Cornwall  Railway  Society
  • January 21 Home Page
  • INDOOR & OUTDOOR MEETINGS PROGRAMME
  • CORNWALL RAILWAY SOCIETY GENERAL INFORMATION CONTACTS & WEBMASTERS MEMBERSHIP FORM ETC.
  • LATEST INPUT , NEWS & OLD PICTURES ETC.
  • FEATURES, MAIN INDEX & OUTDOOR EVENTS REPORTS.
  • CORNWALL GALLERIES
  • DEVON GALLERIES
  • North & East of TAUNTON & HONITON
  • Military and Industrial Tramways & Light Railways
  • Pleasure Tramways & Light Railways
  • RAILTOURS, AERIAL VIEWS ,MISCELLANEOUS
  • CORNISH RAILWAYS WAR DIARY
  • LOCAL YOUTUBE
  • Historical Outdoor Events INDEX
  • ARCHITECTURE
  • INDEX TO ARTICLES WRITTEN BY COLIN BURGES
  • ARTICLES SECTION.
  • ENGINEERING PLANT DIARY
  • News reports Jan to Aug 2012
  • Links
  • MAPS, PHOTOS, AERIAL VIEWS
  • Official Documents available to the General Public
  • Public notices and posters collection

Items added on the 10th January  2016                                                                                           Those most recently added come first

10/1/2016

 
Corrections - many thanks to Chris and  Roy.​ Chris says - A most interesting interior view of Hayle Wharves. I assume it is safe to say that this was not the original brick 2-story signal-box, but the ground-frame which replaced it in 1964.  From Chris Osment.

Roy says The photos which appear today are not of the frame at the wharves box, but of the ground frame which replaced it in 1964. This was not a new frame, but was 'secondhand' from somewhere, for it had the 'stud' type interlocking, which was obsolete before the first world war!   From Roy Hart
                                                          Thank you gentlemen
Water Towers at Didcot  Adrian King
Hi Keith,   I hope you are keeping well and everyone else at the Cornwall Railway Society, this gives me the opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year.  Looking through your latest contributors items earlier today I picked up on the two excellent black & white shots by Nick Gaskell, especially the one entitled 'Reflections of Bodmin'. I say especially because you may recall I visited Didcot Railway Centre last October as I sent you a number of photos of Cornish interest and one of the many pieces of railwayana on show was none other than - Bodmin water tank. So, enclosed, are a couple of photos I took that day which you might like to use on the website. Cheers Adrian  Many thanks.
Picture
Picture
Didcot water tower with 3650 28th October 2015 Copyright Adrian King
The early bird catches the Tractor              Martin Duff
​Hello Keith, I set the alarm clock early Saturday 09/01 to get this one. Colas Rail have recently painted split head code box Class 37 No. 37057 in BR green.  It visited Exeter SD while working 3Q06 21.52 FO Eastleigh to Derby via Exeter.  It called 02.41/03.22, arriving and departing via the Southern.  A selection of photographs attached for site inclusion.  Needless to say I was not the only photographer present in the middle of the night!
Regards, Martin  Well done Martin, you deserve a medal!
Picture
37057 at Exeter St Davids at 02.43 Saturday 9th January 2016 Copyright Martin Duff
Picture
37057 at Exeter SD looking very good at 02.43 Saturday 9th January 2016 Copyright Martin Duff
Picture
37057 at Exeter SD at 02.43 Saturday 9th January 2016 Copyright Martin Duff
Torbay Express extended to Penzance!!        Roger Winnen
The 22.13 down service at Redruth last night 9th January 2016 was listed on the train describer boards and also announced as the Torbay Express. The service, the 17.06 off Paddington due Penzance at 22.42, seems to have been rather off route!
Menheniot down loop                                      Roger Geach
Menheniot down loop was east of the station and extended for a considerable distance starting from beyond the buffer stops the Quarry Sidings. Here are two pictures from Roger Geach of his favourite form of motive power at the location of the then recently removed loop.
Picture
1062 Western Courier passes the recently removed down loop at Menheniot with the 6b59 Ponsandane to Riverside 7th March 1974 Copyright Roger Geach
Picture
Looking Glorious 1072 Western Glory 6b33 on the 1400 Exeter Riverside to Truro passes the formation of the down loop at Menheniot.7th March 1974 Copyright Roger Geach
Hayle Signal box  
​
Recollections from Craig Munday
More on Hayle Signal Box - this the memories of Craig Munday

I have a picture of Hayle box after it was rewired with standard WR block instruments (just visible on top the cupboards in Julian's picture). It was remarkable really. Hayle was given an illuminated diagram including the "lozenge" light style track circuit indications and the spagnolletti blocks (not a spaghetti dish) replaced in around 1980. The box only saw traffic for a further 18 months before it was mothballed, most of which it was switched out of circuit of course, and demolished in 1983. I think the last Hayle Wharves branch trip was 1981 from memory. 
 
