29th September 2020

A Visit to St James' Park
David Tozer

Photo of Blackboy Tunnel entrance. Vegetation clearance has taken place and what appears to be a concrete basehas been installed. Rumoured to be a base for a new Banner Repeater Signal. Copyright David Tozer

Ground clearance on the up side for the proposed platform extension. Copyright David Tozer

A nine car IEP on the 0736 Plymouth to Paddington. Seconds later the down 0637 Paddington to Plymouth passed by. These units appear to be a lot slower on the climb to Exmouth Junction compared with the former HST's. On the downside vegetation clearance has also taken place. Copyright David Tozer

Thanks David

Two Anniversaries for the
​29th September

75 years ago today -
​the Closure of Plymouth Tramways

The last Plymouth tram left (Number 158) left Old Town Street for Peverell at 5PM on Saturday  29th September 1945. It was decorated with Union Jack and driven by Motorman H.Herring, the oldest employee on the tramways.It carried 135 passengers on the last run and had two conductors.
One reaching Milehouse the car was met by the Lord Mayor who reported that the trams had carried 800 million passengers and travelled over 70 million miles. An extract from Tramways of the West of England by P.W. Gentry.

Plymouth Milehouse Depot in the 1960's Copyright the lateSid Sponheimer

Track still existent at Plymouth Milehouse Depot in the 1960's Copyright the late Sid Sponheimer

Brief Notes.  Plymouth Tramways were of standard gauge operating as three independent systems until 1915. The oldest of the three was opened on a line of just under two miles in length on 17th March 1872.  There were four depots, a larger one at Prince Rock near the power station, Milehouse,  Compton Road. and a small one at Millbay - this closed in 1907. 

Plymouth Tramways - Compton Depot

This story starts when I had an occasion to visit a very old friend of mine - Len Baker a former S.E.C.R driver who on retirement settled in Redruth with his wife Cath. Len lived in a bungalow behind mine - the bungalow was called 'Yer Tis'!  Len was a good friend of the Railway Society attending most meetings at the Bullers Arms and joining us on various trips. On one occasion he gave us a talk on his experiences on the Southern, mainly in the London area during wartime. He recalled hiding under trucks while the bombs fell!
Later Len moved to Pymouth where he lived in Desborough Road, close to his one time shed at Friary. There came a time when Len had to move from his home into a residential home in the Compton area.
In March 1973 I decided to pay our good friend a visit in Plymouth, I took our eldest son Kevin along with me - Kevin was only five at the time.
Not really knowing Plymouth we walked up to Mutley Plain and headed out towards the Compton area. (Never thought of catching a bus)  We were walking up Tavistock Road when I noticed a road sign bearing the name Compton Road, or was it Lower Compton Road. I must admit that as a lifelong tram fan I had it in my mind that a long time ago this must have been a tram route. The Compton Tram Depot came to my mind having read of a depot of that name in Mr. P.W. Gentry's book 'Tramways of the West of England'.
It was but one hundred yards along Compton Road when we came across, 'joy oh joy' the tram depot there in all it's glory some 40 years after it had closed.
The depot had seen use as a base for some kind of transport firm and maybe housed lorries. I'm not one for trespassing and I wandered about fearing a shout of "Get out of here" or some such words.It wasn't until I got home I was able to put together what I had seen and remember that films took some time to be printed, not like the digital cameras of today!  We couldn't have been at the depot for more than ten minutes as we had a call to pay on Len Baker.  However I was more than chuffed to have seen that relic of from before WW2 still in existence after all those years.
I have drawn a rough sketch map of the depot using details from Mr. Gentrys book. It was interesting to note that looking at old maps none of these showed details of the four tracks within the depot plus a short siding outside or of the steep gradient leading up to the Overhaul shed. I very much regret that I didn't wander further into the overhaul works where I might have found traces of the traverser used to move the trams between various locations.
Trams operated route 1 - Theatre to Compton from 1915 to 1932. The final abandonment of the Plymouth Tramway system came on the 29th September 1945.
A look at the area of the depot using Google Earth shows that in the intervening years all traces of the 'Glory' which once occupied the site have been removed.
Recommended viewing  There is an excellent section on the Tramways of Plymouth Courtesy of Wikipedia please click below to see this. 
Tramways in Plymouth - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Tramways_in_Plymouth
​

Plymouths Trams, Compton Depot Plan (1) The lines into the depot could be numbered 1 to 4 from top to bottom of this sketch,

Plymouth Tram Compton Depot (2) Compton Road. Lines to the right form the depot fan. The single line to the left climbs towards the Overhaul Works March 1972. Copyright Keith Jenkin.

Plymouth Tram Compton Depot (3) This closed in 1934. The very young man standing on the rails of the depot fan is Kevin jenkin. This picture taken in March 1972. Copyright Keith Jenkin. N.B. The depot fan of tracks provided four lines into the shed and one between these which terminated before the shed.

Looking out from the shed (4) we see that lines one and two have been covered over by a wooden shed. Note the tracks within the tramshed have been tarred over. March 1972, copyright Keith Jenkin.

Another shot within the depot. (5) taken in March 1972. Copyright Keith Jenkin.

And finally another shot from the depot entrance (6) taken by Roger Winnen on the 1st December 1973. It can be seen that the timber shed and the Overhaul buildings which were at a higher level have been removed. Copyright Roger Winnen.

85 years ago today -
the Closure of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway

For a history of the line please use this link
https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/page/lb-history

Barnstaple Town Station. Our party contemplates the scene at Barnstaple Town Station 7th June 1975. Copyright Roger Winnen. N.B. The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway served the left hand face of this platform behind the fencing.

The following photographs were taken on a C.R.S. minibus tour of the course of the L & B in 1991.

Barnstable Town Signal box remains as an information centre. Photograph dated 29th June 1991. Copyright Roger Winnen

Blackmoor Gate station seen on the 29th June 1991. Copyright Roger Winnen. It is hoped that soon the signal will indeed be off for the return of trains to the this section of the L&B.

Lynton station on the 29th June 1991. Copyright Roger Winnen.

On the occasion of our visit this locomotive named 'Brunel' was standing where the tracks once were. We wonder what the much esteemed engineer would have thought of this loco bearing his name!! 29th June 1991 Copyright Roger Winnen.

You will find more images for Lynton station using the following link
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02r8Qu3Z3yaiVgHYlemTKLJ_5y8PQ:1601355285262&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=lynton+railway+station&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjsoL-nyY3sAhWqUBUIHXx1ByIQjJkEegQIAhAB&biw=1540&bih=795

Also very recent news of progress - two new bridges
https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/lynton-and-barnstaple-railway-bridges-reopened-1-6427394

Many thanks to our photographers and to Mike Roach who reminded us of the significance of todays date.