Michael L. Roach
Horrabridge Station
On Christmas Eve 1962 I made a short afternoon trip from Plymouth to Tavistock South and return; out on the 3.05pm to Launceston, returning on the 4.30pm auto. The temperature was around zero because a severe cold spell had started two days earlier. The water crane at Tavistock South was already frozen up so the loco of the 3.05pm took water at Horrabridge Station instead. In one way it was surprising that the water crane at Horrabridge was still working because the station was at a much higher elevation than Tavistock South and right on the edge of open moorland; but in another way not surprising because most of us will have seen and felt how cold air rolls down a hillside and and settles in the bottom of a valley which is where the site of Tavistock South was located right beside the River Tavy. Horrabridge was one of the original stations of the broad guage South Devon & Tavistock Railway (opened 1859) and for two years after the opening of the Princetown Branch in 1883 it was where passengers changed for the branch train to Princetown. Six minutes were allowed at Tavistock for taking water and our train left Horrabridge six minutes late.
MLR / 06 December 2022

Truro
Dennis Clarke
Where would we be without Roger W?
SW Acitivity
Clive Smith
(1) 43097 brings up the rear of the 2C67 08.00 Cardiff Central - Penzance at Keyham on the 4th November with 43198 on the front. This train is now a scheduled IET from 12th December.
(2) 43093 heads the 2U20 10.50 Penzance - Cardiff Central through Devonport station on the 4th November with 43042 on the rear. This train is still a scheduled 255 Castle class.
(3) 150221 departs from Dockyard Halt across St Levan Viaduct with the 10.28 Plymouth - Gunnislake. I had pitched up in Tamar Avenue to photo the 07.00 Gloucester - Truro which was due with 43040 and 088 and everything was looking good until 158959 trundled by after it had replaced the Castle 255 at Plymouth. To add to my misery the 09.30 Truro - Cardiff had 150238 substituting for the 255 Castle.
(4) 43170 in beautiful winter sun departs from Exeter St Davids on the 9th December after a crew change with the 5C73 12.24 Weston-Super-Mare to Plymouth ECS. The set with 43188 had started out as the 2C73 11.00 Cardiff - Penzance but was terminated at WSM due to a door problem.
(5) Fortuitous timing at Teignmouth on Saturday 10th December. On the up is the last scheduled 255 operated 2U16 08.52 Penzance - Cardiff Central with 43022 on the rear (43189 up front). On the down is 2C69 09.00 Cardiff- Penzance with 43010 (43004 on the rear). My photo was taken at 11.48. The 2U16 was due at 11.37 and the 2C69 at 11.41. Both were running late and I reckoned both might be at the platforms at the same time. Luckily my hunch was correct.
Regards, Clive Smith.
Steve Widdowson
Paul Barlow
David Tozer
An update on the work at Dawlish.
1 - The new footbridge at Dawlish.
2 - 150249 leaves Dawlish with the 0957 Exmouth to Paignton
3 - On going work at Kennaway Tunnel.
Dave Tozer