50027 Lion worked the down 1213 Bristol, returning on its normal return working, the Up 1438 to Birmingham. As I mentioned, the down Bristol had RMB W1803 behind the loco with 5 other coaches and a BG bringing up the rear. This was my first named sighting of Lion. 46026 Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry worked the down parcels (Plym ? to Pz) at 1230 with 11 on including an ex GWR Siphon G and an archaic Southern Van. As previously, and I cannot in truth recall the day at all, the parcels work on a Saturday seldom troubled the station staff - at best, an odd Brute to load or unload and then quickly on its way. 50016 Barham worked the down 1439 ex Padd - 10 late with 9 on. 50026 Anson worked up on the up 1534 to Padd with just 5 coaches and a BG. This was my first named sighting of this loco. Laira machine 46010 worked the down Cornishman from Bradford at 1543 and its proper return working of the Up 1907 to Bristol later in the evening. As per the previous week, the latter had magnificent accommodation comprising just 4 vehicles - E80640, W35134, W21173, M3757. I don't remember exactly, but I don't think that any mails or parcels were carried on a Saturday evening outside of the Christmas peak on this service so no need of a long train. One occasional customer on this Cinderella was a Honeymoon Couples- gawd knows where they were off to. Not two weeks in the Maldives in those days - Yatton perhaps. Maybe the heady heights of Bridgwater or exotic Weston Super Mare ?? 50041 (un-named) worked the Up 1651 to Padd 50035 Ark Royal worked the Down 1726 from Liverpool with 8 on. 50045 Achilles worked the down 1831 Padd and was my first named sighting of this loco - the third that day. In those days, it seemed fitting to note that this train was all of 5 minutes late. On that, my train home in the evenings, was only a mere five minutes late! Bringing up the rear of trains logged that day (Other than the fact that the morning and afternoon Falmouth Branch set was Set P553 and what we used to call the evening replacement set was C558) was 47030 on the 11 coach down 1914 Plym-Pz. 11 Mark One coaches - probably exceeding by far the number of passengers on board. Incidentally, I only took carriage numbers from about October 1977 to about June 1978. A great shame as there must be a lot of interesting facts in carriage workings. And how I wish that I had taken details of the trains I saw in my early days in the late 60's onwards to Jan 1 1977. I have filled in very few gaps from 1971 to 31.12.76 of trains seen but without train working details from other sources and friends and I am currently 90% finished on an Excel spreadsheet of my loco workings spotted having promised this to Roger Geach and many others quite a long time ago. Hope this helps in setting the scene. Of course, this day was the weekend before a Bank Holiday Monday so it is perfectly possible that there might have been some extras and reliefs around that day that I didn't manage to see. It all seems such a long time ago now.
The picture sent in by John Simmonds asking for the location 0f a class 50 on a down service produced this extensive article on train movements on that day from Rob Lomas - for which many thanks.
50027 Lion worked the down 1213 Bristol, returning on its normal return working, the Up 1438 to Birmingham. As I mentioned, the down Bristol had RMB W1803 behind the loco with 5 other coaches and a BG bringing up the rear. This was my first named sighting of Lion. 46026 Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry worked the down parcels (Plym ? to Pz) at 1230 with 11 on including an ex GWR Siphon G and an archaic Southern Van. As previously, and I cannot in truth recall the day at all, the parcels work on a Saturday seldom troubled the station staff - at best, an odd Brute to load or unload and then quickly on its way. 50016 Barham worked the down 1439 ex Padd - 10 late with 9 on. 50026 Anson worked up on the up 1534 to Padd with just 5 coaches and a BG. This was my first named sighting of this loco. Laira machine 46010 worked the down Cornishman from Bradford at 1543 and its proper return working of the Up 1907 to Bristol later in the evening. As per the previous week, the latter had magnificent accommodation comprising just 4 vehicles - E80640, W35134, W21173, M3757. I don't remember exactly, but I don't think that any mails or parcels were carried on a Saturday evening outside of the Christmas peak on this service so no need of a long train. One occasional customer on this Cinderella was a Honeymoon Couples- gawd knows where they were off to. Not two weeks in the Maldives in those days - Yatton perhaps. Maybe the heady heights of Bridgwater or exotic Weston Super Mare ?? 