winterbournecm

Hi - Yes it was 6C17 Westbury to Moorswater.

It was a gem of the block regulations - i.e. running a train around between two signalboxes. I wont go into bell codes etc for obvious reasons, but here goes the basics of it. 1. the train is sent around to St Blazey's home signal and the loco cuts off - leaving the train still between Par ^& St Blazey. 2. The loco is sent LE back to Par. 3. The train is "drawn back" back to Par and onward to Lostwithiel leaving the section clear of any vehicles. This was when the train was Cargowaggons & PCA's. I hope this answers your question. Oops sorry Captain - we hit send button a minute apart. They well may have used the DM as well for a slightly shorter consist.

Hi guys - found this one of 669 shunting in the yard - thought you may like it. Sorry if you already have it.

Flood tipped me off about this thread: There used to be a yellow road shunter at Hayle Wharves years ago. it was used to shunt the oil tankers into the ESSO terminal at Hayle. The train would arrive and shunt the oil tankers into position, and take away the spent ones. There was no run-round facility there, and no resident railway shunter. The terminal required a back-shunt into it, so the tractor would couple to the tankers, complete with buffers from memory and perform this task. I guess a couping was required with dangerous goods. The area was flat so no hazard from a runaway, though the wharves were rails on tarmac / grit so you could "race" the shunting on our bikes! The ICI octel plant was reachable with a train loco so guess that shunted the chemical tanks, but the tractor may have done this also back in the day. I dont have pictures, and to be fair the tractor shunting only took place when there were no train movements, but my friend Roger Winnen may have a photo somewhere. I'll make some enquiries.

Many thanks - the wagons are transfesa 4 wheelers. They have no manufacturer on them, but I think they're from Electrotrain or Howes. I got them from E Bay - look for VTG in a search. They're Spanish four wheelers, not like our bogie wagons, but look OK in a steel train.

Decided to add some new flows to the layout, timber from Mount Charles yard and a bi-hourly Manchester service with air cons as I have so many ETS class 47s stood spare! The first Manchester departure was a deputation of Class 37/4s as 47593 developed an AWS fault and returned to shed!

Although the freight traffic may have died down in recent years. Par resembled the wild west with three departures for St Blazey at 12.13, 1220 & 12.31! The branch service was first formed of "all the threes" 153333 in rather fetching LM green livery. That was closely followed by 6G07 Fowey to Goonbarrow with 66127 hauling 38 empty CDA wagons. Next over was 6C40 with 11 JIA polybulks from Burngullow with 66112 which required to run around at Par. I will upload some pictures later of the movements. It was a bit busy for a while with 1C04 down HST and 2A64 the Up local stopping train too. Edited for photo adding... Heres the 153 in question: Then the freight arrived from Burngullow whilst the HST stood in the down platform: The class 66 then ran round once the down platform was clear, and attached to the rear of its train whilst the CDAs ran onto the branch and waited for the Class 153 to clear Goonbarrow: Once the CDAs had departed, the freight pushed back and headed off the St Blazey itself. A busy 40 mins!

50003 with a black roof....

It's strange casting my mind back now - but the Countys clay locos were quite often pulled from their duties to help out on the main line. Class 37s on passenger workings weren't common in Cornwall, and assists were the best chance of getting some "nose" action. With only one class 66 CDA local worker and one other 66 around from Wednesday morning to Friday evening - the cupboard is pretty bare. It's likely that DBS would want their loco back once the main line was cleared too. The 57 from the night sleepers has been scrambled a few times to assist an errant HST - though usually from Penzance rather than in section. A lot of times there arent spare Drivers around to help out. The re engined HSTs seem to cope quite well on one power car - Perhaps paul could confirm this. This dependent on the time of year, weather and condition of the working power car of course.

That gert bar I should imagine Debs! They'm just seem to be working out how to ook'n on.

Have been digging around in some old albums and found this shot of 37196 assisting a failed HST at Par in 1985, not long after the loco was painted into railfreight grey and carried the Cornish Railways head board. There is quite a gathering around the coupling area.

Today on BZ. DRS 37604 on overnight branch duties with DBSO at the other end.

A bit of messing about with a steel train at Mount Charles with recent arrival 37506 & 37429 in construction livery.

Looks great Damian. It was nice to have a couple of 37/4s around to break the usual suspect 669 - 675. Looking back - we were a bit standardised with tractors until all hell broke loose in the late nineties when the sectors were disbanded. I saw a super shot today on the book that is face of 37047 in engineers blue with blacked out headcodes passing Pontsmill with a train of CDA's. I'll try and get permission to use it here. It was startling to see 37s with block headcodes regularly in Cornwall. In blue & yellow days they were rare as hens teeth. 37089 was sent down for a while in 1983/4 but other than 37024 working the York - Penzance relief in June 1985 - they were rare indeed. I also remember a 37/7 making it down and there were tuts all round when she started wandering onto line way over the RA limit.

The layout and one of two class 50 departures and hour ready to depart with the xx.40 to Oxford this is 6 NSE coaches. The xx.10 is to Paddington 6 air cons in the classic first class at the Padd end, buffet and seconds on the rear. The loco off the inward Oxford usually makes the following hours Padd loco and vice versa. Though sometimes an A exam is required and a Class 47 intervenes, just the makes the basher's day worthwhile. Depends what mood I'm in This day the system must have gone slightly awry!

Yes I believe they were the ones mate. I dont know why they're being demolished, I cant see that the land there is particularly desirable!! Just thought I'd grab some photos before they're gone.

Hi Mickey - yes "Spit beach" by the timber merchants.

I've been out to take some pictures of an old style clay dry being demolished near Par Harbour and thought they may be of interest to anyone planning to model one in the future. This one is just West of Par by the Par Harbour road (Par Moor). The building is in the process of being taken down.

Looking great. How many lamps will your Guagemaster run mate? I've got an old Duette wheezing and cutting out running mine. Though there are quite a few now. I have three separate "sections". I may need something with an extra UMPH!

Hi - yes both token catchers are at St Blazey & Goonbarrow. Though we only use the hoops for the freight trains, not units, voyagers or HST's. Here is the Goonbarrow one with a Cross Country HST stood waiting for an Up banch train in June 2011. You can just spot the St Blazey catcher to the far left with the post exactly in line with the section signal (with the distant under it). I'll get a better shot next time I'm there.

Some pictures taken recently, no real updates just for the heck of it! Two class 108s on the BB branch during the morning peak. The Postal has been backed into the carriage sidings on top. Inter-city liveried 37428 at Mount Charles 37142 waits for a freight departure in the holding sidings

That was a surprise to us too. That train with an Exeter crew could throw anything on a Sunday. I have pictures on the webs ite of 142s at Penzance. That was the only 158 I've seen since the end of Wessex.

The 03.00 parcels stock used to stable in Old Bank at Ponsondane. The train was propelled into the siding beside the heliport and retreived later that morning. The loco would hang around in Sea sidings, though I remember the postal engines returning to Laira up to 1994 each morning. I'm not sure of the date that Long Rock / Ponsondane was no longer used to stable the RES / TPO tarffic. From memory - I think the midday parcels finished towards the end of 1994. I dont think St Blazey was used to stable Parcel traffic until after the period you're modelling - but I could be wrong. I have my experts going through their diaries as we speak.