Taunton
Paul Barlow
Paul Barlow
47840 North Star 47828 on the 0810 Derby-Minehead wth 45112 on rear leaves Taunton. This was 47840's last run on NR before preservation. Copyright Paul Barlow.
Sleeper out & back
Mark Lynam & Andrew Triggs.
Mark Lynam & Andrew Triggs.
Yesterday we featured pictures of the sleeper ready to depart on the 25th by Andrew Triggs. Here from a different angle is the same train against a darkening sky. Do you, Andrew and Mark know each other we wonder?
57604 on the sleeper, delayed awaiting the arrival of & 802002 on the 16.04 Paddington to Penzance service. 25th June 2020. Copyright Mark Lynam.
150202 about to work the 22.22 to St Ives 25th June 2020. Copyright Mark Lynam
Following on from last nights shots of the 'Up Sleeper' 3 shots for CRS of the 'Down Beds' at Marazion at 07.50 this morning to complete the (comeback) story of the Night Riviera with 57605/603 top and tailing Load 5 and later at 08.05 running away from Penzance ECS to Longrock T&RSMD. All the Best Andrew
The down sleeper at Marazion 26th June 2020. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
A second or so later the train passes the down station building at Marazion. 26th June 2020. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
The sleeper moves out to Long Rock. 26th June 2020. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
Many thanks to Mark and Andrew
03's at Bodmin/Wadebridge
Neil Phillips
Neil Phillips
Regarding Chris Tooth’s appeal for identities and photos of Class 03 diesel mechanical shunters in the Bodmin/Wadebridge/Wenford Bridge area, my submission on the three locos allocated to St Blazey can still be found on the ‘Latest Input’ page, but briefly these were D2129 (10/61 – 4/65), D2127 (8/64 - 5/67) and D2183 (4/62 – 5/62, 11/64 – 5/67). So far I have only found two photos of D2129 in Cornwall, at St Blazey depot and Doublebois, and no evidence it worked to Wenford Bridge - the ‘1366’ class pannier tanks 1367/8/9 were still working the branch 1962-4 but it seems inconceivable that it wasn’t at least trialled during its 3 ½ years at St Blazey. A photo of a nearly new-looking D2127 at Dunmere Crossing can be found in the Bradford Barton album ‘Cornwall’s Railways – A Pictorial Survey’, and in 1966 it appears to have worked two brake van specials to Wenford Bridge, on 11/6/66 & 10/9/66, which were of course recorded on film. The loco was still in plain green at the time but had gained ‘wasp stripes’ by 4/67, although strangely those on the radiator end didn't wrap around onto the side casing, which makes me suspect they were applied ‘locally’. Two images of D2183 at Wadebridge in 1965 can be located in the ‘Bodmin Road (Parkway) to Padstow’ section of this website, however what must be the best photo of a Class 03 on the Wenford Bridge line (so far) is a glorious Colour-Rail shot of D2183 crossing the A389 at Dunmere in June 1965, which has been published twice in recent times (‘Modern Locomotives Illustrated’ Issue 217 & Strathwood’s ‘Sixties Diesel and Electric Days Remembered V’). The Class 03s were not a success in Cornwall, being regarded as underpowered and unreliable, however they could at least negotiate the very sharp curves on Wadebridge Quay, a challenge too far for the more powerful and heavier Class 08! Best regards, Neil Phillips
Many thanks Neil for your very detailed note.
More on the Wenford Branch
Shaun Brown
Shaun Brown
Dear sir, I am not a member of the CRS but your website is my home page and gets checked several times a day. It is a excellent site with thousands of informative posts and pictures and I stumbled on it by accident a couple of years ago and have checked it daily ever since.
Anyway, I digress, I have some information that may be of use to Mr Chris Tooth regarding the 03's on the branch. In the excellent book "Southern Branch Line Special No 1, Bodmin and Wadebridge 1834-1978" edited by Tony Fairclough and Alan Wills and published by Bradford Barton of Truro, ISBN 0 85153 343 4 on page 86 there is a picture of class 03 D2127 with a short rake of wagons and brake van waiting to cross the road at Dunmere in September 1965. The driver was Norman Wills, the fireman was Derek Connel and the guard was Harry Knight. This loco was transferred to St Blazey in August 1964 and Transferred back to Laira in May 1967. It appear that it was cut up at Cohens of Kingsbury in October 1968. Not sure if I can send you the image as I guess it would be against copyright?
I can't find any other images of 03's on the Bodmin and Wenford branch but class 03 D2129 was also based at St Blazey around the same time.
A few days ago Mr Quentin Goggs was asking for information/sources of photographs on the Wenford Bridge branch. The Railway Magazine has a article on it's website about the branch and about two thirds the way down the page there is a picture of a class 08 squeezing past his former cottage at Helland Bridge. The thing that is different about this photograph is that it's from the other side of the usual view. You can see the article at https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/1760/september-1984-bodmin-and-wadebridge-150/. There is also a superb double DVD by Branch Line Video called "Memories of the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway Featuring the Wenford Bridge Mineral Line" BLV09-09-00021. This is a cracking set and features memories of the men who worked the lines and amongst the excellent footage is a piece with a Beattie Well Tank threading it's train past the cottage at Helland Bridge.
I hope that this information is of some use.
Kind regards, Shaun Brown
Anyway, I digress, I have some information that may be of use to Mr Chris Tooth regarding the 03's on the branch. In the excellent book "Southern Branch Line Special No 1, Bodmin and Wadebridge 1834-1978" edited by Tony Fairclough and Alan Wills and published by Bradford Barton of Truro, ISBN 0 85153 343 4 on page 86 there is a picture of class 03 D2127 with a short rake of wagons and brake van waiting to cross the road at Dunmere in September 1965. The driver was Norman Wills, the fireman was Derek Connel and the guard was Harry Knight. This loco was transferred to St Blazey in August 1964 and Transferred back to Laira in May 1967. It appear that it was cut up at Cohens of Kingsbury in October 1968. Not sure if I can send you the image as I guess it would be against copyright?
I can't find any other images of 03's on the Bodmin and Wenford branch but class 03 D2129 was also based at St Blazey around the same time.
A few days ago Mr Quentin Goggs was asking for information/sources of photographs on the Wenford Bridge branch. The Railway Magazine has a article on it's website about the branch and about two thirds the way down the page there is a picture of a class 08 squeezing past his former cottage at Helland Bridge. The thing that is different about this photograph is that it's from the other side of the usual view. You can see the article at https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/1760/september-1984-bodmin-and-wadebridge-150/. There is also a superb double DVD by Branch Line Video called "Memories of the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway Featuring the Wenford Bridge Mineral Line" BLV09-09-00021. This is a cracking set and features memories of the men who worked the lines and amongst the excellent footage is a piece with a Beattie Well Tank threading it's train past the cottage at Helland Bridge.
I hope that this information is of some use.
Kind regards, Shaun Brown
Many thanks for your information Shaun and also for the link - I would recommend that others try it.
A great day out
Keith Jenkin
Keith Jenkin
An 03 heads the 'Two Rivers Railtour' up the Wenford branch on the 10th September 1966. Copyright Keith Jenkin.
Memories of a grand day out, previously we had covered the metals from Par through the Pinnock tunnel to Fowey and then down to Boscarne Junction by DMU where we changed onto this marvellous collection of brake vans for a trip up the branch. A pasty stop was made en route!!