Devonbelle

Ben, Picture on my website of the Barny cement terminal below - with one silo and a road tank lorry, sans wheels. Barny cement terminal closed to rail traffic in May 1987 and Lawrence Hill finished just under 3 years later. And just a stones throw away was Avonside wharf - I'd reckon cement traffic had petered out by about 1988/1989. http://northdevondiesels.webs.com/exetertobarnstaple.htm Of course BC dispatching terminals had their own locomotives - in the 1970s the ex BR class 14 was still at Westbury Cement works, later replaced by a smart Thomas Hill 0-6-0 in BC Blue/Yellow. Greaves siding has a 4 wheel Sentinel loco and Aberthaw had John Fowler 0-4-0 diesels having lost their 0-6-0 saddle tank (built by Peckett) in the early 1970s going to what's now known as the Avon Valley Railway. Paul

And then of course there were the four BR class 20s shipped to France in 1992, in gaudy CFD orange blue and white; remaining there for over 10 years working freight trains.

Cracking shot by Kevin (Rivercider). I'll send the link, with your lovely shots of the loco to the present day owner of the Hudswell Clarke loco - it presently resides at Long Marston. I walked back from the balloon fiesta this evening (too windy to launch any) - the buildings of the Ashton Gate CCE Depot are pretty well intact - there's a newly upgraded cycle/walkway alongside. Then walked down alongside the line to Wapping Wharf, telling my son aside from the Hudswell Clarke, a Black 5 (5000) ventured down here in 1983 and a class 37, plus of course Ivatt 46443 in 1985 along with Peckett 'Henbury' and Avonside 'Portbury' being regulars over the last 15 years. Paul

Slightly off topic, but involving Ashton JN, seeing Riverciders shots of then SB at Ashton JN, it was gas lit until it closed, I did a box visit in 1990 and saw the gas lighting pointed out by Jim Barnes the Area Signalling Inspector. Finally on the last day of the Portishead steam specials, a Sunday in September 1985 the signalman put a detonator down for every year the line was open (upto 85) as the little Ivatt 46443 came up from Ashton JN with a staggering load 8 on - I worked in Bristol Travel Centre and pass numbers on the steam specials had risen through the summer, so from what started load 5, at the start if the season in May 85 ended up load 8! Paul

What a great thread. I chased the coal working in 1985 when Western Pride the 0-6-0 Hudswell Clarke used to work what was then HEA air braked coal hoppers. I recollect from the start of my railway career that some mornings a class 45 peak would be waiting at Parson St to head round the corner to Ashton JN, as my train to work a Taunton BTM loco and coaches headed on the up line. Two years earlier the Hudswell broke down and for 3 weeks Henbury the 0-6-0 saddle tank hauled the wagons Ashton JN to Wapping wharf and it was then replaced for a short while by a Port of Bristol authority sentinel 0-6-0 - without delving into diary I think it was number 39 - I bunked off school to see Henbury going along the cut - at high tide because of the unstable wall. I went on a school trip to see the SS Great Britain in summer 1976 and an 08 was shunting HTV wagons on the quayside. The coal traffic to Wapping finished in May 1987 and one night thereafter Western Pride went under its own power to the coal depot at Filton JN -my father John (well known to Rivercider) planned the move. Thereafter the civil engineers traffic ran to Ashton Gate until 1990, a DCE class 50 would sometimes work the tunnel inspection train, to and from the depot at Ashton Gate which was a motley collection of wagons, lowtrols with extractor fans etc. The very last BR train to Wapping Wharf was in about August or Sept 1990, I published it on the Brustol Area Engineering Train Notice and involved a class 08 shunter and some ganes, used to collect rails from the Wharf. The move also conveyed a bogie weltrol wagon for the industrial museum. The junction at Ashton Gate came out in 2001 when the Portishead brach was rebuilt, there wasn't a business case to leave a junction in, plus additional cost of new signalling. Love Riverciders and Eggesford box photies - they bring back many happy memories. Paul

The Captain had me thinking, and checking my notes from when I used to cover the ballast train planning job 1986-88, Southern workings ex Meldon were definitely not 45s, and were almost solid class 33s so would point to Salisbury crews; i recollect there was a 7O70 1130 Meldon Salisbury working which used to feature class 33s, and those drab olive green Dace four wheel ballast wagons. Thinking on does anybody know when in 1993 the Lapford fertiliser finished - which ended up with a 47 or class 37 working the 4 or so bogie vans - I've got it in mind it was the summer, when the log traffic which was being loaded in Exeter Riverside Yard (in OTAs) also finished. Incidentally cant wait for the Heljan O gauge class 31, I've built some Speedlink wagons (1 OCA and 2 VGA) to run my Barny trip with. Paul

