Garry Morris

DMU in the Landscape

Taken on the same day as the last one a DMU wends it's way down Dainton bank towards Aller Junction. I have no notes to go with this but there were regular ecs moves of DMUs to and from Laira, this may be one of them.

South Devon 

If I had to pick a location in Devon for railway photography this one would be near the top. The perfect elevation, plenty of prep time, power on, a good portion of  the train in view and the unmistakable small South Devon periglacial hills as a backdrop. This is Stoneycombe very near to the headshunt buffer stop of the quarry sidings in the days of more relaxed H&S. Now one would probably be on CCT or deemed to be in imminent danger of flying rocks but back then we had common sense and a sense of survival! I think that this is the second incarnation of BR livery on the coaching stock...Inter - City? 43189 heading the down Cornish Riviera 9th August 1985. A Laira machine? I would guess that the HST power cars will break most records in their lives. Surely some will have been allocated to Laira for 40 years maybe this is one. 

Sticking with DMU's. One of the HST prototype power cars at Laira Open Day September 1985. Designated Class 41 I believe, but Laira staff would know a real class 41 if they saw one! I'm not sure if this classification was an oversight as I can't recall any other duplication of class designation. A generation will mourn the HST when it is gone; the last of the proper sized diesel engines! One of the prototypes has been restored. Not sure which one this is,or if it is the survivor. Laira open days were very popular. Will we ever see another one?

Keeping with the dmu theme. Not Devon, but it is in the background! A Santa Special to Gunnislake enters Calstock 13.12.87. The rear unit is the yellow Telecom unit of the day. The Gunnislake line mostly sees 2 car units these days. It is rumoured that we are about to get some experimental converted tube stock, operating on the line. I don't wish to cast aspersions but at face value I can only see it as a downgrade! I believe that the journey onward from Calstock to Gunnislake is the slowest timetabled journey in the country and also within the bounds of the most expensive. A first class return to Thurso used to cost over a thousand pounds according to the press two years ago - there is ironically no first class accommodation on the current trains that work the branch! When asked about it the railway company didn't seem bothered as no-one had ever bought one! It is a tortuous climb up to Gunnislake with stops at ungated crossings around a horseshoe bend to gain height, definitely worth a trip but there is not much but a view when you arrive at the terminus unless you are a walker.

I have used them plenty of times over the years. In the early 1960s we had no family car so trips to the seaside at Exmouth,

Dawlish Warren or Paignton etc were made on these units. I well remember that everything seemed to rattle including windows and ashtrays, and it was great fun if you could get a seat behind the driver,

 

cheers 

I took the shot of the 118s coupled because I remember as a child always wanting to sit behind the back cab of the leading dmu when in this formation to watch the other dmu bouncing and swaying as we went along! This could be quite alarming if we had awaited a connection at Newton Abbot and made a spirited departure over the pointwork at the South end of the station heading for Paignton. There was also a regular race to Aller Junction against aforementioned connection which was always entertaining. I too remember the ashtrays, often with a screw missiing and windows that frankly needed oven cleaner. There was also unbearable heat if the heating was on and a blue pall of fumes in some dmu cars, but nothing could beat the smooth and relatively quiet ride in the centre car of a three car set!. 

Hybrid DMU? P470. I believe that plain blue livery meant Suburban and Blue/Grey meant Cross Country. Sadly the scissors crossover has since been rationalised. The demise of the early morning newspaper vans train probably signaled the end as it always unloaded on the down platform before running round and departing back up the branch.

Thanks. Bolder colours and more contrast. I scan slides in and I can adjust colours but I think more practice is needed!

I underestimated the amount of traffic from Ernesettle. Also on checking I see that Ambrosia rice at Lydford used short wheelbase container wagons. Thanks for the link. I wonder if nuclear warheads are stored under the hill?

This was a cheap ebay purchase in very poor condition. 'D6336 Plymouth' was all the information given. At a guess I think it's taken from the Tamar Bridge. The headcode is 6C18. In the background to the right is the line of the narrow gauge armaments storage railway? A line which has very little photographic evidence. I am puzzled as to where on the old SR line would produce 11 vent vans for a trip working? Lydford perhaps? The up line looks to be in very good fettle with concrete sleepers. Confusingly when the line closed beyond Bere Alston and before the track was singled the up line became the down line and vice versa - a signalman's nightmare! I am not good with colours but if anyone can do better with this please do, it's a rare location and a nicely framed shot which deserves a wider audience.

