Harry Patch exits Cornwall
Matthew Addelsee
Matthew Addelsee
In brilliant sunlight the now familiar Harry Patch passes the recently cosmetically restored up platform building of Saltash station. Scaffolding surrounds the Baptist Church as it receives attention. This a comparatively new building replacing one severely fire damaged. The time is 11.25 on the 27th November 2016. Copyright Matthew Addelsee
The saga of 6C97 the 08:20 Redruth to Westbury Down
Todays pictures from Messrs Andrew Triggs, Roger Salter, Ron & Jenny Westwater & Roger Winnen show the return working of a train which had previously dropped rail in the vicinity of Drump Lane. Many thanks to all.
161127a Taken from the 08.30 Penzance to Paddington service, the down working with 66848 from Redruth at a stand on Marazion Marsh waiting for our train to clear the single line. Copyright Roger Winnen
161127s 08.20 Redruth to Westbury via Penzance is seen from the Station Wall at Penzance. Copyright Roger Salter
161127t 66848 Is at the buffer stops of Platform 1 at Penzance. Copyright Roger Salter
Propelling to Slopers siding for run round purposes 27th November 2016 Copyright Andrew Trigg
66848 on 3 Tunnels bridge, as the Driver changes ends before running round on Slopers siding 27th November 2016 Copyright Andrew Triggs
161128v 66848 Runs around its train stabled in slopers siding,the crew are seen changing ends. To the right of the engine and slightly off the photograph is the remains of Ponsandane Signal Box. The new works on the left hand side of the picture relates to the extension work now being undertaken for the Long Rock Depot. Copyright Roger Salter
Departing 6 late at 09.17, passing Marazion station 27th November 2016 Copyright Andrew Triggs
66848 nears Menheniot with the 6C97 0820 Redruth to Westbury Down T.C.10.39 27th December 2016 Copyright Ron Westwater
10.39 27th December 2016 Copyright Jenny 66848 heads downgrade towards St Germans near Crift Lane with the 6C97 0820 Redruth to Westbury Down T.C. Copyright Jenny Westwater
161127b The return Rail Train heads through Plymouth at 11.03. Copyright Roger Winnen
58 in 98 Exmouth Jct
David Tozer
David Tozer
Morning Keith,
Technology is great. Recently I have been viewing some video footage taken in 1998. It crossed my mind could I take stills off of the footage. Well the answer is yes you can.
So here are a couple taken on the 26th August 1998. During this time Eurobell were digging up nearly every street in Exeter to install cables for cable tv and telephones. The work needed many tons of infill. So the former Exmouth Junction marshalling yard was used as a base for deliveries of stone from Mendip Rail. This produced double headed Class 37's, two of which were in full Mainline livery. However on 26th August I recorded the only visit of a Mainine Class 58, possibly 58023 which I think was allocated to Eastleigh at the time. The only other time that I have seen a Class 58 in this area was on a rail tour.
Whilst not quality I think that it is quite interesting.
Regards Dave . Many thanks David - a rare event recorded
Technology is great. Recently I have been viewing some video footage taken in 1998. It crossed my mind could I take stills off of the footage. Well the answer is yes you can.
So here are a couple taken on the 26th August 1998. During this time Eurobell were digging up nearly every street in Exeter to install cables for cable tv and telephones. The work needed many tons of infill. So the former Exmouth Junction marshalling yard was used as a base for deliveries of stone from Mendip Rail. This produced double headed Class 37's, two of which were in full Mainline livery. However on 26th August I recorded the only visit of a Mainine Class 58, possibly 58023 which I think was allocated to Eastleigh at the time. The only other time that I have seen a Class 58 in this area was on a rail tour.
Whilst not quality I think that it is quite interesting.
Regards Dave . Many thanks David - a rare event recorded
 Exmouth Junction Yard 58023 rests with a stone train on the 26th August 1998 - 1 Copyright David Tozer |
Exmouth Junction Yard 58023 rests with a stone train on the 26th August 1998 - 2 Copyright David Tozer
St Ives branch
Memories by Garth Tilt
Memories by Garth Tilt
A very warm welcome to our website Garth thank you.
