37688 Great Rocks on the
5Z32 & 5733 Exeter Riverside to Pz T&R.S.M.D and returning Via Laira
Roger Salter and Mark Lynam
5Z32 & 5733 Exeter Riverside to Pz T&R.S.M.D and returning Via Laira
Roger Salter and Mark Lynam
Roger Salter writes.
What a day It starts with heavy rain & severe gales, which I thought would scupper my visit to Long Rock to see 37688 GREAT ROCKS with barrier coaches to remove coaches 44100 & 42566 for scrap at Simms of Newport.However the sun shone most of the time. However everything ran late especially with the failure of Long Rock Crossing, which took over 90 mins to release me from the car park!!!
What a day It starts with heavy rain & severe gales, which I thought would scupper my visit to Long Rock to see 37688 GREAT ROCKS with barrier coaches to remove coaches 44100 & 42566 for scrap at Simms of Newport.However the sun shone most of the time. However everything ran late especially with the failure of Long Rock Crossing, which took over 90 mins to release me from the car park!!!
The train in the bushes as it rounds Long Rock curve. Copyright Roger Salter
The train arrival with 37688 Great Rocks in the reception road at Long Rock. Copyright Roger Salter
37688 Great Rocks sits at the buffer stops at Long Rock. Copyright Roger Salter
Penzance 08 St Piran shunts the stock. Copyright Roger Salter
The two Great Western Coaches for the cutters torch! The final Journey. Copyright Roger Salter
Sorting out the coupling attachments for the train at Long Rock. Copyright Roger Salter
With the Class 08 on the rear the train it headed for Penzance Station prior to its journey out of the County. Here we see the train approaching Long Rock Crossing on route to Laira & Exeter. Copyright Roger Salter
Many Thanks Roger
Mark Lynam
37688 before propelling the coaches towards Penzance station.Copyright Mark Lynam
37688 passing Marazion working 5Z33 1158 Penzance T.& R.S.M.D. to Exeter Riverside N.Y. Which departed Penzance 100 minutes late at 14.21 Copyright Mark Lynam
Many Thanks Mark
37688 Great Rocks at Newton Abbot
Clive Smith
Clive Smith
37688 thrashes through Aller in Newton Abbot just west of the station with the 5Z32 07:54 Exeter Riverside Yard - Penzance Long Rock barrier coach move. Thankfully it was thirty minutes late as the light at the scheduled 08.15 was dismal. Copyright Clive Smith
Thanks Clive
37688 Great Rocks at St Erth on route to Longrock
Roger Winnen
Roger Winnen
37688 Great Rocks passing slowly through St Erth Station this morning. I should have been on the other platform however I made the right decision in the nick of time as we had a castle class HST on the 11.15 Penzance to Plymouth service blocking the view. Copyright Roger Winnen
These Class 37s are up to sixty years old. Value for money' Copyright Roger Winnen
37688 Great Rocks at St Erth. Copyright Roger Winnen
Great Rocks at Camborne
this afternoon
Roger Winnen
this afternoon
Roger Winnen
37688 Works hard on the grade up to Camborne Station and beyond Copyright Roger Winnen
A small gathering railway enthusiasts were present for the occasion. Copyright Roger Winnen
The 2 Mark three coaches on their final journey through Camborne. Copyright Roger Winnen
Yesterday at Oath
Bill Elston
Bill Elston
Hi Keith,
I was over at Oath this afternoon (23rd November 2022) in rapidly fading daylight, for ecs working 5Z31, the 1347 Reading Traincare Depot to Exeter Riverside.
This was hauled by 37688, thankfully in BR Construction livery. A few minutes later the light had gone!
Best wishes, Bill Elston.
I was over at Oath this afternoon (23rd November 2022) in rapidly fading daylight, for ecs working 5Z31, the 1347 Reading Traincare Depot to Exeter Riverside.
This was hauled by 37688, thankfully in BR Construction livery. A few minutes later the light had gone!
Best wishes, Bill Elston.
37688 en route to Penzance to collect scrap coaches. 23rd November 2022 Copyright Bill Elson.
Many thanks Bill - I expect a hardy few will be out today to witness the mournful passing.
