20th January 2021

Five super shots
Craig Munday

Hi Keith
My dad always nagged me 40 years ago to keep negatives. I begrudgingly did thinking dad knows best. He did, of course as here I am in 2021 (rather like Indiana Jones!) gently taking these delicate strips of film and passing them through the Epson scanner and giving them new life through Lightroom. It's surreal in this day and age of digital photos to think that the strips of film actually passed through the camera over the years and were developed and returned! I used Photopost Express in Newton Abbot. Their processing was fair in those days, but with today's technology and time being a major factor, the results can be breathtaking. Many prints just didnt have the colours and sharpness one can obtain with lightroom or photoshop. 

Time has taken its toll on some images with marks or blemishes, most of these can be covered or edited out, but this is a painstaking process. Perfect for lockdown, I have sometimes spent 25 mins on a single image. 

Here are some reasonable results from around 1985. The visit of 7029 Clun castle was recorded in Truro yard. You may have seen these before - but not in HD! 
As the loco was being serviced in the yard, 45003 passed by on the 06.50 Swindon to Penzance, and 47602 arrived in the yard from the Penzance direction. Also of interest now, but not on the day were the Warflats  bearing the vast green tanks in the Truro Farmer complex. I wonder now what this consignment was? 

A super summer evening at Hayle saw 50030 pass on a down stopper, the colours absolutely sting on this image. How I wished I had spent more time composing pictures back then. We spent all our time on the platform trolleys on the downside. I should have been opposite Alfie Hubbard's chip shop on Penpol Terrace for the up postal each evening instead. Hey-ho. 

Cheers for now,  Craig .

From the numbers on the black bridge it looks like a BR oganised 'bridge integrity test'!!  Count the spectators!

Truro Clun Castle 1 visit. 47 602 runs into the yard, 6th September 1985 Copyright Criag Munday

Truro Clun Casttle 2 visit 6th September 1985 45003 on the 06.50 Swindon Penzance Copyright Craig Munday

Truro Clun Casttle 3 visit What a beauty - 7029 Clun Castle 6th September 1985. Copyright Craig Munday N.B. The loco had been turned at St Blazey.

We move on to a study of Hayle signalbox in 1981. Copyright Craig Munday.

And finally, on a late summers evening 50030 Repulse works a down stopper. Copyright Craig Munday. This loco was once used on a CRS railtour.

What a fine collection - more to come.
Many thanks Craig.

Snow at
Southampton
Clive Smith

This is 47609 at Southampton around 11.00 on the 9th February 1985 working the 08.05 Portsmouth Harbour - Poole which later returned as the 11.40 Poole - Manchester. The snow was falling steadily this day but not lying in any depth but there were some major problems on the Cardiff  - Portsmouth route on this Saturday with the 08.05 Cardiff being 140 minutes late and terminating at Southampton. DEMU 1128 was substituting for cancelled services.

This is 47609 at Southampton around 11.00 on the 9th February 1985 working the 08.05 Portsmouth Harbour - Poole which later returned as the 11.40 Poole - Manchester. Copyright Clive Smith.

A lovely snow scene at Southampton - I wonder if it is snowing up there today.  Many thanks Clive for the picture and the details.
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A query from Railwest.
Crediton & Eggesford
Chris Osment

​Crediton. In the late 1960s I acquired an ‘office copy’ of the signal-box diagram from Crediton, which was dated May 1965 and still included the Up Siding West (abolished March 1968?). On this diagram the level-crossing gates had been replaced by 4 half-barriers and the diagram was detailed enough even to number the individual barriers and road lights. It came as surprise to me therefore when subsequently I visited the station circa-1969 and found the gates still in existence! So it would appear that the change had been planned many years before it actually took place.
 
Eggesford. After the untimely demise of the ex-LSWR signal-box from flood damage in 1967, the passing-loop was taken out of use temporarily and as far as I know all trains used the Up loop until the new signal-box was opened in September 1969. One result of this was that the boxes at Lapford and King’s Nympton survived unexpectedly until mid-1970, having been planned for earlier closure. But how were the level-crossing gates worked and protected during the 1967-9 period – was there some form of temporary covered or uncovered ground-frame to work some of the signals?
 
Regards, Chris

Calling Graham Mann, Tony Hill or Graham Bowden - can you help? Please.
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G7 Summit - Boris Halt
Carbis Bay
David Ward

Dave writes in to suggest that maybe Carbis Bay should be re-named BORIS HALT or G7.  However I think it unlikely that any of the dignitaries will use the railway yet it passes very close by beneath their windows, perhaps beneath their dignity or maybe a security risk. We remember that not so very long ago our Queen travelled in a '150' to St Ives.

A skipper seen at Carbis Bay on a service to St Erth. Copyright Andrew Thompson

It is understood that originally the branch halt was going to be named   Barepta Cove - the real name of the inlet here, however the GWR didn't think this posh enough and so named it Carbis Bay.

In a local 'on line' newspaper Boris tells us that he is 'Half Cornish' - which half!!

Many thanks for the above David, another correspondent suggests that as the area will be very securely fenced off and celebrities helicoptered in that the best place to be is the 'North Pole' !!! 

Roger report - Wednesday morning.
I spoke to Roger this morning 20th January he seems quite bright and cheerful - his leg is still being treated and is improving. No plan for a return west just yet;