winterbournecm

OK - leave it with me buddy. I've been busy lately decorating the house and been helping out in Panto land with St Blazey AOS. So hope to get out in the garage shortly.

Well - first update of 2016: Jan 30th / 31st: Engineers possession Par - Truro. 6 or more trains are working in the blockade to relay near Trenance. Some of the trains will be going to Penzance to run around as there is porecious time to accomplish this at Truro between the branch & terminating shuttles. No firm info yet, but all three FOCs Colas / FLHH & DBS expected to make an appearance. April 23rd - heard on Radio Cornwall that the Belmont VSOE doing the Truro / St Austell pick ups again over the weekend

As usual I will "trying" to stay out of the speculation and forecasts for our beloved Duchy, and keep to the facts and actual workings. Please note we have to stay out of expressing opinions on such things. As Mike alludes to in his post, the scene is a changing one week to week. Here's some January images to warm the cockles of your heart. We've seen some brightness for a change - not like the miserable end to 2015. 66199 with the JIAs at Carlyon Bay & Burngullow 66151 with the CDAs at Treverrin Occupation bridge & Lavrean 12th / 13th Jan - perhaps just outside the County! 37688 with 3Q91 Network Rail Ultrasonic test train on the Tamar Valley line. Due to class 37/6 restrictions, the train did not make it to Gunnislake. Bere Alston St Budeaux Victoria Rd And from 13th Jan, 70803 at Coombe with a light loco move and 1A83 just before it.

Dont hold your breath!

It could have been worse...

Goodness - I've not put an update on since May. The layout is all but complete - but still have running sessions. An eclectic mix of traction in the holding sidings for onward freight workings. A spick and span 25083 is the loco working the Inspection saloon around the District. A gathering of blue 47/4s litter the arrivals. 47535 nearest the camera on the Bradford (normally a class 45/1 turn) 47560 platform 2 with the Manchester Arrival 47508 unusually on the Oxford plat 1. Class 108 at Bishop's Brondescombe. The blue & grey set driver may have a please explain waiting for him! New arrival Bachmann's class 43 Warship 842 Royal Oak working the milk. Hurrah for the correct BR blue at last on their diesels.

No Jock. I work as Mobile Operations Manager, and Signaller in Cornwall. I was called out to this incident. 50% of my photos are taken whilst on duty!

Some action from the past few days: A Nissan Mini bus crashed on to the Um line cess at Penstraze near Chacewater. The industry was fortunate that it happened on a Sunday morning, and didnt land 6 inches to the left. The Driver "ran away" from the site and was later arrested for a string of offences. I allowed trains to pass - though it was a squeeze. SLW over the Down from St Erth to Truro would have been challenging. Mon 7th saw two class 143s reach Penzance on two occasions. These ran as a result of the Newton Abbot power problems. Seen here as 2P86 at Gover Later at Penzance with 2C47 / 2E88 return

I'll be glad to see the end of Nov 2015. No glorious Autumn full sun shots to be had anywhere. Wall to wall cloud and rain all month. There was a fine morning but all I could manage was a glint shot from Liskeard box. A brief burst of sunshine the other afternoon 37603 at Penzance after working 3Q91 overnight Wed / Thurs night. Also shown is Colas rail 60047 at BZ yesterday 28th Nov. The first visit of 047 to Cornwall, and 076 visited on the same day - though an evening at the St Austell brewery beer festival put paid to any train pictures!

November 2015 will be remembered as the gloomiest month since I got the camera in 2012. Still, this early morning scene at St Blazey was worth capturing as the first fingers of day light broke the darkness and the crew were getting 6P07 formed up in the yard.

To be honest Trevor, you've taken some nice shots there where the sun never comes around this time of year. Treffry does look better without the sun as it doesn't get high enough into the railway so you end up with a highly lit tree canopy & train in shade. Here's some interesting news about the Luxulyan valley too! http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news-room/media-releases/news-from-2015/news-from-october-2015/successful-heritage-lottery-fund-bid-to-support-luxulyan-valley-heritage-restoration-project/ Golant is impossible to illuminate the front of a Lostwithiel bound loco with the current timetable. The results of shots like these in B&W is also quite powerful, lovely textures in the leaf colour etc...

Some definite Autumn weather now. Here's 66847 that came down to take to RailVac to Burngullow. It was cancelled that day, but came down on Thursday to move to machine forward. Also grabbed a seasonal shot at St Germans at the NACCOs ran unusually on a Friday.