St. Ives Branch memories: late 1950’s.
On the middle Saturday of my first holiday at St. Ives I made my way to St. Erth specially to ride on the Down ‘Cornish Riviera’ to St. Ives. The train ran in on the Down Main hauled by a ‘County’ class engine. It was detached with a couple of coaches and left for Penzance. Two 45xx tanks were attached to the rear and the whole train was propelled to the West crossover where it reversed into the Up platform to allow St. Erth passengers to board. The train looked magnificent with all the BR Mk1 coaches painted in chocolate and cream plus two GW dining cars. This was my first ride over the branch double headed!
I also became aware of a further train which was always double headed and this was the 7.00pm to Truro which had come from Penzance at 6.00pm. This ran Mondays to Fridays during the summer timetable basically provided to take day trippers home. My pal David came down from Birmingham to stay for the weekend with me on the Friday. I said he would be in time to see this train over the branch. I met him at St. Erth and was somewhat surprised when our branch train of just three coaches was double headed to St. Ives. At St. Ives all was revealed. The sea siding was full of corridor stock so running round was impossible. We decided to walk to the overbridge that overlooked the engine shed and the station by the inner home signal. A local train left for St. Erth so we would wait for the Truro train which duly arrived double headed but to our delight with a pannier tank coupled inside a 45xx! I’d never seen a pannier tank at St. Ives before and yes it was 9748. The 45xx was detached at the inner home and 9748 took the train into the station. Two 45xx’s were duly coupled and the ‘Truro’ left for St. Erth. This released 9748 and after coupling to another 45xx drew the excursion stock out of the sea siding and reversed into the main platform. After about twenty minutes the excursion left for St. Erth with 9748 coupled inside. Sadly I have no idea where the excursion was returning to.
My last visit in steam days was in August 1960. On the Sunday, 4566 resplendent in lined green livery from its overhaul at Newton Abbot Works, worked the branch all day. I was determined to get a photograph of it during the week, it never appeared again! I did see it at Barry scrap yard in 1967 looking very sad so I was delighted when the Severn Valley Railway gave it a good home. On the Friday evening I made my way to the station to record the ‘Truro’, permission was readily granted and to my delight both 45xx’s were facing to St. Erth. The following morning I also went down to record the 0920 to Paddington, it too had both engines facing St. Erth. The coaches were a motley collection mostly ex.GW including a dining car. At this period the ‘Riviera’ ran as a separate train from Penzance at 10.00am. We were staying above the harbour and I arrived back in time to watch the 0920 climbing out of the station towards Carbis Bay, a splendid sight! Later we returned to the station for our connection to St. Erth for the Wolverhampton train, to our surprise we were directed to our connecting train in the bay, another first for me. Was this a regular Summer Saturday working, does anyone know? **
There was one other through train on the branch apart from a couple of locals which ran through to or from Penzance. It ran just on a few Friday nights from Paddington in July/August at 10.12pm. with coaches for St. Ives and Penzance. It left St. Erth at 06.02 am arriving into St. Ives at 06.18 and returned empty stock to Penzance, I never saw it, far too early!
I missed the D63xx period on the branch, not returning until 1967. Did anyone photograph the ‘4575’ 5562 working the branch in 1962? It would be very nice to see.
Garth Tilt.
November, 2016.
** Roger Winnen writes :- Hello Garth.
Reading your item on the St Ives Branch with 9748 brought back memories to me. The Sunday Schools in Penzance ran a special train once a year to Carbis Bay and St Ives for the annual Sunday School outing.
It would be in the mid 1950s that I rode behind 9748 and 4570 from Carbis Bay to St Erth where 3 coaches were detached, then 9748 headed the remaining six coaches to Penzance.
This was the only time that I ever saw a pannier tank on the branch as they were officially not permitted to work the branch.
This train no doubt ran in late July or August and it was possibly the same train as you saw.
Its all very interesting.
