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Par/St. Blazey area.


Jack00
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A question:

 

For a period in the mid-00s, the Freightliner-operated Moorswater-Hope cement empties used to work west to Par in order to run round, since the train was too long to run round at Liskeard.

 

Anyone know precisely how it ran round? i.e. what track it used, and what (if any) shunting moves it did?

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A question:

 

For a period in the mid-00s, the Freightliner-operated Moorswater-Hope cement empties used to work west to Par in order to run round, since the train was too long to run round at Liskeard.

 

Anyone know precisely how it ran round? i.e. what track it used, and what (if any) shunting moves it did?

Craig will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong, but IIRC it would have arrived on the DML, run round via one of the other platforms, propelled back along the DML towards St Austell and then come through the west-end crossover back onto the UML and back towards Liskeard.

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A question: For a period in the mid-00s, the Freightliner-operated Moorswater-Hope cement empties used to work west to Par in order to run round, since the train was too long to run round at Liskeard. Anyone know precisely how it ran round? i.e. what track it used, and what (if any) shunting moves it did?
It was a gem of the block regulations - i.e. running a train around between two signalboxes. I wont go into bell codes etc for obvious reasons, but here goes the basics of it. 1. the train is sent around to St Blazey's home signal and the loco cuts off - leaving the train still between Par ^& St Blazey. 2. The loco is sent LE back to Par. 3. The train is "drawn back" back to Par and onward to Lostwithiel leaving the section clear of any vehicles. This was when the train was Cargowaggons & PCA's. I hope this answers your question.

 

Oops sorry Captain - we hit send button a minute apart. They well may have used the DM as well for a slightly shorter consist.

Edited by winterbournecm
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Thanks Kernow & Craig.

 

Why could it not run straight into the Newquay platform from the down main and then run round using the up main through the platform whilst it is quiet?

 

Ed

 

The train was longer than the distance between the points at each end of the platform. Trains running between St.Blazey and Burngullow (in either direction) sometimes used the Newquay platform to run round, but only if the train was short enough to fit. More often they used the up main.

 

I have seen a Burngullow-St.Blazey train too long to run round at all - ended up being top-and-tailed by St.Blazey's 08.

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Thanks Kernow & Craig.

 

 

 

The train was longer than the distance between the points at each end of the platform. Trains running between St.Blazey and Burngullow (in either direction) sometimes used the Newquay platform to run round, but only if the train was short enough to fit. More often they used the up main.

 

I have seen a Burngullow-St.Blazey train too long to run round at all - ended up being top-and-tailed by St.Blazey's 08.

 

Whilst on the subject was it the Moorswater cement that swept past me on Laira embankment at 09.33 yesterday morning? It had a green Freightliner 66 on. Saw it in my interior mirror.

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IIRC this train used to be twice a week with approx 20 PCAs and 8 cargowagons. This was following the closure of Plymstock cement works. It used to split at Hackney for the loaded down run with the empties going back as one train following the moves described above. I think some of the local cement distributors are now using sea and road to bring in their product resulting in the lower rail volumes. At least it is still running though albeit from Westbury though I think the cement originates from Hope still. Going back further (pre 1986?) there was a weeklyish service fron Plymstock to Chasewater which could call into St Blazey Yard.

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Thanks Kernow & Craig.

 

 

 

I have seen a Burngullow-St.Blazey train too long to run round at all - ended up being top-and-tailed by St.Blazey's 08.

 

Oddly enough we planned to do the shunt into forward section move the other week for a LWRT which was a long'un. In the end we managed in the station instead. There have been occasions when a train was longer than thought (Tops incorrect etc..) and the train has been foul of the DM, and the loco run around via Burngullow!

Edited by winterbournecm
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Oddly enough we planned to do the shunt into forward section move the other week for a LWRT which was a long'un. In the end we managed in the station instead. There have been occasions when a train was longer than thought (Tops incorrect etc..) and the train has been foul of the DM, and the loco run around via Burngullow!

 

Why Burngullow? Isn't there a still a crossover at St.Austell?

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It was a gem of the block regulations - i.e. running a train around between two signalboxes. I wont go into bell codes etc for obvious reasons, but here goes the basics of it. 1. the train is sent around to St Blazey's home signal and the loco cuts off - leaving the train still between Par ^& St Blazey. 2. The loco is sent LE back to Par. 3. The train is "drawn back" back to Par and onward to Lostwithiel leaving the section clear of any vehicles. This was when the train was Cargowaggons & PCA's. I hope this answers your question.

I was a big fan of ABR 11 as it used to be, one of the more useful 'odd' Regulations I always thought and I got quite snotty with someone from a lesser Region when we were revising the Block Regs back in 1985/6 and his suggestion that we should do away with it :O

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I was a big fan of ABR 11 as it used to be, one of the more useful 'odd' Regulations I always thought and I got quite snotty with someone from a lesser Region when we were revising the Block Regs back in 1985/6 and his suggestion that we should do away with it :O

 

I think Par - St Blazey is the only section we'd do it in now Mike. I do wonder if it's time AB / ET were rewritten though. The regs are a bit long winded these days, and the majority of trains dont have a loco on the nowadays. Perhaps GMSR will see of S4? Maybe a subject for another thread or forum I guess?

Edited by winterbournecm
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Going back further (pre 1986?) there was a weeklyish service fron Plymstock to Chasewater which could call into St Blazey Yard.

 

Ah Chacewater cement depot. I think it closed in 1987. I went in there whilst on YTS with the crew on 1985 but didnt take any pictures in there (to my shame). Here are a couple of pictures of the working though:

 

37222 back at Camborne having visited Chacewater and returning East bound at Camborne

post-2613-0-83426300-1332175483_thumb.jpg

 

37196 on the cement at St Erth to run around

post-2613-0-10531500-1332175587_thumb.jpg

 

post-2613-0-66675600-1332175740_thumb.jpg

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And no by-pass in the background too! It's bizarre when I look back how cr*p I was at composing a picture. If it had yellow ends and a BR arrow - shoot at it. And not taking a picture in Chacewater sidings - how rubbish is that?

 

I guess a lot of us must look back at what we have taken with a critical eye, and wish we had taken more, better shots, I certainly do,

but at least we have captured something of the past, a lot of scenes are otherwise lost forever.

Thanks for sharing

 

cheers

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Another timber train coming down Tues pm to the Heathfield branch, departing Weds pm - for anyone passing through Devon en-route to Cornwall (as opposed to working their passage on the M.V. Whippet out of Liverpool direct to Padstow...... :D)

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Oh to see the Down Sidings at St Erth weed free and fit for use! ;)

 

On the subject of the Down Sidings at St Erth, I can remenber a seemingly derelict gray brake van at the end of those sidings in the 70s. It did not move for years if I remember correctly.

 

Just wondered if anyone had any pictures of it or knows the story behind it?

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