Garry Morris

Summer 73 Scotsman overshadows Orion at Paignton.

The final 31 on freight to Devon? Phone pic from February 2013. I just happened to be passing Plymouth station when this 31 turned up after delivering the Railvac.

At the risk of being boring. Once again the Moorswater Lafarge to Aberthaw Cement Works return empties 23.2.17. Trying to find new locations and rarely used stations!

As I recall a number of services included a GUV usually at the London end, in all likelihood this one is actually blue but extremely dirty. Many were re-bogied with B4's? for running consistently at 100mph on the Paddington line. I never saw the use of Syphons like this, maybe they were restricted to 90mph? Class 50's were permitted to 100mph, 47's to 95mph and 52's to 90mph. Having said that I have Secondmanned a Western at 106 mph!

Queens Park Sidings Paignton. 26.7.71 Summer Saturday. 804 Avenger pulls up in Platform 1 as 47 is busy arranging stock in the sidings. Happy days!

Castle Class 7001 Sir James Milne climbs past Waterside. It is the 8.55 from Newton Abbot to Kingswear but carries a reporting number, headboard and express lamps with a rather motley collection of stock. This is in preparation for the up 11.25 Torbay Express to Paddington.31.7.58

On the subject of super DMU's. I am indebted to Mike Farr for this truly superb image captured at Tiverton Junction on an idyllic summer evening. The returning 1C28 Plymouth (or Penzance)to Cardiff SO Inter-City Swindon set races through while the crew of an up stopper have time to chat up a pretty lady! This dmu diagram actually changed for one season to working to Kingswear but very few pictures exist, they were never very common in Devon. One is left pondering what is approaching on a down service?

Two known pictures exist of Pullmans in Devon. One is by Bernard Mills of a Western towing one in snow somewhere between Plymouth and Totnes. The other is one unassisted on Dawlish sea wall published in Modern Railways. Both could relate to the two workings identified.

The Blue Pullman, not blue! This set headed up by power car W60093 was an exhibit at Laira Open Day 26/9/70. There were other sets that visited for maintenance? Can anyone confirm this? 

One of the Beattie Well Tanks has been guesting on the SDR this week as part of their Branchline week. 16/2/17. Also good to see 3205 in action, one of the first locos down the line when it was saved.

The trackwork at Moorswater is actually quite uneven, noticable without the telephoto effect. I noted some replacement rails that have arrived on site so maybe some work is planned. Yesterdays load was 18 (918 tonnes?) of which 16 fit in the loop so it does create a bit of shunting around. 16 were propelled in then the last 2 which were then grouped into the two sidings in the depot. This all took well over an hour as a problem occurred with one of the wagons (presumably brakes). The engine stables overnight..I believe in Liskeard yard as its an overnighter from Westbury? Its all very leisurely. The road crossing has a constant flow of traffic surprisingly as it is a bit of a rat run in the area.

According to the Evening Herald a train was terminated at Newton Abbot with a smashed windscreen this week after a pebble hit it on the sea wall. The pebble was picked up by a wave. It is surprising that this hasn't happened more often. I remember from my Secondman days that it was a scary experience crewing a Western in heavy seas on the Dawlish stretch. Always felt those windows were just too big!

Some pictures of today's 6C35 which ran late due to overunning possession at Barry. 70807.

This is possibly the worst Class 31 misdemeanour in these parts. Not sure which loco.. An old newspaper clip from 1986. Incident 4.5.86? Aller Junction. No one was hurt.

At City Basin Box you would have had pairs on the Bitumen trains from off region?

31119 in a classic location 6.81

A personal favourite as mentioned earlier, it was the subject of my first Secondman turn. Here 31110 in Railfreight livery at Newton Abbot on the  Down Relief. 12.85 on engineering build up moves. Obviously some serious re ballasting is due looking at those Sea Lions!

This is a sad reminder of a bygone time. 31131 Aller Junction 10.82. A vdown parcels working taking the Plymouth line. The gantry still looks majestic even though it has been stripped of some of it's signals.

Mid afternoon Summer Saturday arrivals at Paignton 31210 and 31158 run round at Goodrington Yard. Not sure where they are allocated but I think it's a Liverpool to Paignton working. 5.6.78

31 294 Dawlish Warren. June 1981. I note this one has snow ploughs like the earlier one at NA on Royal. Same one I wonder? I would guess that Devon was visited by every Bath Road allocated 31 but maybe not all the OOC ones. We have covered quite a few on here already? How many went to Bristol Bath Road?

31 328 Goodrington yard. Secondman conducting the driver in reverse by the looks of it. Cheap 200mm with 3x converter! August 78.

An Ex works 31 stabled down the headshunt Exeter St Davids 31 286 18.5.74 having been engaged on a class 8 train heading into the Western Region which is interesting, Out shopped Stratford?

My version of #475. 31170 with the Barnstaple loco hauled stock. June 81. 

Given that it is at platform 4 The tarpaulined wagon could have originated from Newcourt and is being tripped to Riverside.