Karl Hewlett writes:- The timings for 'The Looe Brush Railtour' are now in the system.  I am surprised this tour is running to Looe, or shall I say running with a pair of class 47's even in top and tail mode. Moorswater is Route Availability (RA), of 7, class 70's are RA7 as are class 47's, that part is fine but I always thought the Looe branch was banned to class 47's being only a RA5? Any input on this is welcome.  I certainly can't find any images of them on the Looe branch so could be a first, detailed timings are:

1Z47 Bristol Temple Meads To Moorswater Tarmac Colas Via Highbridge Loop And Exeter New Yard
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53047/2019/02/03/advanced
1Z48 Moorswater Tarmac Colas To Bristol Temple Meads Via Looe, Buckfastleigh, Heywood Road Junction and Bath
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53048/2019/02/03/advanced

   Regards, Karl (Friends Of Penmere Station).        Many thanks Karl

 Peter Murnaghan writes:- 
As the tour is being run for the Branch Line Society, I would expect that it will operate right to the end of the line at Moorswater, in the Tarmac Lafarge site.  If it is a long train, it might well block the level crossing, so, if you are planning to go and see it there, make sure you are on the right side of the tracks before the train appears !
And as the link line at Liskeard is not approved for passenger use, BLS passengers on the train will have to disembark at Platform 2, and walk over the bridge to the Looe platform 3 to rejoin the train, just as previous railtours have done here.  And the same in the reverse direction.I hope the sun shines !
Best wishes, Peter.  Many thanks Peter.

        Sunday 3rd February 2019   The Looe Brush railtour
 
0810 Bristol Temple Meads to Liskeard, Moorswater and Looe.
West Coast Railways charter train, with two Brush Type 4 Class 47s, top and tail.
 
Timings between Plymouth and Liskeard
 
Source - Realtime Trains.     
 
Plymouth [PLY]  4  1120 1125
 
St Budeaux Jn. pass 1130
 
Saltash [STS] 1  pass 1134
 
St Germans [SGM] 1pass 1140

Liskeard Sig Dm260 pass1146
 
Liskeard [LSK] 1 pass 1151
 
Liskeard Sig 9 1152 1157
 
Liskeard [LSK] 2  1200  1204

Liskeard Ground Frame 1210 1214

Liskeard [LSK] 3 1216 1221
 
Coombe No. 1 G.F. 1230 1232
 
Coombe Junction Halt [COE] 1234  1236
 
Moorswater Tarmac Colas 1246  12.55
 
Coombe No. 1 G.F. 1307  1309
 
Looe [LOO]  1330  1430
 
Coombe No. 1 G.F.  1450 1454
 
Liskeard [LSK] 3  1500  1504

Liskeard Ground Frame  1508  1512

Liskeard [LSK] 2  1517  1525

Menheniot Sig Um259 pass 1535
 
St Germans [SGM]  2 pass 1539
 
Saltash [STS] 2 pass 1544
 
St Budeaux Jn. pass 1548
 
Plymouth [PLY] 8 1554 1707

​On Monday (29th Jan 2019) to Braunton and while waiting for the grandchildren to finish school, I had a wander round the former SR station site. Although there are various artefacts preserved around the Tarka Trail, signs of the level crossing over Caen Street are elusive and I found my eyes drawn to a line of spiked railings between the river and where the railway must have run, now called Riverside. To my surprise and delight I found a couple of fence posts made of recycled rail and then, along the line of railings, a distinctly Malachite Green tinge.  It appears that the original green paint had been covered in a tarry black and this latter is now peeling off to reveal the original.  Not high on my list of railwayana but a pleasant surprise which will remain until the council decide to repaint the railings, as they look tatty, or remove them entirely because of the spikes.

Sic transit gloria australis (or something like it).

                 With kind regards, Brian.  Many thanks Brian.

​Line possessions are taking place on some Sundays between Newton Abbot and Plymouth prior to closure of one of the twin bores of Marley Tunnel from Monday 18th February to Friday March 8th. With track replacement taking place around South Brent I set off on Sunday 27th January 2019 with camera in hope of finding some infrastructure trains in the old station. Unbeknown to me it was the track at the old station that was being replaced and the trains were beyond either end of each road bridge and annoyingly the locos were just out of sight. Thus began an unplanned exploration of the parish of South Brent's nature trails and cul-de-sacs to get that desperate photograph. An hour and some muddy feet later here are my efforts.

Regards,  Clive Smith.

Many thanks indeed for your efforts Clive which must include 'bramble torn hands' as well as muddy feet, and a muddy foot well in the car. I can assure you that your efforts are much appreciated by one and all.

​In anticipation of next Sunday's Looe Brush Branch Line Society Railtour , here is a taster to whet the appetite for a feast of 'big train' activity on the branch. The 19th September 2010 was the first of two Sundays celebrating the Looe Valley line 150th anniversary with GWR  0-6-0 pannier tank 9466 and West Coast Railways 37685 top and tailing a shuttle service on the branch consisting of four mark 2s. (The 2013 Hullabalooe railtour had a consist of nine coaches more likely for The Looe Brush). The focus in this feature is on the class 37. The pannier was not forgotten by me but rather videoed so I have few stills of it. For anyone wanting to check out the pannier in some stunning locations click on to the site's Railtours Section, then 'Steam Railtours In Cornwall And Devon 1985 to 2013' .

The long range weather forecast for February 3rd is light cloud.. That can of course change over the coming days. What is definite are the tide times . Low tide is 11.06 and high tide 17.00. That should give a covering of water, certainly for the return.The tour is scheduled an hour break at Looe which should be around mid-afternoon. Plenty of time for those arty and unusual photos.

Regards,  Clive Smith  Many thanks to Clive for his reminder of a good day out.  

​Here's wishing you all a good day following the 'Looe Brush Railtour' - please take every care - the roads alongside the branch are very narrow and there will be other motorists not following the railtour out and about.  Best of Luck.

Clive has given you an idea of the Long Range Forecast The timings as we know them at present are rather vague - 11.25 Dep Plymouth - the tour will allow one hour at Looe and is due back at Plymouth at 17.07.  More times when they become available.

High Speed Power Car 43056 'The Royal British Legion' arrives at Westbury leading the 1A89 1533 Taunton-Paddington semi-fast service on the afternoon of January 23rd.     Bar the memorable blue nameplates, carried since May 2010, this power car has led an almost anonymous existence since commencing work with FGW (now GWR) in April 2009.   However, this was the first PC delivered to the Eastern Region of British Rail as part of set 254001 for service on the East Coast Main Line out of King's Cross.   Class 254 HST sets differed from the class 253's by having an extra coach included in the formation, eight rather than seven on the Western Region.  43056 was delivered new on July 5th 1977 and carried the name 'City of Bradford' between 1983 and 1997.  It would be nice if this one could spend time paired with 43002 before both units are removed from service, and even better if a home in preservation could be found?   Besides it's notable history the name surely warrants some form of preferential treatment is due to this workhorse, now into it's 5th decade of front line service?

                          Guy V           Many thanks Guy