Morning Keith, This mini series starts tonight at 20.00 on BBC4 - three instalments presented by Peter Snow, starting at Didcot Railway Centre. http://entertainment.ie/tv-highlight/Trainspotting-Live/382866.htm Regards, Martin  
​ 
Many thanks for the reminder Martin - it looks very promising.

As can be seen from those superb and historical pictures from John Cornelius and Mike Morant also not forgetting Mike Roach and Sid Sponheimer there is something about black and white but its rare to see monochrome these days.

The work is extensive and will involve the removal of the carriageway and existing bridge deck; the diversion of utility services; upgrades to the bridge’s structure; the installation of the new deck; and the reconstruction of the carriageway.
To carry out these upgrades, the bridge will be temporarily closed from Monday, 27 June 2016 to Friday, 14 October 2016. During this time, a sign-posted diversion route, agreed with Cornwall Council, will be in place.

Try this link for a picture of the bridge :-  ​http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/truro-residents-to-benefit-from-saveock-bridge-upgrade-as-part-of-railway-improvements

Hi Keith,
 
I do quite a lot of work for Nick Catford's Disused Stations website. We are currently working on updating the Padstow pages and I have been doing research in connection with this.
 
The photograph below appears on your website, with a question regarding the train at the platform and I may be able to help.
 
 The train on the left is entering, not at, the platform and this is the reason for the blur in the foreground. It is a single-unit DMU, as it that stabled on the loop. Behind the railcar on the loop are some more vehicles; I cannot identify them but may be the stock for used for the school train.
 
I suspect the photograph was taken on a Saturday when, during the summer, a service from Wadebridge arrived at Padstow during the afternoon (one timetable shows it arriving 2.14pm) with another from Bodmin North arriving twenty minutes later. Regulations would have required the 2.14pm arrival to clear the platform, thus this will be the railcar stabled on the loop. Return workings are a little unclear; there was a 2.52pm departure for Bodmin North followed by a 3.13pm departure for Wadebridge which appears to have continued, for some odd reason, as a separate service to Bodmin Road although this may have been a separate train. What is unclear is that both departures from Padstow ran every weekday so apart from on Saturdays there must have been some empty stock working or two railcars coupled together in the Down direction Monday - Friday.
 
I must stress that the above is just my conclusion and is not confirmed evidence. Nonetheless I might help to answer the question with the photograph on your website.
 
While I am here, so to speak, I have been trying to determine details of the demolition (or track lifting) train on the Padstow branch, assuming a train was used and the work wasn't done using road vehicles and plant. Would you be able to throw any light on this?
 
Thanks and regards,
 
Darren Kitson.

    Can anybody answer Darrens question please.

Langport West was situated on the 'flood plain' of the River Yeo which quite frequently bursts its banks and crippled road and rail transport in the area. Recently the local roads were rendered impassible and the Cogload to Bristol line closed for many days.

Out of our region really but as our group are in Cardiff we include this one of over 50 years ago.  
Hi Keith 
        Wasn't sure if it was OK to get in touch now as I know you've been having problems with your PC. Hope your keeping well and the weather in Cornwall has improved since I last heard from you. As usual your website has been a wealth of useful &very interesting information and I understand some of the CRS membership may well be 'on tour' in this part of South Wales. The photographs sent in by all the contributors are excellent but Mike Morant & John Cornelius especially so. 
       One of John's latest shows Taunton Castle passing Curry Rivel Junction and I thought you may like to see the enclosed, especially if your members are staying in Cardiff, of the same 7036 Taunton Castle, together with driver, at a very wet Cardiff General on a Saturday in August 1961 preparing to head west for Swansea.  Best regards Adrian   Many thanks Adrian

Morning Keith,
Just spoken to Roger. Still roaming around Wales at present. He has only taken 2010 photographs at present. Looks like the site will be awash with Welsh ones in due course. Sounded like he is not enjoying the comforts of these lovely Welsh Class 142/143's. Oh you are lucky in Cornwall not to have them. We may loose ours one day.

I sent him the attached on Sunday evening.

46100 lost a lot of time going back and missed going via Frome etc. Reading that the Royal Duchy is off on Sunday - no steam engine available.

