4th November 2018

The Railhead Treatment Train
Arriving at Penzance in daylight
Andrew Triggs Roger Winnen

181104c 66067 leading 3J15 12.53 Par-St Blazey LIP on final approach towards platform 4. Copyright Andrew Triggs

181104a 66067 Heads the RHTT into Penzance on Sunday afternoon at 13.53hrs. Copyright Roger Winnen

181104d 66104 at the rear of the RHTT as it accesses platform 4. Copyright Andrew Triggs

181104b The crew heads for 66104 to make the return working departing at 13.57. Copyright Roger Winnen

An eventful evening on Saturday returning from Plymouth
Leslie Curnow

   An eventful evening last night returning from Plymouth on the 14.03 Paddington to Penzance  a few minutes late leaving Plymouth was held at Bodmin Parkway awaiting an ambulance for a person taken ill aboard the train.  Arriving at St Austell the front doors of the train jammed and all passengers alighting had to move to other parts of the train. (Health & Safety issue) Arrival at Camborne was 20.20 instead of 19.01 with four trains arriving within 20 minutes. The new signalling and sections were a great benefit compared with the old system of 20 mins between trains from Truro to Camborne. It also caused a busy operation on three platforms at Penzance for arrivals getting four trains in quickly during that time as platform four was most probably occupied.

                                        Many Thanks Leslie

153's 'Up North'
Brian Pibworth

Good Evening Keith,
At the end of a very busy Summer I have been trying to clear up some unfinished uploads to Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rabbipx/44958726674/in/dateposted-public/) and came across this pair which gave me quite a start as they drifted into Carlisle Citadel Station back in July.  Having convinced myself that they hadn't missed their stop at Bristol I realised they were actually anonymous, although still in familiar green plumage.
I must have missed the original event but gather they were put off-lease from GWR and transferred to Northern Railways for whom they have just completed a service trip from Newcastle to Carlisle.  In these days of vinyl overlays it must be a matter of a minutes to de-brand a DMU but paintwork is clearly another story,  enabling God's Wonderful Railway to fly the flag on the Borders for a while longer at least.
With kind regards, Brian 
Many thanks for your recap on a busy summer Brian.  Though Carlisle is a 'little way' beyond our 'region' perhaps this is an excuse for a last look at old friends!!

NR/exGWR 153380 & 153373, Carlisle Citadel Station, July 13 2018 This pair of "Super Sprinters" arrives at Carlisle Stn. with the Northern Railway's 1N61 service from Newcastle. They still have new FGW paintwork left from a previous life in the SW but are now off lease and transferred to Northern, although lacking any branding. Copyright Brian Pibworth.

Happy Birthday
​to 50042
Mark Lynam

 ​Yesterday saw the Bodmin & Wenford railway's 50042 "Triumph" out working the days services celebrating its 50th birthday, and the final diesel working of the year. Below are shots of it taken today at each station. Complete with Happy Birthday headboard at the Bodmin end. 
           Thanks,  Mark Lynam  - and Thank you Mark.

50042 Triumph at Bodmin General 3rd November 2018 Copyright Mark Lynam

50042 Triumph at Boscarne 3rd November 2018 Copyright Mark Lynam

50042 Triumph arrives at Bodmin Parkway 3rd November 2018 Copyright Mark Lynam

For the record :- 50 042 started life as D442.  To B.R. on the 30th September 1968,  it went into service on the 5th October 1968, it was named on the 1st December 1973 and refurbished on the 4th October 1978. It's last passenger working on BR was on the 1st September 1990 and its last working was on the 14th October 1990 - it was withdrawn on the following day.

Plymouth Mail 1983
Clive Smith

​Michael Forward's picture of the mail train at Plymouth brought back memories of how much a part of the railway these trains used to be before the Royal Mail transferred its traffic to road. The most interesting trains were the Travelling Post Offices (TPOs) which ceased on the night of 9-10th January 2004. Penzance Post Office crews on the up TPO would swap over at Bristol TM with their London counterparts to return home on the down TPO. Here are some scenes taken at Plymouth in 1983 of these sadly missed trains. 
                 Regards  Clive Smith          Many thanks Clive.

50034 Furious stands at Plymouth with the 19.27 Penzance to Paddington TPO on 7th April 1983. Copyright Clive Smith

45140 waits on platform 7 at Plymouth with the same train on 3rd March 1983. The peak would have been removed at Bristol TM. Note the posting slot on the side of the carriage. Yes, if you missed the last post in your town and you had a TPO stopping in the middle of the night you could pop down the station and post your letter from the platform. Copyright Clive Smith.

East of Cardiff
Roger Geach

37164 based at Canton seen here heading east of Cardiff on the 15th March 1985. It later became 37675 and was based at Laira from the summer of 1987. Copyright Roger Geach

Winnen's Westerns
​Long Rock
Roger Winnen

D1073 Western Bulwark at Long Rock shed together with a variety of locomotives. 25th October 1975 Copyright Roger Winnen