Kindest regards, Roger Winnen
Many thanks to both Garth and Roger
On the middle Saturday of my first holiday at St. Ives I made my way to St. Erth specially to ride on the Down ‘Cornish Riviera’ to St. Ives. The train ran in on the Down Main hauled by a ‘County’ class engine. It was detached with a couple of coaches and left for Penzance. Two 45xx tanks were attached to the rear and the whole train was propelled to the West crossover where it reversed into the Up platform to allow St. Erth passengers to board. The train looked magnificent with all the BR Mk1 coaches painted in chocolate and cream plus two GW dining cars. This was my first ride over the branch double headed!
I also became aware of a further train which was always double headed and this was the 7.00pm to Truro which had come from Penzance at 6.00pm. This ran Mondays to Fridays during the summer timetable basically provided to take day trippers home. My pal David came down from Birmingham to stay for the weekend with me on the Friday. I said he would be in time to see this train over the branch. I met him at St. Erth and was somewhat surprised when our branch train of just three coaches was double headed to St. Ives. At St. Ives all was revealed. The sea siding was full of corridor stock so running round was impossible. We decided to walk to the overbridge that overlooked the engine shed and the station by the inner home signal. A local train left for St. Erth so we would wait for the Truro train which duly arrived double headed but to our delight with a pannier tank coupled inside a 45xx! I’d never seen a pannier tank at St. Ives before and yes it was 9748. The 45xx was detached at the inner home and 9748 took the train into the station. Two 45xx’s were duly coupled and the ‘Truro’ left for St. Erth. This released 9748 and after coupling to another 45xx drew the excursion stock out of the sea siding and reversed into the main platform. After about twenty minutes the excursion left for St. Erth with 9748 coupled inside. Sadly I have no idea where the excursion was returning to.
My last visit in steam days was in August 1960. On the Sunday, 4566 resplendent in lined green livery from its overhaul at Newton Abbot Works, worked the branch all day. I was determined to get a photograph of it during the week, it never appeared again! I did see it at Barry scrap yard in 1967 looking very sad so I was delighted when the Severn Valley Railway gave it a good home. On the Friday evening I made my way to the station to record the ‘Truro’, permission was readily granted and to my delight both 45xx’s were facing to St. Erth. The following morning I also went down to record the 0920 to Paddington, it too had both engines facing St. Erth. The coaches were a motley collection mostly ex.GW including a dining car. At this period the ‘Riviera’ ran as a separate train from Penzance at 10.00am. We were staying above the harbour and I arrived back in time to watch the 0920 climbing out of the station towards Carbis Bay, a splendid sight! Later we returned to the station for our connection to St. Erth for the Wolverhampton train, to our surprise we were directed to our connecting train in the bay, another first for me. Was this a regular Summer Saturday working, does anyone know? **
There was one other through train on the branch apart from a couple of locals which ran through to or from Penzance. It ran just on a few Friday nights from Paddington in July/August at 10.12pm. with coaches for St. Ives and Penzance. It left St. Erth at 06.02 am arriving into St. Ives at 06.18 and returned empty stock to Penzance, I never saw it, far too early!
I missed the D63xx period on the branch, not returning until 1967. Did anyone photograph the ‘4575’ 5562 working the branch in 1962? It would be very nice to see.
Garth Tilt.
November, 2016.
** Roger Winnen writes :- Hello Garth.
Reading your item on the St Ives Branch with 9748 brought back memories to me. The Sunday Schools in Penzance ran a special train once a year to Carbis Bay and St Ives for the annual Sunday School outing.
It would be in the mid 1950s that I rode behind 9748 and 4570 from Carbis Bay to St Erth where 3 coaches were detached, then 9748 headed the remaining six coaches to Penzance.
This was the only time that I ever saw a pannier tank on the branch as they were officially not permitted to work the branch.
This train no doubt ran in late July or August and it was possibly the same train as you saw.
Its all very interesting.
Kindest regards, Roger Winnen
Many thanks to both Garth and Roger
St Austell signs
Julian Stephens
Julian Stephens
These signs were at the Palace Road entrance, to the station, that is the north side of the station. Copyright Julian Stephens
Exeter Central
John Cornelius
John Cornelius
Copyright John Cornelius