Shepherds

[devondynosoar118]

Great spot to model. That weigh bridge hut looks like a prime candidate for dismantling and putting up in ome ones garden...,

[Stubby47]

Shepherds Environs - Research Trip

 

To the south west of Shepherds station is the hamlet of Little Lanteague. Just before the line reaches here, it passes under a fairly substantial bridge.

 

The construction, of brick & stone is quite interesting. Each of the walls either side of the arch is actually built as a buttress, rather than a vertial plane.

This view of the western side shows various styles of stone brick used, also the difference in colours of the stone work. The buttresses walls can be seen in a darker stone, though this might be due to the slight angle attracting more weathering.

 

 

However, what has intrigued me most is the style of this bridge is very similar to that on the Treamble branch at Rejerrah. The Treamble branch was run by the Cornwall Mineral Railway, from about 1849, and the line from Perranporth to Shepherds wasn't opened until 1905. So to find two bridges, albeit only a couple of miles apart but almost identically constructed by two different railway companies up to 50 years apart, I think needs further investigation.

 

Bridge at Rejerrah

 

 

Just to the north east of Shepherds the line passes the village of Fiddlers Green. Again, the railway passes under the road, but this bridge is built in a totally different way. The main span is held up by a substantial steel girder, although the parapet is again stone.

 

 

 

 

That's about it for the site visit research, so far, although I have several more photos of each bridge and of the station ( or where the station was). If there is anything you'd like more detail on, please ask.

[ullypug]

The Vaughan books on the Newquay Branch and its Branches and the Cornwall Byways have both got some interesting photos. The Maurice Dart Middleton Press book also had some shots of the Treamble terminus as I recall. There's also the Oakwood Press book too. Good luck with the project.

[buffalo]

...Just to the north east of Shepherds the line passes the village of Fiddlers Green. Again, the railway passes under the road, but this bridge is built in a totally different way. The main span is held up by a substantial steel girder, although the parapet is again stone...

 

From its appearance, it's quite possible that brickwork is a later insertion. Perhaps the bridge was originally of similar form to the others, but later altered for some reason to the girder form.

 

As with the dates of the other bridges, it looks like more research is needed. Documentary sources, maps, ...

 

Nick

[Stubby47]

Andrew, I have the Maurice Dart book, but will need to source the Vaughan ones - thanks.

 

Nick, I think you are correct about the bridge being re-built - it might have been a hump-back style which was altered to flatten the road access.

 

 

Meanwhile, whilst obtaining permission for wandering around the station site, I was informed that this fence originally ran along the platform (it's now at right angles across the trackbed). What I'm interested in is the second panel of spikes - why is the top curved ? Is it a feature panel, or was there a common reason for including a panel of this style ?

 

[shortliner]

Stubby - re the joining bridges to the fiddle yards - I saw a post on here yesterday saying that PECO will supply the base/track section only of their locolifts for something like £7 each - needless to say I can't find it again! - but it may be a solution to your joining problem

Looks like a fun layout

Jack

[cary hill]

Andrew, I have the Maurice Dart book, but will need to source the Vaughan ones - thanks.

 

Meanwhile, whilst obtaining permission for wandering around the station site, I was informed that this fence originally ran along the platform (it's now at right angles across the trackbed). What I'm interested in is the second panel of spikes - why is the top curved ? Is it a feature panel, or was there a common reason for including a panel of this style ?

 

 

Perhaps the curved panel was the one used to support the station flower, fruit and veg patch, or was originally at right angles to the other panels forming part of the passenger access to the platforms and has been re-rected out of sequence.(Only guessing)

 

I would also recommend the two Vaughan books, more for the informative text than the photographs, - "Cornwall - Branches and Byways" covers the Chacewater to Newquay Branch including Treamble and Gravel Hill on pp205-215 - only one pic of Shepherds however, but it redeems itself with a very rare shot of a short train on the Treamble branch(another C.Benney collection item) and some notes on the Treamble branch which suggest that the 14 wagon capacity private siding at the terminus was more than adequate. There are also reproductions of the 1938 Bradshaw and 1958 BR timetables.

 

"The Newquay Branch and its Branches" covers Chacewater to Newquay and Treamble on pp164-175 - only 3 photographs - one of which is the same one as used in the other book(!) and another one is post closure(1989). There is a reproduction of the notice re the GWR re-opening of theTreamble branch,Shepherds in 1926

[steve1]

More memories - No footbridge, just a barrow crossing at the Newquay end of the station. Reasonably sure I can remember seeing a Small Prairie through the station.