Yesterday at the Swindon
Colin Pidgeon
Colin Pidgeon
56078 t&t 56096 on 3S32 Cheltenham Lansdown Loop to Swindon Transfer. Copyright Colin Pidgeon
60017 on 6B33 Theale to Robeston Copyright Colin Pidgeon
60028 on 6Z22 Tytherington to Appleford. Copyright Colin Pidgeon
66850 t&t 37668 on 3S59 Hereford to Swindon Transfer Copyright Colin Pidgeon
Many Thanks Colin
Another anniversary - another Gem.
The Tavistock Auto
Michael L. Roach
The Tavistock Auto
Michael L. Roach
TAKETHREE – 24 November 1962
The Tavistock Auto
The Great Western's Launceston Branch ran for 31 miles 67 chains from Tavistock Junction, on the eastern outskirts of Plymouth, to Launceston in Cornwall, via Tavistock GW (later South) and Lydford. The passenger trains started and finished their journeys at Plymouth Millbay and ran ECS to North Road Station which was 2 miles 66 chains west of Tavistock Junction. Many of the passenger trains along the branch only went as far as Tavistock before returning to Plymouth, a journey length of 15¾ miles The Launceston trains were worked by small prairie tanks almost from their first introduction in 1905. However the Plymouth to Tavistock services were worked by auto trains normally hauled by 6400-class pannier tanks but occasinally by auto-fitted 4575-class prairie tanks displaced from South Wales in 1958 by diesel multiple units. For a few years in the mid and late 1950s some auto trains were worked by 1400-class 0-4-2 tanks, but there were only ever one or two of the class at Laira Shed which supplied all the motive power for the branch up to the date of withdrawal of passenger services and complete closure of much of the route at the end of December 1962.
MLR / 21 November 2022
The Tavistock Auto
The Great Western's Launceston Branch ran for 31 miles 67 chains from Tavistock Junction, on the eastern outskirts of Plymouth, to Launceston in Cornwall, via Tavistock GW (later South) and Lydford. The passenger trains started and finished their journeys at Plymouth Millbay and ran ECS to North Road Station which was 2 miles 66 chains west of Tavistock Junction. Many of the passenger trains along the branch only went as far as Tavistock before returning to Plymouth, a journey length of 15¾ miles The Launceston trains were worked by small prairie tanks almost from their first introduction in 1905. However the Plymouth to Tavistock services were worked by auto trains normally hauled by 6400-class pannier tanks but occasinally by auto-fitted 4575-class prairie tanks displaced from South Wales in 1958 by diesel multiple units. For a few years in the mid and late 1950s some auto trains were worked by 1400-class 0-4-2 tanks, but there were only ever one or two of the class at Laira Shed which supplied all the motive power for the branch up to the date of withdrawal of passenger services and complete closure of much of the route at the end of December 1962.
MLR / 21 November 2022
Here we see one autocoach propelled by 6421 at 2.13pm on 24 November 1962 passing through Yelverton Station non-stop because it is an empty stock train. This was the return working of the 12.45pm SO Plymouth to Tavistock train and was due to depart Tavistock at 2.00pm arriving Millbay at 3.00pm. At Bickleigh Station it will cross the 2.10pm Plymouth to Tavistock auto. Note the steeply graded access road and the accommodation bridge. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6430 enters Yelverton Station with the 2.10pm Plymouth to Tavistock auto on the same day photographed from the very useful footbridge which led to a footpath. Note the sidings and the Great Western fir trees. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The 12.45pm SO Plymouth to Tavistock South auto is seen in the woods between Clearbrook Halt and Yelverton hauled by the first member of the 6400-class at 1.30pm running 14 minutes late. The date is 29 December 1962 which was the last scheduled day of passenger services over the branch. There had been about 100mm of snow overnight and it started to snow again at mid-day and by 3.00pm a full scale blizzard was raging across Dartmoor and much of Devon and East Cornwall. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Another memory, a very sad memory but at least we can still enjoy the Plymouth end of the line on the Plym Valley Railway. Many many thanks Mike
Test pictures
Copyright the late Sid Sponheimer