Lipson
Clive Smith
Clive Smith
50040 Leviathan approaches Laira in Plymouth with the Sunday 11.45 Penzance - Liverpool Lime Street on the 1st April 1984. I only ever line-sided here the once and there may well have been a bit of ...ahem...mild trespass through a flimsy wire and concrete fencepost. Pretty certain this isn't possible now either through excessive vegetation or fearsome fencing. Regards Clive Smith
No doubt you can be forgiven for where you were 35 years ago - many thanks for the shot and the memory.
Dawlish Delights 7
Dawlish
Paul Barlow
Dawlish
Paul Barlow
47829 hauls the bright red 'Virgin' stock along the Dawlish stretch. 06.00 Preston-Paignton 1V37. It's 15th June 2002 Copyright Paul Barlow.
Camborne
The late John Cornelius
The late John Cornelius
The late John Cornelius Copyright
The late John Cornelius. Copyright.
Unfortunately, unlike Redruth, Camborne station has been shorn of many attractive and interesting features to become a 'bare bones' but functional station. There was of course a signalbox on the up side guarding the crossing. Gone to are the awnings on the up and down buildings - the down station building has copletely vanished - in place we have 'bus shelters'. It is difficult to believe that at one time there were sidings behind the up buildings, these were removed long ago when the up platform was extended westwards. On the downside there was even more of interest with a loading bay and a goods shed. There were no less than four sidings on the excavated 'flat area' to the west of the station, these were all taken out of use w.e.f. the 28th August 1963. The level siding area on the downside is still visible and serves to emphasise the steep gradient on the main line into the station of approximately 1 in 70 which gives up trains some difficulty in starting at times. This was especially so when proceeding service trains had not cleared the, at that time, long section ahead and the rare steam hauled specials were brought to a stand. A treat for the enthusiasts and a trial for the drivers.
And now it can be told = a true story.
The late Stephen Jeffery a much respected railwayman told me of an incident at Camborne during the war years when an up goods train was scheduled to deposit some loaded explosive vans in the down sidings. Shunting of explosive vans was always to be carried out under the control of the locomotive for safety reasons – they were never to be ‘fly shunted’. However rules are meant to be bent and on this occasion rather than delay services on the up and down lines it was decided to ‘fly shunt’ these wagons over the cross over which lay by the good shed. The shunter duly disconnected the wagons which were given a ‘nudge’ by the locomotive. The shunter then ran alongside the wagons to keep control of the brakes, unfortunately, due to wet sleepers the shunter slipped and fell. Luckily the gentleman picked himself up and caught up with the wagons which were speedily making their way towards the buffers and apply the brakes. Had the wagons hit the buffers Mr. Jeffery recalled, Camborne could have been blown to ‘smithereens’. KJ.
And now it can be told = a true story.
The late Stephen Jeffery a much respected railwayman told me of an incident at Camborne during the war years when an up goods train was scheduled to deposit some loaded explosive vans in the down sidings. Shunting of explosive vans was always to be carried out under the control of the locomotive for safety reasons – they were never to be ‘fly shunted’. However rules are meant to be bent and on this occasion rather than delay services on the up and down lines it was decided to ‘fly shunt’ these wagons over the cross over which lay by the good shed. The shunter duly disconnected the wagons which were given a ‘nudge’ by the locomotive. The shunter then ran alongside the wagons to keep control of the brakes, unfortunately, due to wet sleepers the shunter slipped and fell. Luckily the gentleman picked himself up and caught up with the wagons which were speedily making their way towards the buffers and apply the brakes. Had the wagons hit the buffers Mr. Jeffery recalled, Camborne could have been blown to ‘smithereens’. KJ.