Roger Geach
Ian Lane
Pinkson Creek
Prince at Penzance Roger Geach D1041 Western Prince at the head of 1e21 the 1135 Penzance to Leeds stands nicely poised under those glorious semaphores 'ready to go' from platform 1 at Penzance on Sunday 9th February 1975 Copyright Roger Geach. N.B. Roger G will be providing the pictures for our next Home Page, this will have a 'Western Theme'! A Cornish Gem Ian Lane Introduced 1907. Hawthorn Leslie design for Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway. Two of these tank engines were built in 1907 for the opening of the PDSWJR on 2nd March 1908 and continued to work on the line after Nationalisation, finally being withdrawn in 1957. The locos became Nos. 757 and 758 in the LSWR and SR lists. They were named Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and Lord St. Levan. With this picture we remember Len Baker, a former very popular Cornwall Railway Society member, who drove this locomotive on this branch. We recall Lens tales of his experiences during his working years. Lens early days were spent on the S.E.C.R. he later moved to Plymouth, then Redruth on retirement. Cornish Cream 3 Pinkson Creek Pinkson creek is a small inlet off the river Camel a shade over two rail miles from Padstow. Many thanks to Mike Morant for this picture.
A ballast train for the St Ives Branch 66134 is seen arriving at Penzance just after 23.00hrs during atrocious weather conditions last night. The train departed for St Erth following the arrival of 'The Golden Hind' Roger Winnen Cornish Cream 2 Mike Morant Mike brings us the second picture of Boscarne Junction in better days. Many thanks Mike Here we see Ivatt 'Mickey Mouse' 2MT 2-6-2T no. 41275 heading for Bodmin North on the SR running line. The box in the background is Boscarne Junction whilst the loops to each side are goods sidings, primarily to exchange traffic between S.R. and G.W.R. The line to the extreme right is the G.W.R. running line from Bodmin General. Picture by courtesy of the Mike Morant Collection. When oil came by rail Brian and Patricia Pibworth Seems mad and sad, but fuel oil for the trains is now delivered by road. Brian Pibworth mentions that more of his Cornish pictures also appear on his Flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/rabbipx) So please take a look. HST Diversion at Chard
Brian Pibworth Pacers - love or hate? Alan Harris has kindly drawn our attention to the following new clip on the Pacers in service around the Exeter area. The report rather jumps around with various scenes the order of which those with knowledge of the area will find surprising. Many thanks to Alan for notifying us. Click here for the report :- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35725299 Cornish Cream Mike Morant Under the banner of 'Cornish Cream' Mike Morant brings us from his vast collection. a selection of four more pictures taken on the Bodmin to Padstow section. The first today is at Boscarne Junction when it was busy every day with fast trains passing through. Many thanks Mike. Ivatt 'Micky Mouse' 2-6-2T no. 41320 + set 196 is a Bodmin North to Wadebridge train at Boscarne Junction looking towards Bodmin. The brake van special is on the GWR running line and has probably been up the Wenford Branch. Mike further reports that many have trawked through the Six Bells Junction site but haven't found a West Country brake van trip with a 'Queen Mary' brake van which matches the period when 41320 was allocated to that part of the country. Apparentley there were two 'Queen Mary's' based at Wadebridge for many years. It has also been suggested that this 'jolly' could be a BR staff outing rather than a railfan charter. CAN YOU HELP? From the Mike Morant collection Chard Creamery Brian Pibworth In the course of catching up with "Cornwall Railways" postings, my eye was caught by Dave Tozer's reply re. refurbished milk tankers. "I can only recall seeing them once heading to Chard Junction. I suspect they were never used much". It rather depends on what you call "much", as during the summer of 1981 Chard Junction Creamery was host to freight movements unseen for several years, as two rakes of milk tanks, refurbished through some sort of EEC funding, carried surplus milk from the Milk Marketing Board creamery, to a similar plant at Stowmarket in Suffolk. Unfortunately, while providing a spectacle for us local rail enthusiasts, the project suffered from the "dead hand" of BR and local self interest and didn't last long. I may be a bit thin on remembering detail but as I recall, the working depended on an inspector, signaller, pilotman and shunter being driven in a Transit van the 60 miles from Westbury Shed to enable the mainline loco to access the milk siding and extract/return the tanks. This cavalcade was often late and the MMB shunter, restricted to their private siding and headshunt, was sometimes reluctant to start . Delay was the order of the day and there was still considerable local resentment of BR (W) taking over "our" freight as they scaled down the old Southern route in favour of "their" GWR main line to Exeter. Having unlocked gates and points and shuffled the rolling stock, the train would eventually be dispatched eastwards, to the relief of Chard Junction Signal Box, who viewed the whole exercise with great scepticism. The