Looe branch
Plashford Bridge
Chris Harvey
Plashford Bridge
Chris Harvey
153372 on the Looe branch seen at From Plashford Farm bridge 153 372 on the 12.12 Liskeard to Looe. 11th January 2014. Copyright Chris Harvey.
Many thanks Chris., the 153's on this branch just a memory.
Cam and Dursley
Peter Griffiths
Peter Griffiths
Dear CRS
Noting that one of your correspondents regularly travels from Cornwall to Bristol for football reasons, made me realise that my own football travelling has now exceeded 35 years.
Over the years and different homes, my alternate weekends have involved a ‘Pilgrimage’ departing from Kemble, Chippenham and now Cam & Dursley and heading in a south westerly direction.
Anyway, back to railways…
On the return journey today, passengers on the 2E46 Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester were spoilt with, unusually, a double Class 158.
Despite being 30+ years old, I find the Class 158’s vastly superior to the austere and noisy Class 165 & 166’s that normally operate this route.
A couple of snatched photos are attached, that may possibly be of interest.
Kind regards, Peter Griffiths.
Noting that one of your correspondents regularly travels from Cornwall to Bristol for football reasons, made me realise that my own football travelling has now exceeded 35 years.
Over the years and different homes, my alternate weekends have involved a ‘Pilgrimage’ departing from Kemble, Chippenham and now Cam & Dursley and heading in a south westerly direction.
Anyway, back to railways…
On the return journey today, passengers on the 2E46 Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester were spoilt with, unusually, a double Class 158.
Despite being 30+ years old, I find the Class 158’s vastly superior to the austere and noisy Class 165 & 166’s that normally operate this route.
A couple of snatched photos are attached, that may possibly be of interest.
Kind regards, Peter Griffiths.
On Sunday 22nd January 2023, 158745 & 158767 at Cam & Dursley with 2E46 Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester. Copyright Peter Griffiths.
On Sunday 22nd January 2023, 158745 & 158767 at Cam & Dursley with 2E46 Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester. Copyright Peter Griffiths.
Courtesy of Wikipedia - Following a campaign for the reopening of Coaley Junction, the new station called Cam and Dursley opened on 14 May 1994, about 420 yards (380 m) north of the original site, although full opening did not occur until 30 May 1994.[1] The new station is unstaffed, and consists of two platforms, linked by a footbridge, a car park covered by CCTV and a bus stop with shelter. Passenger facilities consist of shelters with seats on both platforms and a ticket machine, with passenger help points installed in late 2010.
On a personal note - I can recall travelling up the Dursley branch on a railtour in the company of the Rev Awdry - the line was only open to goods and on its last legs.
Many thanks Peter.
Coaches in the goods sidings at
Barnstaple
Tony Hill
Barnstaple
Tony Hill
Hello Keith
I understand from Ian Dinmore and Colin Burges that these two coaches owned by the late Sir William McAlpine were in use on a private tour in May 1982 of the WestCountry by Sir William, which included a night in Barnstaple.
These coaches were preserved at the Fawley Hill Railway established over many years by Sir William.
All the best, Tony Hill.
I understand from Ian Dinmore and Colin Burges that these two coaches owned by the late Sir William McAlpine were in use on a private tour in May 1982 of the WestCountry by Sir William, which included a night in Barnstaple.
These coaches were preserved at the Fawley Hill Railway established over many years by Sir William.
All the best, Tony Hill.
Copyright Paul Barlow.
Many thanks Tony, now we're all the wiser.
Special Trains
David Hunt
David Hunt
Although not related to Cornwall I think that you membership may be interested in the following report of the number of special trains which were running to the South Devon Seaside Resorts in 1977.
With the help of the Internet it is now possible to find the ZULU trains (1Zxx and 2Zxx) running on any day of the week and at any location. If you look at the Railtour Sites it is still possible to find 4 or 5 special trains on any one day but this is over the whole of the country and the number of trains which could run is very much governed by the amount of coaching stock in private hands.
