements in and around Totnes on Thursday.  I kept tabs on the progress of the cements through Real Time Trains . Alas my tracking of the Castle Donnington to Laira move due at 12.03 went awry as the train made up time before Newton Abbot. In fact I had no idea what this train was having had no prior 'gen'. So I was most annoyed to see a Europhoenix 37 pulling two HST barrier vehicles over a bridge as I walked under it !  Maybe I should join South West Rail Gen. My disappointment was made up for later by a fortuitous crossing of HSTs..  

Regards  Clive Smith
     You had a busy but profitable day Clive, many thanks indeed.
​           My apologies for the delayed appearance of your pictures.
​

(1) Viewed from the A381 bridge 70815 approaches Totnes station with the 08.00 Moorswater to Aberthaw cements. 30th August 2018 Copyright Clive Smith

(2) Work on the new footbridge and lifts continues at the station as a Cross Country HST leaves on the 05.44 Leeds to Plymouth. 30th August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith

(3) Viewed from Three Arches Bridge west of Totnes and running just 6 minutes late, the re-timed 08.30 Paddington to Newquay headed by 43005 staggers up the bank and ground to a halt at the next bridge some 300 yards on from here. According to RTT the train was delayed at Plymouth for an hour but I have no idea why but the 43005 was clearly unhealthy. 30th August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith

(4) From the same location the slightly delayed GWR 10.00 Penzance to Paddington coasts down the bank. 30th August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith

(5) Whilst I was positioning to photograph the 10.00 ex-Penzance I could hear another HST approaching from the opposite direction. All framing went out the window as I pointed the camera and hoped. Luckily the also delayed 06.16 Leeds to Plymouth crossed the up London right on cue. 30th August 2018. Copyright Clive Smith (10 out of 10 Clive, well caught)

West Somerset Mineral Rly
Brendon Incline 
John Cornelius

John has very kindly sent us some pictures he took of the incline way back in 1981, even then it was quite heavily overgrown. The Incline 1,000 yards long rose from the valley at  Comberow to a summit up on the Brendon Hills.  From here the main line headed NW to Gupworthy, there was also a standard gauge spur to Raleigh Mine.  The spur was short lived and doesn't appear on maps and neither does a later narrow gauge line from the summit. Reference to the map courtesy of the National Library of Scotland (Click) will show the arrangements at the top and bottom of the incline as well as the location of the winding house which lay to the NE of the local road. Zoom in and out and pan as you wish.

John started his exploration at the top of the incline and worked down. Photo 1 The WSMR having passed the top of the Brendon incline crosses the B3224. We are looking east. There are remains of thebridge abutment to the right. The date is 27th August 1981 Copyright John Cornelius.

Photo 2 The winding house in 1981 Copyright John Cornelius

Photo 3. Looking down the incline from the top. The former cable worked incline descended the 1 in 4 gradient to Comberow. Copyright John Cornelius

Photo 4. Part way down the incline is overgrown with trees and nature takes its course. 1981 Copyright John Cornelius

Photo 5 The line descending into a cutting and trees. 1981 Copyright John Cornelius

Photo 6 Looking up the incline the steepness of the 1 in 4 gradient can be seen to advantage. 1981 Copyright John Cornelius