full trains took the Southern route to Yeovil Jnc then via Castle Cary to Stowmarket, but returned the empties via Exeter. The last nail in the coffin resulted from the lack of washout facilities at Stowmarket which meant that the empties spent many hours sitting in the summer sun with the residual milk contents rapidly "going off". On return to Chard, one of the milk dock reception gang was detailed to climb into the tank and clean out the curdled mess with just a brush and hosepipe. For this privilege he was awarded 50p per tank and there was significant resistance to taking on the task, not only from the workers but also from wives burdened with additional laundry. Added to this, the job theoretically took road driving turns away from the Chard plant, so the project was doomed even before the EEC funding ran out and after a few fits and starts eventually ceased later that year. So Dave is right to say they were never used much, but when they were, we certainly enjoyed the spectacle. Best Wishes. Brian Pibworth Many thanks to you Brian for such an interesting report and pictures. Many thanks to Brian for this glimpse into a very short period in the history of Chard Junction. An excellent article on the Chard Junction Creamery. I moved to Chard Junction in 1998 (no milk train then unfortunately) when the St Erth Dairy shut. I stayed at Chard until 2008 before moving on. In 1998 Chard was part of the St Ivel group, St Ivel sold Chard to Dairy Crest in 2001. Sadly Chard shut its doors for the last time in September 2015. The site has been decommissioned and if the rumours are correct demolishion will start shortly. Another part of the railway history gone for ever. Great site by the way, I follow it regularly Regards Andy Richards The Heyday of the 142 Skippers & their replacements. Michael Forward Tre Pol and Pen Railtour 12th March 2016 There have been changes to the route and we now include not only the highly scenic branch line from Lostwithiel to Carne Point but also the site of the former Plymouth Friary Station plus the Dartmoor Main Line to Okehampton and Meldon Quarry. It is a wonderfully attractive route taking us down to sea level at Carne Point and then right up to the bleak expanses of Dartmoor. Thinking of going - sorry fully booked. Provisional timings London Euston 06.53 Plymouth 11.36/11.48 Lostwithiel 12.28 Carne Point 12.43/13.00 Lostwithiel 13.13 Plymouth 13.59/14.04 Plymouth Friary 14.17/14.32 Exeter St David's 15.43 Meldon Quarry 16.35/16.50 Okehampton 16.55/17.20 Exeter St David's 18.01/18.28 London Euston 22.22 Don't miss this - News Report Dartmoor Railway Supporters Martin Duff has kindly reminded us of this most excellent report of the activities on the Dartmoor Railway during the past year. Many excellent reports and pictures, a very good read and look. Click here :- http://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/news Prototype HST Trevor Tremethick It will very soon be 41 years since the prototype HST made a run into Cornwall to excite us all. The HST's are still of course with us and will remain so for a few years yet, Many thanks to Trevor for this reminder. Meldon Quarry Loco Mike Morant Another reminder of the more distant past comes with this picture of a long gone shunting loco at Meldon Quarry. Many thanks to Mike for this gem of a picture. LCDR 'T' class 0-6-0T tank No. 500S was a Kirtley design built at the company's works at Longhedge in 1890. Transferred from service stock and renumbered from 607 to 500S, it moved to foreign territory at Meldon Quarry on the LSWR in 1938 and remained there until withdrawal in November 1949. Courtesy the Mike Morant collection 50 Years ago today Sunday 6th March, 1966 the very last trains ran on the Somerset & Dorset. These were two railtours. Rob Lindley photographs 92214 taken from Bishops Lydeard outer home signal this morning during the West Somerset Spring Gala which last another 4 days over next weekend Many Thanks Rob The 50th Anniversary of the S & D Remembered on the West Somerset On Saturday 5th March, 2016 The West Somerset Steam Railway Spring Steam Gala commemorated the 50 years since the closure of the Somerset & Dorset. Special features of this Gala being classes of engines which worked on the line together with stations being renamed of those on the former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. By Roger Winnen and David Tozer 160305e One of the stars of this Gala was the 2-10-0 92214 from the Great Central Railway, a reminder of 92220 Evening Star which worked over the Somerset & Dorset. 92214 is seen leaving Shepton Mallet, (Crowcombe) unfortunately the engine went way passed the platform end on arrival at the station. Copyright Roger Winnen David Tozer views the West Somerset Gala at Crowcombe Heathfield More in the features Page on this Gala Closures March 1966 6th March 1966. There was no Sunday service on the S & D and therefore the last service trains ran on the Saturday, however the line was still officially open on the Sunday and therefore two railtours could run. These were the R.C.T.S. Somerset & Dorset Farewell Rail Tour and the Stephenson Locomotive Society (Midland Area) railtour. Overnight the signalbox at Evercreech mysteriously burnt down and trains had to be hand signalled. Not only did all the S & D stations close but also several relatively close by :- Pinhoe (happily re-opened), Broadclyst (now Cranbrook is close by), Sidmouth Junction stayed open another year (Since reopened as Feniton) but the branch to Tipton St Johns and the branches to Sidmouth & Exmouth closed thus eliminating the stations at Ottery St Mary, Tipton St Johns, Newton Poppleford, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Littleham, and Sidmouth. Also closed was Seaton Junction and the Seaton branch thus eliminating Colyford and Colyton, and Seaton from the network. In addition Milbourne Port, Semely, Dinton and Wilton South were closed. 