27th May 2019

More Trains and more seats this Summer
 Deck Chairs on the platform to relax
Roger Winnen

Photographed at St Erth this morning. Copyright Roger Winnen

190527b Relax in the large deckchairs, take the weight off your feet whilst waiting for the train at Penzance. Copyright Roger Winnen

190527c More trains more seats this summer. Located at Bodmin Parkway. Copyright Roger Winnen

Paignton & Kingswear  Saturday 25th May 2019
Andrew Triggs

Evening Roger/Keith
4 shots from Saturdays visit to Paignton to catch the 'Retro Devon Seasider' Rail Tour from Huddersfield with DRS 37407/059 providing the Motive Power on the day, beforehand we managed a trip to Kingswear and Dartmouth on the P&D Railway, the weather being kind on the day
All the Best
Andrew

1. Dartmouth Station, famous for no Trains...or Track!
​Copyright Andrew Triggs

2. USATC 2-8-0 No.6046 arriving at Kingswear with the 12.15 from Paignton  Copyright Andrew Triggs

3. 5Z44 13.40 ECS with 37407/059 departing Paignton for Goodrington Sidings.Copyright Andrew Triggs

4. The return 1Z45 16.00 Paignton-Huddersfield 'Retro Devon Seasider' with DRS 37059 leading 37407 departing Paignton. Copyright Andrew Triggs

Thanks Andrew

Cardiff
Michael Forward

Hello Roger, Hope you are well .I see you have been getting about as usual and are now a ‘veteran’!
I send the first of two pictures taken at Cardiff on 4 December 1981,namely 56035(‘Richard Trevithick’) double heading with 56040 on empty iron ore wagons from Llanwern to Port Talbot.
Thanks and best wishes, Michael

 Now we see 37188 heading West with empty oil tankers. Copyright Michael Forward

Many Thanks Michael

The Last Fortnight
Mark Lynam

​A few photos I have taken around Cornwall the last couple of weeks.
Thanks,  Mark Lynam        and thank you too Mark.

43093/43188 formed the last ever Penzance to Paddington HST seen at Penzance before working 1A78 0650 Penzance to London Paddington on Saturday 18th May.

43093 seen on the blocks at Paddington. They would later work the final Paddington to Plymouth HST at 18.03. Copyright Mark Lynam

Sunday 19th May saw the new timetable come into force and therefore the Summer through trains to Newquay, this year of course in the shape of IETs, 800301 being the first IET in passenger service to Newquay. Copyright Mark Lynam

50042 was out at Bodmin on the diesel only diagram yesterday seen running around its stock at Bodmin General before working 1545 to Bodmin Parkway. Copyright Mark Lynam

XC HSTs return - 43207 seen at Penzance before working 2C80 2130 Penzance to Plymouth, while GWR 43092 is seen on Platform 4 after working 2C51 1750 Exeter St Davids to Penzance, waiting to head to Longrock depot for the night. Copyright Mark Lynam

Newquay
​Summer Saturdays
Clive Smith 

We are back on the summer timetable at last and that means long trains at Newquay station for the next three and a half months. Here are a couple of pictures of the station in its glory days. What a wonderful station Newquay was. On summer Saturdays it would come to life with three platforms in operation and two carriage sidings. All controlled by semaphore signalling from a box at the end of the platforms. Such a contrast with today's one track-one platform rump of a station.

Regards, Clive Smith
Many thanks indeed Clive for your detailed introduction and your similarly detailed captions all is much appreciated.
If only we could go back to those days once again!!​

(1) Split box 45053 basks in the sun on the 09.50 Newquay - Newcastle on Saturday 24th August 1981. This loco had arrived on the first overnight of the morning to serve Cornwall's premier resort , the 21.31 from Nottingham. At the time this train used to be re-engined at Newton Abbot with a loco from the depot there but tended to be a 47 or 50. Copyright Clive Smith

(2) The signalman collects the token and walks back to the box as 45057 passes Newquay's semaphore signals on a dreary morning with the 21.17 from Newcastle on the 2nd July 1983. This would be around 08.45. I had arrived two hours earlier behind 45150 on the 21.39 from Manchester. This photo was taken following a hearty fried breakfast at 7 in the morning in one of the cafes opposite the station that used to do a roaring trade from the bleary eyed holidaymakers that had just arrived from the other end of the country. Copyright Clive Smith.

(3) The dominant gas holder is now long gone. 45057 is seen here on the 12.20 to Nottingham on the 2nd July 1983. Copyright Clive Smith.