21st August 2023

21/8/2023

46115 Scots Guardsman hauls the Royal Duchy
Bristol to Par and return Sunday 20th August 2023

46115 Scots Guardsman awaits departure at 17.00hrs from Par to Bristol. Copyright Roger Winnen

2 shots of the return at Treesmill (the loco suffered from some wheelslip here, hence the black smoke from the regulator being closed and reopened to control the wheelslip, a very impressive display from my vantage point!). Copyright Jon Hird

46115 returns East passing Laira on 1Z34 1700 Par to Bristol Temple Meads, 20.08.2023. Copyright Trevor Tremethick

Click Here for more photographs of the Royal Duchy
in Railtours August 2023 onwards

Sign of the Times
Neil Phillips

Just after saying hello to Roger in person this afternoon (at last!) following 46115's departure I was making my way home along the footpath from Par station and spotted this - Par's down starter and its face-down LED (presumably) replacement mounted on a hinged base and ready to be swung into place when the time comes. A guy out walking his dog said it wasn't there on Friday.

First the CDAs and now this. And then the HSTs......the times they are a-changin' (again!)

Best regards,
Neil

Par Signal plus point rodding. 20th August 2023. Copyright Neil Phillips.

Sad is't it, still there still is a railway! Three semaphores in your picture - at least we can tell from the 'wrong side' that an up train is due. Many thanks Neil.

Boscarne Exchange
Rob Lomas

Dear CRS,

I cannot be sure because of the missing cover for a timetable I assume is the Summer 1964 version, but I think there were around four or five trains a day between Bodmin North and Boscarne Jct. Google tells me that 20 July 1964 was a Monday so Mr Shreeve could have left Wadebridge at either 09:15, 11:30, 12:55, or 17:25 to see or connect with the Bodmin North Train at Boscarne Exchange if this is the correct timetable (see scan attachment).

The excellent "Branch Lines around Bodmin" by Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith reproduces the January 1965 service from Bodmin Road to Padstow but not the other way around.

I think Mr Shreeve also has the Western Region Public timetable for the following year (14 June 1965 to 17 April 1966). A Working Timetable would be quite illuminating because the following year's W.R Public Timetable (1965) implied that the Railbus would not have had an especially hard working day. With significant lay-overs at Boscarne Exchange and Bodmin North, perhaps only one-fill in turn from Bodmin General to Bodmin Rd and a bit of ECS for stabling and refuelling (Wadebridge or St Blazey?) it seems the Railbus would have been driven for not much more than an hour and a half a day or forty revenue-earning miles. The Bean-Counters must have had kittens !

With apologies for the Kodak Instamatic quality of the attached pictures, I wonder if one of the busiest days that Boscarne Exchange Platform ever saw was after closure on Saturday 6 May 1978 when three cars on the "Camel Train" Railtour failed. Someone had a great idea to stable the failed DMU in Boscarne Exchange Sidings and transfer passengers via the old platform onto the working set. I guess the Health and Safety bods didn't work Saturdays in those days...

Rob Lomas

Bodmin North TT, believe Summer 64, 20 Aug 23 from Rob Lomas

Wadebridge to Plymouth Saturday 6th May 1978, DMU failed Boscarne-alighting Copyright Rob Lomas

0800 Wadebridge to Plymouth . Sa 6th May 1978, The failed DMU left at Boscarne. Copyright Rob Lomas.

Many thanks Rob - and a great day was had by all on the Camel Train Railtour. Boscarne platform suffered an overload!!

More delights from
'On High - Pauls Drone'
Paul Barlow

43007 43184 1227 Plymouth to Glasgow approaches Sandy crossing Stoke Canon 17 August 2023.
43007 43184 1427 Plymouth to Leeds Sandy crossing 20 August 2023.
43007 43184 1527 Plymouth to Leeds 1E63 Stoke Canon Level crossing 16 August 2023.
43239 43303 Stoke Cannon on 0606 Edinburgh to Plymouth 17 August 2023.
43303 43239 0606 Edinburgh to Plymouth 1V50 Sandy crossing 17th August 2023

The pictures are in order as per details above going from left to right and down. All the pictures are the copyright of Paul Barlow. Please click on a picture to obtain an enlarged version.

Many many thanks Paul for your aerial views - they are very much appreciated.

Out and about with
43007 & 43184
Clive Smith

Sun., scenery and saying farewell over the next couple of weeks to some veteran HSTs.

(1) 15.27 Plymouth -Leeds . From Shaldon . 16.08.23

(2) 08.11 Leeds - Plymouth. From Rockstone Bridge. 20.08.23

(3) 08.11 Leeds - Plymouth. From Rockstone Bridge. 20.08.23

(4) 14.27 Plymouth - Leeds. From Shaldon Bridge. 20.08.23

(5) 14.27 Plymouth - Leeds. From Shaldon Bridge. 20.08.23

Regards, Clive Smith.

The pictures are in order as per details above going from left to right and down. All the pictures are the copyright of Clive. Smith. Please click on a picture to obtain an enlarged version.