Garry Morris

Class 73's have very rarely if ever ventured west of Exeter. They have turned up on Waterloo services from time to time and occasionally inspection type trains and I would imagine have worked infrastructure to Exmouth Junction or Riverside. Pictures of them are extremely rare in Devon. 19.6.93 saw one of the best Diesel Galas ever held with an incredibly diverse range of traction. A pair of 73's took part - 73109 and 73101 on the line to Kingswear. This picture would make a good Jigsaw puzzle! Spot the 73's!

Thankyou for the info. Are the 73/1 only 650hp on diesel? If so it's not surprising given a load of 500tons or thereabouts that they expired. According to real-time they made excellent progress until giving up! I have heard that a following service train was reversed back into Newton Abbot when the line became blocked. Don't know if this was true though.

The errant Class 73107+73128 safely into Goodrington Yard with fire bells ringing and fire truck in background just to be sure! 73962/963 on the other end may look the same but that's where it ends.. These are state of the art and accelerated 12 coaches plus two dead 73s on the home run up the steep gradient out of Paignton with ease!

UK Railtours ran a trip from Waterloo to Paignton on Saturday 16/07/16 called 'The Herd Of Wildebeeste' bringing 4X73's to the resort. There is safety in numbers! By the time it arrived at Paignton both leading locos had failed. The first before the trip began so it started from Basingstoke. The other at Kingskerswell neccesitating a 20mph push to get to Paignton and a fire safety check at Goodrington. All credit to the operators; it returned to Waterloo on time with the very modern 73/9s on the front!

The P&DR disposed of the beloved 4588 partly due to it being underpowered. 5542 of the same class was then hired in.  Not as powerful as the 2-8-0s that normally work the line, however here we see it take a load of 9 (normally 7) up Goodrington bank with only 2 small slips on a wet rail! 

One of the most easily recognisable liveries currently about in Devon and Cornwall is on 153325 seen here forming the tail end of a Paignton to Exmouth service. (09.07.16)

#46 Thanks Nathan for going where no camera has gone before! And for braving the elements! Great picture.

#41 Like parking your shiny new Jaguar in a muddy carpark!

Yes as far as I know.

66564 at Moorswater 18.05.06. Delivering cement, backing into the sidings.

It is rumoured that traffic will resume to Moorswater on 28th June 2016. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I thought it might be useful to have a thread dedicated to this traffic as it is likely to attract a lot of attention. We haven't seen any traffic on the line beyond Coombe Junction for a few years now. I hope the weedkiller has been down there!

A big thankyou for managing to save Goodrington Yard. I have seen the gradual erosion of sidings over the years with sadness. It survived the development of the blocks of flats but has since then lost the two long sidings by the wall and a headhunt. Maybe one day the scissors crossover at the entrance to Paignton will return. Operations at Paignton are a bit hit and miss without the flexibility of up departures from platform one. I think there will be further airdays, so well done for the foresight.

Another comparison shot. Goodrington Yard 23.07.83 @08.30.

Left to right 45114(D94) for Glasgow, Unidentified Class 50 on the Manchester, 50005 on a Paddington and 50043 on a Birmingham service. Behind is stabled 45130(D117) as standby loco and in the far distance sidings beside Goodrington Sands Halt is 45005(D79) on a Leeds service. Even by 1983 it was rare to see the yard full. Surprisingly few pictures emerge of Goodrington Yard busy particularly from the steam era.

Not a name that trips off the tongue easily! 43087 at Goodrington. 

An interesting comparison with #6. Lydham Manor c1983 from the same location.

Goodrington Yard 11.06.16 @12.30. The first time I've seen it full for many years. The air display creating additional local services. On the left XC HST 433321 ready to work the 1S51 12.35  Paignton to Glasgow Central. Next to it is 1A84 13.07  Paignton to Paddington. Third from left is 153361 and the GW green unit on a local working and on the far right 143611 heading up a pair of 143's on another local working. Platform 1 at Paignton needed to be clear for the arrival of the Woking to Kingswear steam charter. This combination of events is unique and I can't recall a full yard since single diesel hauled services ceased. Two loops (on the right) were changed to sidings a few years ago. A train can be stored on the run round loop, maybe one day will see 5 trains in the yard again.  

GWR meets GWR!

Spare loco for 'The Dartmouth Express' 11.06.16 is 47760 attached to the back. ( D1617). Seen here shut down deadweight on the down train. The Westcountry Pacific on the front breezed up the bank without a slip on dry rail with a good crew - there is history with these locos! With West Coast Rail this 47 is no stranger to these parts but it was a rare 'cop' in the 60's-90's in its various guises. I note that there are plenty of photographers on the Coast Path.

The turntable at Churston has perhaps turned more preserved locomotives than any other. It is currently the most Westerly one working (St Blazey is out of order). Buckfastleigh having secured one has rather shortsightedly sold it! This leaves the Laira Triangle and the Norton Fitzwarren Triangle plus Minehead  turntable.

Some more shots of the Westcountry. I am not sure what to make of renamings even on a temporary basis but the GWR did it extensively with the Castles so it's nothing new. A more authentic look without any headboard. I had permission from the duty stationmaster to use the disused platform at Goodrington Sands Halt. Thankyou to the T&DR. It used to be a lovely little station, architecturally akin to a London Underground station; being placed on an overbridge and tiled.

34052 Lord Dowding (Braunton) digging in for the assault on Goodrington bank with 'The Dartmouth Express' (11.06.16)

The 68s remind me of early attempts at airfix kits. Melted plastic out of shape!

Bustling Newton Abbot today with another soon to disappear piece of traction in the shape of 143's along with 'The Red Arrows'. Today's visit was the most fun you can have on 20 minutes free parking! At least seven trains came through. 

The up 'Torbay Express' 4/6/16 echoed the halcyon days as best it could! Worth recording as It won't be long until some lament this kind of diversity!

43187/43188?

Today saw the 'Northern Belle' Pullman set enter the South West. Following a trial run of  68016 to Penzance recently both 68016 'Hornet' and 68017 'Fearless' worked todays tour. Here it is powering through Newton Abbot with 016 on the back. I am not sure what the earlier trip to Penzance was for (certainly not gauging and I wouldn't think route learning either?). A touch of the Summer Saturdays was found at Newton Abbot as this train was held for an up Paignton to Exmouth to cross in front of it which had arrived in the Down Relief platform (Platform 1) from Paignton to make way for the up Torbay Express which I believe had followed it. This was good  for the observer as it was on full power in this shot, only noticeable by the shimmering background! The following down service was 7 minutes late as a result. These days Newton Abbot is inadequate at times with only three platforms.