23rd September 2020

Observations at
Stoke Canon
David Tozer

37425 at Stoke Canon. Copyright David Tozer

Thanks David

Observations at
Cowley Bridge
Paul Barlow

​Good evening Keith
A shot of the light engine class 37 move from Crewe to Plymouth today.  Also a couple of others at the same location from my archive.
Hope you are keeping well!
                   All the best, Paul Barlow

37425 forms the 09.07 Crewe to Plymouth 0Z60. Seen at Cowley Bridge junction 22nd September 2020 Copyright Paul Barlow

Another fine sight. D1015 Western Champion with 60081 on the Bristol to St Blazey 6V70. 29th August 2002 Copyright Paul Barlow.

Alot of interest in this picture complete with the signalbox. 45061 heads a coal train at Cowley Bridge Junction.Its 1981. Copyright Paul Barlow

Many thanks Paul for your current picture and those from the past.

Weekend observations at
Westbury
Guy Vincent

Some rare visitors at Westbury this past weekend.   56094 and 56096 arrived from Doncaster on Saturday afternoon and took out an evening engineers train to Ledbury,  efficiency and economy seemingly not on the agenda for this working.  The train returned to Westbury as 6C20 0402 Ledbury-Westbury, arriving at 0920, some 136 minutes late.  This was followed by DB's 66035 on a delayed 6WO2 2300 (Sun) Maindee East Jcn-Westbury which ran into the yard at 1002, a whopping 573 minutes late! (source Real Time Trains).  The two 'Grids' departed behind 70802 at 1030 as 0Z62 1030 Westbury-Bescot. Also at Westbury this morning was recent west country visitor 66847 'Terry Baker', pottering around in the yard after bringing in an earlier 6C21 0420 engineers working from Ledbury.  Finally, celebrity 66 and the last-built member of the class (higher numbered locos have been re-numbered) 66779 'Evening Star' spent the weekend in the 'new' sidings complex here and departed at 1015 with the daily trip engineers working to Eastleigh, a duty normally handled by 59003.  Guy Vincent  (back observing trains again!)

Westbury 70802, 56096 and 56094 21st September 2020. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Westbury 56094 and 56096 70802 21st September 2020. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Westbury. 70802 and 56096 with 56094 leaving as 0Z62 10.30 Westbury to Bescot 21st September 2020 Copyright Guy Vincent

Also at Westbury this morning was recent west country visitor 66847 'Terry Baker', pottering around in the yard after bringing in an earlier 6C21 04.20 engineers working from Ledbury. 21st September 2020. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Westbury 66779 'Evening Star' in the new sidings complex. 21st September 2020. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Many thanks Guy.

BITS AND BOBS
Karl Hewlett

I'll start with a current working that 'may' run to Cornwall today but there is a bit of uncertainty about the loco 37425 because it has quite a wheel flat issue so keep an eye on the timings, they are: *23rd September 37425 Regional Railways Livery Plymouth Park Sidings to Plymouth Park Sidings via Penzance and Taunton* https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R07540/2020-09-23/detailed To add to some past posts on the CRS website class 47 47479 'Track 29' actually hit a track machine (from memory a long time ago I believe it was a tamping machine), in possession and was moved obviously back to Longrock Depot and the damaged track machine was parked up in the bay at St. Erth station. Although the damage looked minimal from the images on the class 47, it had suffered a bent main frame which is pretty terminal in the railway world. Considering BR had another severely crash damaged 47 in works for rebuilding the best part of two years, but with a straight frame, gives you an indication how serious but not necessarily clearly visible this damage is. The track machine was moved after the 47 and I also believe this was withdrawn as well. Class 33 33110 as per Roger's post has 'rumoured' to have been sold to the same person that owns 33018 and 33202 at a private site in Essex, all I can say is it shares the name of a village in Somerset that was once rail connected! Considering 33018 was pretty much a body shell on wheels and is now being restored, 33110's future looks quite promising. With regards to the latest Hymek saga I can add D7100 to the list of Cornwall visitors at Penzance in green, I can't find the original website for this image but in a forum, so I copied over a thumbnail Keith to see if you can fiddle with it in a photoshop programme and made it bigger and clear as long it is ok with copyright e.t.c.
I have a couple of brain teasers to put out on the forum and see if anyone can shed any light on them. The first is Hymek related and I understand that one visited Cornwall to an open day which I believe was at St Blazey in the early 70's and 'may' of participated in some sort of mini charter which I was told visited the Falmouth branch, can anyone confirm this? The next teaser is railbus related, remember them? I was told quite adamantly by someone I was chatting to one of the four wheeled variety railbuses normally seen on the Bodmin North branch, he saw at Golant, so was tried on the Fowey branch possibly for only one day or even just one trip. I think from memory of the conversation it was on a Sunday, does anyone know anything about this working?
                           Regards Karl (Friends Of Penmere Station).

The image which Karl supplied of a 7100 at Penzance. We'll keep it small and appreciate we don't know whose copyright it is,

Thank you Karl.  A lot to read and think about -
any replies much appreciated.