October 26th 2025

26/10/2025

West Cornwalls Castles
Mark Lynam

Here are a few photos of castle sets from the last couple of days (Today and Friday)

Not long after 43187 passes from the otherside of the bridge working 2C16 1015 Plymouth to Penzance. Sat 25th.

43198 at Marazion working 2P18 1150 Penzance to Plymouth. Sat 25th.

43093 + 43042 on Brea embankment working 2C11 1014 Plymouth to Penzance. Friday 24th

Many Thanks Mark

Freight in West Cornwall
Roger Winnen

741229f Scrap locos at Penlee Quarry. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229g Steam engine at Penlee. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229h The milk shunting at St Erth. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229i St Erth Loading banks. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229ii Class 25 on Hayle Viaduct propels the freight to the harbour. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229k 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229l 25275 propels the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229m 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229o 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229q 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229p 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229r 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229s 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229t 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229u 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229v 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229w 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

741229x 25275 on the Hayle Freight. Copyright Roger Winnen

NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 72
Mixed Bag 1977 (1)
Michael L. Roach

In this short season of “Mixed Bags” I will show some colour photos from 1977, which I remember well because of my personal experiences that spring and summer. I scanned a single slide from 22 May 1977, for a forthcoming article and decided to scan all the interesting railway slides in the months around it. 1977 was the year that Queen Elizabeth the Second celebrated her Silver Jubilee having been on the British throne since 1952. In this instalment all the images were taken on Monday 2 May 1977. This was not a Bank Holiday but it was the day of Padstow Hobby 'oss Day, which would normally be on the 1 May, but presumably not on a Sunday. We left home very early to be sure of getting a parking space and after watching the celebrations in clear sun, moved on to several other locations in Mid-Cornwall including some railway ones – my family were very tolerant of my hobby. One of the locations was Draw Wood in the Glynn Valley which I had wanted to visit for some time. Draw Wood was originally built as a Brunel timber viaduct 208 metres long and 13 metres high but when reconstruction came in 1875 it was replaced by a large volume of fill supported by a tall stone retaining wall; the only one done like that although others were replaced by normal embankments.

Here we see slate powder from Delabole Quarry being loaded into Presflo wagons in Wadebridge goods yard on 2 May 1977. The lorry was an ERF registration OAF674F first registered in July 1968 and which may still exist. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

The Presflo wagons were similar to those that carried cement. This particular one was built by Metro Cammell in 1957. It is believed that the slate powder was taken to Kent there to be used in the manufacture of heavy duty roofing felt. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

Four hours later and I had walked to the Draw Wood retaining wall in the Glynn Valley to see this 3-car dmu pass on a down train. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

This gradient post was close to the retaining wall and looks like a recent replacement, basically in Great Western style, but not quite. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

Half a mile to the west of Draw Wood is Derrycombe Viaduct. Here we see 50004 with 15 milk tanks on the second milk train of the day. Copyright Michael L. Roach.

Many thanks Mike, some really fascinating photographs of the way things were.

For more of Michaels articles, please click here.