Tales of Camborne Signal Box The late Cyril Hitchens
Camborne Signal Box was situated at the east end of the up platform by the level crossing. As usual the base was brick with wooden sliding windows on the upper level at the front and ends. The access stairs were inside and there was an internal toilet underneath the stairs by the interlocking frame. It had a 35 lever frame and a large ratchet wheel to operate the adjacent level crossing gates. In my time the layout consisted of a spur off the main line behind the down platform, two crossovers and a lead into the goods yard. With main line traffic and frequent visits to the yard it could be a busy shift. Being next to the road down from Beacon to Camborne the were sometimes instances of comments from the public when the gates were closed across the road. I used to reply, "The crossing is owned and maintained by the railway and when we don't want it you are welcome to use it at any time free of charge!"
Each weekday morning there was a train from Newquay via Chacewater which terminated at Camborne. The 45XX loco ran round using the crossovers at Camborne and Roskear ready for its return journey. There was also a regular local goods from Truro whose locomotive was used the shunt the yard at Camborne. Further variety was provided by the annual "Tea Treat Special" from Camborne to St. Ives, the stock of which came up from Penzance and had to be shunted to the down line and the loco run round. A further complication was the short down platform meaning that many down trains had to draw up twice and the steep gradient down towards Gwinear meant that down goods trains had to stop before the level crossing to pin down their brakes. One highlight of my time at Cambone was berthing City of Truro in the siding behind the down platform when it visited with the Westward Television Train. Another was on the occasion of Camborne School of Mines Rag Week when some students chained and padlocked the crossing gates when they were across the road. Unknown to them one of the waiting cars contained some members of a local rugby team who detained the culprits and "persuaded" them to unlock the gates.
I have already mentioned the steep gradient up through the station and non stop steam hauled trains made a fine sight from the box as they burst under Pendarves Bridge and pounded through the platforms. However, sometimes stopping trains caused a problem and as the loco stopped right outside the box you had a grandstand view of the efforts of the crew to restart heavy trains. If the loco had come to a stand with the rods at "top dead centre" they would let the train roll back slightly before opening the regulator just the right amount to effect a start without slipping. Often this took two or three attempts. One late turn the 8.45pm Penzance to Paddington train hauled by D600 Active ran into the platform for the station stop. On completion of the station work the guard gave the right away and the driver revved the engine but could not get away because of the damp rails. After several attempts he went to check the sandboxes on the loco and found they had not been topped up back at Long Rock that night. He asked a porter (who shall remain nameless!) to spread some sand from the fire buckets under the wheels and climbed back aboard and tried to get away again. After several attempts he found the wheels were still spinning so he went back to see what was going on and found the porter spreading sand under the wheels of the coaches! This was the same porter who, when asked by a lady the time of the next train to Hayle, pointed to a plume of smoke disappearing under Pendarves Bridge and replied, "There it is, it's just gone..."
Still on the subject of the gradient I heard a story of an incident that happened at Camborne during WW11 when I was otherwise engaged in the Merchant Navy. An up train ran into the station with wagons containing explosives to be shunted into the yard on the down side. As there were several other trains about it was decided to split the train on the main line, uncouple the explosive wagons and fly shunt them across the down main and into the yard-breaking all the rules. Initially all went well until the shunter tripped and fell at the crossover as the wagon gained speed. Luckily he picked himself up and set off on a record breaking run to catch up the wagons and pin down the brakes until they came to rest helped by the buffer stops-a lucky escape for Camborne...
As is well known, the yard fell out of use and the crossing gates were removed and replaced by barriers monitored from Roskear Junction, the redundant Camborne Signal Box officially closing on 8th. June 1970. However, occasional steam hauled specials can still be seen speeding up the grade through the station.
C. H.
Each weekday morning there was a train from Newquay via Chacewater which terminated at Camborne. The 45XX loco ran round using the crossovers at Camborne and Roskear ready for its return journey. There was also a regular local goods from Truro whose locomotive was used the shunt the yard at Camborne. Further variety was provided by the annual "Tea Treat Special" from Camborne to St. Ives, the stock of which came up from Penzance and had to be shunted to the down line and the loco run round. A further complication was the short down platform meaning that many down trains had to draw up twice and the steep gradient down towards Gwinear meant that down goods trains had to stop before the level crossing to pin down their brakes. One highlight of my time at Cambone was berthing City of Truro in the siding behind the down platform when it visited with the Westward Television Train. Another was on the occasion of Camborne School of Mines Rag Week when some students chained and padlocked the crossing gates when they were across the road. Unknown to them one of the waiting cars contained some members of a local rugby team who detained the culprits and "persuaded" them to unlock the gates.
