2nd February 2019

A line up of HSTs 
​Long Rock
Roger Salter

190202a HSTs at Long Rock. Copyright Roger Salter

190202b HSTs at Long Rock before the impending hail shower. Copyright Roger Salter

                          Stop press from Karl Hewlett
The locomotives allocated to 'The Looe Brush Railtour' are 47772 load 8 with 47826 on the rear.
Regards,   Karl (Friends Of Penmere Station).  Many thanks Karl.

Snow in Clay Country
Goonbarrow
Craig Munday

Hi Keith,  Well, that snow caught us all out didn't it? I was fortunately not stranded like many in Clay Country, but set of gingerly on the morning after to grab some shots. 

I saw 66127 creep down through Treesmill with the clay empties, but the snow was absent here, almost a pencil line across the landscape where it was fading fast. Up the hill towards the North coast seemed better and Goonbarrow was still gripped by snow. 
I caught 66127 on arrival as it waited at St Blazey for the late running Newquay unit. The photos were taken with thanks to the Imerys staff at Rocks. 
Picture 43 shows the CDAs ready to be drawn forward for loading by 66127, with the roof covers open. The two stored diesel shunters have an uncertain future whilst the train loco shunts the wagons around the complex. 
Kind regards, Craig .     Thank your for these lovely pictures, fascinating scenes.        One thing to be said for snow is that it shows up track layouts ever so clearly!

66127 at St Blazey. 1st February 2019. Copyright Craig Munday.

66127 arriving at Goonbarrow. 1st February 2019. Copyright Craig Munday.

66127 draws up to hand over the token at Goonbarrow Signalbox. 1st February 2019. Copyright Craig Munday.

The scene from aloft at Rocks Driers Bugle. 1st February 2019. Copyright Craig Munday.

The CDA's loading at the Driers. 12.15 1st February 2019. Copyright Craig Munday.

Rocks Driers, Bugle. It's now 12.32 on the 1st of February 2019 and the stock has been drawn away from the loading point. The two possibly redundant shunters stand awaiting their fate.

Grogley Snow
Andrew Jones

Dear Keith, please find attached photograph  of Grogley Halt through the snow covered trees this morning. It is absolutely  arctic here, the BT engineers installing  our super fast had to stay the night! I bet there are a few people wishing the trains were still running to Wadebridge....best wishes Andrew           Many thanks Andrew

A superb seasonal picture. Grogley Halt in the grip of winter. 1st February 2019. Copyright Andrew Jones. At least the river Camel in the foreground isn't frozen over!

Preservation News
Clive Smith

​Mixed news this week regarding some old west country favourites. Firstly it was announced by the West Somerset Railway Planning Team  that  "46010 will be appearing at the West Somerset Railway's diesel gala on 20th-23rd June this summer. The loco was built in 1961 as D147 and was a resident of Plymouth's Laira depot in the 1970s until withdrawal in 1980 and storage at Swindon works until reinstatement to traffic a year later and allocation to Gateshead. It returned to its former hunting ground of the North East - South West and East Coast routes until withdrawal once more in 1984. It was dumped at Doncaster for a number of years until purchase for preservation by Llangollen Railway Diesel Group in 1993 and eventually restored to traffic after much effort in 2000. It left Llangollen for pastures new in 2009 and has since seen a major overhaul carried out by D05 Preservation Ltd, who have been working very hard on its full and comprehensive restoration". 
If anyone has any pictures of this fine loco on its old haunts, such as passenger on the Devon banks and sea wall or trundling along on clay hoods in Cornwall , then please do send them in to the website.

In the same week this was the release from Neil Boden of Boden Rail Engineering Ltd on 30th January : "Boden Rail are saddened by this decision but for the business to survive, 50017 had to be sold and the funds transferred by tomorrow, a sale has now fallen through meaning unfortunately the stripping of 50017 of its equipment and the parts sold on/scrapped to generate funds and keep D400 running". This understandably generated some diverse opinion amongst enthusiasts but at the time of writing (late on February 1st) it is believed the Great Central Railway has purchased the loco. Let's hope that goes through.  It just shows what dedicated preservationists can achieve but even thirty years after withdrawal some locos' futures are still not assured. 

In happier BR  times here are some pictures of 46010 and 50017.

                   Regards, Clive Smith    Many thanks Clive

(1) 46010 stands at platform 8 at Plymouth on the 5th September 1982 with the Sunday 18.15 Plymouth - Bristol TM. Someone at a depot clearly needed further identification of the loco other than the numbers on the sides. Standing to the far left of the loco is the late Andy Muir with John Cook next to him. Andy sadly died in the mid 80s. He was an almost daily sight at Plymouth North Road station during the 1970s and early 80s, either in the adjacent 'back lane' as we spotters called it or on the platforms. 'Big Andy' rarely moved from Plymouth except on summer Saturdays when he could be seen at Exeter St Davids desperately waiting for a required Knottingley 47. He was a great source of gen to us schoolboy spotters on what we had missed while attending lessons. Great times and a great character. Copyright Clive Smith

(2) 50017 Royal Oak in large BR arrow livery arrives at St Austell with the 11.55 Penzance- Plymouth on the 31st March 1984. This was one of many BR liveries this loco carried including the Network South East variations followed by a dreadful maroon livery for a while in preservation. Copyright Clive Smith.