Referring back to my records in 1977 the situation was very different. All of the stock yards would have an allocation of coaches which were branded on the coach ends with A (BSK-A for example) which indicated that the coach was rostered up to 7 days a week, BSK-B up to 5 days a week and BSK-C or plain BSK which had no rostered work. Each coaching stock yard had sufficient spare coaches to make up a train and some yards could provide multiple sets.
In those days the railway catered for Reliefs, Charters, Merrymakers, Mystex and Footex Trains and probably more which I have now forgot about. The West of England was one of the favourite destinations for those trains. In those days it was not the absence of the trains but the ability to find what to expect.
I was fortunate enough to get the majority of this information and have selected 2 dates as examples
.
Monday 29 August, 1977
1Z34 16.25 Bristol Temple Meads to Newquay Load 8 coaches – Return 1Z34 17.35 Newquay to Bristol Temple Meads (50005)
1Z48 06.30 Bristol Parkway to Newquay Load 11 Coaches – Return 1Z48 18.16 Newquay to Bristol Parkway
1Z14 07.27 Great Malvern to Paignton Load 10 Coaches (50023) – Return 1Z14 18.55 Paignton to Great Malvern
2Z41 10.20 Newton Abbot to Exeter St Davids Load 7 Coaches (46002) – Return 2Z42 11.45 Exeter St Davids to Paignton
1Z70 07.25 Alfreton to Paignton Load 11 Coaches – Return 1Z70 18.05 Paignton to Alfreton (47535)
1Z08 10.05 Penzance to Cardiff Central Load 10 Coaches
1Z15 12.10 Penzance to Paddington Load 8 Coaches (47254)
1Z35 16.50 Paddington to Plymouth Load 10 Coaches (47251)
1Z45 16.41 Truro to Paddington Relief Load 12 Coaches (47237)
1Z15 15.45 Paignton to Paddington Load 8 Coaches (47031)
5Z03 09.00 Laira to Barnstaple Booked Load 12 Coaches BUT ran with Load 9 Coaches (25223)
1Z03 12.45 Barnstaple to Meeth Load 9 Coaches (25223?) – Return 1Z03 14.10 Meeth to Barnstaple (25223?)
5Z03 16.24 Barnstaple to Newton Abbot Load 9 Coaches (25223 PLUS 25052 DEAD IN TOW)
2Z64 17.25 Paignton to Exeter St Davids (50025)
2Z72 18.00 Paignton to Swindon Load 10 Coaches (47028)
Sunday 24 July 1977
1Z55 07.40 Gloucester to Paignton Load 12 Coaches (45025) – Return 1Z55 17.35 Paignton to Gloucester
1Z15 07.20 Bargoed to Paignton Load 11 Coaches (47251) – Return 20.20 Paignton to RHYMNEY
1Z35 08.00 Hereford to Paignton Load 10 Coaches (46053) - Return 1Z35 18.10 Paignton to Hereford
1Z85 07.05 Wolverhampton to Paignton Load 11 Coaches (46029) – Return 17.05 Paignton to Wolverhampton
1 Z86 17.25 Paignton to Bicester Load 10 Coaches
1Z65 18.55 Paignton to Paddington Load 10 Coaches
With such an array it was never possible to cover each individual working and the number of coaches were those advertised to run and the locomotive numbers in brackets were the one which was actually identified at Dawlish Warren or Exeter.
Although not included in this list there were numerous trains which ran to and from Teignmouth and even a Clacton-on-Sea to Starcross which when I found out it was coming so was able to warn the residents of this ‘sleepy’ little village what to expect.
David Hunt
With the help of the Internet it is now possible to find the ZULU trains (1Zxx and 2Zxx) running on any day of the week and at any location. If you look at the Railtour Sites it is still possible to find 4 or 5 special trains on any one day but this is over the whole of the country and the number of trains which could run is very much governed by the amount of coaching stock in private hands.
