3B24 Parcels Plymouth-Penzance 1982

[diyceejay]

Despite internet trawls, I'm unable to find much on this train from WTT of the time.

Can anyone shed any light on how this train was made up? Motive power, stock and any working info would be great for my 1982 Penzance layout.

[Flood]

3B24 was originally the 19.36 from Paddington with the headcode of 3B20 in 1978 and 4B20 in 1979. By 1987 the headcode was 3C24.

 

It would have been parcels vehicles but quite a bit of the stock from Paddington was dropped off at Exeter, Newton Abbot and Plymouth. That said, there were two parcels trains from Bristol, at 15.45 and 21.20 (in 1979), which would have brought parcels from the rest of the country to Plymouth. Of which, some vehicles would have gone to Penzance.

 

I have just found this nugget:

Virtually all of the parcels stock would have returned East on 3S15 (sometimes 1S15) the 12.10 Penzance - Glasgow. For an approximation if you look at photos of 3S15 then you won't be far off.

 

Searching "3C24 Penzance" shows a link to a photo stating the loco from 3C24 went on to work the 10.24 Penzance - Liverpool in 1985. It is possible that the loco from 3B24 worked 1M85 07.40 Penzance - Liverpool in 1982. Photos on Flickr show that a 45/1 or 50 could work 1M85 but it did change loco at Plymouth according to 1982 Loco Hauled Travel so a 50 or 47/4 is probably the most likely in Cornwall.

 

Sorry that this is all a bit vague. I know Cornwall in 1976 and 1987 like the back of my hand but the early '80s I'm not so good at.

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by Flood

[diyceejay]

As ever Flood, you have shed light on something for me - thank you.

I suppose I should try and reign in my obsession with accuracy!

 

[HillsideDepot]

I've been researching van traffic in and out of Penzance for a possible layout (not really Penzance, but certainly inspired by it) albeit in the 1970s. Based on photos I came up with the following table, to see if there are any patterns. As it covers a number of years it is difficult to decide what has changed due to long-term changing traffic and what is just "random" (as in peak time for perishable traffic). The sample is probably too small to find any patterns, but there are some, such as the first vehicle on 4M05 was usually a BG, and the 4th was regularly a 4 wheeler. Likewise the empty "News vans" on 4A13, mid train until 1975, then at the front.

 

 

It might be a bit simplistic, but I came to the view that the "early morning" vans conveyed traffic for the west, but the "mid morning Plymouth" probably provided whatever extra capacity Penzance/Cornwall needed for its outbound traffic which couldn't be met by the vans on hand. 

 

The other thing the table helps show is the variety of stock in my chosen era and has helped me refine my van fleet.

 

Perhaps all it contributes to this discussion is that in the previous decade things didn't appear to be run to fixed diagrams, but were run to meet demand.

 

But I'm eager for any more info, even if I'm using reality to inform the imaginary! It's all part of the fun  

 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by HillsideDepot
Photos re-instated after Dediserve debacle