6th August 2022

The Clay in Plymouth  Contrasting liveries at Truro
Roger Winnen

220804a 66104 on the 6c53 11.51 Parkandillack to Exeter Riverside departs Plymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen.edit

220804b 66104 departing Plymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen. edit

220804c Castle Class 43 Old Oak Common heads for Penzance as the 09.25 Penzance to Edinburgh arrives at Truro. Copyright Roger Winnen.edit

Circular Tour 1960
Michael L. Roach

In the latest edition of Steam Days, August 2022, Leslie R. Freeman describes a full day circular tour from Plymouth to Plymouth via North Devon using a rover ticket. The trip took place on Wednesday 1 June 1960 via Okehampton, Halwill Junction, Torrington, Barnstaple Jnuction, Ilfracombe, Barnstaple Junction, Dulverton and Exeter. Leslie and a friend left Plymouth at 08.25 and arrived back at 22.00 hours. Just ten weeks later a friend (IDM) and I made a very similar circular trip from Plymouth to Plymouth via North Devon, although we left earlier and got back earlier. Despite this many of the trains were at similar times, but some were different because we travelled on a Saturday. The date was Saturday 6th  August 1960, and we used a circular tour ticket; the only time I ever used one. Although there were probably a couple of other occasions when a CTT would have been an advantage I was probably put off by the need to visit the station and give a couple of days notice of the trip to allow the fares to be worked out and the tickets written out. The individual hand-written paper tickets, measuring 100mm by 120mm, were stapled into a card cover and were torn out as the ticket was checked on each leg. The day finished with an empty card cover as shown in the scans, and we covered 215 miles at a cost of 46 shillings (£2.30). Every train was steam hauled using several different classes, and from Launceston to Exeter St Davids it was all new line for me.
We left Plymouth at 7.10am and travelled via Tavistock South, Lydford and Launceston to Halwill Junction where we had the same loco and one coach but a few more passengers being a Saturday starting with 4½ and arriving Torrington with 7½ passengers. After Halwill Junction our route was identical to Leslie Freeman's route. By leaving Exeter St Davids soon after arrival we managed to have steam down the main line in the shape of St. Phillips Marsh 5924 Dinton Hall on the 10-coach 9.20am Bradford to Paignton running a mere 5 minutes late. Bearing in mind that 1960 was around the peak year for holiday trains and the line's terrible reputation for late running on Summer Saturdays the Hall had obviously put up a good performance taking its ten coaches over Whiteball.
Looking back, and I could not have known this at the time, the highlight of the day was having a small prairie tank to haul our train from Barnstaple Junction to Dulverton. I visited the Taunton to Barnstaple line many times over the next four years before steam gave way to diesel early in September 1964 and never again saw a 4500/5500 tank on the line. Their reign of several decades had given way to near 100 percent Churchward 2-6-0 Moguls soon after our trip. Leslie's train from Barnstaple Junction to Taunton travelled via Barnstaple (Victoria Road) but the station closed to passengers ten days later and our train travelled via the east curve avoiding Victoria Road. All the trains ran well to time, and although the train from Barnstaple Junction departed five minutes late it fair romped along gaining time and culminating in an arrival at Ilfracombe eleven minutes early.
Here are the trains we travelled on that day:
Time      From                                                  Dist.      Loco.                    Notes
7.10       Plymouth to Launceston                      34¾       5531 + 2C
9.20       Launceston to Halwill Junction            14          34108 + 2C
10.52      Halwill Junction to to Torrington          20½       41314 +1C            *
12.45      Torrington to Barnstaple Junction         14¼       41312 + 5C           *
1.32       Barnstaple Junction to Ilfracombe        15          31840 +3C
2.55       Ilfracombe to Barnstaple Junction        15          31849, 34061 + 2 PV + 3C
3.55       Barnstaple Junction to Dulverton         24¾       5571 + 3C
5.30       Dulverton to Exeter St. Davids¼          24¾       2AC + 1471          *
6.55       Exeter St.Davids to Newton Abbot       20          5924 + 10C           9.20am Bradford to Paignton
7.55       Newton Abbot to Plymouth                  32          6845 + 5C             local stopping train
                                                                                                                 * same loco as Leslie Freeman's trip
MLR / 4 August 2022

From the MLR Collection - Copyright

From the MLR Collection - Copyright

From the MLR Collection - Copyright

Many thanks Mike for your, as usual very accurate record of a remarkable day out - good value too.
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To give readers a 'taste' for Mike's journey here are four pictures not taken on the circular tour but taken a couple or more years later. Mike didn't own a camera for his circular tour.

Launceston 5572 about to run round August 1961. Copyright Mike Roach

Halwill 41223 arrives, the Torrington Bay in the background. Oct 1964. Copyright Mike Roach

Barnstaple Jct 10th Aug 1963 Copyright Mike Roach steam loco 73xx Mogul 7333 probably waiting to haul a service to Taunton.

Dulverton 6th Aug 1960- Copyright Mike Roach

Again Many thanks.
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Paul Barlow at
Rewe

The rear of 43239 43303 passing Rewe on the 0606 Edinburgh to Plymouth. 5th August 2022, Copyright Paul Barlow

43158 43041on 1050 Penzance to Cardiff Rewe 5th August 2022. Copyright Paul Barlow

43184 and 43303 on the 12.27 Plymouth to Edinburgh 1S.51 passes Rewe just north of Exeter 5th August 2022. Copyright Paul Barlow

Nearing journeys end - 43303 . 43239 approach Rewe on the 06.06 Edinburgh to Plymouth. 5th August 2022. Copyright Paul Barlow

Many thanks Paul - we are well Rewewarded!
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Another named Castle
Taunton
Bill Elston

Another Castle name to report, namely  Lydford Castle on pc 43010, seen today at Taunton.

Best wishes, Bill Elston

Newly named Lydford Castle 34010 approaches Taunton. 5th August 2022. Copyright Bill Elston.

Lydford Castle - seen at Taunton on the 5th August 2022. Copyright Bill Elston

Many thanks Bill - not many to catch now.
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Swindon Scrap
Colin Pidgeon

These are Colin Pidgeon's photos of today's scrap train. Previously these scrap trans usually ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so this is unusual UNLESS it is something that is going to be a regular working in the future.

Left Wimbledon 3 mins EARLY - was it seen off by The Wombles or were they too busy clearing Wimbledon Common of litter? Its route was via th West London Line, Acton (Main Line), Reading and Swindon [passed ON TIME] and arrived at Newport [Sims] 19 minutes EARLY!

NOTE Colin's comment about this train - please see below.

37884 on 5Q86 Wimbledon Park CSD to Newport Docks. 5th August 2022. Copyright Colin Pidgeon

5902 proceeds towards its doom. 5th August 2022. Copyright Colin Pidgeon

Many thanks Colin - like many of the scrap trains the stock looks too good to scrap. This item forwarded by Ken Mumford.