1983 with Nick Gaskell Fortunately for us Nick Gaskell was busy with his camera in '83 and took scenes now just memories. Many thanks. Woolworth Kit Loco at Okehampton Mike Morant South East and Chatham Railway Maunsell designed "Woolworth" mogul No, 1828 in lined green SR livery at Okehampton. No. 1828 was built at Ashford in 1924 from a kit of parts made by Woolwich Arsenal. This loco worked on until withdrawal from Redhill Motive Poer Depot in 1964 as BR No. 31828. Courtesy Mike Morant collection. Okehampton with Mike Morant LSWR Drummond T9 'Greyhound' 4-4-0 at Okehampton in the 1930's but after July 1932 when the number prefixes were removed. No. 280 was built at Nine Elms works in 1899 and was withdrawn in 1951 whilst allocated to Fratton Shed although she was stored there for three years and never wore a BR identity. Picture and caption many thanks to Mike Morant Sabotaged & Defeated The S & D Rly The end of the S & D The ‘Slow and Dirty’, the ‘Swift and Delightful’ or in the end the ‘Sabotaged and Defeated’ 50 years ago by the date and day it was Saturday 5th March 1966 when the last public trains ran on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, a sad day indeed. That day was the day that I first became an enthusiast. Prior to that I was mildly interested in railways but television coverage of the line screened by Sir John Betjeman a couple of days before the final closure caused me to prise myself out of my seat and make an effort for that very last day. I lived at Calne in those days. Parking at Chippenham, for the Calne branch had already closed, I took the train to Bath Spa and walked to Green Park in time for the 08.15 to Templecombe. I bought a ticket to Bournemouth though the service was so sparse that I never got there. At the outset my camera failed with the excitement! I met and travelled with young Barry Lucas PRC – his tape recorder had failed. We left on time and 8F 48760I with three green coaches clanked along the level to Bath Junction and then got stuck into the bank up to Devonshire tunnel. Once through the Devonshire and Coombe Down tunnels we called at all stations, places I had never heard of. Never before had I experienced such interest and excitement. There seemed to be people with cameras everywhere, up trees, even somebody wearing waders standing in a stream to get ‘that shot’. Arrival at Templecombe was at 09.53, my train onwards to the south was at 12.30. It was, luckily, a pleasant day. I tried to join a party of school children being taken to look around the shed but was told to ‘buzz off’. However nobody seemed to mind wherever else we went so we joined others spread along the embankment of the connecting line to the station which overlooked the shed. I got to Broadstones at 13.51, where I decided to turn back. I have memories of watching the shadow of the smoke dancing along the fields beside the train, sadly I thought, ‘never again’. Back at Templecombe another wait ensued – the temporary timetable was designed to discourage travellers. Travelling on to Cole I de-trained and waited for the following service on to Evercreech. During this time I walked the line northwards to the overbridge crossing the WR main line. On arrival at Evercreech another wait of just over half an hour ensued before boarding the last ever service train to Highbridge. This journey was on board a packed train and was mostly in darkness. On board the locomotive were not only the crew but many others – drivers wives possibly. From Highbridge it was a journey back to Chippenham via Bristol an unforgettable day. Keith Jenkin In addition to the following pictures you can visit our three S & D sections by means of a click :- Bath to Evercreech, Evercreech to Bournemouth, Burnham to Evercreech and finally the Bridgwater and Wells branches Firemans Tales - you'll find some of these by Ian Bunnett at the end of the Bath to Evercreech section Many thanks to Mike Roach for the following pictures and the reminder of the significance of today. The loco provision for the above railtour - courtesy Six Bells 44777 Birmingham Snow Hill - Gloucester - Bath Green Park 92238 Bath Green Park - Bournemouth Central 34097 Bournemouth Central - Eastleigh Works (1) 34097 Eastleigh Works (1) - Basingstoke - Oxford 6967 Oxford - Birmingham Snow Hill This picture taken on the very last day by my good friend Barry Lucas as we spend a couple of hours on the embankment alongside Templecombe shed. Here we see a GWS special headed by 48706 leaving the signalbox behind to dive down past us and head under the Southern line on route to Bournemouth. 5th March 1966, Copyright Barry Lucas Blast from the past |
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