29th December 2020

The relief 'Crompton Cornish Swansong'
​
Penzance Railtour
Guy Vincent

33033 and 33031 at Penzance with the relief / additional Network South East 'Crompton Cornish Swansong' railtour from London Waterloo on another grim Saturday afternoon, October 29th 1988.  This train was run due to the previous week's 'Crompton Cornish Farewell' being over subscribed by around 400 requests for tickets.  Happily several passengers, myself included, were able to travel on both trains.  33033 was released from a CEM Light Overhaul at Eastleigh Works just a couple of days before and was the first of  12 examples similarly treated for use on Channel Tunnel construction trains, receiving Railfreight Triple Grey livery with Construction sector markings.  33021 042 050 051 053 056 063 064 202 204 207 were the other locos although 33050 / 051 did not receive full overhauls as they were in generally good condition.

​Note the red Ford Fiesta parked on the narrow island platform. Once it was common to see staff motor vehicles parked and being driven within 'station limits', H&S has seen to it that this will never, ever happen again!!

Guy Vincent. 

The Compton Cornish stands at Par on the outward run. 29th October 1988. Copyright Guy Vincent

33033 and 33031 haul the Cornish Compton up the bank past Carlyon Bay Golf course. 29th October 1988 Copyright Julian Stephens.

On now to Penzance where we see 33033 and 33031 standing at the buffers of platform 2. W55009 waits for its next duty at platform 3. 29th October 1988 Copyright Guy Vincent

Time has passed and the 33's now stand at the head of the return working. 29th October 1988. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Penzance 33031 & 33033 29th October 1988 Copyright Guy Vincent.

Many thanks Guy for your photographs and very comprehensive notes.
​

Barnstaple to Wolverhampton at
Taunton 
Paul Barlow

31414 31423 Barnstaple to Wolverhampton 1Z24 seen running into Taunton on the 6th June 1982. Copyright Paul Barlow.Note the semaphore signal array.

Many thanks Paul
​

Par
Steve Widdowson

A nice colorful scene as the 50028 'Tiger' runs into Par with the 07.14 Glasgow to Penzance 'Cornishman' on the 5th September 1987 Copyright Steve Widdowson

Many thanks Steve.
​

St Ives
in miniature

 For your entertainment.  Many thanks to Trevor Tremethick who sent in this link to a fantastic working model by Paul Fabricius of St Ives station and surrounds during the 1950's and 60's.
Please click here and enjoy.

Happy New Year to all, Many thanks Trevor.
​

An appeal for for information on 
 Wadebridge Demolition
Can you help Mike Manning please

Dear Keith, Roger and staff,
May 2021 be a much happier and healthy New Year.
Could you please put this on the web site.
 Appeal for archive information
Wadebridge 1966 onwards. Member Mike Manning.
While working on my book of the run down and closure of the railways of
Cornwall and Devon I have become stuck on the details of its track lifting.
I have details of the lifting of the Padstow to the Quay junction at Wadebridge
by May of 1968. The quay sidings were still in use until April 1973.
After that the tracks were lifted up to inside the level crossing gates.  When?
The Signal box and the pedestrian footbridge were demolished as no longer
needed. When?
All tracks within the Wadebridge station area were lifted by a different
Contractor to the one that lifted the Padstow section. When?
Was this photo in my collection part of this clearance?
 

From the Micheal Manning collection - copyright.

​No contractor used a crane mounted on rails on the Padstow section or on the Ex-B&WR section.
Also when was the NCR lifting to Wadebridge completed ?
I have a picture of Delabole minus its tracks in April 1968, but no completion date at Wadebridge.
Any snippets of information will be gratefully received to complete this Cornwall Section of my book.
Thank you Keith and Roger.
What is needed is a note saying MICHAEL IS SPELT MICHEALMANNING
​Replies please to [email protected]