Our first Cornwall Railway Society indoor meeting of the autumn will take place on Saturday 16th September 2023 the third Saturday of the month. From October we revert back to the second Saturday of the month
Latest HST News
Guy Vincent
Guy Vincent
Further news regarding the Castle class phased rundown.
43009 was reportedly stopped and stored on Tuesday evening (5th). The last reported working was 2C96 2230 Cardiff Central - Bristol Temple Meads. Unsure of its current location.
43010 received a day's stay of execution, finally retiring last night (Thursday 7th) after arriving at Plymouth with the 2C89 1900 ex Cardiff Central.
43016 is reportedly due to be retired on Sunday 10th.
43186 has re-entered traffic following repairs.
Worth looking out for 43027 and 43029 as these should be the final pair of 1976 WR power cars to remain in service, the only other one from that series currently in traffic, 43042, is due to be put onto mileage restricting duties.
Two sets of coaching stock are due to be stood down, GW12 on Monday 11th and GW16 on Sunday 10th. Certain other sets are due to be reformed for maintenance and operational reasons.
Two paths have appeared on Realtime Trains, one for Monday 11th: 5Z12 0958 Laira - Minehead (WSR) the other for Tuesday 12th: 5Z25 0958 Laira - Minehead (WSR), arr 1517. These are reportedly for movement of redundant Castle sets for storage.
Daily reports of Castle allocations usually get posted onto IO Groups SW-SWRG and GWG and are of course normally available on Real Time Trains.
Hopefully of use to those currently following the HST scene in the West of England.
Guy Vincent
43009 was reportedly stopped and stored on Tuesday evening (5th). The last reported working was 2C96 2230 Cardiff Central - Bristol Temple Meads. Unsure of its current location.
43010 received a day's stay of execution, finally retiring last night (Thursday 7th) after arriving at Plymouth with the 2C89 1900 ex Cardiff Central.
43016 is reportedly due to be retired on Sunday 10th.
43186 has re-entered traffic following repairs.
Worth looking out for 43027 and 43029 as these should be the final pair of 1976 WR power cars to remain in service, the only other one from that series currently in traffic, 43042, is due to be put onto mileage restricting duties.
Two sets of coaching stock are due to be stood down, GW12 on Monday 11th and GW16 on Sunday 10th. Certain other sets are due to be reformed for maintenance and operational reasons.
Two paths have appeared on Realtime Trains, one for Monday 11th: 5Z12 0958 Laira - Minehead (WSR) the other for Tuesday 12th: 5Z25 0958 Laira - Minehead (WSR), arr 1517. These are reportedly for movement of redundant Castle sets for storage.
Daily reports of Castle allocations usually get posted onto IO Groups SW-SWRG and GWG and are of course normally available on Real Time Trains.
Hopefully of use to those currently following the HST scene in the West of England.
Guy Vincent
Many thanks Guy, we are extremely grateful for your up to date information during these sad times.
Help requested
Andew Jenkins
Andew Jenkins
Good Morning
I came across your interesting website whilst researching the location of the attached photograph which is dated 1907. It depicts a watermill in very close proximity to a single track railway.
I have shared this with a number of rail / industrial groups and whilst none has been able to identify the precise location the general consensus is that it could be Cornwall or Devon, possibly the Wenford Bridge line or a mineral railway
If you can help with any information I would be very grateful
Many thanks
Andrew Jenkins
I came across your interesting website whilst researching the location of the attached photograph which is dated 1907. It depicts a watermill in very close proximity to a single track railway.
I have shared this with a number of rail / industrial groups and whilst none has been able to identify the precise location the general consensus is that it could be Cornwall or Devon, possibly the Wenford Bridge line or a mineral railway
If you can help with any information I would be very grateful
Many thanks
Andrew Jenkins
A most interesting photograph - worth taking a close look at - note the smartly dressed gentleman complete with top hat.
Many thanks Andrew - we'll see what comes of it, please reply to the CRS and Andrew Jenkins.
Help supplied
It's near Bodiniel Mill.
Andrew and Diane Jones
It's near Bodiniel Mill.
Andrew and Diane Jones
Hello Keith, please find attached photograph taken at or near Bodiniel Mill just north of Dunmere....although now much changed with the original building long since demolished it is the track that gives the position away with an oblique crossing which is rare in railway terms.
A building above Helland Bridge looks similar but is not on a curve and the lane is at 90 degrees.
Hope this helps
Best wishes Andrew and Diane
A building above Helland Bridge looks similar but is not on a curve and the lane is at 90 degrees.
Hope this helps
Best wishes Andrew and Diane
The crossing at site of Bodineliel Mill on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. Copyright Andrew and Diane Jones.
Many thanks for your reply Andrew - as suspected it lies on your local branch.
Some more on this subject:
If Andrew consults Mike Messenger's excellent history of the Bodmin and Wadebridge railway # pages 140 -141 he will find his photograph plus another. It is described as BERRYCOOMBE MILL. There is an accompanying extract from the OS map (1881 edition) showing the mill.
The trackbed is the original from the 1830s. This was all swept awahy when the London and South Western railway took over and rebuilt the Bodmin North branch on a new deviation.
# The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway. Michael Messenger. Twlveheads Press 2012 ISBN 978 0 906294 76 5
Roy Hart.
If Andrew consults Mike Messenger's excellent history of the Bodmin and Wadebridge railway # pages 140 -141 he will find his photograph plus another. It is described as BERRYCOOMBE MILL. There is an accompanying extract from the OS map (1881 edition) showing the mill.