There's a schedule in for a Monday 13.20 Lostwithiel to Burngullow Rail Vac move.

Alas, not a class 37, but a shiny 70804 looking rather super. Some recent pictures taken in simply glorious light. The day before down the line at Milltown Some other recent RHTT pictures And finally, sunset at Long Rock just before our own mobile hotel started the slow journey into Penzance propelled by 57604

Late afternoon sun at Golant in Oct 2015 66061 / 138 ready for action at BZ 5Z40 Long Rock to Laira sweeps Eastward by the recently harvested fields at Grampound. Thanks to the farmer for allowing me a visit. Note how the green GWR livery is lost against the green hedge behind the train. An all green train would practically vanish here, thankfully the stubble in the fields and rusty leaves still have an Autumn look to them. 57602 leads 57303 - a livery combination that wont be around for ever. 66138 heads back to BZ at Par

A day down west and some stunning sunshine, so the camera came along with me. The down 1C99 crossing Angarrack. Very different scenery and train livery wise to my last visit! A super little embankment east of Hayle with GWR units scuttling passed. The church at Phillack is visible in the background. A the reason for the visit, Towan crossing above Porthkidney sands, dodging the golf balls! Shutter speed 1/1000 for the truly superb light.

A stunning September 26th saw a variety of Traction in Cornwall. From class 33 to 70! The Diesel Gala saw the fleet in action. I caught 33110 at Walkers estate with the 11.35 from General. Out on the mainline, two Colas trains added some orange & Yellow to accompany the Autumnal hues making their presence. I got bowled by the one CLOUD around in the Glynn Valley, but snapped 804 on the second train back at St Blazey. 70803 snakes the first train down along passed Penkestle Woods, near Bodmin Parkway. A HST just before. Back at St Pinnock two GWR services (that sounds good!!) Finally back at BZ with the sun positioned perfectly

A super, colourful Colas weekend. Week 25 and the first of 3 weekends blockade Largin to Par. Trains terminated at Liskeard & Par and buses in between. The main worksites were Milltown & Penadlake. $ trains in action all powered by Colas class 70s and a rather special class 60. 60096 was the last withdrawn DBS class 60 stored at St Blazey. Its transformation is truly remarkable. Pictures taken on 12th / 13th Sep whilst on duty

For Sat 12th. The empty sleeper is now 09.40 ex Long Rock. The two Colas trains should still be due past Par at 13.30 and 14.30 - but track their progress on RTT is my advice.

Yes two Colas working though Par 13.20 & 14.35 Saturday bound for BZ, and the Sleepers ECS up around 4pm too. Should an interesting late turn in the box!!

And yer tiz heading west 57604 stopped near Doublebois with fire bells sounding. The train limped onto Par where two pwer cars were attached to the now detrained rake & errant loco. The set left Par at 09.58 as is pictured heading West to Long Rock at Crugwallins West of Burngullow.

A set of pictures from a few of the nice days in August - outweighed by the days of appalling weather. 66078 on the Treviscoe clays A piece of fortune or rotten luck at Gover? The former trackbed in Drinninck wharf The twins on the St Ives branch at Lelant A Sunday morning shot of 1S59 at St Blazey. The CDAs on the left are due to be cut up soon. Finally, a typical scene of late. FGW class 57s in trouble. Here's 605 hitching a lift to Penzance with 602 after an over night failure at Newton Abbot. Takne at Trenowth with the farmers permission.

The Royal Duchy has had a rather torrid 2015! The last week's special got into trouble on the return working at Hemerdon, and this weeks steam foray with 60009 Union of South Africa, didnt make it into Cornwall. There was some action with WCR class 47/8 47832 - former WR loco by chance, brought the beleaguered train in to Par, and the passengers enjoyed a few hours in the Duchy, as the departure time was extended. Here are some pictures in the Par area: 47832 at Treverrin On arrival at Par Always smiling, Ray Churchill still smothered in smoke from 60009 A different view of Par with the branch alongside Showing how busy Par can be on a Sunday Restormel with the light fading

Been out of the county again, photographing real trains!! I did grab this one on the way to a wedding on Saturday evening. 1V54 was over an hour which fell into place with a location I've had my eye on for some time.

Hi there I will be posting chaps, and also into the Cornish clay / specials threads I have on here. Eggs and baskets come to mind!!