15/1/2024

Exeter Riverside
Stone empties
David Tozer

Gents,
With the introduction of the winter timetable the return stone empties has a new pathway, much earlier than previously.
Today the return empties departed earlier than scheduled, running some 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
Silverton.
59204 with the 1248 6C28 Exeter Riverside Hanson to Westbury Tarmac stone empties.
Dave

59204 Silverton 15.1.2024 Copyright David Tozer

Many Thanks David

The Clay Country Conundrum
David Mitchell

As quick as a flash after posting the photos by Roger Jane earlier today, we received the below response from David Mitchell;

Regarding the two photographs on the website today, I have a similar photo to the one of 4552, which is shunting the Boskell clay works siding (south of Lansalson) in the Trenance Valley in June 1958. My photo was taken by David Lawrence, who was a member of the Railway Enthusiasts Club of Farnborough (?), a group who particularly sought out the more obscure corners of the network. There is another photo of the same train taken by Norman Simmons that was published in Maurice Dart's excellent West Cornwall Mineral Railways book. On at least two occasions, in 1956 and 1958, an REC party hired the camping coach at Luxulyan for a week and were able to arrange visits to various clay lines using an additional brake van that was attached to freight trains! Photos from these trips were later sold by Hugh Davies, another member, under the heading 'Photos of the 1950s' and have quite often appeared in books and magazines over the years. This is were I obtained a number of interesting photos of lines that were otherwise rarely photographed. I haven't seen the Burngullow photo before, but I would guess that it may have come from the same source.

Regards

David Mitchell

Many thanks for the information, David - much appreciated.

Clay Country photographs
From the Late Roger Jane

My dear friend Margaret Jane kindly passed on two pictures from her beloved Roger who sadly passed away in 2023. They show two tank locos shunting around clay country. The Pannier tank is obviously at Burngullow. The prairie tank is not so obvious though. Looking at the hill behind I wonder if it is on the Trenance railway, the hill behind very much like around Ruddlemoor? Any confirmation would be appreciated. They are in superb condition.

Many thanks

Craig