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Motorail through Camborne 1980-1995


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Since the NGS has announced its N Gauge BR Carflat A, I have started looking to which ones ran through Camborne on Motorail services in the 80's and early 90s. Also of interest is the delivery of the large number of British Gas Transits that turned up in about 95ish (I could see them from my house in Lower Pengegon). Were these delivered by rail and if so on what, I assume they went down the Roskear branch for delivery?

 

Any pictures of Motrorail trains in this area at this time will be much appreciated as would train configs.

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Since the NGS has announced its N Gauge BR Carflat A, I have started looking to which ones ran through Camborne on Motorail services in the 80's and early 90s. Also of interest is the delivery of the large number of British Gas Transits that turned up in about 95ish (I could see them from my house in Lower Pengegon). Were these delivered by rail and if so on what, I assume they went down the Roskear branch for delivery?

 

Any pictures of Motrorail trains in this area at this time will be much appreciated as would train configs.

 

The only 'Motorail' through Camborne was conveyed in one or two GUVs at the Penzance end of the overnight sleeper train! :-)

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The only 'Motorail' through Camborne was conveyed in one or two GUVs at the Penzance end of the overnight sleeper train! :-)

 

So had the Carflats gone out of use by this point in West Cornwall, as they are pictures of them in use earlier in to Penzance?

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So had the Carflats gone out of use by this point in West Cornwall, as they are pictures of them in use earlier in to Penzance?

 

They never normally got beyond St Austell, although I do remember them turning up empty in both Truro and St Blazey yards! :-)

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So had the Carflats gone out of use by this point in West Cornwall, as they are pictures of them in use earlier in to Penzance?

That must have been for maybe only one or two seasons, circa '65-67 - I don't remember it! :-)

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4 wheel 'Plate' wagons I think! :-)

Did they even come by rail? Speedlink had gone a few years previously, so they'd have had to be brought by special train, or attached to the china clay workings from Exeter, which I'm sure would have made the railway press of the epoch.

Two decades earlier, Plate wagons did work to Compair, with pig iron from Scunthorpe. Andy Kirkham's site has photos. I have also seen a photo (possibly on the same site) of a working west of new BR Escort or Marina vans on Carflats, hauled, IIRC, by a Class 25. 

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Hi Richard, I'm not sure if car flats continued in use in the far west of Cornwall into the 80s but they could be seen in freight trains into the mid 70s although I don't think I have seen a picture of loaded carflats this far west there are certainly pictures of new British Leyland products traveling west in freight trains through Devon.

 

Here s a picture which appeared on flickr yesterday of fine new British built motorcars at Long rock which I guess had been delivered by rail.

 

 

https://flic.kr/p/KwRKC1

 

and a picture of empty carflats returning east

 

[/url]Loco D1009 | Hayle, Cornwall UK | 1976 by Keith Wilde, on Flickr">http://26178500666_9b6f3fb698_h.jpgLoco D1009 | Hayle, Cornwall UK | 1976 by Keith Wilde, on Flickr

 

There are loads of pictures of west country trains on my Flickr favs although I have a cutoff in the mid 80s. Somewhere on there is a picture of BR vans on carflats delivered to St Austell but again in the 70s.

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We'll this has saved me some money for now, but might get 1 or 2 any way to support NGS. I will then look into the GUV vans in the Farish range, to see what they are like.

 

Thank you for your feedback, still interested to find out more about the gas vans.

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I will then look into the GUV vans in the Farish range, to see what they are like.

If you're up to doing a repaint yourself, Hattons have the RES livery GUV (374-133) at £14 a throw. They've been this price for ages so it might come down even further at some stage if they want to shift them. I'm hanging on for the blue ones to come down in price then I intend to buy a few, spray a grey band on them myself and apply new transfers to make the blue/grey version.

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As with the others I too cannot recall carflats on Penzance Motorail workings other than perhaps for one or two seasons or if St. Austell wasn't available for any reason.  I do remember the Motorail GUV vans being loaded / unloaded however - end loading via the ramp on platform 4 which now supports the "Pensans a'gas Dynnergh" rock.  Memory plays tricks but I do seem to recall a couple of carflats in the adjacent fruit dock road which used to be covered by a tin roof.  Can't say I ever saw cars on them though nor do I remember them being attached to passenger trains as were the GUVs.

 

 

 

and a picture of empty carflats returning east

 

Superb view of Hayle station into the bargain there.  

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