Items added on 15th July 2017 Those added most recently come first

Weymouth Wizard
Colin Burges

0906 Bristol T.M. - Weymouth, The Weymouth Wizard, passing Thornford 8th July 2017 Copyright Colin Burges. It's his bike on platform

​Last year S.W. Trains offered very cheap fares on their newly introduced 0750 Waterloo - Weymouth, via Yeovil Junction. This was booked to depart Pen Mill at 1033, with the 0906 following at 1053, as tight a path as was possible. Twice in my experience a loaded HST was delayed at Pen Mill by the late running Waterloo and I studied the station furniture while imagining the progress of the train ahead along the line to Maiden Newton.

The Waterloo service is not running this year. It was rumoured that the "Wizard" would not run; if the HSTs are transferred, this may be its last year. The train is interesting, not least because of its route. It has a holiday atmosphere; even the crew are going to the beach it seems and the same faces are seen on the return working. First is declassified. If you ride in the vestibule, as I do, then you have to open the doors for people who are looking for the button to press.

Guards must check every door and see that no one is hiding in the TGS at every unstaffed station. One regular man, a friendly chap with a gammy leg, looked exhausted when the 1728 Weymouth rolled in at Cary last Saturday and he frantically herded his connecting passengers onto the late running 1706 Padd, not helped by having only three cars of his train platformed.

One unusual duty the guard has before leaving Temple Meads is to check the formation to see that all trailers have short swing link suspension. There is a danger that long swing links, which I think were originally fitted, will foul the third rail.

Yes, that's my bike on the platform at Thornford. I caught the following stopper as far as Yetminster, thus ticking off two more stations in Dorset.

      With best wishes,  Colin      Many thanks Colin, most interesting.

The Point Lever
Colin Burges

The East Cornwall Minerals Railway Incline. Picture from the Alan Harris Collection

Colin Burges writes :- The points lever at the foot of the Calstock incline is of the "Tumbler" or "Turk's Head" variety, once common on industrial and mineral railways. The short handle had a large weight attached to it, shaped as the nickname suggests. Picking it up and allowing it to fall to the opposite side reversed the points, which were then held in position by the weight.

The familiar handpoint lever of the national system, whether cranked or straight, has a patent spring mechanism which allows the lever to return to the same position after each pull, and the points can be "trailed," thrown by the wheels in the trailing direction, without the lever moving.

If it were possible to trail points attached to a tumbler lever, that is if the mechanism would stand it, the weight would be quickly somersaulted and no doubt over the years someone unthinkingly standing too close sustained injury.

The only one remaining that I know of is in the bushes on the former paper mill siding at Silverton.               Many thanks indeed Colin

Truro
Roy Hart 

5058 Earl of Clancarty takes a fill at Truro down platform. Built in 1937 and originally 'Newport Castle' the engine was a westcountry fixture -shedded at Newton Abbot or Laira for almost its entire life until 1961. Both water columns (Truro had no less than 7) and gas lamps are forgotten now! Copyright Roy Hart.

Water Water everywhere...nor any drop to drink!      
                                                             A list of Water Columns at Truro

1. End of down platform
2. Penzance end of island platform
3. London end of up platform
4. Up goods line (near East box)
5. Down goods line (near west box)
6. Near turntable, on engine line
7. At engine shed

Many thanks to Roy Hart for this list 

Par
Ron Kosys

Ron Kosys writes - 50043 Eagle arrving at Par on the 10th February 1988 - a TOTALLY dull and dismal day, This was taken before the trees took the place over completely. The vans at the head of the train could have been attached at Tavistock Junction for bagged clays of various descriptions or could even have been worked through from Heathfield carrying Ambrosia products. At this time, Ambrosia moved some of their output via the Speedlink network. This was roaded to Heathfield where it was loaded into vans. These vans were normally worked through to St Blazey (rather dropped off at Tavistock Junction) as the next train on this loco diagram was the 6B43 1505 St Blazey to Gloucester – and this saved reattaching the same traffic as it called at Tavistock Junction en route to Gloucester. Shame all this traffic was lost forever. Copyright Ron Kosys

West Pennard
Mike Morant 

Nice to see another new, to us, scene on the Somerset and Dorset.
Many thanks Mike,

Collett 2251 class 0-6-0 no. 3216 departs from West Pennard with a Highbridge to Templecombe stopping train on 18/8/62. 3216 had been transferred from 85A Worcester to the S & D in October 1960 and would remain an 82G Templecombe engine until withdrawal in December 1963. [Mike Morant collection]

Taunton
John Cornelius

John Cornelius