The trackbed is the original from the 1830s. This was all swept awahy when the London and South Western railway took over and rebuilt the Bodmin North branch on a new deviation.
# The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway. Michael Messenger. Twlveheads Press 2012 ISBN 978 0 906294 76 5
Roy Hart.
Views from
Langstone Rock
Paul Barlow
Langstone Rock
Paul Barlow
New views as Paul drones around that famous rocky point - the venue for so many railway photographers.
43304 43303 0612 Leeds to Plymouth passes Langstone rock Dawlish Warren 6th September 2023
43010 and 43042 work the 0900 Cardiff to Penzance Langstone rock This was 43010's penultimate day in service 6th September 2023.
Pauls drone climbs to new heights and distances away from dry land to get the two remarkable views below.
43094 and 43122 work the 0740 Penzance to Cardiff past Langstone rock Dawlish 6th September 2023
43094 and 43122 work the 0740 Penzance to Cardiff past Parsons tunnel 6th September 2023
Many thanks indeed Paul for your amazing views.
Thought and report from
Par
Neil Phillips
Par
Neil Phillips
Hello Roger and Keith,
While I was out yesterday photographing dismembered CDA wagons, I noted that the info source which erroneously reported an 18-car IET on the Newquay branch - Realtime Trains (the formation graphic was quite an eyeful!) - was also showing 43010/43042 as working the 2P20 15.15 Penzance - Plymouth. I remembered that Guy Vincent's latest HST update had mentioned that 43010 was to be taken out of service during September so I decided to walk around to Par station to photograph it there at 16.17. After all, this might just be its final run - and so it was.
Thanks to Guy's great 'intel' I was able to take a last photograph of one of the power cars of the original set 253005, which together with 253001 had been the very first production sets I had seen, parked on Bristol St Philips Marsh depot on 31st July 1976, so I was particularly pleased to get this photo. 43010's excellent external condition made it hard to believe that it was just entering its final hour in passenger service. According to Guy's info its partner 43042 is also now on restricted duties.
Best regards,
Neil Phillips
While I was out yesterday photographing dismembered CDA wagons, I noted that the info source which erroneously reported an 18-car IET on the Newquay branch - Realtime Trains (the formation graphic was quite an eyeful!) - was also showing 43010/43042 as working the 2P20 15.15 Penzance - Plymouth. I remembered that Guy Vincent's latest HST update had mentioned that 43010 was to be taken out of service during September so I decided to walk around to Par station to photograph it there at 16.17. After all, this might just be its final run - and so it was.
Thanks to Guy's great 'intel' I was able to take a last photograph of one of the power cars of the original set 253005, which together with 253001 had been the very first production sets I had seen, parked on Bristol St Philips Marsh depot on 31st July 1976, so I was particularly pleased to get this photo. 43010's excellent external condition made it hard to believe that it was just entering its final hour in passenger service. According to Guy's info its partner 43042 is also now on restricted duties.
Best regards,
Neil Phillips
43042 leads 2P20 15.15 Penzance - Plymouth into Par. 6th September 2023. Copyright Neil Phillips.
43010 tailing 2P20 15.15 Penzance - Plymouth at Par on its final passenger duty. 6th September 2023
Your nostalgia Neil is shared, I think, by many enthusiasts and the travelling public. I travelled up to Exeter a couple of days ago out by IET and return by HST, gone very soon will be the quiet carriages of the HST to be replaced by the rumbling of the underfloor diesels, gone too will be the comfortable seats of the HST's being replaced by the hard IET seats - we seem to be moving backwards in rail travel. Remember the low back seats in the HST's seems like a good friend is slowly dying.
But wait a minute - or a day
Bodmin Parkway
Howard Sprenger
Bodmin Parkway
Howard Sprenger
Hi Keith,
Further to Neil Phillips's photographs of 43010/43042 at Par on 6th September, I can confirm that they were in use again yesterday (7th September). They are seen here at Bodmin Parkway on the 1015 Plymouth-Penzance service, presumably returning later in the day. So... was this the set's last day...?
Best regards, Howard.
Further to Neil Phillips's photographs of 43010/43042 at Par on 6th September, I can confirm that they were in use again yesterday (7th September). They are seen here at Bodmin Parkway on the 1015 Plymouth-Penzance service, presumably returning later in the day. So... was this the set's last day...?
Best regards, Howard.
Bodmin Parkway 7th September 2023 (1) 43010 Copyright Howard Sprenger.
Bodmin Parkway 7th September 2023 (2) 43042. Copyright Howard Sprenger.
Keep watching folks - thank you Howard.
Colin Pidgeon
views traffic at
Swindon
views traffic at
Swindon
Click on a picture to obtain an enlargement. All pictures copyright Colin Pidgeon.
3 Photos 37610 t&t 37116 on 1Z23 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC.
60015 shunting 6V53 Boston Docks to Swindon Stores.
66532 on 4L36 Wentloog to Felixstowe.
70803 on 6M50 Westbury to Bescot.
756104 & 756105 on 3Q37 Swindon to Newport milage accumulation run
60015 shunting 6V53 Boston Docks to Swindon Stores.
66532 on 4L36 Wentloog to Felixstowe.
70803 on 6M50 Westbury to Bescot.
756104 & 756105 on 3Q37 Swindon to Newport milage accumulation run
Many thanks to both Ken and Colin Pidgeon for the above.