25th August 2023

Attention friends of Penmere Platform

Dear Keith,

​An email to let you know this Saturday 'The Friends Of Penmere Station' in Falmouth are celebrating their 30th anniversary of looking after the station by way of a gala.  I have attached a PDF copy of the poster for you, if you could put this onto the CRS website that would be appreciated.

As you can see we have quite a few attractions and stands to keep people entertained including a traction engine and a 5 inch size engine, a 1936 Austin taxi (the only one west of Exeter), stationary engines, a vintage coach in the afternoon to link with 'Penryn Fair Day', a feast of stalls including 'Dynamite Valley Brewery' with their full range of beers.

We have been in contact with the relatives of the last two station masters Leonard Grose and Robert (Bob) Lamport, unfortunately the daughter of Leonard Grose could not make it this year but the daughter of Bob Lamport, Zara Radford, will at some point in the day be attending.

Our gala does however fall on the same day as one of the strikes (the dates for these were confirmed after all our arrangements had already been made), we hope that people can still try and make it in by bus or car/carshare.  There is no parking at the station itself on the day because our galas now have to take place solely in the car park, but there is some parking in the immediate area and again bus and taxis are available.

Regards

Karl
Friends Of Penmere Station.

Apologies for the rather poor copy of the poster.

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Peter Todd visits
Didcot and Oxford

 Friends,

These are from another good friend of mine Peter Todd [quite surprising to some thatAs it was a sunny day, I set sail for Oxfordshire

The blue water tankers were parked in Didcot's station sidings. Why, who knows.

Freightliner 66525 southbound @ 1255 hours, Rep. No. 6C50. Oxford Banbury Road sidings to Whatley Quarries. Empties I suppose.

GWR 165 127 running into platform 3 to become the 1155 trip back to Didcot.

GWR 800 xxx southbound for Paddington @ 1131. No front cowlings and if you look closely on the right you will see a BTP officer doing his best to coax a distressed lady of the Chiltern Rly. tracks. He was successful. Apparently due to a signal fault in the London Area no Chiltern Trains were running anyway.

EWS 66140 southbound to Didcot with a short rake of car transporters @ 1153. Rep. No. 4Z20, Bescot to Didcot.

Freightliner 70011, southbound @ 1150, Rep. No 4090. Leeds FLT to Southampton Docks.

Two observations, these freight trains seem much longer than usual, fully loaded and impressive at speed. I understand, money has been spent in the docks at Southampton extending the loops and sidings to accommodate the longer trains.

Just as I arrived at Didcot in the morning a fully loaded Freightliner with 66552 at the head raced through Platform 2 at 70mph. The draft and noise were intimidating, and it is easy to understand how prams and wheelchairs can get dragged in.  

Cheers, PeterTodd.      

Didcot. 24th August 2023. Copyright Peter Todd

66525 Oxford. 24th August 2023. Copyright Peter Todd

165127 Oxford. 24th August 2023. Copyright Peter Todd

Oxford 802xx . 24th August 2023. Copyright Peter Todd

Oxford 66140. 24th August 2023. Copyright Peter Todd

Oxford 70011 240823. 24th August 2023. Copyright Peter Todd

Many thanks Peter for your excellent photographs and detailed notes.

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The National Mesurement Train
with a refurbished Power Car completed by the S.D.R.
Mark Lynam Mick House Roger Winnen

230825a Power Car 43277 has been refurbised recently at the South Devon Raailway Buckfastleigh now runnning with the measurement train. Copyright Roger Winnen

230825b The Measurement train at Penzance. Copyright Roger Winnen

Mark Lynams contribution

. A rather scruffy 43299 on the leading end. to Penzance. Copyright Mark Lynam

. Today saw 43277 in it's new livery visit Cornwall for the first time on the 4-weekly NMT visit. It left shortly after to Longrock depot for fuel then went back up the line just before 13.30. Inline image 1. 43277 at Penzance about to go off to Longrock depot. Copyright Mark Lynam

