MPower Kernow
Engineering week & Family Fun Day
MPower Kernow, custodians of the St. Blazey turntable and associated engineering facilities, are holding an engineering week and a family fun day.
The organisation are seeking new volunteers and business contacts, and on Saturday 26th an open day is being held, where you can visit the site and see all that's on offer, along with historical displays and turntable demonstations.
Please see their Facebook page for more information, or to get in touch, please email [email protected]
The organisation are seeking new volunteers and business contacts, and on Saturday 26th an open day is being held, where you can visit the site and see all that's on offer, along with historical displays and turntable demonstations.
Please see their Facebook page for more information, or to get in touch, please email [email protected]
Fowler Shunter 'Peter' positioned on the St. Blazey turntable within the MPower Kernow compound. 13.09.2026, copyright Jon Hird.
Our best wishes to the team at MPower, may their success continue.
Re: Cornish DMU's
Roger Geach
I saw the request re DMU workings, which were largely ignored by myself at the time, apart from using them occasionally if there was no other loco-hauled service at the time.
You pretty well have most of the information, but I knew of a few workings in the east of the county not shown. This was the May 74 to May 1975 timetable period, and periods did change a bit.
There was a 2B04 0725 Plymouth to St Austell, all stations, then ECS Par.
Then 2B14 1215 Plymouth to Liskeard, all stations.
Then 2B22 1640 Plymouth to St Austell, all stations, ECS Par.
Then 2B26 1800 Plymouth to Liskeard, all stations.
Readers can see that these were just about the only trains that served Saltash, St Germans and Menheniot then!
2B03 0610 Par to Plymouth, all stations. This gave a connection into 1S27 0738 Plymouth–Edinburgh.
2B09 1315 Liskeard to Plymouth, all stations.
2B13 1624 St Austell–Plymouth, all stations.
2B17 1905 Liskeard–Plymouth, all stations.
From memory, the Plymouth to Liskeard workings were normally a bubble car, but not always.
On Sundays in the winter, if engineering work was taking place, the overnight 1B83 2345 Paddington–Penzance might terminate at Exeter or Newton Abbot, and thus a DMU would be used from Plymouth to Penzance. This happened occasionally, as I found out hoping for a Western to Penzance, only to find a DMU vice.
However, the down news, milk empties and sleepers always went through, single-line working used if required.
You pretty well have most of the information, but I knew of a few workings in the east of the county not shown. This was the May 74 to May 1975 timetable period, and periods did change a bit.
There was a 2B04 0725 Plymouth to St Austell, all stations, then ECS Par.
Then 2B14 1215 Plymouth to Liskeard, all stations.
Then 2B22 1640 Plymouth to St Austell, all stations, ECS Par.
Then 2B26 1800 Plymouth to Liskeard, all stations.
Readers can see that these were just about the only trains that served Saltash, St Germans and Menheniot then!
2B03 0610 Par to Plymouth, all stations. This gave a connection into 1S27 0738 Plymouth–Edinburgh.
2B09 1315 Liskeard to Plymouth, all stations.
2B13 1624 St Austell–Plymouth, all stations.
2B17 1905 Liskeard–Plymouth, all stations.
From memory, the Plymouth to Liskeard workings were normally a bubble car, but not always.
On Sundays in the winter, if engineering work was taking place, the overnight 1B83 2345 Paddington–Penzance might terminate at Exeter or Newton Abbot, and thus a DMU would be used from Plymouth to Penzance. This happened occasionally, as I found out hoping for a Western to Penzance, only to find a DMU vice.
However, the down news, milk empties and sleepers always went through, single-line working used if required.
Here is a 3 car DMU on Long Rock shed along with 1048 and 1050 on Sunday morning, 10.11.1974. There is also a met cam unit on the depot behind the Peak. Copyright Roger Geach.
Many thanks for the excellent info and photograph Roger, very much appreciated.
92020 on the South Western division
Guy Vincent
A trip to Basingstoke yesterday for the unique sight of a class 92 sandwiched between two GBRf class 66s. The 92 is operated by GBRf and is used on the overnight Euston - Edinburgh - Euston legs of the Caledonian sleeper service.
Trouble seems to have developed around 24th August when 92020 was stopped at Wembley with an axle / wheel set issue. A plan was then formulated to place a wheel skate under the affected axle and move the loco by rail to Eastleigh Arlington for assessment and repairs. Two class 66s were used in top and tail mode, 66687 ‘Annette’ (formerly 66777) and 66719 ‘Michael Portillo’ in Rail 200 livery. Three overnight moves at a maximum of ten miles per hour on plain track reduced to five miles per hour through crossovers. Fri 11th Sept. 8Z92 2255 Wembley Inter City Depot - Woking Up Yard sidings. Sun 13th Sept. 0Z92 0504 Woking Up Yard sidings - Basingstoke Up Neck siding (via platform 4 and a short reversing move along the Up Reading line then back into the siding). The last leg was due to be Monday 14th Sept. 8Z92 0043 Basingstoke - Eastleigh Arlington (0621). This must have been a nightmare to arrange given the nature of the problem, the complex route to be taken, all at very low speed and much of it new for this type of loco. There was also a need to make regular stops to check on the skate etc. and have a ‘plan B’ should something go wrong.
