Around Bodmin Parkway and Par on Thursday 20th Oct
Roger Winnen
Roger Winnen
221020f Arrival of the 10.30 Bodmin General to Bpdmin Parkway service. Copyright Roger Winnen
221020h The Austerity runs around its train at Bodmin Parkway for the 11.00 hrs service to Bodmin General Copyright Roger Winnen
221020a Now back to Par 66027 has just arrived from Parkandillack where the train will stable in Chapel Sidings prior to departing at 15.22 to Exeter Riverside. Copyright Roger Winnen
221020aa 66027 Pushing back into Chapel Siding at Par. Copyright Roger Winnen
221020b 66027 in Chapel Sidings. Copyright Roger Winnen
221020c Back to Bodmin Parkway where the railhead treatment train approaches the station at 14.35hrs on route to St Blazey. Copyright Roger Winnen
221020d The Railhead treatment train approaches Bodmin Parkway at 14.35hrs on route to St Blazey. Copyright Roger Winnen
221020e 66027 wth the 15.22 Par to Exeter Riverside passing through Bodmin Parkway Station. Copyright Roger Winnen
Plymouth and Weston Super Mare
Dennis Clarke
Dennis Clarke
On my travels from Hayle to Paddington today (21st October 22) I took a few photos. The NMT at Plymouth working 1Q18 from Reading Triangle Sidings to Paignton, via Penzance. The other is unusual in that it is West Coast Railway’s 37668, hired in, on a Colas RHTT diagram from Hereford to Swindon, via Weston-super-Mare. I took the picture at Weston-super-Mare, where the train reversed. 66850 was on the other end, Regards, Dennis
Plymouth NMT 1Q18 from Reading Triangle Sidings to Paignton, via Penzance 21st October 2022. Copyright Dennis Clarke
Plymouth NMT 21st October 2022. Copyright Dennis Clarke
Weston S Mare 37668 21st October 2022 Copyright Dennis Clarke
Weston S Mare 66850 21st October 2022 Copyright Dennis Clarke
Many thanks Dennis
Dean Forest Railway
Andrew and Diane Jones
Diane and I embarked on our epic EV trip (electric vehicle) last Tuesday, noting that the Dean Forest Railway operates on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday during October.
We visited the magnificently restored Tintern station on the closed Wye Valley Railway (unfortunately outside the CRS boundary}and adjourned to our accommodation at St Arvans near Chepstow.
Wednesday morning was bright, but chilly, ideal conditions for our visit to Dean Forest Railway.
First train out departed at 11.15 from Norchard Low Level, which is the best place to park if you are not arriving by train on the BR network at Lydney.
We visited the magnificently restored Tintern station on the closed Wye Valley Railway (unfortunately outside the CRS boundary}and adjourned to our accommodation at St Arvans near Chepstow.
Wednesday morning was bright, but chilly, ideal conditions for our visit to Dean Forest Railway.
First train out departed at 11.15 from Norchard Low Level, which is the best place to park if you are not arriving by train on the BR network at Lydney.
Dean Forest Railway Brakes released awaiting departure Lydney. 12th October 2022 . Copyright Andrew and Diane Jones
Dean Forest Railway view from the inspection saloon Parkend Station well worth every penny 12th October 2022. Copyright Andrew and Diane Jones
Many thanks Andrew and Diane.
More on the
Christow Diversion
Colin Burges & Roy Hart
Christow Diversion
Colin Burges & Roy Hart
"Mogul" No. 6322 is pictured with its train on the Down Loop at Christow, on the little bit of the branch that belongs to me, (Colin Burges). Copyright Mark Chambers.
Three coaches and a string of vans, well under the load for the engine, carrying express passenger headlamps. I'm at a loss to explain it. The diverted train must not have been in an emergency for it would have been poor use of a path.
Can any of your readers, I wonder, come up with an answer? (Roy Hart did)
The S.M., if it was the regular man, would have been Bernard Yandell, who, after closure of Christow in 1958, went to Tiverton Junction and then became A.M., Plymouth in 1966. He died in service in 1977.
Best wishes from the diversionary route which is "the practical railwayman's preference."
Colin
Roy Harts reply - I think the date is wrong. The quarry sidings on the right were lifted in August 1957, so the picture cannot be November.