No 'Devon Diesel Record' would be complete without showing some of the native DMU's. Not sure what class these are but I notice they have different buffer styles.

I know nothing about these things! They weren't in the ABC!

45139 (D109) 19.8.83 on the the 09.50 Manchester to Paignton SO passing Kingskerswell. Spotters of the day will know that Peak in the early 100's numbering were notoriously difficult to collect  in the Westcountry. Not sure if the new road to Torquay blights this view now. Kingskerswell survived Beeching and closed just after; must have been second thoughts and no opposition. Some very nice bullhead rail and detail of how to model vegetation on a disused platform!

Prices are very volatile. I picked up a class 22 slide last year for £40 which had previously exchanged hands for £205. Maybe now is the time to sell again!The picture was used for a book cover so I don't know if that makes it more valuable?

An ebay purchase. No information at all but a scene from when life was less cluttered? Probably early 1960's before the Hymeks left the area. Maroon coaching stock with destination boards so probably a portion to be attached at Newton Abbot. Branchline headcode. What happened to Cadets?.The staff building (nearest) has since been demolished along with the Regent Cinema and I guess the electrified gas lamp has gone along with the red telephone boxes. Compare with the last picture, there may be other details. I like the porters bike next to GWR spear fencing!

The last shot of the Cornish Riv. is a classic. Perfectly composed, stands up well against the likes of Ivo Peters and Eric Treacy. Thanks for sharing.

D6334 is in Dawlish yard and I can confirm that it is an Exe Rail shot. I was granted permission to publish it in Traction magazine for my article on Class 22s a couple of years ago and they were very happy to be acknowledged.

How it was! Not a 45 but the original named 46. There is a big 45 sign in the picture though as The Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry 46022 (D163) rolls out of Okehampton with a ballast train from Meldon (Feb or March 1980). Quality poor. I think it was a long lens hand held on a cold day in Okehampton light plus any other excuses that you can think of! Mermaids?

Sorry don't know its movements.

The first Class 26 in Devon is guesting on the SDR Diesel Gala Weekend. A good crowd given the stormy conditions this morning.An excellent choice for a visiting loco.which has proved very popular..

Should be possible to track down the working. The only train to have the buffet car positioned at the end of the train was a Cardiff or btm to pz wasn't it?

t it?

Maybe I've missed it already posted but is everyone aware that an hst is due up the branch this Saturday 10th Oct on a Buckfastleigh fill in tour?

A green Power Car was heading for Laira this afternoon on the A38.No numbers or branding applied.

I was very fortunate to find this picture of 4A64 on ebay with unopposed bidding. Photos of this service in Devon are extremely rare. The short lived Par to Park Royal freightliner ran from 18 May 1968 to July 31st 1970 and was a class 47 turn but some of the early airbraked Westerns did work it on occassions. Southbound it was an overnight service (never seen any pictures) but Northbound was an afternoon departure from Par. D1652 works the train through Teignmouth here (18/8/69) never fully loaded hence its short life. The same loco sometimes worked the service for the whole week but usually something happened to upset the roster. Given that Falmouth is the third largest, deepest, natural harbour in the world, it always dissappointed me that a large container terminal was never developed (gaining an earlier arrival in the capital than going up the channel to Southampton) but I was once told that Hemerdon and Dainton precluded such a scheme. Thankyou Mr Brunel! Whos atmospheric experiments gave us 1 in 37's on our mainline! There were a couple of photos of this train that appeared in Modern Railways and there is one on Flikr (Dave Mitchel) mistaken as a Motorail (I have corrected!) but apart from that I once photographed Western Musketeer on it in Somerset and Brian Mills reckons He captured it at Brent once. Would be good to find more photographs of this service. 

Hymek heads for Kingswear. Sorry about the colour. Just can't get it right.

Returning to the topic of livery. The new colour is functional rather than showy. It is cheap to maintain to a high standard and is a recognisable brand colour. It is designed specifically for its purpose. FGW are operating at or near full capacity and gaining further passengers through flashy livery applications will create problems of overcrowding.The company is trying to solve this overcrowding by buying bigger trains and creating more seats plus abolishing catering on the London route thus saving on a catering vehicle. They are unable to control numbers by economic means and put up fares so dumbing down is their chosen option. Plymouth and Cornwall have no motorway or airport to compete with mass travel. FGW have done their homework on this and long term they need to hold useage to manageable levels. Some London bound HSTs are pretty unbearable with overcrowding.The plain livery is entirely appropriate they don't have to sell themselves on livery.