Items added on 3rd August 2017 Those added most recently come first

Penleigh Park:
41 Years Apart
Guy Vincent

Penleigh Park Footpath Crossing

The Westbury Avoiding line passes to the south of the station and yards and runs from Heywood Road Junction (east of Westbury) to Fairwood Junction (to the west).   There is a public foot crossing on the line close to the Penleigh Park housing estate and over the years countless enthusiasts have doubtless made the short journey from the station to this location to see  trains not booked to call at Westbury pass by at high speed.  I first discovered 'the fly-line' as it was described to me back in 1976 and took a few Instamatic colour prints of trains there.
 Here are some images: 1) from the hot summer of August 1976 with D1048 'Western Lady' on an up express and 2) from today, 3rd August 2017, showing 975025 'Caroline' propelled by privately owned but DRS-operated 37403 'Isle of Mull' on a Willesden-Exeter-Willesden Network Rail Inspection run. The fields beyond the railway are due to disappear under 300 houses in the next year or two.  Easy access has already been denied to the station from this area by the blocking-up of one of the footpaths.      As part of the development  a bridge will be built.  This will take a new road from Penleigh over the railway and across to Westbury station.  The crossing itself has recently been equipped with red & green lights and audible 'yodel' alarms activated by approaching trains (Images 3 & 4).

Images 5 and 6 show the original cast iron GWR Trespass notices that were in place from 1933 when the line was opened until the late 1980s when they were removed.
Many Thanks Guy

The Westbury Avoiding Line on a hot summers day in August 1976 D1048 Western Lady is seen hauling an express. Copyright Guy Vincent

170803b Westbury Avoiding Line today 3rd August, 2017 975025 Caroline & 37403 Isle of Mull on the 2Z02 Willesden-Exeter-Newton Abbot-Willesden Network Rail Inspection Run on the Westbury Avoider. Copyright Guy Vincent

170803c Penleigh Park Foot Crossing with red and green light and audible alarms activated by the approaching trains. Copyright Guy Vincent

170803d The renewed crossing in place. Copyright Guy Vincent

170803e Westbury, Penleigh Park original GWR Trespass Sign that was in place from 1933 when the line was opened until the late 1980s Copyright Guy Vincent

170803f Westbury, Penleigh Park GWR Trespass Sign in 1988 Copyright Guy Vincent

Special trains
Karl Hewlett.

Next week will see the return of one of the Network Rail's test train to South West, should be the normal Colas Rail class 37/s, times:

Tuesday 8th August Exeter New Yard to Penzance via Falmouth Docks

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H20476/2017/08/08/advanced

Wednesday 9th August Penzance to Exeter New Yard via Parkandillack and Fowey

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H20483/2017/08/09/advanced

Also in August there is an engineers booked for the Falmouth branch, this one is a bit curious because it does a mini tour of Cornwall visiting Penzance and Camborne before Falmouth (not on the same day).  There are no times for any down and back run from in/out of the county and there are times missing out in between runs, but it says booked for a diesel locomotive with 715 tonnes load with a 60mph limit.  A bit of a mystery at the moment it could be engineers with loco it could also well be a track machine, but one to keep half an eye on in case we get surprised:

Sunday 6th August Penzance to Truro Yard

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U40504/2017/08/06/advanced

Tuesday 8th August Camborne to Penzance

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U40507/2017/08/08/advanced

Wednesday 9th August Par to Penryn

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U40510/2017/08/09/advanced

Friday 11th August Camborne to Penzance second time

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U40513/2017/08/11/advanced

Make of the above what you will! Kind Regards
                                                              Karl (Friends Of Penmere Station),
As usual many thanks to Karl for keeping an eye on Real Time Trains

Backwater Road!
Andrew Triggs

Evening Roger,
Something completely different for CRS, You'll remember me telling you of my back garden project (The 'Work' Halt in the back garden past Exeter St Davids being the catalyst for the idea). Pleasee find the enclosed shots of my project (The name is ficticious of course, it comes from a Status Quo song called 'Backwater' by the way) in full summer bloom too (My Wife Pauline loves gardening you see) It took me around a year to complete it from start to finish
All the Best,  Andrew  
   Many thanks Andrew and Pauline, what a good idea. Congratulations.

Leaving Exeter St Davids this station is visible on your right prior to Cowley Bridge Junction. Does anybody know the name and address of the person who is responsible for this piece of garden furniture which can be seen by thousands of passengers. Congratulations anyway. 15th April 2016 Copyright Roger Winnen

Backwater Road The canopy was built from scratch and attatched to the garden shed, the slabs were faced off with red bricks to give the impression of a platform. Copyright Andrew Triggs

The flower baskets and station bench certainly add to the 'railway feel' of the project, there's even a station clock by the right hand stantion of the canopy. Copyright Andrew Triggs

The Station nameboard, the GWR crest was cast in aluminium when I was studying metalwork at Sixth Form college, back in 1985, it finally found a permanent home some 32 years later. Copyright Andrew Triggs.

Torquay
Ron Kosys

The last day of the 1989 summer season was dull and dismal. Saturday 30th September sees 47290 call at Torquay with a passenger train from Paignton. Copyright Ron Kosys

Williton 
John Cornelius

Copyright John Cornelius