'Mazey Day' - A Small Follow-up
Neil Phillips
In December 1975, the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) had a problem with a generator at West Thurrock Power Station in Essex, and asked BR for the loan of a Class 47 to act as an exciter (to create the magnetic field in the main generator). Stratford's 47155 (formerly D1748) was selected for the task, had its bogies and buffers removed and was transported to the power station by road overnight on 8th - 9th January 1976. The locomotive remained at West Thurrock perched on wooden sleepers until April 1976 when it was returned to Stratford depot, reunited with its bogies and buffers and put back into normal service. In December 1986 it was fitted with ETH equipment and renumbered to 47660, thus sharing its last three digits with a certain other Class 47 celebrity from earlier times (and which is also one of the few still active on the network of course).
Besides this admittedly tenuous link, what does this have to do with Cornwall? In August 1989 it was fitted with long-range fuel tanks and renumbered again..........to 47815, the loco which tailed D1015 'Western Champion' on its 'Mazey Day' special last Saturday, 28th June 2025!
I hope this Class 47's 4 months of unusual employment 49 years ago is of some small interest (unfortunately I haven't been able to find any photos I can link to illustrating its time at the power station).
Besides this admittedly tenuous link, what does this have to do with Cornwall? In August 1989 it was fitted with long-range fuel tanks and renumbered again..........to 47815, the loco which tailed D1015 'Western Champion' on its 'Mazey Day' special last Saturday, 28th June 2025!
I hope this Class 47's 4 months of unusual employment 49 years ago is of some small interest (unfortunately I haven't been able to find any photos I can link to illustrating its time at the power station).
Many thanks, Neil - got to be up there with the strangest jobs carried out by the Brush Type 4's!
More trouble on the 'beds'
Joe Birchall, Jon Hird & Andrew Triggs
This morning I went out to see the sleeper, which was top and tailed (again), with 57 301 leading and 57 603 bringing up the rear. The pictures are of the view near Truro through the railings, with the vegetation starting to encroach from each side once again. 04.07.2025, copyright Joe Birchall.
57603 on the rear of the down Sleeper, 1C50, on 04.07.2025. Copyright Joe Birchall.
And here is the reason for 57603's fleeting visit to Cornwall. It's been bolted onto the opposite set of coaching stock and is seen as it rushes past Carlyon Bay with 3Z50 - ECS sleeper stock from Long Rock - Reading. The 'up' sleeper the night before was replaced by an IET unit following the failure of classmate 57602. 04.07.2025, copyright Jon Hird.
57603 with 3Z50 at Silk Mills Overbridge, running 13 early at 14.13. There was smoke coming from under the rear carriages and a strong burning smell as it past Silk Mills and Fairwater Yard, as you can see from the enclosed shots. However it departed Taunton at 14.22 with only a 4 minute stop, then running 24 early eastwards. 04.07.2025, copyright Andrew Triggs.
The ECS continuing towards Taunton, note the smoke coming from the rear of the train, possibly a harsh brake application? 04.07.2025, copyright Andrew Triggs.
Many thanks Joe and Andrew. We try not to get drawn into the whole 'sleeper reliability' debate on this website as we understand that machines of any age can be troublesome, but it must be very difficult for the GWR staff at the moment - almost every week we are publishing photographs of various ECS movements post-failure. Let's hope things improve as the locomotives receive their overhauls.
Whatever happened to the
REAL Mid Cornwall Metro?
From Noah Law, MP for St. Austell and Newquay:
Looking forward to an interesting public discussion in St Dennis today about whether we refresh the feasibility study for a passenger rail line running from St Austell to Newquay through the Western Clay Country.
In 2012, a feasibility study was undertaken which explored the potential of a direct rail link from St Austell to Newquay with various new passenger stations proposed along the way in the Western Clay Country.
I've also been clear from Day 1 that the politics of big promises and botched delivery is over. I want to be honest and transparent with you as constituents, always, and take you with me. That is why I am only, at this stage, calling on Network Rail to update their feasibility study of the St Austell to Newquay (via St Dennis) passenger line. But this would be a step towards demonstrating the immense potential we have to improve people's lives with better transport links in the western Clay Country.
I'll be joined by experts on the Cornish railways - past, present and future - and look forward to hearing residents' views.
Sign up to join: tr.ee/realmcm-survey
If you are a resident of St Dennis (or Carpalla, Foxhole, or Treviscoe) but cannot attend and have views on the potential for passenger rail travel, please fill out my survey: https://forms.gle/uv3VMwMPrXurqYdt9
Looking forward to an interesting public discussion in St Dennis today about whether we refresh the feasibility study for a passenger rail line running from St Austell to Newquay through the Western Clay Country.
In 2012, a feasibility study was undertaken which explored the potential of a direct rail link from St Austell to Newquay with various new passenger stations proposed along the way in the Western Clay Country.
I've also been clear from Day 1 that the politics of big promises and botched delivery is over. I want to be honest and transparent with you as constituents, always, and take you with me. That is why I am only, at this stage, calling on Network Rail to update their feasibility study of the St Austell to Newquay (via St Dennis) passenger line. But this would be a step towards demonstrating the immense potential we have to improve people's lives with better transport links in the western Clay Country.
I'll be joined by experts on the Cornish railways - past, present and future - and look forward to hearing residents' views.
Sign up to join: tr.ee/realmcm-survey
If you are a resident of St Dennis (or Carpalla, Foxhole, or Treviscoe) but cannot attend and have views on the potential for passenger rail travel, please fill out my survey: https://forms.gle/uv3VMwMPrXurqYdt9
