5A50 12.30 E.C.S
PenzanceT&R.S.M.D to Exeter
Roger Winnen
PenzanceT&R.S.M.D to Exeter
Roger Winnen
220202a The ECS Move of the sleeper stock behind 57604 Pendennis Castle approaches St Erth on route to Exeter St David's. Copyright Roger Winnen
220202b A glimer of sunlight came out for the event as Network Rail staff took a breather after checking the crossover between the up and down lines. Copyright Roger Winnen
Near Oxford
The Bin-Liner
Michael Forward
Michael Forward
Hello Roger, I hope you are well, I enjoyed the pictures on the Newquay line. Here is another picture of the Calvert to Bath binliner ,taken just after noon on a bleak 15 December 1988 and it shows 47663 nearing Oxford station at Port Meadow. Copyright Michael Forward
Many Thanks Michael
Exmouth branch
Near Topsham
Paul Barlow
Near Topsham
Paul Barlow
Theres a toch of frost as DMU P469 works the 1028 Exeter to Exmouth leaves Topsham. 4th January 1986. Copyright Paul Barlow
A going away shot of DMU P469 working the 10.28 Exeter to Exmouth has just left Topsham. 4th February 1986. Copyright Paul Barlow.
Many thanks Paul - a chilly morning.
A letter from
John Roberts
John Roberts
Keith, a bit more on some of your recent posts.
I was interested in the plan of Shepherds. It looks as if there were a level crossing over the original Treamble line, but the original road was cut off by the new station, so presumably the road was diverted over the new bridge in 1905.
The website says that the Treamble traffic ceased in August 1949, but is still shown in the 1949-50 Working Timetable. I had assumed that the Treamble branch would have been shunted by the morning Truro to Newquay goods, but that train is allowed only 15 minutes at Shepherds. A separate train runs to Treamble and back, but there's no indication how it gets to Shepherds. I surmise that the Truro goods is double-headed to Shepherds and the second loco then runs to Treamble and back, and returns to Truro double-headed with the afternoon Newquay to Truro goods. This seems very inefficient!
The Truro - Newquay goods is actually timetabled to continue to and from St Columb Road. Do we know what traffic necessitated this and why it wasn't conveyed by the Par - Newquay goods?
On the Lymington Branch, 2311 is described as a CIG whereas it's a CEP. The end detail is very different from CIG 1499 in the background. The CEPs and BEPs were built for the Kent Coast electrification in 1959 and 1961, whereas the CIGs and BIGs were build in two tranches, the Brighton Line in 1965 and the Portsmouth Line in 1970. The latter had less attractive interiors and less comfortable seats, a trend which seems to continue to this day! The era was completed with the REPs and TCs for the Bournemouth electrification in 1967 and the outer-suburban VEPs. The REPs were replaced by WESs, and when the Networkers were built for Kent, some of the CEPs moved to Brighton and Bournemouth whence they were later displaced by Eurostars and Desiros respectively. No 2311 was originally a BEP, but its buffet car was replaced by a TSO; it was one of the last three CEPs in service and is fortunately preserved on the Eden Valley Railway.
Last September you warned of the sale of the Redruth Station GWR bus garage. I contacted my bus fraternity and am pleased to say that the GW Trust hopes to relocate the building to Didcot later this year. Miller Commercial have removed the sale documents from their website; do we know who has bought the site?
Best wishes, John.
I was interested in the plan of Shepherds. It looks as if there were a level crossing over the original Treamble line, but the original road was cut off by the new station, so presumably the road was diverted over the new bridge in 1905.
The website says that the Treamble traffic ceased in August 1949, but is still shown in the 1949-50 Working Timetable. I had assumed that the Treamble branch would have been shunted by the morning Truro to Newquay goods, but that train is allowed only 15 minutes at Shepherds. A separate train runs to Treamble and back, but there's no indication how it gets to Shepherds. I surmise that the Truro goods is double-headed to Shepherds and the second loco then runs to Treamble and back, and returns to Truro double-headed with the afternoon Newquay to Truro goods. This seems very inefficient!
The Truro - Newquay goods is actually timetabled to continue to and from St Columb Road. Do we know what traffic necessitated this and why it wasn't conveyed by the Par - Newquay goods?
