Calstock & Gunnislake
Mark Lynam
Following the nice forecast yesterday (21.11.23) morning, I decided to have a drive to Calstock and Gunnislake. I had also hoped to then get some mainline shots in the sunshine but the cloud soon rolled in after leaving Gunnislake (So much for the MetOffice forecast of a fairly sunny day).
150249 In lovely low Autumn sunshine working 2G75 0824 Plymouth to Gunnislake at Calstock just before 9am.
Due to the low speeds on the line and the long way around it takes to climb up the hill it's easy to beat the train to Gunnislake in the car, taking only about 5 minutes where as the train takes about 12! 150249 seen before working 2G76 0919 Gunnislake to Plymouth.
Thanks Mark - an area you don't see so many photos of!
An unusual view at
Calstock
Courtesy Google Earth Street View
Calstock
Courtesy Google Earth Street View
Calstock viaduct. Courtesey Google Earth Street View.
Studying Marks Calstock Viaduct photograph I wondered what access there was to the buildings seen just below the viaduct on the Devon side might be and also how the viaduct looked from that unusual angle. The above photograph was obtained using Google Earth Street view. It shows clearly the massive structure which was made using blocks cast very close to the site of the buildings. Mark follows with a commentary on the access to this remote location for which many thanks. K.J.
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Mark writes - If you mean the farm on the left of the photo, I have walked there from Bere Alston station a couple of times, getting a photo of the next train heading to Gunnislake then walking getting back to Bere Alston to get the next train South.
Its takes about half hour walking along the road, which hardly has any traffic as its a dead end road only serving a few farms. There is a shorter route through the woods North of Bere Alston station going along a public footpath. The footpath continues alongside the river and under the viaduct. There is also a public footpath though the farm yard to connect with the road. Thanks, Mark Lynam.
Its takes about half hour walking along the road, which hardly has any traffic as its a dead end road only serving a few farms. There is a shorter route through the woods North of Bere Alston station going along a public footpath. The footpath continues alongside the river and under the viaduct. There is also a public footpath though the farm yard to connect with the road. Thanks, Mark Lynam.
Earthquakes and the Class 50s
Trevor Tremethick
Trevor Tremethick
Hi Keith and Roger
I heard about your recent earth tremor and couldn’t help remembering Jethro’s old joke about it doing £10m of improvements! What a boy he was.
I was looking through my old slides and found this that i took nearly 50 years ago, when 50027 had recently arrived at Long Rock for crew training. The St. Ives unit is on the left in shadow. March 31, 1974. I think 1642 was an Old Oak Common engine.
You can see right through the old steam shed! How times have changed!
Best to all Trevor
I heard about your recent earth tremor and couldn’t help remembering Jethro’s old joke about it doing £10m of improvements! What a boy he was.
I was looking through my old slides and found this that i took nearly 50 years ago, when 50027 had recently arrived at Long Rock for crew training. The St. Ives unit is on the left in shadow. March 31, 1974. I think 1642 was an Old Oak Common engine.
You can see right through the old steam shed! How times have changed!
Best to all Trevor
50027, the first Class 50 to work in Cornwall, has arrived at Long Rock depot to take up its duties, 31 March 1974. Copyright Trevor Tremethick
D600's
A very interesting insight
Andrew Vines
A very interesting insight
Andrew Vines
Hello Keith,
The recent interesting account of D600s in Cornwall by Andy Oxley, courtesy of Peter Murnaghan, deserves some qualification. It seems that their unreliability in the early years (including an engine failure on the inaugural press run) stuck with them all their lives, at least in the enthusiast world, and even today is sometimes regurgitated on social media. After all, we love a good story, and all the better if it involves the hated diesels which had delivered the first blow to the beloved GWR steam! However in 1968, following their withdrawal, the WR Traction Controller at Paddington, Mr B L Wilson, felt moved to set the record straight, stating that their performance was latterly no worse and no better than other locomotives on the same route, noting that they were frequently entrusted with the down 'Limited'. Their withdrawal was because of a reduction in fleet numbers and the associated considerable savings in stores etc. No doubt if anyone, he would have known the reality.
Their workings were restricted more to Cornwall from 1962, and whilst the specific reason has not been documented, it should be noted that they, and the pilot scheme D6300s had a very different cab layout from other diesel hydraulics, with a BTH control cabinet set at an angle to the right of the driver's seat. Both pilot scheme classes would have presented an operational inconvenience in terms of training footplate staff widely across the Region, given they were so few in number. I suspect this was the real reason why they were restricted to Cornwall, although it should be noted that they also worked east as far as Exeter on occasions, presumably when there was a Laira crew available to ensure their return. Interestingly there is also evidence of them occasionally working further east than Exeter in their later years, and not just on visits to Swindon works or the journeys to and from South Wales detailed by Neil Phillips. No doubt such occasions were rare, and would have involved the use of a pilotman.