One piece of equipment I can vaguely recall was an over-ride for the red / green crossing lights which prevented the crossing lights turning red for the Wharves train. In normal operation, the red lights came on when an Up train entered Hayle cutting. The branch train would diverge before the crossing and trundle around the back of the box. There was an over-ride switch (which Percy Brookes always seem to curse each time he set it)! 
 
Another amusing story concerns a warm day with the box switched out of circuit. A Driver mentioned to the St Erth Signalman that Hayle's down distant was showing yellow. One of the Hayle station staff investigated and noticed that the down advance starter (Section signal) had dropped to "Wrong". He thought he was being helpful by dropping the distant back into the frame, and taking the Starter signal lever back to tighten the wires. Unfortunately he put the down starter too far into the frame and the lock caught. In a panic he then tried re-clearing it, but a line-clear from St Erth was required! With the box switched out of circuit, there was no option but to place all the down line signals to danger, and get a qualified Signalman to open the box and pull off properly.   A good turn can often cause implications!!

                                                     Thanks for the info and story Craig
Avid Gardener at Brixton Road.
​Hi, It was with great pleasure to come across the old photos of Brixton road station. My father ( Bill Clarke )was a locomotive driver with GWR, and took up residence at the station in the early 1950s. Dad was and still is an avid gardener and spent a lot of his spare time on the “allotment” or tending to the garden around the station. We had the privilege to witness the last passenger train to go through late fifty’s or early sixties. We left Brixton road in June 1962 to go to Nyasaland in central Africa. All our family now reside in West Australia. Thanks again……………Martin Clarke.
Picture
Brixton Road Copyright Charles Fennamore. It is thought that this picture of the rather neglected allotments once so carefully attended by Bill Clark that 'sparked off' the letter from Martin Clark
Probus in the news
It's amazing what comes to light.  I am most grateful to Chris Osment (Rail West) for the following information concerning the movements of signal boxes. 
Keith
 
Having read the ‘Headlines’ item about Probus, I decided to look in the relevant Register from the Signalling Record Society, and based on the information gleaned from it.....
 
1. The box from Probus Siding went to Yealmpton. As the latter had a large frame (23 levers rather than 11), then I would guess that only the superstructure was re-used.
 
2. Probus East had come second-hand from Bristol (exact location unknown).
 
3. Probus West was constructed using the top from the former box at St Brides (in South Wales) and the lever-frame from Tresulgan (though it is not known whether East or West there).
 
Chris
Two oblique pictures from Nick Gaskell
In the recent post two rather unusual oblique pictures kindly sent in by Nick Gaskell.. Many thanks.
Picture
The '2010 Okehamton steam up' .at Meldon Halt. The crew of 30075 prepare for the right away to Okehampton Copyright Nick Gaskell
Picture
This one could well be entitled 'Reflections at Bodmin'. Copyright Nick Gaskell.
Hayle Wharves Signal Box Lever frame
                                                   The late John Fill
It is through the kindness of Mary Fill that in the sad task of sorting through her husbands collection she has so very kindly sent us many of his railway photographs and amongst these is picture of the lever frame at Hayle Wharves, a real 'gem'.  Many thanks to you Mary. Please note The photos which appear today are not of the frame at the wharves box, but of the ground frame which replaced it in 1964. This was not a new frame, but was 'secondhand' from somewhere, for it had the 'stud' type interlocking, which was obsolete before the first world war! 
Picture
Hayle Wharves Signal Box 1 copyright the late John Fill
Picture
By a rather poor 'cut and paste' operation we bring you the simple track diagram otherwise hidden by the levers. The legend on the left hand side reads - 'From Hayle Coal Wharf and Power Station'. Copyright the late John Fill
The Saga of St Austell Signalbox Lever                             Frame                                                                                                Julian Hanwell
We have recently shown various views of St Austell Signalbox and as the box is still standing, it future uncertain, it prompted the question - is the frame still there?  Julian answers the question -

With reference to the St Austell S Box frame, this is no longer in the box. It was removed shortly after the box closed and sold to me as 'scrap' for £80. I used the frame to build my own signal box (in Norfolk) just like Bill Carne did at the Farm Museum. I sent pictures to Frank Speritt when I put it all together. I attach a photo of my self putting 1/2 the frame together at my house.
 I eventually sold the frame to a Cornish Lad in St Austell who then resold it to one of the railway societies for spare parts. So it is still out there in parts somewhere. A scrap dealer also wanted the frame but BR sold it to me ! I did manage to keep some (about 5) of the remaining brass lever plates which I still have.

There is no mention of the cast iron name plate being ordered in M Dunn's book 'GWR Signal Box Name Plates'. (An excellent reference book). It may have been removed when St Austell was no longer a level crossing? The general thoughts were (back in the 70s) that the plate was broken when removed during WW2 but there is no evidence to support this.  Many thanks for this info Julian.
Picture
Here is St Austell lever frame in Norfolk, No doubt about the authenticity of the frame, Amazing that somebody took the trouble to 'signwrite' the frame. Julian operates the levers. Copyright Julian Hanwell

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011