Passengers on FGW trains are being requested not to flush the toilets whilst crossing the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. A special announcement is being made that the Royal Albert Bridge is being re-furbished and painted with workmen working below track level. 

On Sunday night the up sleeper powered by 57 602 failed at Mutley tunnel.(Believed to be a t.w.p.s. fault.  Two HST power cars connected back to back assisted the train to Exeter. Here, the 57 on the down sleeper was removed, and powered the up train on to Paddington.
The defective class 57 and the two HST Power cars then continued westward right through to Penzance where an on time arrival was made.
Tonight 23 January 2012 the up sleeper left Penzance with again the class 57 and the two power cars leading. The power cars are 43 135 and 43 145.It was expected that if the 57 was okay the power cars would be removed at Newton Abbot.

The overnight sleeper which left London at 23.45 on 19 January 2012 was declared a failure at Exeter. The locomotive had developed at tpws fault.  Passengers were transferred to Plymouth by a class 150 then on to Cornwall by the 07.02 Plymouth - Penzance service. (Luxury indeed!!) They arrived at Penzance about one and a half hours late  It is understood that a pair of HST power cars took the sleeper forward later in the day to Plymouth. The stock for tonight's sleeper should be in Penzance by 21.00.   N.B. A more recent report was that the sleeper stock passed through Truro at 18.00.

It was reported that last night at about 19.40 a car and train collided at Trencreek Level Crossing - this is about a mile out of Newquay where a minor road crosses the line.
The service at the time was being operated by a class 153 unit. The car driver Sarah Frampton of St Newlyn East said she had not seen the warning and was lucky to be live.

N.B. There is a suggestion that on all level crossings the flashing warning lights should be replaced by standard road traffic lights which it is felt road users are more likely to notice and obey. l

29 Dec 2011 - went to West Somerset.  Uneventful journey up on the 06.18 Sprinter from Truro which connected into an HST arriving at Taunton a minute early, and back on Cross Country Voyager which left Taunton about 5 mins late (due away at 18.17) but made up time and was also a minute early into Truro.  The WSR Winter Steam Festival was good with a free coach from station forecourt at Taunton.  Newly restored 7820 named 'Norton Manor' on 10.05 ex BL, and newly restored 6960 Raveningham Hall in action on 10.05 BL to MD, with 3850, 88 and 9351 also in use.  Generous use was being made of the turntable, and trains were very well used as far as I could see - it wasn't that easy to find a spare seat.

30 Dec 2011 - Bodmin and Wenford Steam Up was very good.  Beattie well tank 30587 working on brake van trips, which had no surcharge, but required obtaining a boarding pass before joining.  These trips worked over the whole line.  Sadly ex St Blazey 'local' 2-8-0T 4247 had to stand down and was replaced by Prairie 5552.

1 Jan 2012 - visit to South Devon Railway.  The now unique Collett 0-6-0 no.3205 was at work (as had also been noted the previous day when we drove by), and the trains seemed well patronised.

Last night 37606 and 37607 arrived Penzance at 23.47 with the Network Rail test train , stayed until 23.57 after which they departed for St Ives and Falmouth