winterbournecm Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 The CDA on the blocks has been there for a week or so now, so has the dark blue shunter. The main light blue shunter was collecting a CDA having its running gear worked on dutring the morning behind the box. The crew kindly took a saunter down the sidng to obtain this symmetrical image. Side by side would have been more dramatic - Drag racing with shunters! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted March 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 2, 2013 Are both the pilot locos operational, Craig? Can't see why they need two there... Also, I wonder if DB Schenker minded.... (if you get my drift...)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cold-ash Posted March 2, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 2, 2013 Thanks Craig. What a place to work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted March 3, 2013 Author Share Posted March 3, 2013 Hi Tim - I'm not certain that the darker blue one is a runner at the moment Tim. It has been laid up for ages by the two long sidings by the road into the plant. I havent seen it started for some time - the lighter blue one is supposed to have more "poke"! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 Some glorious, cloudless sunshine had me reaching for the camera for the CDAs Apl 30th - 2nd May 2013 all worked by 66096. 6G06 departs Goonbarrow 2nd may 2013 6G08 drops under Treffry aqueduct near Luxulyan running 2 hours early 2nd May 6G06 arrives at Lostwithiel to run around 30th Apl 6G07 powers up the bank from Lostwithiel at Milltown 30th Apl. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 There are wow moments in railway photography. I was standing at Carne Point in 2012 looking up at the fields behind Lanteglos thinking there must be a vantage point up there looking down. Boy oh boy is there! Myself & Mr Stockman discussed it, plotted the rough area and set off via St Veep & Lerryn to find it. Here are the results. We know the farmer and please respect his privacy. The tide, sun & train looked a delight... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted July 19, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 19, 2013 'Like' does not do that justice - very nice indeed! It could almost go in the "Real life looking like a model" category, but the scenery is just a bit too BIG..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 'Like' does not do that justice - very nice indeed! It could almost go in the "Real life looking like a model" category, but the scenery is just a bit too BIG..... Imagine the woodland scenic trees you'd use! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted July 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 20, 2013 Awesome - nuff said... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 Ventured back to my farmer friends land to grab these shots of 6G06 passing Golant. The Tuesday was a farce with the river valley thick with fog, I stood and heard the 66 across the river! Thursday was much better, and 66175 looked a treat passing the inlet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Picture Postcard! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 The Red Arrows were flying later that day for the Fowey Week celebrations, imagine them in a shot too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted August 25, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 25, 2013 There's also a shot from St. Winnow churchyard downstream. "Going away" for 6G06 and towards the afternoon light but right day - right time and you might find a winner there as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Hi Rick - yes Nathan's done that shot, by the churchyard? I was at Golant earlier looking across to the creek at Penpol, very muddy! My pal Trev Maxted is egging me on to wear some huge fishing goloshers and wade out into the river for a down arrival. I bet I get stuck in the mud and need rescuing!! I think a boat would be a good vantage point, as long as there is no ripples from it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 Whilst folk are concerned (naturally) about the demise of the tanks train. I wonder if we should be equally concerned about the lack of clay moving by rail at the present time. There has been a stark reduction in CDA movements of late. The fleet was decimated recently with a wheelset issue which, at one point, resulted in 22 wagon rakes running very sporadically. Now back to 34 (the norm for leaf fall season), we have 6G06 cancelled today with only the afternoon trip required. There may just be storage / ship issues at Fowey to explain this, but the trains have been few & far between lately. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Country Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Given the age of the CDAs, I often wonder if they are reaching the end of their useful lives and what impact the need to invest in replacement might have on clay movement in Cornwall. Nobody is building four-wheel hoppers any more and it seems unlikely anyone would finance such a specialised investment for such a limited market. There are obvious advantages to bogie wagons in terms of capacity and commonality with other modern wagon types, but it would require investment in facilities, which are set up for loading/unloading four wheelers. IMERYS would have to spend a lot on the unloading facilities at Carne Point to accommodate bogie wagons and I'm sure there would be further costs involved in adapting facilities elsewhere. I think as long as there is a china clay industry in Cornwall there will be a lot of political pressure to keep this traffic on rail as we have the rail infrastructure to move it efficiently in an area where roads are generally not well suited to heavy goods vehicles. On the other hand, I'm mindful of the loss of ball clay traffic in North Devon in the early 80s, when the traffic volume was sufficient to justify continued operation but the need for capital investment in upgrading infrastructure