First booked Turbo Unit to Plymouth
Craig Munday
Craig Munday
Hi there
I was in Plymouth yesterday which coincided with 2C64/2M16 being allocated to a class 166 unit. 166221 was the unit and is pictured at platform eight connecting with a Castle set in number seven.
Turbos have worked random passenger services in the past, but this is believed to be the first rostered trip. It is booked a Turbo all week, due to the Bristol West blockade.
Other Castle sets are seen in the Plymouth / East Cornwall area.
Cheers
Craig
I was in Plymouth yesterday which coincided with 2C64/2M16 being allocated to a class 166 unit. 166221 was the unit and is pictured at platform eight connecting with a Castle set in number seven.
Turbos have worked random passenger services in the past, but this is believed to be the first rostered trip. It is booked a Turbo all week, due to the Bristol West blockade.
Other Castle sets are seen in the Plymouth / East Cornwall area.
Cheers
Craig
20240122-22nd St Budeaux 43187 43098 (2) Copyright Craig Munday
20240122-22nd 2M16 166221 Plymouth (5) Copyright Craig Munday
20240122-22nd 2P15 GW08 43093 43198 (5) Copyright Craig Munday
Many Thanks Craig
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 66
The Truro and Newquay Railway
Michael L. Roach
The years around 1904 were very fruitful for the Great Western Railway. George Jackson Churchward had been appointed CME two years before and the first of his new standard designs were being built at Swindon Works. New lines were being built to shorten the routes to the west and to the north. In May 1904 a Great Western engine was the first man-made machine in the world to attain 100mph, and in July a new “Limited Express” started running from Paddington to Penzance (via Bristol) which was non-stop to Plymouth, possibly the longest regular non-stop run in the country at the time. That same year a new branchline was nearing completion between two existing railway stations in Cornwall. Chacewater was on the Cornish mainline and had opened in 1852; while Newquay was at the end of a branchline from St. Blazey and had opened in 1876. The new route was called the Truro and Newquay Railway but was only new between Blackwater East Junction just west of Chacewater to Trenance Junction just south of Newquay. The first section as far as Perranporth opened on 6 July 1903 while the remaining section from Perranporth to Newquay opened on 2 January 1905. The attached contemporary report on the new route appeared in the GWR Magazine for January 1904.
The route closed completely on and from Monday 4 February 1963 and has now been closed longer than it was open for business. The two largest centres of population on the former route are St. Agnes (3,250) and Perranporth (3,000). I wonder if the residents of Perranporth in particular regret not having a railway station to bring in some of the hundreds, or is it thousands, of beach goers that descend on the town on a fine summer day. From Perranporth it is just 7½ miles to the mainline at Blackwater and 13 miles by rail to Truro. If the route was rebuilt from Blackwater to a terminus at Perranporth it should be possible to reach Truro in around 20-22 minutes with one intermediate stop at St. Agnes. This compares favourably with a journey time of 20 minutes by road when traffic is flowing freely, but much much longer during the rush hour. Within the scheme a park-and-ride station could be provided on the main line at Blackwater right alongside the A30 trunk road. I cannot help but thinking that this possible scheme might be a better way of spending the £57M that is planned to be spent on the proposed Mid-Cornwall Metro.
The route closed completely on and from Monday 4 February 1963 and has now been closed longer than it was open for business. The two largest centres of population on the former route are St. Agnes (3,250) and Perranporth (3,000). I wonder if the residents of Perranporth in particular regret not having a railway station to bring in some of the hundreds, or is it thousands, of beach goers that descend on the town on a fine summer day. From Perranporth it is just 7½ miles to the mainline at Blackwater and 13 miles by rail to Truro. If the route was rebuilt from Blackwater to a terminus at Perranporth it should be possible to reach Truro in around 20-22 minutes with one intermediate stop at St. Agnes. This compares favourably with a journey time of 20 minutes by road when traffic is flowing freely, but much much longer during the rush hour. Within the scheme a park-and-ride station could be provided on the main line at Blackwater right alongside the A30 trunk road. I cannot help but thinking that this possible scheme might be a better way of spending the £57M that is planned to be spent on the proposed Mid-Cornwall Metro.
Article on the Truro and Newquay Railway from the GWR Magazine for January 1904. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article on the Truro and Newquay Railway from the GWR Magazine for January 1904. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael. A real pity this route didn't survive.
To read more of Michaels' memoirs, please click here
To read more of Michaels' memoirs, please click here
A Goonbarrow Interlude
Jon Hird
A lunchtime walk down a footpath (which, although very pretty, strangely, doesn't really seem to go anywhere) resulted in a couple of shots of Goonbarrow Junction yesterday (22.01.24). A long lens and a steady hand was required!
Perhaps they'll be of some interest to the signalling aficionado's amongst us, lots of fantastic semaphores on display.
Perhaps they'll be of some interest to the signalling aficionado's amongst us, lots of fantastic semaphores on display.
The GWR driver in charge of the Newquay shuttle has brought his train to a stop and is exchanging tokens with the Goonbarrow signaller (who is hidden behind a bit of foliage!). Copyright Jon Hird.
GWR 150263 heads for Bugle with a Newquay service, having just stopped at Goonbarrow Signal Box. The siding straight ahead is all that remains of the Carbis branch. A footcrossing is in the foreground. Copyright Jon Hird.
With the unit out of the way, some clanking of points and dropping of semaphores followed and very soon DB Cargo's 66143 appeared from Rocks, heading for Fowey with 16 JIA wagons full of China Clay. The sun even decided to briefly come out. Copyright Jon Hird.
Crediton Units
Paul Barlow
Hello Keith
A couple from 2018 at Crediton of traction which is no longer with us
Kind regards
Paul
A couple from 2018 at Crediton of traction which is no longer with us
Kind regards
Paul
Pacer 143619 and 153369 arrives at Crediton on 0658 Barnstaple to Exeter Central on 31 October 2018. Copyright Paul Barlow.
143619 and 153369 Crediton on 0658 Barnstaple to Exeter Central on 31 October 2018.Copyright Paul Barlow.
Many thanks Paul - 'the early bird gets the worm', as they say!