As Andy Oxley observed, they were frequently used on parcels, along with freight and milk, and they were latterly regularly used on class one passenger turns. As well as the down 'Limited', the 1A77 12.00 Penzance-Paddington and 1V33 down 'Cornishman' appeared to be regular duties in Cornwall.
Incidentally, I have it on good authority that their famously heavy construction was the reason why D601 stood for so long in Barry scrapyard. Around 1970, Dai Woodham himself stated that the first one (D600) had been such a nightmare to cut up that they weren't going anywhere near the other one any time soon!
Andrew Vines
The recent interesting account of D600s in Cornwall by Andy Oxley, courtesy of Peter Murnaghan, deserves some qualification. It seems that their unreliability in the early years (including an engine failure on the inaugural press run) stuck with them all their lives, at least in the enthusiast world, and even today is sometimes regurgitated on social media. After all, we love a good story, and all the better if it involves the hated diesels which had delivered the first blow to the beloved GWR steam! However in 1968, following their withdrawal, the WR Traction Controller at Paddington, Mr B L Wilson, felt moved to set the record straight, stating that their performance was latterly no worse and no better than other locomotives on the same route, noting that they were frequently entrusted with the down 'Limited'. Their withdrawal was because of a reduction in fleet numbers and the associated considerable savings in stores etc. No doubt if anyone, he would have known the reality.
Their workings were restricted more to Cornwall from 1962, and whilst the specific reason has not been documented, it should be noted that they, and the pilot scheme D6300s had a very different cab layout from other diesel hydraulics, with a BTH control cabinet set at an angle to the right of the driver's seat. Both pilot scheme classes would have presented an operational inconvenience in terms of training footplate staff widely across the Region, given they were so few in number. I suspect this was the real reason why they were restricted to Cornwall, although it should be noted that they also worked east as far as Exeter on occasions, presumably when there was a Laira crew available to ensure their return. Interestingly there is also evidence of them occasionally working further east than Exeter in their later years, and not just on visits to Swindon works or the journeys to and from South Wales detailed by Neil Phillips. No doubt such occasions were rare, and would have involved the use of a pilotman.
As Andy Oxley observed, they were frequently used on parcels, along with freight and milk, and they were latterly regularly used on class one passenger turns. As well as the down 'Limited', the 1A77 12.00 Penzance-Paddington and 1V33 down 'Cornishman' appeared to be regular duties in Cornwall.
Incidentally, I have it on good authority that their famously heavy construction was the reason why D601 stood for so long in Barry scrapyard. Around 1970, Dai Woodham himself stated that the first one (D600) had been such a nightmare to cut up that they weren't going anywhere near the other one any time soon!
Andrew Vines
Bulldog passing Lostwithiel in the mid-1960s on the overnight Manchester-Penzance - Copyright the Andrew Vines Collection
Many many thanks Andrew - good to hear from you with such a detailed report.
Hallenbeagle Scorrier
Mick House
Mick House
Two shots of todays (22nd November 2023) RHTT, running 64 minutes early off of Par at 08.19 and return at 10.00 running 132 minutes early off of Penzance.
1) 66 113 & 097 approaching Apex Bridge having just passed over Wheal Busy crossing.
2) 66 113 & 097 having just passed under Apex Bridge.
1) 66 113 & 097 approaching Apex Bridge having just passed over Wheal Busy crossing.
2) 66 113 & 097 having just passed under Apex Bridge.
1) 66 113 & 097 approaching Apex Bridge. 22nd November 2023. Copyright Mick House,
2) 66 113 & 097 having passed under Apex Bridge. 22nd November 2023. Copyright Mick House,
Superb action shots - many thanks Mick.
Creech St Michael
Bill Elston
Bill Elston
Hi Keith,
Precious little to report from this neck of the woods these days.
However I caught Voyager 220018 on 1V52 Edinb - Plymouth ,
followed by HST 43097 and 43153 on 2U20, Penz - Cardiff
Get 'em while you can!
Take care, Bill. Elston.
Precious little to report from this neck of the woods these days.
However I caught Voyager 220018 on 1V52 Edinb - Plymouth ,
followed by HST 43097 and 43153 on 2U20, Penz - Cardiff
Get 'em while you can!
Take care, Bill. Elston.
220018, 1v52 Edinburgh - Plymouth. Creech St Michael. Copyright Bill Elston 22nd Npvember 2023
43097, Penzance to Cardiff. Creech St Michael. Copyright Bill Elston 22nd Npvember 2023. Copyright Bill Elston.
43153 brings up the rear on the Penzance to Cardiff. Creech St Michael. Copyright Bill Elston 22nd Npvember 2023
Many thanks Bill