14th October 2020

Liskeard & Lostwithiel Today
Roger Winnen

I had ambitions today to photograph the Moorswater Cement, Goonbarrow to Fowey Clay and the Railhead Treatment Train.
My luck was in for the Moorswarer Cement at Liskeard. Leaving Liskeard for Lostwithiel I was advised that no clay would be running today so I crossed the crossing for the next train to Plymouth to photo the Rail Head Treatment Train due at 15.01. Within 20 mins or so 66020 with clay from Goonbarrow turned up at Lostwithiel, me being on the wrong side with the light.
Arriving at Plymouth I headed for Platform 4 as the RHTT was due through the centre road stopping for 20 mins. I anticipated photographing both at Plymouth & Par leaving Plymouth a few minutes ahead of the RHTT. No RHTT turned up at Plymouth and on arrival at Par David Tozer advised me that the train had run very early. The best plans never work at times! Let us try again!

201014a 70815 Arrives at Liskeard after running around at Lostwithiel with the Aberthaw Colas to Moorswater cement train. Copyright Roger Winnen

201014b Being advised at Lostwithiel that no clay was running today, Class 66020 turns up with clay from Goonbarrow to my surprise. Copyright Roger Winnen

201014c The old Cornwall Railway Carriage Workshops at Lostwithiel now converted for housing, nhs dental services etc. Copyright Roger Winnen

201014d The Dental Practice in the former workshops. Copyright Roger Winnen

201014e Known as Brunel Quays these modern recreations are in keeping with the former railway buildings at Lostwithiel. Copyright Roger Winnen

Spectacular Dawlish
David Tozer

Class 255 43192 Trematon Castle & 43162 on the Dawlish Sea Wall 14.10.2020 Copyright David Tozer

Thanks David

Defiance Deviation and
Saltash
Paul Keith

​Good afternoon,
I hope this email finds you all well.
A few months ago a photo uploaded to one of the Saltash Facebook groups caught my eye - it was a distant shot of a line of stock on the Wearde deviation sidings, an area that has long interested me. I recently got in touch with the person that posted it and asked if they'd allow its use on the CRS site, particularly in the Wearde Deviation section, to which they very kindly said yes as long as full credit was given to their father Mr Roy N. Keith, who took the shot.
Please find attached the photo concerned, as well as three others that were also generously provided, one showing a closer image of rolling stock on the line through the snow covered fencing, one is of a local service at Saltash (complete with brake van) and a young Paul Keith in the pram and finally an aerial shot of Saltash station and goods yard.
These photos provide further insight into the uses of the siding and the types of stock stabled there - the snow shot shows what look like pre-nationalisation coaches - This is beyond my area of expertise but the 'centre' coach looks possibly like GWR B-stock? Hoping someone can help confirm and ID the other coaches.

With full credit to Mr Roy N. Keith, in the care of and kindly provided by Mr Paul Keith.
Best regards,
Ross Griffiths

Saltash - Defiance 1 deviation . Churchtown Siding Copyright Roy N. Keith in the care of and provided by Mr. Paul Keith. In the above and extremely rare photograph the remains of the original 'Brunel' route can be seen occupied by a rake of coaches, Something that was familiar to us older viewers. The coaches parked out here overnight were often a comfortable refuge for gentlemen of the road. If they overslept they could find themselves on the move in the empty coaching stock!

This end of the deviation which had closed to all traffic on the opening of the current main line with effect from the 19th May 1908. Was retained as a siding until the 2nd November 1964.

Saltash - Defiance 2 deviation . Churchtown Siding snow, and parked coaching stock. Copyright Roy N. Keith in the care of and provided by Mr. Paul Keith

Station platform view. Is Paul Keith in the push chair awaiting being loaded onto a Plymouth bound train or just being trained as a 'train spotter'! Copyright Roy N. Keith in the care of and provided by Mr. Paul Keith

Saltash station - aerial view. Copyright Roy N. Keith in the care of and provided by Mr. Paul Keith . It it must be assumed that to get this amazing picture that the photographer was perched on the top of the nearest pier of the Royal Albert bridge. Also note the complicated design of the footbridge which gave access to the platforms as well as providing a level pedestrian route between close by roads and lanes, a board crossing by the signalbox was presumably for the use of the signalman collecting the tokens or simply for platform trolleys. Note also the goods vans parked in the rather cramped goods yard, and also beyond a modern road coach and a double decker bus. A very prominent feature in this view is the Baptist Church, the second church building on the site, a grand building which was destroyed by fire on Christmas day 1987. The present Church was dedicated and opened in March 1992.

Very many thanks indeed Ross for bringing these pictures to our attention and to Mr. Paul Keith for permitting their publication.

Additional comment from Roy Hart :- ​Dear Keith,


These photos would appear to date from the mid-1950s. The shot of Wearde siding with the stored coaching stock is particularly interesting: the coaches are mostly of Collett design, from the inter war period. These sidings (there was one long siding with a parallel track forming a loop) were used to store excursion stock -that is coaches past the 'prime of youth' and used in the summer season for excursions to local resorts. In the 1950s there was a regular weekly trip from Saltash to Goodrington, for example, for which a 'County' was rostered. The stop blocks were at the parapet of the original Forder viaduct.
The coaches sat, stored and locked and apart from the odd 'gentleman of the road' (gentleman of the rail?) they were unattended until drawn up to Mill Bay in the spring for cleaning/ battery charging etc.

Roy