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26th August 2018

26/8/2018

 
Real Ale Festival
​South Devon Rly
Ross Griffiths

​Morning all,
Yesterday I took a trip to the South Devon Railway to partake in their bank holiday ale festival and had the pleasure of meeting Roger Winnen on the train from Saltash to Totnes, as he was on his way to the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway.
Looks like we definitely picked the right day for it as the weather's taken a definite turn for the worse today!
Attached are some shots from the day - not my best compositions, I feel the refreshments on offer may have had some influence! However, if you feel they are of use then by all means please include them on the site, certainly won't be offended if you decide not to though :)

All the best, Ross. Many thanks for four super pictures.
Picture
DMU Bubblecar - Just arrived with the 1545 shuttle service from Buckfastleigh. 25th August 2018. Copyright Ross Griffiths
Picture
6412 - Departs Staverton with the 1410 auto-train for Buckfastleigh 25th August 2018 Copyright Ross Griffiths
Picture
D6501 - Arriving with the slightly delayed 1230 service from Buckfastleigh. 25th August 2018. Copyright Ross Griffiths
Picture
D6975 - Departs Staverton for Buckfastleigh with the 1230 service from Totnes Riverside
Dartmouth Sta. Refurbished
Clive Smith
Dartmouth Station as we know is famed as the station with no trains. Previously 'The Station Restaurant' for  many years and known for fish chips and cream teas, it reopened this summer  as 'The Platform 1 Champagne Bar and Restaurant' specialising in seafood. Whether the change is for the better readers may wish to check a well known website specialising in advising trips. My attention however was drawn to the very classy outside tables and benches that were delivered and set up this morning . A very nice touch by the owners I think. Interested parties can check out the following link but don't expect much change from £500 an item.

http://www.gwrbenches.co.uk/

Regards,  Clive Smith
​ 
Many thanks the above Clive, I recommend that everybody checks out the link. I found the contents very interesting indeed. The products do look first class.
Picture
Dartmouth station 24th August 2018 Copyright Clive Smith
Picture
Dartmouth station 24th August 2018 Copyright Clive Smith
Portishead branch
Clifton Bridge Sta
​David Field

Over the last couple of weeks Freightliner Heavy Haul have been running an evening service from East Usk Yard in South Wales, along the Portbury Branch to Portbury Coal Terminal near Bristol.  

Noting you don't have many recent photos of trains operating on the branch, I thought I would send you these of Freightliner's 66549 passing the site of the former Clifton Bridge station on 425X East Usk Yard to Portbury Coal Terminal at 1824 on 24th August 2018.  

It was raining heavily at the time, which shows how our railways continue their work, come rain or shine, in some pretty dismal conditions.

I hope they are of interest to your members.    
          Regards, Dave Field   
Most certainly of great interest.
​           Hope you didn't get too wet, many thanks to you David
Picture
66549 heads through the rain towards the site of Clifton Bridge station from Bristol on the 425X East Usk Yard.
Picture
66549 continues past the site of Clifton Bridge station on the 425X East Usk Yard to Portbury Coal Terminal. 24th August 2018 Copyright David Field
Picture
The lengthy train trundles along in very wet circumstances. 24th August 2018 Copyright David Field.
Picture
The tail end of the train continues down the branch revealing the platform of Clifton Bridge station. The Portishead branch closed to passengers on the 7th September 1964. Copyright David Field
 Remembering Sid Sponheimer-
                                 his Collection.
About a year ago now the website lost a valuable supporter in Sid Sponheimer.  Sid left in the care of the CRS about twelve shoeboxes full of his photographs.  Roger Winnen has taken care of the railway element but what to do with the not inconsiderable bus and lorry collection was a problem.
However this has been solved by Robert Crawley manager of the West Country Historic Omnibus and Transport Trust. The WHOTT have a museum not far from Tiverton, it is pleasing to know that Sids collecuon is in appreciative hands.  Many thanks to you Robert.
You will find details of the WHOTT on

​www.busmuseum.org.uk/events-activities-runningday.htm
Robert Crawley writes.
Ever heard of James or Jim Varcoe?
In a letter to me Robert of the WHOTT asks -
I must also ask you if you have ever heard of a man in Cornwall called James (or Jim) Varcoe?  He was a 
prolific photographer of transport subjects but his vocation was with the Camborne School of Mines.  He emigrated to Australia before the war and returned home to retire somewhere in the St Keyne area.  He would almost certainly be dead now but I have often wondered what became of his collection of photos which must have been taken at a very interesting time.   In my attempt to track him down I met the head of the Varcoe tribe living in St Dennis.  All Varcoe's in the phone book seem to live within twenty miles of there! It
was from there I was directed to St Keyne but then the trail went cold.

  Kind regards,  Robert.  Does anybody know of him please?
Variety in Devon
Roger Winnen

Picture
180825a 6023 King Edward 11 departs Paignton with the 11.30 to Kingswear. Copyright Roger Winnen
Picture
180825b 90 mins later 6023 King Edward 11 approaches Goodrington with the 13.00 to Kingswear. Copyright Roger Winnen
Picture
180825c Northern Rail Livery on the Great Western fleet as 150207 departs Exeter St David's on the 16.16 to Exmouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
Picture
180825d On the first week of through services between Penzance and Paddington for the IETs the 14.00 from Penzance arrives at Exeter St David's. Copyright Roger Winnen
Picture
180825dd Soon to be a thing of the past as Harry Patch brings up the rear of the 12 noon Penzance to Paddington at Tiverton Parkway. Copyright Roger Winnen
Picture
180825f Returning home on the 17.51 service to Penzance hauled by 57605 Totnes Castle. Copyright Roger Winnen
Par
John Cornelius

Picture
Methinks a young family have just arrived at Par off the Newquay branch and are seeing to their children o the platform seat. Note the cases hastily removed from P461 and dumped on the platform. Copyright John Cornelius

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