winterbournecm

As a diesel man I find it particularly difficult to tell the minor differences between the various WR steam locos!! Each to their own I guess. A nose (class 37) or a wedge (HST) is very different to a brick 47/50 (as the kids train watching locos near Roskear used to say)!

Well done Stubby. I think we need Snowy's gym now!

In the final days of Cross Country service - 47840 pauses at Exeter St Davids with a Southbound service.

I was on holiday around Watchet this week and noticed D1661 glide past Blue Anchor bound for Minehead. The Signalman mentioned its return working with the demonstration freight later that afternoon. So I headed off to my hillside shot to capture North Star heading back. She looked a treat with the vintage wagons, two tone green and no HV vests on view. Please feel free to post any images of North Star from years gone by.

A live cam at the real box wouldn't be that interesting to watch - unless you had a fast forward until a train arrived!

That's got a railway connatation to it, Drivers used to yell "Get the roof off" to passing boxes if they felt the bobby may have nodded off (left them in the loop too long etc..). So yours will prototypical!

Chris - that's coming along grandly. Look forward to seeing it on the layout. Are you modelling any semaphores around the box area?

That's quite ironic. St Blazey has had a number of Cannons. Steve, Adrian, Kim & Simon. Good old local railway name.

Not a problem, Liskeard has a 18 (approx) stepped staircase from ground level to floor. Penzance has a landing and three further stairs. That would be more "FUN" to model!

If you leave the platform off I'll fall 6 feet when I go out to deliver the token! EEK!

A quickie out the window!

Nice to see the class 47s getting a look in. Now wind the clock forward to 2013 and we have a class 59 59001 at Burngullow on the sand today. First time a bear has worked a revenue earning trip in the Duchy today - hopefully not the last either.

Further to the Hayle class 50 local service, here is a better view of the coaches showing a 1st class 1/2 brake in the formation.

It was a bruiser! 12 coaches including a DVT or BG. Normally 3 first class coaches, a mk 1 or 3 buffet and the rest were seconds. I have seen mk2 "Wolverhampton" stock being used too. Mark 3s were the norm though.

Yes Jon, a common sight by then. The DMU reliability was down the pan. The unit lash up we had buzzing around were great. Class 108/117 trailers, Chocolate & Cream & NSE livery. I think I may start another thread on the subject! The famous Milton Keynes powers past Bodriggy School Hayle with 47444 doing the honours

The 50 was Royal Oak Jeremy. The DVT was a West Coast set which was utlised on Summer Saturdays for the Milton Keynes - Penzance working. The rake was class 47 hauled so obviously the DVT was a brake van only. It was great winding people up that the DVTs were going to be leading from Plymouth one summer though! The Milton Keynes brought Mk3s down to Cornwall, probably the first appearance of non sleeper mark 3 loco hauled coaches to that date. Here's that short late 80s parcels waiting at Penzance with the roof off on the station the last time it was refurbished - 1988?

I can resist including this eclectic rake of stock on a late afternoon Penzance departure between St Erth & Hayle. The suns location puts it evening time, possibly on a Summer Saturday. More locals - 50007 on release from Laira in 1984 shortly after naming at Paddington - jury was out - still is (loved Hercules) This was a great train - sorry about the quality - bit rushed that day 50042 and 1 BG forms the 13.50 Penzance to Plymouth parcels. Some evening trains taken around Hayle - possibly the down Glasgow - guaranteed a class 50 in either direction . And who could forget the Milton Keynes - the shock of a DVT on the blocks at Penzance! Here is the rear of the train passing Roskear in 1991.

The Lostwithiel Signalman has sharply returned LL58 back to danger behind the train ready to get the brassiers up!

Heck - it was a hotchpot of coaches. The leading coach certainly only has three windows rather than the usual four in the aisles between the middle doors. I would say it is a former CK. But there were a myriad of different types around during that period. I'll leave it to the coach experts out there! The Swiftsure shot on the viaduct seems to have a first class 1/2 brake.

Hi mate it was 5 that day - though 4 was common. The evening 18.12 also had an assortment of vans tied on too.

Hi there A couple of Fbook discussions lately on train formations. I thought it may make an interesting topic over here on RM web. I can focus on the 1980s to present day, but any era, any consist very welcome on this page. Bring em'on - milk trains, parcels, postals, loco & coaches, HST or DMU. Here are some shots of the infamous 5 mark 1s that used to plod up & down the County up till 1988 when the 155s took over. We were all gobsmacked when they we temporarily displaced due to door problems. Unusually, a class 45/0 worked the 11.35 from Penzance in 1985, unbelievably a fellow class 45/0 worked the 12.00 Glasgow Parcels alongside too! A later shot of NSE revised livery and the 11.35 again at Hayle 50047 heads the evening 15.55 down from Hayle. Class 50 black roof.

Ooh yeah. With yellowed out route indicator boxes to sit next to a thousand!