23rd December 2022

23/12/2022

The end of 1962
Michael L. Roach

THE END of 1962 – PART 9
Tavistock South Station
On the afternoon of Christmas Eve 1962 I made a short 15-mile trip from Plymouth to Tavistock South and return; out on the 3.05pm to Launceston returning on the 4.30pm Tavistock to Plymouth. I had just 30 minutes at Tavistock which was quite long enough in the prevailing low temperatues. Christmas Eve occurred in the middle of the first week of The Big Freeze which commenced on 22 December 1962. The Launceston Branch had just three working days left before it was due to close on 29 December 1962. The start of The Big Freeze and the end of the Launceston Branch were to collide in spectacular fashion on 29th when the line was closed by a blizzard.
MLR / 09 December 2022

5876 5569 leaves Tavistock South with the 3.05pm Plymouth to Launceston. Much of the station dated from 1887 when the previous one was badly damaged by fire. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

5877 6430 waits to depart at 4.30pm with two auto coaches to Plymouth. Copyright Michael L.. Roach.

Many thanks Michael - Part 10 tomorrow.

More coal for Didcot
Michael Adams

Hello Roger, Here is a nice picture from Michael Adams showing 56049 coming round the curve from Didcot North Junction with another load of Nottinghamshire coal for Didcot power station, on 10 September 1986. This rather open scene has changed with the growth of trees etc.and the building of the signalling centre on land to the right. Thanks to you and all the team for keeping the excellent website going, and what pictures from Michael Roach this last week! Merry Christmas and a good New Year to you all, The Michaels. Copyright Michael Adams

Many Thanks to you both with best wishes from Keith & Roger

Night trip on the
Severn Beach Branch
Guy Vincent

Hello Keith
Last evening I had the 'pleasure' of working a late night service from Severn Beach to Bristol Temple Meads. The train was a 3 car class 158 set and performance was exemplary, giving an early arrival time at most of the nine intermediate stops. Here are three shots of the train at 1) Severn Beach 2) Shirehampton and 3) Lawrence Hill. At Temple Meads 158958 was used to form the 2305 Exeter St Davids departure, the same working that Charlotte recorded the previous night with 150233 in charge.

Wishing all contributors and especially your good self and Roger, a good christmas and happy, healthy new year.

Regards, Guy Vincent.

Severn Beach 158958 2210 SVB-BTM. 21st December 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Shirehampton 158958 2210 SVB-BTM 21st December 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Lawrence Hill 158958 2210 SVB-BTM 21st December 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent.

A day earlier - photgraph by Charlotte Vincent, referred to in Guys letter above.

150 233 at BTM on the 23.05 working to Exeter St Davids. 20th December 2022. Copyright Charlott Vincent.

Many thanks to Guy and Charlotte

Truro Jan 75
Neil Phillips

I saw Roger W’s photos taken around Truro on 4th January 1975 and the date rang a bell with me – out came the notebooks and sure enough, I also spent some time at Penwithers Junction later that same day, in the corner of the field behind the location of the former signalbox. The Class 50 + Peak double-heading 1M74 had been my first sighting, their prompt arrival leaving me with no opportunity to get the camera out (my notes say “Wish I’d arrived 5 minutes earlier!”) I have these identified as 50028 + 46016 (the latter confirmed as a Class 46 by the design of battery box doors in Roger’s photo, and the small triangular side grille below the long one – common to all Class 46s and some Class 45s but not 45016). Other motive power seen that afternoon were 50039 on the down ‘CRE’, 47513 on an up parcels, D1016 on the down ‘Cornishman’ and Class 119 DMU P587 (W51078/59436/51106) on Falmouth branch duties, presumably the unit caught by Roger rounding the curve into Truro’s Platform 1. Although I photographed all of these I wasn’t happy with the images and only scanned the Class 50, as attached.

The previous day I had visited Truro station where photography had been somewhat more successful, including capturing two Western Class 52s which would end up in preservation and the longest nameplate attached to a Class 47, in terms of length if not content – ‘George Jackson Churchward’. This nameplate, applied at Swindon Works on 8th May 1965 – exactly one month before D1660 was named ‘City of Truro’ at Truro station – contained 23 letters, two more than ‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel’. Another point of interest is that the nameplates applied to Class 47s D1660-4 were constructed in the same manner as the Western Class 52s – individual cast alloy letters and rimming on a steel backplate; only the letters ‘J’ and ‘Z’ do not appear in all 74 ‘Western’ names, therefore ‘Jackson’ required the casting of the only ‘J’s to be found in all 79 names, and ‘Z’ appears in none of them (I admit that this is highly unlikely to ever come up in a pub quiz!)

For reasons yet to be discovered, in March 1979 47079 (the former D1664) had its impressive nameplates shortened to ‘G J Churchward’, which it wore until repainted into lined green livery for the GWR 150 celebrations in 1985, its new brass nameplates retaining the shortened form. It was the only one of the four Class 47s treated this way not to have been fitted with ETH (Electric Train Heating) for passenger work and this was unfortunate as it was chosen as the first of its class to receive the new Railfreight triple-grey colours with sector markings just two years later, its famous name failing to make the transition. In December 1999 it became even more anonymous when rebuilt as a Class 57 (57009) with a reconditioned General Motors power unit replacing its Sulzer engine.

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All (sorry there was no snow in these early January photos!)

Best regards,
Neil Phillips

1 – 47079 George Jackson Churchward at rest in Truro Yard - 3 January 1975. Copyright Neil Phillips.

2 – D1013 Western Ranger climbs out of Truro with train 1B81 – 3 January 1975. Copyright Neil Phillips.

3 D1010 Truro 3rd January 1965 Copyright Neil Phillips.

4 - 750103_D1068+D1013 Truro 3rd January 1965 Copyright Neil Phillips.

5 - 50039 On yhe down Cornish Riviera Express, seen from an unual angle at Penwithers Junction. 3rd January 1965. Copyright Neil Phillips

Many thanks Neil for your memories and pictures. Sorry for the delay - received on the 20th December 2022.

St Blazey Turntable
Dennis Clarke

Hi Keith, Here are a few photos of St Blazey turntable, taken today 22nd December 2022, which is being refurbished at the moment. Good progress is being made and I believe it is due to be operational again in the Spring. I was also at Lostwithiel this afternoon. 66077 is pictured running around the train from Fowey Docks to St Blazey and a picture of the last CDA wagon passing the signal box. And yes, a big thanks to Roger for his hard work and contributions to the website, Regards, Dennis