Was Plymouth-Tavistock (Southern) ever push-pull

[rab]

Two questions:

 

Did Push pull sets ever run on the Plymouth-Tavistock route.

 

In latter days of steam would WR auto-trains have been seen on this route

[Kris]

I don't remember ever seeing any photos of push pull trains one this route. 

[JohnR]

Fairly sure the answer is no to both questions, I'm afraid.

[MinerChris]

39 minutes ago, rab said:

Did Push pull sets ever run on the Plymouth-Tavistock route.

 

The definition of 'route' is quite broad here, I believe that in the early 50's there was a through train from Callington to Plymouth, via Bere Alston that would have been a push-pull set, though I'm not sure that it would have been operating in push pull mode over the mainline in order to keep to speed and timings. There are links to carriage working notices on the British Railways Coaching Stock group on groups.io where you can get details of the set numbers that worked this route, and from there work out which were push pull from the list on the SEMG.

 

47 minutes ago, rab said:

In latter days of steam would WR auto-trains have been seen on this route

 

Pretty sure no is the answer to this, as it was transferred to the WR in 1963(?) and Class 120, Class 118 etc. DMU's were introduced for local workings.

 

HTH. 

 

Best Regards,

 

Chris.

[KeithMacdonald]

Looks like only GWR had push-pull?

 

e.g.

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/?q=Tavistock

 

Tavistock South (GWR)

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p265322570/hf3c1c968#hf3c1c968

 

Laira Junction

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p130586643/hee7066be#hee7066be

[MinerChris]

15 minutes ago, MinerChris said:

There are links to carriage working notices on the British Railways Coaching Stock group on groups.io where you can get details of the set numbers that worked this route

 

I actually out of curiosity just did this to check my post above and sure enough, under the push pull allocation of the SR Western section Sept 1955 Carriage Working Notice,  

 

Set 373 or 374, was allocated to the 7:08 Gunnislake to Friary,

Set 373 or 374, was allocated to the 7:20 Tavistock North to Friary,

 

Moving forward to the more detailed 1956 notice, it appears that they returned on the 6:12pm and 5:00pm from Friary respectively.

 

Again, hope that this helps. I cannot recommend the groups.io page enough for more detail than you ever wanted to know about carriage workings.

 

Chris. 

[Mallard60022]

Yes PP with O2s/M7s until sometime in 1959, but very few services and I would need to check if any went to Tavistock. I saw just the one sometime in 1959 when I went down there to catch an after school train to North Road, hauled by a T9. After that on the SR it was LMS 2.6.2s on the Gunnislake; there were three allocated to Friary/Laira.

No scheduled WR Autos on that SR route. Plenty through Devonport Albert Road on Saltash 'Stinkers'. Only WR loco's I saw on the SR route through Devonport Kings Road, and later (post 9/'64 when the SR from Kings Road to St Budeaux was lifted) through from St Budeaux, were 63XX.

I can look up some stuff if you need more info.

Phil

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Mallard60022

[The Stationmaster]

Only time I ever travelled to Tavistock by train was behind a light pacific in both directions (from and return to St Budeaux).

 

The Ivatt 2-6-2Ts on the Gunnislake workings were probably the last regular steam local workings in the Plymouth area.

[chris45lsw]

Yes, Pull-Push fitted 'Gate' sets 363, 373 & 374 worked between Plymouth - Bere Alston - Callington branch or Tavistock.  But never in P-P mode on the branch.  And I don't believe they worked P-P to Tavistock, at least after the War   In any case Friary had no P-P fitted M7s in BR days (except 30107 10/48-9/51) and  only  two P-P O2s at most, which would have been pre-occupied with the Turnchapel branch P-P services until they ceased in 1951.  

 

Chris KT

[rab]

Thanks for the responses.

It was just one of those mad ideas

that seem to surface from time to time.

 

It would have to be rule 1 then.

[brianusa]

Not SR, but GW sandwiches sometimes came off Saltash and ended up in Plympton and sometimes points  further North.  So I've read!

      Brian.