I have already mentioned the steep gradient up through the station and non stop steam hauled trains made a fine sight from the box as they burst under Pendarves Bridge and pounded through the platforms. However, sometimes stopping trains caused a problem and as the loco stopped right outside the box you had a grandstand view of the efforts of the crew to restart heavy trains. If the loco had come to a stand with the rods at "top dead centre" they would let the train roll back slightly before opening the regulator just the right amount to effect a start without slipping. Often this took two or three attempts. One late turn the 8.45pm Penzance to Paddington train hauled by D600 Active ran into the platform for the station stop. On completion of the station work the guard gave the right away and the driver revved the engine but could not get away because of the damp rails. After several attempts he went to check the sandboxes on the loco and found they had not been topped up back at Long Rock that night. He asked a porter (who shall remain nameless!) to spread some sand from the fire buckets under the wheels and climbed back aboard and tried to get away again. After several attempts he found the wheels were still spinning so he went back to see what was going on and found the porter spreading sand under the wheels of the coaches! This was the same porter who, when asked by a lady the time of the next train to Hayle, pointed to a plume of smoke disappearing under Pendarves Bridge and replied, "There it is, it's just gone..."
Still on the subject of the gradient I heard a story of an incident that happened at Camborne during WW11 when I was otherwise engaged in the Merchant Navy. An up train ran into the station with wagons containing explosives to be shunted into the yard on the down side. As there were several other trains about it was decided to split the train on the main line, uncouple the explosive wagons and fly shunt them across the down main and into the yard-breaking all the rules. Initially all went well until the shunter tripped and fell at the crossover as the wagon gained speed. Luckily he picked himself up and set off on a record breaking run to catch up the wagons and pin down the brakes until they came to rest helped by the buffer stops-a lucky escape for Camborne...
As is well known, the yard fell out of use and the crossing gates were removed and replaced by barriers monitored from Roskear Junction, the redundant Camborne Signal Box officially closing on 8th. June 1970. However, occasional steam hauled specials can still be seen speeding up the grade through the station.
C. H.
Exminster scrub cleared
David Tozer
David Tozer
David Tozer reports that the scrub on the old Exminster station site has been cleared - this provides him a new location for video shots.
We're at Exminster 70804 heads east after Saturdays work at Burngullow. 30th January 2016 Copyright David Tozer
Another surprise at Exminster was 56098 & 56098 heading a down railtour. 30th January 2016 Copyright David Tozer N.B. The 56's were working from Kilmarnock to Laira with another set of refurbished HST coaches. Must attempt to try and find out what the headboard said. The train was the 0229 5V56 Kilmarnock – Plymouth (Laira T & RSMD).
Bere Alston - how it was
This superb picture from the Mike Morant Collection shows the track layout before the 1970 drastic reduction, the double track main line comes in from Plymouth on the left hand side and the single line branch, then to Callington can be seen dropping away towards Calstock. On the right of this lie the then well stocked sidings. According to Tony Cooke's Track Layout Diagrams these sidings were removed w.e.f the 2nd August 1966.
It is understood that if and when the extension of the main line to Tavistock occurs the Gunnislake branch will run into a terminal bay serving a section of the former up main platform. This platform, at its north end will be extended across the former up alignment to serve the new single line continuing on towards Tavistock.
It is understood that if and when the extension of the main line to Tavistock occurs the Gunnislake branch will run into a terminal bay serving a section of the former up main platform. This platform, at its north end will be extended across the former up alignment to serve the new single line continuing on towards Tavistock.
The complicated trackwork at Bere Alston before the revision of layout which came about w.e.f. 7th September 1970 when the signalbox closed. Picture courtesy of the Mike Morant Collection. N.B. The right hand side 'over' road bridge is still in situ though disused.