57603 and 57605 go to Laira
08.02.2025
Owens Brown, Mark Lynam, Andrew Triggs & Jon Hird
Saturdays Cornish excitement came in the form of GWR 57603 towing a Mk3 SLEP and 57605 to Laira. The coach needed to be turned on the triangle, and 57605 was being dropped off having suffered a serious engine fault whilst working the down sleeper a few weeks previously.
57603 hauling SLEP no.10616 and defective 57605 as 5Z77 approaching Rosevidney Road overbridge. Copyright Andrew Triggs
Passing Signal SE69, viewed from Rosevidney Road overbridge. Copyright Andrew Triggs
Heading for St Erth curving away from Rosevidney Road overbridge Copyright Andrew Triggs
57603, MK3 SLEP 101616 and defective 57605 head through Hayle as 5Z77 on 08.02.2025. The ensemble was en route to Laira. Copyright Owens Brown.
Defective 57605 on the rear as the train heads for Devon. 08.02.2025, copyright Owen Brown.
57603 leans into the curve as it approaches Wheal Busy foot crossing, Scorrier. 08.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
The train continues on towards Laira. 08.02.2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
Passing Bolitho, east of Liskeard. 08.02.2025, copyright Jon Hird.
Thank you gents for allowing us to display your shots of this interesting working. With 57605 now out of action and 57604 still undergoing an exam at Laira, this leaves GWR down to just 57603, 57602 and hired-in 57312 (based at Reading for the ECS moves to Paddington). We'd best hope the remaining locos behave!
RE: 37610 & 37057
Roger Geach
Nice to see the photos of 37057 and 37610 in Cornwall yesterday in the sunshine.
Both have worked in Cornwall before - 37610 was once 37181, a Plymouth LA clay loco based at St Blazey, way back in October 1982 until 12.08.1985 - there was far less interest in them back in those days!
37057 has also visited St. Blazey in its EWS days - it worked during September 2001. Below it is pictured arriving at Par with CDA emptys on 10.09.2001, no doubt it was around on other dates, but it was never based in the area.
Both have worked in Cornwall before - 37610 was once 37181, a Plymouth LA clay loco based at St Blazey, way back in October 1982 until 12.08.1985 - there was far less interest in them back in those days!
37057 has also visited St. Blazey in its EWS days - it worked during September 2001. Below it is pictured arriving at Par with CDA emptys on 10.09.2001, no doubt it was around on other dates, but it was never based in the area.
37057 creeps through Par with the Fowey - Goonbarrow empty CDA's on 10.09.2001. This loco is now in service with Colas and on Friday, visited Cornwall in place of the usual HST/NMT. Copyright Roger Geach.
37181 would later be refurbished and renumbered to become what is now 37610, the other loco which visited Cornwall on Friday 7th Feb 2025. Seen here in its earlier years as a St. Blazey loco, 37181 exits the Fowey branch at Lostwithiel with a train of empty 'hoods' on 22.03.1983. Roger notes that the smoke in the background was from a bonfire - not the loco! Copyright Roger Geach.
Many thanks indeed Roger - great that both locos still live on and serve a purpose all these years later.
For our coverage of 37610/057 on the Cornish test train, please click here (or scroll down this page)
For our coverage of 37610/057 on the Cornish test train, please click here (or scroll down this page)
Class 47s at Basingstoke
Michael Adams
Michael Adams
Here is the first one showing 50002 'Superb' with the 09,45 Exeter to Waterloo service on 24 April 1991. Thanks, enjoy your class 37s. Copyright Michael Adams
Roger, Now we see another superb looking loco. ,namely 47845 'County of Kent' and smart matching Inter-City coaches on. Copyright Michael Adams
Many Thanks Michael
South Marston Euro Terminal
Colin Pidgeon & Tim Hall
Although this is outside of our usual area, the photographs below do show the GWR night Riviera locos/stock, so I think we can claim a tenuous link through this!
GWR will be using the Terminal again for stock storage as work on the new station at Old Oak Common progresses.
GWR will be using the Terminal again for stock storage as work on the new station at Old Oak Common progresses.
47848 t&t 47746 arriving on 1Z95 Reading Train Care Depot to South Marston Euro Terminal. 07.02.2025, copyright Tim Hall.
The train pictured departing back onto the main line at South Marston Junction [photo 2] with 1Z96 South Marston Euro Terminal to Milton Keynes. This was a Private Business Charter. 07.02.2025, copyright Tim Hall.
57312 t&t 57603 on 5Z57 Reading Train Care Depot to South Marston Terminal GWR Empty Sleeper train. 07.02.2025, copyright Tim Hall.