50041 (un-named) worked the Up 1651 to Padd 50035 Ark Royal worked the Down 1726 from Liverpool with 8 on. 50045 Achilles worked the down 1831 Padd and was my first named sighting of this loco - the third that day. In those days, it seemed fitting to note that this train was all of 5 minutes late. On that, my train home in the evenings, was only a mere five minutes late! Bringing up the rear of trains logged that day (Other than the fact that the morning and afternoon Falmouth Branch set was Set P553 and what we used to call the evening replacement set was C558) was 47030 on the 11 coach down 1914 Plym-Pz. 11 Mark One coaches - probably exceeding by far the number of passengers on board. Incidentally, I only took carriage numbers from about October 1977 to about June 1978. A great shame as there must be a lot of interesting facts in carriage workings. And how I wish that I had taken details of the trains I saw in my early days in the late 60's onwards to Jan 1 1977. I have filled in very few gaps from 1971 to 31.12.76 of trains seen but without train working details from other sources and friends and I am currently 90% finished on an Excel spreadsheet of my loco workings spotted having promised this to Roger Geach and many others quite a long time ago. Hope this helps in setting the scene. Of course, this day was the weekend before a Bank Holiday Monday so it is perfectly possible that there might have been some extras and reliefs around that day that I didn't manage to see. It all seems such a long time ago now. Having seen the 31 away from Par Roger journeyed on to Liskeard and walked to a location from which both the Liskeard and Bolitho viaducts can be seen. A look at the map will show that that that is quite a long walk, at least two and a half miles each way. Your effort is appreciated by us all. Despite making an early start from Penzance Roger only just made it to Par in time to see the railvac, which has been working on the Newquay branch at Molinnis, make a start on its journey back up country to Doncaster. Craig joined him on the platform. Despite being out almost every evening with Breage Band - it's the Carol Playing Season you know, Roger has still found time for railway photography. Well done Roger. N.B. Roger is out again today, railway photographs by day, perhaps the Railvac going back, and playing the horn with the Breage Band in Goldsithney after dark.
The question is? When exactly did Truro Goods Yard close, and furthermore, what produce is being handled in the yard at this date, and by what company? According to R.A. Cooke Track Layout diagrams, Section 10, West Cornwall the siding in the picture closed 16th May 1971. However, from various pictures taken at a later date, the point leading to the yard was still in position for many years afterwards. Answers from Messrs Munday and Winnen. They are pretty sure that the yard was used by Lee Agricultural Merchants prior to closure - this came in 1984, and afterwards used by Vospers. A footnote - Hercules seems about the most appropriate name to give any form of motive power - it is most surprising that this loco was chosen to lose its name in favour of Sir Edward Elgar however elegant this name may be. Yet on the 20th June 1980 Rocket arrived being unloaded in the goods yard. Not happy with being captive the points were swung and the LST ( Low Speed Train) paraded up and down platform 2 and finally out on to the Truro end of the viaduct. Whether this was official, or unofficial is not known. Many thanks to Roger Winnen who caught this on camera - copyright. (Was this the last train to leave and enter the yard?) Intrigued by pictures of the Railvac sent in by Craig Munday and Richard Bohill I asked just what the machine does and how it works - and good as his word Richard comes back with an explanation and some pictures, plus a video for me - what more could we ask? Many thanks Richard. Hi Keith, The Railvac is controlled either from the small cabin on one end or by a remote control box that the operator wears around his waist with which he controls the boom arm and forward and backward movement of vac. It is just like a big vacuum cleaner, it is used to suck up bad ballast formation. I will add a video that I taken today so you will be able see how it works. Here some more photos taken today 7th December 2013 Welcome to Richard Bowhill, he works on the Engineering Staff of Network Rail and has been able to provide us with pictures of the vehicle when it travelled to Molinnis Level Crossing at Bugle to refuel from a road tanker.
With reference to the ‘where is it’ picture kindly sent in by John Simmonds we at first based our thoughts on it being at Guildford Viaduct as this lies between his suggested locations of between Truro and St Erth. However a reply from Craig Munday led us to re-think and investigate further – Craig said. In response to the photo challenge, I think the photographer is a bit out geographically. I think the location is just west of St Austell between Gover viaduct & Burngullow, the road bridge being Tervanion Road. This led us to think again, and indeed meantime John also had a re-think looking further east. The five of us all agree that the location is as Craig suggests, the locomotive would have been working hard, as the exhaust shows, as the line climbs almost continuously from St Austell to Burngullow. Another proof is that Gover viaduct has bricks below the parapet whereas Guildford does not. Well done Craig. |
Archives
April 2024
|