Features - 2025 (2)
Please click a title below to be taken to the relevant part of the page.
2361: 60163 'Tornado' works 'The Royal Duchy' (25.05.2025)
2362: The CRS Visit MPower Kernow (St. Blazey Turntable) (25.05.2025)
2363: The Lappa Valley '200 Gala' (14.06-15.06.2025)
2364: The Plym Valley Railway Transport Weekend (21.06-22.06.2025)
2365: Mazey Day 2025 (D1015 & Midland Pullman) (28.06.2025)
2366: D213 works 'The English Riviera Express' (12.07.2025)
2362: The CRS Visit MPower Kernow (St. Blazey Turntable) (25.05.2025)
2363: The Lappa Valley '200 Gala' (14.06-15.06.2025)
2364: The Plym Valley Railway Transport Weekend (21.06-22.06.2025)
2365: Mazey Day 2025 (D1015 & Midland Pullman) (28.06.2025)
2366: D213 works 'The English Riviera Express' (12.07.2025)
Item 2361
60163 'Tornado' works
'The Royal Duchy'
(25.05.2025)
Item 2362
The CRS Visit MPower Kernow
(St. Blazey Turntable)
(25.05.2025)
With grateful thanks to the team at MPower Kernow, a handful of CRS members were delighted to visit the engineering facilities on offer to young people at St. Blazey.
MPower Kernow have a workshop along with a servicing pit, as well as the turntable and associated sidings at St. Blazey.
They offer young people a chance to learn valuable engineering skills in a safe, yet disciplined, environment.
To find out more about what they do, please visit their website - click here.
Our thanks again to the MPower team for inviting us along to see behind the scenes.
MPower Kernow have a workshop along with a servicing pit, as well as the turntable and associated sidings at St. Blazey.
They offer young people a chance to learn valuable engineering skills in a safe, yet disciplined, environment.
To find out more about what they do, please visit their website - click here.
Our thanks again to the MPower team for inviting us along to see behind the scenes.
Item 2363
Lappa Valley
'200 Gala'
14.06 - 15.06.2025
The Lappa Valley Railway held a 'Rail 200' event over the weekend of 14/15.06.2025. All the home fleet were in action, along with some visiting steam locos on the 7 1/4" miniature railway. It was an action-packed event with plenty for both kids and big kids! Below are some photos, with many thanks to Lappa for granting my friend and I trackside access for the day.

At one end of Lappa Valley, the track curves around a pond/lake and comes back on itself, running as double track for a stretch. The line becomes single again just past this location, Metha Bridge, where a token is exchanged (or picked up) for the trains to proceed in either direction. Double headed diesels 'City of Truro' and 'City of Derby' pass steam locos 'Muffin' and 'Ellie'. This line is laid on the trackbed of the former Newquay - Perranporth line, and there are many railway relics from when it was a 'big railway' still dotted around. 15.06.2025, copyright Jon Hird.

One of the highlights of the day was a 'race' between trains, both having departed from East Wheal Rose in opposite directions around the loop, therefore rejoining each other and heading in the same direction on the double track section. On the left are 'Zebedee' and 'City of Derby', and to the right is 'Ellie'. 15.06.2025, copyright Jon Hird.

'Arthur', a small Lister 0-4-0 diesel shunter normally restricted to shunting/engineers trains, tagged onto the back of the 'Grand Finale' train, along with a water tender which had been used behind 'Zebedee' through the day, presumably to increase the locos water-carrying capacity during the intensive timetable. 15.06.2025, copyright Jon Hird.
Many thanks again to the team at Lappa for allowing some lineside photography, and congratulations to them on a well-run and highly enjoyable event.
Item 2364
The Plym Valley Railway 'Transport Weekend'
21.06-22.06.2025
Item 2365
Mazey Day 2025
28.06.2025
On Penzance 'Mazey Day' 2025, Cornwall was visited by both D1015 hauling Pathfinders 'The Mazey Day Special' and the LSL Midland Pullman HST set working 'The Cornish Mazey Day Pullman'. This feature is split into two halves - first photos of D1015, then, lower down, photos of the blue HST.
D1015 works 'The Mazey Day Special' - 28.06.2025

For D1015's return, myself and Andy Thomas ventured out west of Burngullow to experience the majesty of Champion lifting 13 coaches and an idle 47815 on the rear heading back East at Dowgas. The loco could be heard flat out between Fal and Coombe viaduct before fading in the cutting then bursting out of the village to our location. The ripening barley offered a little brightness in the picture, and I calculated the ensemble would be a tight squeeze in the aperture. 28.06.2025, copyright Craig Munday.
43055 & 43049 work 'The Cornish Mazey Day Pullman' - 28.06.2025
Item 2366
D213 'Andania' works:
The English Riviera Express
12.07.2025
Originally booked to be hauled by 5029 'Nunney Castle', this tour was switched to diesel power in the form of D213 'Andania' due to a Network Rail steam ban owing to the hot weather and dry conditions.

What a splendid sight on the sea wall as 40013 rounds the corner into Teignmouth station with Saphos Trains 1Z29 06.15 Three Bridges - Kingswear with green 47805 on the rear. The booked steam loco had been replaced by the green D213 which was sent from Crewe to Taunton light the previous day. I'm not sure whether there is a steam ban on due to the dry lineside conditions and concerns about train driver health in the 30C, or whether the derailment at Bishops Lydeard on the WSR on Thursday affected preparation for the steam loco that regularly operates these tours from Taunton throughout the summer. 12.07.2025, copyright Clive Smith.