 

steve

[Stubby47]

From all the photos I can find I'd have to agree with the location of the barrow crossing.

 

The Middleton Press book "Branch lines to Newquay" has several photos along this part of the line showing Prairies - 5562 at Mounte Hawke Halt and St Agnes; 4588, 5546 & 5539 at Perranporth; and I have a photo of 5600 passing through Shepherds, over the barrow crossing towards Newquay.

 

Oh, for a time machine...

[cary hill]

Just looked at my copy of "Branch lines to Newquay" and, with reference to the two Vaughan books with the duplicated Shepherds photograph, this is the same photograph as No.93 in the Middleton Press book i.e the double-page spread of Shepherds with treeline on the "horizon".

 

Wondered why they seemed vaguely familiar.

 

Looks as if 63XX locos are no problem from pic 77 of 5562 in "trouble".

[RailWest]

>>>"The east side parapet, shown above, has a white painted square positioned about halfway across. See inset picture. The lettering isn't clear - does anyone know what it means...."

 

It looks very much like the sort of markings put on bridges for railway identification purposes, which suggests that it might still be the responsibility of whatever the BR Residual Property Board (?) is now known as.

[Jack00]

I wonder what state mount hawke halt is in... Overgrown jungle or concrete flats?

 

It would be great to photograph dapols new 22 hauling a scrap train, then photograph it at shephards as it 'makes it's way' to tolcarne Junc.

Although I think the rails were lifted at the tolcarne end first whilst making their way to shepherds, perranporth the smaller halts and eventually aggie and onto blackwater.

 

Jack.

[Stubby47]

Jack, a quick check of the Cornwall Railway Gallery website, the scrapping seems to have been from Perranporth towards Tolcarne, at least through Shepherds.

 

Railwest, thanks for the info, I'll try to trace the details.

[Jack00]

Ah yes I'm corrected, I think the 'Dell' is the old perranporth halt?

 

Those pictures on cornwall railway society are like hens teeth!

 

Jack.

[Stubby47]

I also think the Mount Hawke Halt is completely filled in, there appears to be nothing left when using Google Street View.

[rcf]

I also think the Mount Hawke Halt is completely filled in, there appears to be nothing left when using Google Street View.

 

Yes Stu it was filled in years ago, I seem to recall some involvement on my part!

 

Rob

[Stubby47]

Rob, do you know why it was filled in ?

[rcf]

Rob, do you know why it was filled in ?

You're asking me to recall things from my past now which are all abit of a blur but I think it was the old dual purpose of reclamation and somewhere to tip spoil, not refuse. I haven't been that way for a while but I think it was used as a yard area for an adjoining property.

[Stubby47]

I've been pottering about in Anyrail...

 

Baseboard is 10ft x 2ft.

 

[Captain Kernow]

>>>"The east side parapet, shown above, has a white painted square positioned about halfway across. See inset picture. The lettering isn't clear - does anyone know what it means...."

 

It looks very much like the sort of markings put on bridges for railway identification purposes, which suggests that it might still be the responsibility of whatever the BR Residual Property Board (?) is now known as.

It is almost certainly an Engineers Line Reference (ELR) marking, which shows which line it was/is on as a three-letter code, plus the mileage of the actual bridge. You'll still find these on old bridges where the residual railway property authority has responsibility for maintenance. Other examples of code are 'MLN' = main line (Paddington to Penzance via Box), SAD (Somerset and Dorset) - rather apposite, I think... or, TOR (Torbay line) between Newton Abbot West Jct (used to be Aller Jct) and Goodrington Yard.

[gwrrob]

Nice label here Stubby on ebay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Great-Western-Railway-Luggage-Label-SHEPHERDS-TO-/330926547921?pt=UK_Collectables_Railwayana_RL&hash=item4d0cc263d1

[Stubby47]

Robin, thanks for the link, I would imagine labels from Shepherds would be very rare.

[The Stationmaster]

Nice label here Stubby on ebay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Great-Western-Railway-Luggage-Label-SHEPHERDS-TO-/330926547921?pt=UK_Collectables_Railwayana_RL&hash=item4d0cc263d1

Crikey - so at that rate the book of mounted labels I am putting to auction ought to raise about 400 quid although allowing for nearly 300 being Pre-Group they might do even better, I shall have to increase the estimate figure.  (And all I'm doing is getting shot of the LNER and LMS Groups stuff.)