Sunday mornings movement was of interest as for the first time it brought a 32 year old class 92 electric loco onto a short portion of the original GWR ‘Berks and Hants’ broad-gauge railway line that opened between Reading and Basingstoke in 1848. This was also the first appearance of a class 92 on the old South Western division of British Rail (Southern Region). Probably the last time Basingstoke received such illustrious visitors was for the 26 September 1987 ‘Basingstoke 150’ Rail event which took place in the former goods yard.
Photos showing the three locos stabled adjacent to platform 5 at Basingstoke plus the wheel skate under the leading axle, London end of 92020.
Trouble seems to have developed around 24th August when 92020 was stopped at Wembley with an axle / wheel set issue. A plan was then formulated to place a wheel skate under the affected axle and move the loco by rail to Eastleigh Arlington for assessment and repairs. Two class 66s were used in top and tail mode, 66687 ‘Annette’ (formerly 66777) and 66719 ‘Michael Portillo’ in Rail 200 livery. Three overnight moves at a maximum of ten miles per hour on plain track reduced to five miles per hour through crossovers. Fri 11th Sept. 8Z92 2255 Wembley Inter City Depot - Woking Up Yard sidings. Sun 13th Sept. 0Z92 0504 Woking Up Yard sidings - Basingstoke Up Neck siding (via platform 4 and a short reversing move along the Up Reading line then back into the siding). The last leg was due to be Monday 14th Sept. 8Z92 0043 Basingstoke - Eastleigh Arlington (0621). This must have been a nightmare to arrange given the nature of the problem, the complex route to be taken, all at very low speed and much of it new for this type of loco. There was also a need to make regular stops to check on the skate etc. and have a ‘plan B’ should something go wrong.
Sunday mornings movement was of interest as for the first time it brought a 32 year old class 92 electric loco onto a short portion of the original GWR ‘Berks and Hants’ broad-gauge railway line that opened between Reading and Basingstoke in 1848. This was also the first appearance of a class 92 on the old South Western division of British Rail (Southern Region). Probably the last time Basingstoke received such illustrious visitors was for the 26 September 1987 ‘Basingstoke 150’ Rail event which took place in the former goods yard.
Photos showing the three locos stabled adjacent to platform 5 at Basingstoke plus the wheel skate under the leading axle, London end of 92020.
66687 ‘Annette’ (formerly 66777) and 66719 ‘Michael Portillo’ top and tail the defective 92020 at Basingstoke on 13.09.2026. Click images for enlargements. All images copyright Guy Vincent.
Many thanks indeed Guy - the electric loco looking wonderfully out of place there. Thanks for making the trip and capturing the sight.
The South Devon Railway
'Heritage Open Day'
Paul Barlow
5374 Lord Oliver Brown Runs round the 1120 from Buckfastleigh at Totnes. This loco was named after a young boy who died from Blood Cancer aged 11, and painted in the colours of the Childrens Hospice Southwest. 13.09.2026, copyright Paul Barlow.
Polish 1959 built 5374 Lord Oliver Brown visiting from Plym Valley railway takes water at Totnes. 13.09.2026, copyright Paul Barlow.
Southern National 1218 at Ashburton on a rail replacment service. 13.09.2026, copyright Paul Barlow.
Western National Bristol 1613 outside the Sea Trout Inn at Staverton. 13.09.2026, copyright Paul Barlow.
Many thanks Paul. The Polish tank is certainly an eye-catcher!
The Britannic Explorer heads east
Jon Hird & Clive Smith
66748 powers across East Largin Viaduct with the Lostwithiel - Cranmore stretch of The Britannic Explorer. 13.09.2026, copyright Jon Hird.
My son Charlie took an additional photo at Largin using the drone, the high-up view capturing the entire of the long train snaking away towards Largin Junction. 13.09.2026, copyright Jon Hird.
It's Sunday afternoon. It must be the poshex. Thankfully once again the Britannic liveried 66748 is leading the 1Z06 09.40 Lostwithiel Down Goods Loop - Bruton via Fowey 'Britanic Explorer' with GBRf liveried 66744 on the rear. So far I have used seven viable spots in my locality. This is the eighth from Rutt Lane bridge to the east of Ivybridge station. 13.09.2026, copyright Clive Smith.
66744 on the rear at Ivybridge. 13.09.2026, copyright Clive Smith.
Many thanks Clive - I say it every time, but it's really great to have a semi-regular loco hauled train to photograph at the weekends once again.
September 1976
Part 14
Roger Winnen
Gwinear Road Station. 11.09.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.
D1009 Western Invador at Gwinear Road. 11.09.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.
Gwinear Road looking west. 11.09.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.
Gwinear Road looking east. 11.09.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.