Items added on 22nd April 2018. Most recent items come first.

Royal Oke 2 Special Charter
Guy Vincent

Hello Keith,
                 Enjoying my daily browse of the CRS website a week or so ago  I noticed the Oke Rail group's item regarding their special charter to Stratford-on-Avon that ran yesterday (21st).    Full credit to GWR for providing an immaculate full green refurbished HST set complete with dining facilities and two 'celebrity' power cars, 43093 and 43188. Also thanks are due to Network Rail for ensuring punctual performance was maintained for more or less the whole day.  Hopefully this train will become an annual event as it looked to be very well patronised.
Two photos for you of "Royal Oke 11":  1Z44 0710 Okehampton-Stratford-on-Avon led by 43188 heading east on the Melksham single line near Broughton Gifford, Wiltshire and then the return 1Z45 1613 Stratford-on-Avon-Okehampton speeding westwards past Berkley Marsh, Frome led by 43093.   

Note: Please pass on these images to your Oke Rail friends should you so wish, with my compliments. 

  Guy Vincent.  Many thanks Guy, and I'll inform the Oke Rail Friends.    

Monkton Broughton Gifford 43188 & 43093 1Z44 OKE-SoA 21st April 2018 Copyright Guy Vincent

Berkley Marsh 43093 & 43188 1Z45 1613 SoA-OKE 21st April 2018 Copyright Guy Vincent

Chudleigh Knighton Level Crossing
Then and now - Colin Burges

Colin Burges, owner and operator of the Teign Valley and Exeter Railway Centre looks for remains of the level crossing.

In winter, anyone sharp-eyed enough when travelling south on the A38 dual-carriageway past the site of Chudleigh Knighton crossing and halt may catch a glimpse of a bit of the branch railway's boundary, which became part of the fence of Chudleigh Bypass in 1973.

Pipehouse Lane, which formerly made a level crossing of the railway, now passes beneath the A38 and continues to serve Level Crossing Cottages, whose occupants have to put up with the incessant din of motor traffic.

Chudleigh Knighton crossing 01 Copyright Colin Burges

The formation of the line is much disturbed here but the new road did not actually make an incursion at this point. The spot where I took this composite from cannot be very far from where the pagoda shelter of the halt once stood.

Chudleigh Knighton crossing 02 Copyright Colin Burges

Re the picture above - I bet you can't see the join.  The end of the Level Crossing Cottage is white at the right. The dual carriageway is obvious at the left.  The crossing keepers cottage would have been on the edge of the nearest southbound lane.

Chudleigh Knighton crossing 03 A B.R.-blue liveried North British 63 diesel-hydraulic waits at Knighton Crossing in April, 1968, Picture courtesy of Peter of Teignmouth who gave me permission to use it.

Re the pictures below.  Both are looking back towards the crossing from the Heathfield direction. The Teign Valley line was just beyond the rotting fence. If you were to wait here long enough, you would see an HST power car or a Mk III trailer pass on a low loader. In fact every every commodity and consumable needed by the railway west of Newton Abbot, short of trackwork and ballast, will pass here in nondescript vans and lorries. And when there is disruption, coaches will carry railway passengers past this spot.

Chudleigh Knighton crossing 04 Copyright Colin Burges

Chudleigh Knighton crossing 05 Copyright Colin Burges

Chudleigh Knighton Crossing 06 Copyright Colin Burges

It seems odd finding half an old crossing timber, still solid, in the fenceline of a modern road. I wonder what was once fixed to it and where it lay.

Chudleigh Knighton crossing 07 Copyright Colin Burges

A little further towards Exeter, the cylinders of Knighton Bridge lie in the bed of the Teign beneath the dual carriageway's concrete replacement.

Many thanks to Colin for his article and pictures.

Always pleased to help.
Query from Don Asher

It is always nice to receive rare pictures and the one below comes to us from Newton Abbot Library where Don is one of several volunteer assistants helping to sort a collection of over 6,500 photographs. They were under the impression that it could be in the Carn Brea area. However local expert Roy Hart thinks otherwise.

Roy Hart believes this to be the Down Limited climbing westwards out of Par c1955. Picture Credit Newton Abbot Library.

Roy writes :- I am sure it's a clay dry left background. Signal wire is Par Harbour up distant. Don't know if tall chimney is still there. House on right shown on OS maps. I am uncertain where Carlyon Bay golf course begins, but it would be about here (in case you are wondering, the course was laid out in 1926). The land certainly rises above the railway to the cliff here.
Right or wrong, I rest my case, Your Honour.   Roy
Many thanks indeed Roy, what you say certainly seems to fit the picture.
      We hope to include the next puzzle picture from Newton Abbot Library shortly.

HST Failures
Clive Smith

Clive remembers the days when Laira had spare locos to assist crippled HST's over the Devon banks.       Many thanks Clive.

Plymouth 50 033 Glorious assists failed Power Car 43131 on the 09.35 Penzance to Paddington. Fondly remembered is the late John Bending of Plymouth platform staff who watches from the left. 9th April 1983 Copyright Clive Smith

Plymouth. Peak 46027 is attached to the 08.25 to Paddington. The power cars on this train were 43185 and 43186. 28th January 1984. Copyright Clive Smith

Bodmin Parkway
New signal testing
Nick Kiszczuk

Good evening Keith, I was up Bodmin today and towards the end of the day upon my return to Bodmin Parkway the testing of the Banner Repeater was under way. I took a few shots, but the sun was in the wrong place for getting a really decent shot, I have found a good one though, They have cut back the trees on the up line to allow better sighting of the signal just beyond the station, they were testing that one too.
                      Regards Nick        Many thanks Nick

Bodmin Parkway, Down repeater - New Signal testing 21st April 2018 Copyright Nick Kiszczuk

Bodmin Parkway. Clearing the trees to improve sighting of new signal on the up line 21st April 2018 Copyright Nick Kiszczuk

Totnes Riverside
John Cornelius

Running round, the main line behind. Copyright John Cornelius