Referring back to my records in 1977 the situation was very different. All of the stock yards would have an allocation of coaches which were branded on the coach ends with A (BSK-A for example) which indicated that the coach was rostered up to 7 days a week, BSK-B up to 5 days a week and BSK-C or plain BSK which had no rostered work. Each coaching stock yard had sufficient spare coaches to make up a train and some yards could provide multiple sets.
In those days the railway catered for Reliefs, Charters, Merrymakers, Mystex and Footex Trains and probably more which I have now forgot about. The West of England was one of the favourite destinations for those trains. In those days it was not the absence of the trains but the ability to find what to expect.
I was fortunate enough to get the majority of this information and have selected 2 dates as examples
.
Monday 29 August, 1977
1Z34 16.25 Bristol Temple Meads to Newquay Load 8 coaches – Return 1Z34 17.35 Newquay to Bristol Temple Meads (50005)
1Z48 06.30 Bristol Parkway to Newquay Load 11 Coaches – Return 1Z48 18.16 Newquay to Bristol Parkway
1Z14 07.27 Great Malvern to Paignton Load 10 Coaches (50023) – Return 1Z14 18.55 Paignton to Great Malvern
2Z41 10.20 Newton Abbot to Exeter St Davids Load 7 Coaches (46002) – Return 2Z42 11.45 Exeter St Davids to Paignton
1Z70 07.25 Alfreton to Paignton Load 11 Coaches – Return 1Z70 18.05 Paignton to Alfreton (47535)
1Z08 10.05 Penzance to Cardiff Central Load 10 Coaches
1Z15 12.10 Penzance to Paddington Load 8 Coaches (47254)
1Z35 16.50 Paddington to Plymouth Load 10 Coaches (47251)
1Z45 16.41 Truro to Paddington Relief Load 12 Coaches (47237)
1Z15 15.45 Paignton to Paddington Load 8 Coaches (47031)
5Z03 09.00 Laira to Barnstaple Booked Load 12 Coaches BUT ran with Load 9 Coaches (25223)
1Z03 12.45 Barnstaple to Meeth Load 9 Coaches (25223?) – Return 1Z03 14.10 Meeth to Barnstaple (25223?)
5Z03 16.24 Barnstaple to Newton Abbot Load 9 Coaches (25223 PLUS 25052 DEAD IN TOW)
2Z64 17.25 Paignton to Exeter St Davids (50025)
2Z72 18.00 Paignton to Swindon Load 10 Coaches (47028)
Sunday 24 July 1977
1Z55 07.40 Gloucester to Paignton Load 12 Coaches (45025) – Return 1Z55 17.35 Paignton to Gloucester
1Z15 07.20 Bargoed to Paignton Load 11 Coaches (47251) – Return 20.20 Paignton to RHYMNEY
1Z35 08.00 Hereford to Paignton Load 10 Coaches (46053) - Return 1Z35 18.10 Paignton to Hereford
1Z85 07.05 Wolverhampton to Paignton Load 11 Coaches (46029) – Return 17.05 Paignton to Wolverhampton
1 Z86 17.25 Paignton to Bicester Load 10 Coaches
1Z65 18.55 Paignton to Paddington Load 10 Coaches
With such an array it was never possible to cover each individual working and the number of coaches were those advertised to run and the locomotive numbers in brackets were the one which was actually identified at Dawlish Warren or Exeter.
Although not included in this list there were numerous trains which ran to and from Teignmouth and even a Clacton-on-Sea to Starcross which when I found out it was coming so was able to warn the residents of this ‘sleepy’ little village what to expect.
David Hunt
Many thanks for your extensive research and report David.
Car on line at Carbis Bay
St Ives branch blocked
Dennis Clarke
St Ives branch blocked
Dennis Clarke
Hi Keith, I’m sure that you are aware of this story regarding a car on the line at Carbis Bay ! Kind Regards, Dennis https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-64365637
Quite how it happened is a mystery at the moment - the police are interested in giving the driver a ticket - if they can find him or her.