Dave             Many thanks David

​Hi Keith,
             As an avid follower of your excellent website I would like you to consider the attached image, it shows 46100 'Royal Scot' heading towards Fairwood Junction after departing Westbury with the outward 1Z27 0800 Bristol TM-Kingswear 'Torbay Express' on Sunday 3rd July.  The return trip was held at Taunton for some time before departing 84 minutes late and running direct to Bristol Temple Meads via Bridgwater and Yatton, this was believed to have been due to a track defect suddenly arising at Castle Cary requiring an immediate line blockage in order to investigate and rectify. [Thanks for the info].  

The recently scanned slide collection of John Cornelius, appearing at the moment is of particular interest and I wish to thank John (and yourself) for sharing such valuable reminders of our railway heritage.  Much appreciated.

I regard the CRS website as a bonus Railway Magazine to read through and enjoy, not every month but several times a week! There is always interesting, informative and well presented information covering both current and historical topics and often this is updated within hours or even minutes of certain workings occurring! 

With best regards and thanks again, Guy Vincent    Frome  Somerset

Many thanks for your letter Guy, your support is much appreciated. The website is only as good as the support it gets, without them and you it would be nothing. John Cornelius is brilliant with his pictures of time gone by, there are more to come of Johns and others I can assure you. Very best regards Keith

Hi Keith,
The first Torbay Express of the season with 46100 'Royal Scot'.
Heard talk that it came to a halt at Marlands, possibly why it was running late.
Dave                  Many thanks David

Many thanks to John Cornelius for what you are about to receive, a collection of pictures of action at Curry Rivel Junction. I attach a very rough sketch of the arrangements at the junction which may help you locate the pictures which will follow over the next few days.

If seeing one green HST is rare enough, I was treated to both of them going the same way within 10 minutes of each other today near Tiverton Junction. 1C83 (1235 PAD-PGN) and 1C84 (1306 PAD-PNZ) were formed of sets LA15 and LA16 respectively.
Scheduled to run within 15 minutes of each other between Taunton and Newton Abbot, it presented an ideal opportunity to take a break on my cycle ride to see them.
Rob Thomas    A new contributor Rob - welcome to the CRS website.

Hi Keith, Further to my last email - I've got a copy of the Mineral Railways of West Cornwall, the quote regarding the siding is the same as copied by Maurice. It doesn't give the date for the signal box though. I'm trying to find the publication that contains his reference to the signal box at the siding, which is titled, 'from my notes on China clay tramways' - he included this in his original letter. Do these notes appear anywhere or is this from a particular book or CD? My main purpose in asking, is regarding the build date of the signal box and then discovering how it operated and for how long. It would be fantastic to know. Trust all is well with you - voting day here, won't mention anything more about politics! Very best wishes, Mick Dowrick.  
Can anybody help Mick please dates on Bodinnick Signal B ox - this was sited west of Coombe St Stephens viaduct.  Thank you. Mick lives in Adelaide but is moving to Auckland.

Hi Keith
A rather brief sunny interlude this morning before the cloud maker ruined it all once more. Sobering to reflect that we haven't had one sunny Saturday evening yet to record the down 2C51 loco hauled. As the evenings pull in (amazing to think), some of the "high Summer" upside locations are already gone. 

There was some sun to record the Par Shunt however. 5C71 runs up empty from Penzance and crosses to the down main limit of shunt (Lostwithiel end). It then awaits 1S43 to pass by (in the photo) prior to crossing back onto the Newquay branch platform, where it forms 1C71 to Newquay.

The up empty loco hauled empties were also caught in sun at Penwithers Jn with 57603 Tintagel Castle appearing. Note how the cut back embankment is already a sea of wild grass & foxgloves. Nature soon claims back the lineside. 

Cheers, Craig.                                    As usual many thanks to you Craig. 

Dear Keith, browsing the internet this evening, I found a really interesting website www.tauntontrains.co.uk , your members are probably aware of this site. I have found a photograph that I took in Nov 1971, of an unknown class 52 heading towards Taunton in the vicinity of Cogload Junction, at speed.  At the time I didn’t realise that diesel hauled passenger trains would become a thing of the past.
 Best wishes Andrew  
The above website is excellent - many thanks for the info and your picture Andrew.