The sleeper stock returned as 5Z58 South Marston Euro Terminal to Reading Train Care Depot. 07.02.2025, copyright Tim Hall.
Many thanks Tim, Colin and Ken for sending these in, interesting to see the sleeper stock 'off the beaten track'.
Re: Funeral trains
John Roberts
Jon, recent articles on Winston Churchill bring back some memories. I felt sure it was a national holiday, but seeing it was a Saturday it must have been a half-day closure of Truro School - I wonder if Neil Phillips remembers? I do recall being required to sit around the wireless with my parents in solemn silence, although my main interest was the description of the namesake locomotive leaving Waterloo (only eight months after "Salisbury" had hauled the last steam train to West Cornwall). It was said that Churchill had not wanted De Gaulle invited to the funeral, and only relented on condition that the train departed from Waterloo vice the planned Paddington. In that case I wonder if they could have used "Winston Churchill" - apart from the 1948 Loco Exchanges, were any foreign locos cleared to work into Paddington - or indeed to Handborough? Seeing that the train did return to Paddington (behind a diesel), presumably 34051 ran light engine to Salisbury. The coffin car was Gangwayed Luggage Van S2464S, initially exported to Los Angeles but now owned by the Swanage Railway on loan to Hornby in Margate who have produced a model of it.
However, I wonder if Michael Roach omitted the word "steam" from the phrase "last funeral train", as in 1979 I had a minor part to play for Lord Mountbatten's funeral. I had just finished my BR training and opted to join the South Western Division HQ in Wimbledon. Sometime in advance, we were tasked to reinspect the track and structures in the area and carry out any urgent fettling in the time available. The day before the funeral, we were instructed to wear dark clothes - it was already a disciplinary not to wear a jacket and tie in the office - and stand along the route with the BT Police at key locations. Given the way in which Mountbatten had died, there was a very real fear that the train would be attacked. I was allocated to Wimbledon B Box to report any suspicious activity. I can still see the funeral train bursting out of the long overbridge carrying Wimbledon Station hauled by 33027 "Earl Mountbatten of Burma" and 33056 "The Burma Star" and bouncing over the long ladder which gave access to the West Yard; I'm sure the short-wheelbase Cromptons must have hit the suspension bump-stops. In a few seconds the excitement was over and we returned to our daily duties. Sadly both 33s are scrapped, but their names were transferred to 33202 and 33207 which I believe are still extant. The ECS into Waterloo was hauled by 73142 “Broadlands” which was later repainted into InterCity livery as 73201 for the Gatwick Express and is now with GB Railfreight.
I hope this adds to our corporate memory!
However, I wonder if Michael Roach omitted the word "steam" from the phrase "last funeral train", as in 1979 I had a minor part to play for Lord Mountbatten's funeral. I had just finished my BR training and opted to join the South Western Division HQ in Wimbledon. Sometime in advance, we were tasked to reinspect the track and structures in the area and carry out any urgent fettling in the time available. The day before the funeral, we were instructed to wear dark clothes - it was already a disciplinary not to wear a jacket and tie in the office - and stand along the route with the BT Police at key locations. Given the way in which Mountbatten had died, there was a very real fear that the train would be attacked. I was allocated to Wimbledon B Box to report any suspicious activity. I can still see the funeral train bursting out of the long overbridge carrying Wimbledon Station hauled by 33027 "Earl Mountbatten of Burma" and 33056 "The Burma Star" and bouncing over the long ladder which gave access to the West Yard; I'm sure the short-wheelbase Cromptons must have hit the suspension bump-stops. In a few seconds the excitement was over and we returned to our daily duties. Sadly both 33s are scrapped, but their names were transferred to 33202 and 33207 which I believe are still extant. The ECS into Waterloo was hauled by 73142 “Broadlands” which was later repainted into InterCity livery as 73201 for the Gatwick Express and is now with GB Railfreight.
I hope this adds to our corporate memory!
Many thanks for sharing this with us John, great to add some more detail and to hear your memories of Mountbattens final journey.
Michaels articles are available here to read.
Michaels articles are available here to read.
Cornish 'Castles'
Mark Lynam & Jon Hird
43093 leads 2C16 1015 Plymouth to Penzance at Wheal Busy crossing working 2C16 1015 Plymouth to Penzance. 08/02/2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
43188 at Wheal Busy Crossing working 2P86 1113 Penzance to Plymouth. 08/02/2025, copyright Mark Lynam.
The same train - 2P86 led by 43188 - passing Bolitho. This train followed the 2x cl.57's, so I imagine the driver had quite a few cameras trained on him! 08.02.2025, copyright Jon Hird.