After a long wait on Marazion bridge it finally made an appearance at 13.29 in the sunshine working 1Q18 0545 Reading Triangle Sidings to Paignton via Penzance. Copyright Mark Lynam

Mick House contribution

Seen passing Redruth on the downward journey to Penzance. Copyright Mick House

Seen passing throuth Redruth on route to Penzance. Copyright Mick House

24th August 2023
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley 
The Golden Hind Slough to Plymouth and Return
Roger Winnen

230824a 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley arrives at Plymouth at 13.24 running just over 20 mins late on a Charter from Slough. Copyright Roger Winnen

230824d Sir Nigel Gresley of 1937 stands by our latest GWR trains built 80 years later. Copyright Roger Winnen

230824n Departre of the railtour to Slough at 16.18 hrs seen leaving Plymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen

Click Here for more views of The Golden Hind Railtour in Railtours August 2023 Onwards

This week with
​Mark Lynam

Below are a few photos taken this week, it's been good to see the sun again! 
On Tuesday I went to Lostwithiel to see 950001 go down the Fowey branch then drove to Bodmin Parkway to get a train to Plymouth then spent to day on the Gunnislake branch. 
Then Wednesday saw a GWR Castle set make a trip to Newquay, being swapped at Plymouth from an IET.

Thanks,
Mark Lynam

1. Network Rail test unit 950001 at Coulson Park in Lostwithiel returning from Fowey working 2Q08 0318 Plymouth to Penzance via Gunnislake, Parkandillack & Fowey. Tues 22nd August.. 950001 Coulson Park, Lostwithiel. Copyright Mark Lynam.

2. 150238 at Calstock crossing the impressive viaduct working 2G78 1119 Gunnislake to Plymouth. Tues 22nd August. Copyright Mark Lynam.

3. 150238 at Bere Alston working 2G80 1319 Gunnislake to Plymouth. Tues 22nd August. opyright Mark Lynam.

4 150238 at Gunnislake before working 2G82 1519 Gunnislake to Plymouth. Tues 22nd August. Copyright Mark Lynam.

5. 43094 + 43098 at Trencreek working 1C74 0904 London Paddington to Newquay (HST from Plymouth to Newquay). Copyright Mark Lynam.

6. 43098 + 43094 from the other end of the field at Trencreek for the return working 1A94 1455 Newquay to London Paddington (HST from Newquay to Plymouth). In the distance a new road is being constructed to link the Trencreek area of Newquay to the new and expanding community of Nansledan, which will crossover the Newquay branch. Copyright Mark Lynam.

And Thank you too Mark - a very good collection from two days out. You were lucky to catch the test train on the Fowey branch - nice refelction too.

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Red at B.T.M.
Phil Smith

43123 dressed in Virgin red at Bristol Temple Meads in 2000, Copyright Phil Smith.

Many thanks Phil.

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Bodmin North Railbus
Douglas Nicholls

Re your item on Bodmin North Rail Bus workings. I have the Wadebridge Traincrew Diagrams for Summer 1965. These were done by B.Braund at Plymouth Div.Office. He gave them to me with others when he retired from Paddington Diagram Office where we worked together. The Railbus (Diagram 91) workings shown were thus :-
Empty from St.Blazey MO to B.North. MX 0720 Empty from Wadebridge. Last SX 1750 B.North to Wadebridge Finish SO 1905 Empty Bodmin N to St.Blazey Hope that helps Doug Nicholls in WR Diagrams 1969 to 1999

Many thanks Douglas - hope you will keep them safe and sound.

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Colours at Westbury
James Bown

I was at Castle Cary today and photographed the contrasting colours of SWT and GWR. The SWT service was running to Yeovil Pen Mill and then returning up the line on a rather circulatory route to London Waterloo via Westbury and Salisbury, quite a cross country service! Best wishes James Bown

158883 at Westbury. 24th August 2023. Copyright James Bown.

166296 at Westbury. Copyright James Bown.

Thanks James

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