for heavier wagons effectively sealed the fate of the line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 7, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2013 Whilst folk are concerned (naturally) about the demise of the tanks train. I wonder if we should be equally concerned about the lack of clay moving by rail at the present time. There has been a stark reduction in CDA movements of late. The fleet was decimated recently with a wheelset issue which, at one point, resulted in 22 wagon rakes running very sporadically. Now back to 34 (the norm for leaf fall season), we have 6G06 cancelled today with only the afternoon trip required. There may just be storage / ship issues at Fowey to explain this, but the trains have been few & far between lately. Can't really say too much here, but it is my understanding that we should not be unduely concerned regarding the future of the Fowey clay flows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted November 7, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 7, 2013 The nature of the china clay industry is changing. Smaller pits and loading points have steadily vanished over the years and Craig flags a valid concern with the current sharp drop in traffic but I too have an ear to the white-stained ground above Snozzle and which is hearing enough to remain positive about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted November 7, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 7, 2013 The words "Cornwall Council" are to many a far greater insult than the two words "Ginsters Pasties". Let's not start a political bun-fight here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 As Roy Walker use to muse "Say what you see", and what I see is a little alarming. I just hope that Imerys haven't found it too convenient to use road transport to shift clay between Rocks & Fowey. Keith is bang on though - will there be an investment in new clay 4 wheel wagons to replace CDAs I wonder, or make massive alterations at Carne Point? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 7, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2013 Folks - let me re-iterate, I'm not picking up anything that suggests Imerys are about to switch wholesale to road for the Fowey traffic. And it is part of my job to know in advance if this was going to happen...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted November 7, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2013 On the other hand, I'm mindful of the loss of ball clay traffic in North Devon in the early 80s, when the traffic volume was sufficient to justify continued operation but the need for capital investment in upgrading infrastructure for heavier wagons effectively sealed the fate of the line. Sorry for going a bit off-topic here, but I thought the volumes in North Devon were actually quite small (in terms of 'modern' wagon loads compared to the old 'clayfits'), plus the route from Barnstaple to Meeth was long & only had the clay traffic once fertilizer to Torrington finished, hence 'the sums didn't add up'....? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Country Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Sorry for going a bit off-topic here, but I thought the volumes in North Devon were actually quite small (in terms of 'modern' wagon loads compared to the old 'clayfits'), plus the route from Barnstaple to Meeth was long & only had the clay traffic once fertilizer to Torrington finished, hence 'the sums didn't add up'....? My understanding was that clay loadings were considered sufficient by BR at the time to warrant continued operation with high-capacity wagons, provided a case could be made for the necessary improvements to the track, although as you say the line was long with no other traffic so the case for sorting out the infrastructure can't have been good. I'd imagine the loss of all other freight traffic on the Barnstaple line a few years later, and the end of Speedlink a few years after that probably would have finished the Meeth traffic off anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted November 7, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 7, 2013 Look at the photos in a good many books. Meeth clay trains were seldom any more than four wagons, often fewer. The clay was railed from there because the roads were so poor - narrow, steep and twisting in many places. With a railway "already there" (since the late 19th Century) it therefore made rail transport more attractive. The clay workings were sometimes combined with milk traffic improving the financial case for both somewhat. By contrast the volumes shipped from the St. Austell region are still far greater despite being a fraction of what they were. Rail economics probably still stack up as there is both sensitivity and strong opposition to increased truck volumes on the road network. The route suggested by Mickey above Distributer Road . Par Moor > Par Harbour > Haul Road > Fowey is "do-able" but overlooks the need for many more trucks to first trundle through the clay villages to access the distributor road. It is precisely those residents - some of whom work in the industry as well - who don't want large trucks rolling past their front doors every few minutes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nat37670 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Is the lack of moves at the current time not because most the current CDA fleet is out of use at St.Blazey??? There is barely one rake available for traffic meaning the current two trips to goonbarrow timetable is unobtainable as it relies on swapping an empty rake for a loaded rake at goonbarrow. With only one rake servicable 6G05 is running to Goonbarrow having to wait for its wagons to be loaded thus return as 6G08, leaving 6G06/6G07 cancelled.... As you know, current contract now has just over four years to run, after that it will surely be a struggle to keep it railbourne... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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