I would suggest that this is a training trip for the train crews who, of course, had to 'sign' for each route. I suspect that because so few diversions over the Teign Valley line took place, it was considered prudent to have a minimum number of suitable trainmen at Exeter and NA sheds. The line had been 'kitted out' for diversions during world war 2, with a new loop at Longdown and an expanded one at Trusham. The Longdown loop sat quietly rusting from day one and was finally taken out in 1954.
Moguls would have been the largest engine permitted (and only then in emergency) on a line which had 'yellow' classification.
Regards Roy.
The correspondence (Christow to Rangoon) continues -
Dear Roy,
You have shamed me: it's my place and I should know all there is to know about it.
The 16-ton minerals seen behind the train were I take it being swept out ready to be loaded with barytes for Laporte at Luton. The high platform alongside Scatter Rock Macadams' private siding was used for loading this traffic between 1952 and 1957, after the quarry terminal had closed. In 1957, barytes loading reverted to the goods dock, where the facility built to allow lorries to tip into hyfits had been raised to allow loading of minerals.
The photograph could have been taken earlier in 1957.
"Manors" were the largest engines allowed on the branch, restricted to 20 m.p.h.
The Down Goods Loop at Longdown was supposed to have been used once a week to keep it in order and the signalmen in practice, but this lapsed; the lengthy procedure, which involved walking to the ground frames at each end, did not encourage signalmen to observe the general requirement occasionally to work infrequently used points.
One old boy told me of the time he had to admit a train into the loop. It may have been when he was asked by the on-call inspector to stay on in an emergency. His request for some grub was granted and a pasty was sent on the next train. Anyway, he went through the loop operating procedure with me - local instructions required another signalman to be sent to assist with the ground frames - and some measure of how little the equipment had been used was the need to put lighted newspaper under the batteries to get the electrical release.
With best wishes, Colin
Can any of your readers, I wonder, come up with an answer? (Roy Hart did)
The S.M., if it was the regular man, would have been Bernard Yandell, who, after closure of Christow in 1958, went to Tiverton Junction and then became A.M., Plymouth in 1966. He died in service in 1977.
Best wishes from the diversionary route which is "the practical railwayman's preference."
Colin
Roy Harts reply - I think the date is wrong. The quarry sidings on the right were lifted in August 1957, so the picture cannot be November.
I would suggest that this is a training trip for the train crews who, of course, had to 'sign' for each route. I suspect that because so few diversions over the Teign Valley line took place, it was considered prudent to have a minimum number of suitable trainmen at Exeter and NA sheds. The line had been 'kitted out' for diversions during world war 2, with a new loop at Longdown and an expanded one at Trusham. The Longdown loop sat quietly rusting from day one and was finally taken out in 1954.
Moguls would have been the largest engine permitted (and only then in emergency) on a line which had 'yellow' classification.
Regards Roy.
The correspondence (Christow to Rangoon) continues -
Dear Roy,
You have shamed me: it's my place and I should know all there is to know about it.
The 16-ton minerals seen behind the train were I take it being swept out ready to be loaded with barytes for Laporte at Luton. The high platform alongside Scatter Rock Macadams' private siding was used for loading this traffic between 1952 and 1957, after the quarry terminal had closed. In 1957, barytes loading reverted to the goods dock, where the facility built to allow lorries to tip into hyfits had been raised to allow loading of minerals.
The photograph could have been taken earlier in 1957.
"Manors" were the largest engines allowed on the branch, restricted to 20 m.p.h.
The Down Goods Loop at Longdown was supposed to have been used once a week to keep it in order and the signalmen in practice, but this lapsed; the lengthy procedure, which involved walking to the ground frames at each end, did not encourage signalmen to observe the general requirement occasionally to work infrequently used points.
One old boy told me of the time he had to admit a train into the loop. It may have been when he was asked by the on-call inspector to stay on in an emergency. His request for some grub was granted and a pasty was sent on the next train. Anyway, he went through the loop operating procedure with me - local instructions required another signalman to be sent to assist with the ground frames - and some measure of how little the equipment had been used was the need to put lighted newspaper under the batteries to get the electrical release.
With best wishes, Colin
Many thanks to Colin and Roy for the interesting dialogue - we have learnt alot.
Charming Umberleigh
James Bown
James Bown
I visited charming Umberleigh station on the Exeter to Barnstaple line ( The Tarka Line) today and watched the busy mid afternoon service to Barnstaple drawing out under the road bridge and on towards Barnstaple, originally double tracked the single line appears much busier these days. James Bown.
Umberleigh, 158956 departs for Barnstaple. 21st October 2022. Copyright James Bown.
Many thanks James - a charming spot.