Items added on 30th December 2017 Those added most recently come first

A nice surprise to end 2017
Mark Lynam & 
Roger Winnen

During the afternoon I received a number of text messages from various friends advising me of a Class 143 Pacer was travelling to Penzance on the 16.03 service from Plymouth.  After arriving home on the Royal Duchy from Bodmin I returned to the station where the train was shown as arriving into Platform 4, however conveniently this was then changed to Platform 2 under the roof keeping the passengers dry on leaving the service. We believe that the last 143 Pacer arrived at Penzance in December 2015 so its a nice end to 2015.

171230d 143611 seen in pouring down rain at Redruth on route to Penzance. Copyright Mark Lynam

171230a 143611 has just arrived at Penzance on the 16.03 service from Plymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen

171230b 143611 Viewed from the balcony sitting in Platform 2 at Penzance. Copyright Roger Winnen

171230c The return service to Exeter St David's scheduled to depart at 19.06. Copyright Roger Winnen

171230e 143611 resting between duties at Penzance. Copyright Andrew Triggs

171230f 143611 under the overall roof waiting for its departure at 19.06 to Exeter St David's. Copyright Andrew Triggs

Bristol Bath Road
Supervisor ?

On December 24th we featured a most interesting article on an unofficial visit to Bristol Bath Road shed by Steve Carter.  In his article Steve mentioned how friendly the depot supervisor had been and asked if anybody could supply his name?  Steve's article can be found in our 'Bristol Temple Meads, the harbour lines and the sheds' section .

So now we know - this is Lee Jewell. The kindly depot supervisor at Bath Road Depot. Photograph by Steve Carter.

 It is with many thanks to Chris Osment who advises us :- I made enquiries elsewhere and got the following reply:-
 
This..... is Lee Jewell aka 'Six Million' or 'Six' for short. In his younger days he bore an uncanny resemblance to the American actor Lee Majors who played the Six Million Dollar Man in the TV series the Bionic Man. He.....became a supervisor some years after ......1983. He does feature in the 1995 video of Bath Road which was filmed prior to closure.
 Regards,   Chris  Many thanks to you Chris for such a detailed reply and also to Lee Jewell who allowed Steve access to get those once in a lifetime pictures.  Now we know.

Carnon Viaduct
Roger Winnen

Very nicely framed :- Carnon Viaduct with a Gloucester Cross Country DMU on the Falmouth service. 12th January 1974 Copyright Roger Winnen

Yeovil Pen Mill
Lampman
John Cornelius

KJ asked a few questions :- I had to put the thinking cap on to answer your many questions about the lampmen. It is me with my colleague Tim Reynolds. At the time we were 'zappers',assistants to the MOM at Yeovil Junction doing a variety of jobs around the area, and sorting out any problems or emergencies that might arise concerning the running and safety of trains. We did early and late shifts. On Thursdays we did the lamps at Penmill. If I was early turn, I would be at Penmill ready to walk out to do the up home signals, where south junction used to be, once the Weymouth train had departed and i had the ok from the signalman. After returning to the box, it was time for a cup of tea,before returning to the junction. When my mate came on duty at 1230, he would go straight to Penmill and start to change the lamps around the station, If I wasn't otherwise engaged I would join him and give him a hand finishing the job before I went off duty at 1330. The following week it would be reversed. However there were the odd occasions when we had to do them on our own. As this was done between trains there wasn't a problem and signalman knew where we were as he could see us. The lamps were used in the ground signals [dummies] as well and there was no cycling involved. Early Friday mornings the few signal lamps at the Junction were changed, this didn't take long and were usually done by the time the MOM came on duty. We were never involved with maintenance to signals or equipment, all that being under the wing of the S&T DEP. The lamps would burn for a week without a problem. Many thanks for your long reply and the picture. Copyright

A Postscript  LampmanMemories
Roy Hart

John Cornelius's article about Lamps brought back some memories. Joe, the Camborne-Redruth area lampman lived at Brea. His duties began at Chacewater on Mondays and proceeded westwards, reaching Carn Brea yard on a Thursday and finishing Camborne on a Friday. I accompanied him sometimes -easy when the weather was good, but climbing every signal post twice and keeping the lamp alight was not easy. The railway signals and discs had long-burning lamps. Each one had to be brought down and replaced. The wick had to be trimmed and the oil topped up. Chacewater, for example had 26 lamps, Carn Brea Yard 17. Many of these lamps required a long walk. Drump Lane down distant was near the old Redruth by-pass bridge at Treleigh. The lampman had to bring out a fresh lamp (the signal was 1200 yards from the box) and then trudge back with the old one. Lamps would blow out halfway up the ladder etc. You get the idea!
One man covered all lamps Penzance to Gwinear Road; one had Camborne to Chacewater and one the Truro area up to Grampound Road. The smell of lamp oil still brings back memories.

Roy                           Many thanks for that Roy

Buckfastleigh
Ron Kosys

Buckfastleigh 1420 + Pecket DVR No.1 30th May 1976 Copyright Ron Kosys

4555 + 6435 30th May 1976 Copyright Ron Kosys