On the Lymington Branch, 2311 is described as a CIG whereas it's a CEP. The end detail is very different from CIG 1499 in the background. The CEPs and BEPs were built for the Kent Coast electrification in 1959 and 1961, whereas the CIGs and BIGs were build in two tranches, the Brighton Line in 1965 and the Portsmouth Line in 1970. The latter had less attractive interiors and less comfortable seats, a trend which seems to continue to this day! The era was completed with the REPs and TCs for the Bournemouth electrification in 1967 and the outer-suburban VEPs. The REPs were replaced by WESs, and when the Networkers were built for Kent, some of the CEPs moved to Brighton and Bournemouth whence they were later displaced by Eurostars and Desiros respectively. No 2311 was originally a BEP, but its buffet car was replaced by a TSO; it was one of the last three CEPs in service and is fortunately preserved on the Eden Valley Railway.
Last September you warned of the sale of the Redruth Station GWR bus garage. I contacted my bus fraternity and am pleased to say that the GW Trust hopes to relocate the building to Didcot later this year. Miller Commercial have removed the sale documents from their website; do we know who has bought the site?
Best wishes, John.
The 14.37 departs for Penzance on the 5th September 2021 passing the garage which seems to have been saved. KJ
Another view of the building due to depart for Didcot. 5th September 2021. CR KJ.
Many thanks John for your update and questions posed.
In answer to John Roberts letter
Roy Hart
Roy Hart
Dear Keith,
Here is my attempt at John Roberts' questions:
Treamble was, for most of its life a Q operation ('to run as required'). After the line was reopened in 1925, that meant not very often. The Perranporth branch goods engine did the honours. The line was lifted in 1917 (because no traffic) and the rails sent to France. The GWR had promises of renewed traffic, so reopened the line in 1925. It was a dud. The last train ran in 1949, but the entire line remained intact until 1956. Part of the reason for this was that the PW headquarters of the Perranporth branch was sitated about 25 yards down the Treamble line at Shepherds. Here were the stores, the motor trolley and its shed etc.,
There are pictures on the CRS website of the pw trolley being sigalled on to the Treamble branch in the 1950s.
St Columb Road was, from the 1930s, served by the Perrranporth branch freight. Luxulyan, Bugle and Roche each had a pair of sidings on the up side for general freight, but traffic was almost nothing -road competition had killed it off, so there was no daily freight from Par. St Columb Road, however, had healthy agricultural traffic right into the 1960s and it therefore made sense to serve it via the Perranporth branch, which had a daily service.
The only 'double header' seen at Shepherds was at breakfast time on summer Saturdays, when a pair of 55xx from Truro ran down to Newquay to collect the stock of the Perranporth to Paddington through train.
All the best, Roy.
Here is my attempt at John Roberts' questions:
Treamble was, for most of its life a Q operation ('to run as required'). After the line was reopened in 1925, that meant not very often. The Perranporth branch goods engine did the honours. The line was lifted in 1917 (because no traffic) and the rails sent to France. The GWR had promises of renewed traffic, so reopened the line in 1925. It was a dud. The last train ran in 1949, but the entire line remained intact until 1956. Part of the reason for this was that the PW headquarters of the Perranporth branch was sitated about 25 yards down the Treamble line at Shepherds. Here were the stores, the motor trolley and its shed etc.,
There are pictures on the CRS website of the pw trolley being sigalled on to the Treamble branch in the 1950s.
St Columb Road was, from the 1930s, served by the Perrranporth branch freight. Luxulyan, Bugle and Roche each had a pair of sidings on the up side for general freight, but traffic was almost nothing -road competition had killed it off, so there was no daily freight from Par. St Columb Road, however, had healthy agricultural traffic right into the 1960s and it therefore made sense to serve it via the Perranporth branch, which had a daily service.
The only 'double header' seen at Shepherds was at breakfast time on summer Saturdays, when a pair of 55xx from Truro ran down to Newquay to collect the stock of the Perranporth to Paddington through train.
All the best, Roy.
Many many thanks to you Roy - another very valuable input to the history of the area - much appreciated. Added to the Chacewater - Newquay section.
_________________________________________________________________________
Certainly not the Bodmin arae which Mike Manning is looking for but an example of the joys of brake van tours. We'd travelled all the way up from Exeter St Davids at no mean speed then followed the twisty Hemyock branch to its it's terminus. Pure joy, what a memory.
The Hemyock branch railtour pauses to examine Culmstock. 26th October 1974. Copyright KJ