PLYM VALLEY RAILWAY & Marsh Mills Clay works

Plym Valley Railway

34007 Wadebridge arr Ply 1981 Copyright Clive Smith

Danny Le Rew breaks bottle on arrival. 34007 Wadebridge arr Ply 1981 Copyright Clive Smith

Marsh Mills Clay Dries

Marsh Mills
Craig Munday writes - I was looking through some recent pictures from 2009 and found some of a Marsh Mills clay working from Tavy Jn. The loco was 09101 and the Driver was Dennis Barnes. Here are a selection of the 09 shunting a mixture of CDAs and Nacco wagons on the penultimate run to Marsh Mills.

One of the pictures from Maurice Dart's CD - this is on sale from the Wheal Martyn Museum - see details following references on the Home page. Copyright Maurice Dart

Our thanks now to Roger Smith who has provided the following excellent selection of a class 08 run light engine from Tavistock Junction and return from Marsh Mills Driers with a loaded train on the 2nd August 1987.

The 08 leaves Tavistock Junction and heads for Marsh Mills. 2nd August 1987 Copyright Roger Smith

Having passed over the Marsh Mills level crossing it heads towards the Marsh Mills Driers and store the roof of this complex is visible in the distance. 2nd August 1987, Copyright Roger Smith.

Here the loaded train returns down the steep bank and heads for Tavistock Junction Yard. Copyright Roger Smith

Passing the site of Marsh Mills station. 2nd August 1987 Copyright Roger Smith

One of the shunters hitches a lift on the back of the train. 2nd August 1987. Copyright Roger Smith

The train is now arriving back at Tavistock Junction Yard. The line which served Marsh Mills Drier was originally part of the branch from Tavistock Junction to Tavistock and Launceston. However rationalisation took place and the connection for Marsh Mills was re-routed to an extended siding at TJ yard. 2nd August 1987 Copyright Roger Smith

Tavistock Junction yard, a view with the Marsh Mills line running across the foreground in a sharp curve to form an end on connection with one of the yard sidings. 2nd August 1987. Copyright Roger Smith

'Going round the bend' with David Stannard
(Marsh Mills area)

In case they are useful to you for the Devon gallery, I enclose 7 photographs taken around Tavistock Junction Yard and the 90 degree curve round towards Marsh Mills on 30/06/00 (shunter 08798) and 2 photographs taken at Marsh Mills dries on 27/06/07 (shunter 09013).

Brings back happy memories. With best wishes, David

Of interest from David Stannard.
Whilst in the loft I came across the letter I received from the Senior Supervisor at Marsh Mills Dryers in response to my enquiry as to whether clay was still being shipped from there in the summer of 2007. In a most informative letter (which included a kind invitation for an escorted tour) he states:

We normally ship 24 CDAs each Wednesday which is around 700t of material to our storage facility at Fowey. The first string of 16 CDAs usually arrives at around 08:30 hrs and is typically on site for around a couple of hours for loading before being returned to Tavistock Junction Yard. The second string of 8 CDAs are then brought up a bit later to complete the loading.
In addition to this we normally ship between 2 and 5 Nacco wagons and 1 Cargowaggon on Fridays for onward movement to our Cliffe Vale depot at Stoke-on-Trent.

Interestingly he refers to the CDAs as 'Cornwall and Devon Air braked' which I don't think that I had heard before (and do not know if it is correct as I am not aware of such a rationale behind the designations of other wagon fleets).

'TAV JN YARD 1 09013 6th July 2007 Copyright David Stannard

On now to Marsh Mills.

Readers will find it interesting to look at the branch from above using 'Google Earth' and to compare then and now views using the 'clock' along the top of the depicted view. One can go back as far as 2002 and see the branch as it was when in operational use and compare it with recent views and also take a look at the very near by Plym Valley Railway.

Many thanks to David Stannard who made two trip to the area - in 2000 and 2007. An interesting byway, now, of course closed.