I've found myself drawn to this thread again. Rich mentioned that mixed service on the Mallaig line, it was a pic in one of the Janes railway year books, with a class 20, mark 1s and TTA tank wagons. Ironically looking the pic up, I stumbled on the 1982 Janes year book, which had photos and text of loco hauled trains on the Barnstaple line, with text stating they had displaced some DMUs with the start of the Winter 82 timetable and a lovely shot of a 33, a rake of mark 1s and several GUVs on the back, entering Crediton. The same edition of Janes year book had two photos of the last train to Torrington, a staggering 30 years ago this year, I remember it like yesterday - the weather was the same as today, grey and wet. Harry Beer (the last Torrington railman) and the mayor greeted passengers as we piled off the train at Torrington and as a school boy I patted 31174 at the Meeth end of the train! Paul

After the end of Speedlink, Summer 1991, oil traffic to Moorfields remained until 1994/95. I once went into Moorfield in a brake van on a Bulmers open day, propelled bu 0-6-0 saddle tank Shropshire (not sure we should have gone right into oil sidings but there we are!) Then in 1998 there was log traffic in OTA wagons unloaded in the yard at Hereford until the method of working and trial took place at Pontrilas in June 1998 (I wrote the MoW and was in charge of the trial), the EWS class 47 Roy Castle hauled the trial. Summer of 2001 saw the Railtrack MPV run for a few weeks from Bulmers to Willesden but this did not use the Yard. IIRC the Burn Naze to Barry VCM bogie tanks and loco (normally a class 56 in the mid nineties) used to recess in the yard. Paul

Sorry it's aclong time since Tims post, haven't been into this thread for a while. Odds on the peak ran round at Exeter Riverside, and hauled train ex Meldon to Bristol East Depot via Taunton. I did ballast train planning over the period 1986 to 1990 and until 88 peaks were provided at Bristol for engineers traffic and I used to book them on ballast trains to/from Meldon. Regards Paul aka Devonbelle

Rich is correct in his assertions, class 31s are best associated with the period after the milk and fertiliser finished, 1978 and 1980 respectively. That said Clive Fairchild, who is associated with the preservation group at Bideford photographed a green class 31, with full yellow ends at Fremington Quay in about 1970. Final one from me, for now, class 37s and 47s were not route cleared to Barnstaple until after May 87 when freight to Barnstaple ceased. I recollect my father saying that his BR Speedlink colleagues found this limiting factor a nuisance as they tried to standardise on 37s or 47s.

Ref the Vanfits used to/from Torrington, I have checked photos in books, of the Torrington fertiliser flow, planked and plywood vanfits in evidence, exclusively behind class 25s. No evidence in the photos of ICI stickers/labels in any of the photos I turned up. Ref traffic to Hayle (also raised by Ben), according to Railway Archive number 16, Bromide traffic ran to/from Halye until1973, in Charles Roberts 4 wheel vac braked tank wagons, painted White with a orange horizontal stripe (indicating product in tank under pressure). Devonbelle

From books and video I have, vanfits to Torrington were a mix of types used for conveyance of fertiliser. The other Hayle traffic of course was chemicals in vintage 4 wheel tank wagons, I have seen photos of them both in Stoke Gifford Yard and Cornwall in the 1970s. I will try and dig out the book for Ben04UK. The wagons were certainly 1950s vintage, by the 1970s they were in white, with an orange band, I don't recollect them coming through Yatton but remember the fertiliser traffic running, including Western haulage through my home village. Devonbelle

Just thought of a few more. Former Earley Power station, near Sonning Cutting Reading pipes and some track hidden in the undergrowth. Also in the same area, North Camp which definitely still taking trains in 1985, there was a loop line around what is the up platform. I remember seeing TTA tank wagons in the small terminal. Did cot and Aberthaw power stations still take oil traffic, when required. When I worked on the railway in the 90s in South Wales I remember there was an oil term in Llanwern steel works, bogie TEA tank wagons were used. Devonbelle

The final train to Torrington on 27.1.83 was as Rich implies a fact finding journey, with lord o Hagan, councillors and BR officials. The official BR documentation I have states that by this time the line to Meeth was too unsafe for trains, with BR contemplating laying on the BR Barny branch wickham trolley, if lord O Hagan wanted to go to Meeth. In the end they had a car and driver at Torrington, who were not required. Last North Devon freight aside from Meldon ballast was use of Crediton goods yard in 1999, I worked with colleagues in EWS and end customer Flexer construction who took ballast and grit by rail, in MEA wagons hauled by a 66 or class 37. Possible fertiliser to Barny was considered in late 90s and rail was considered for stone icw roadworks in the past 6 years but nothing came in the end by rail. Paul

Interesting thread, had a trawl of memory and various notes of Western Region oil terminals Slough Heat and Power - last train winter 2000, track lifted about two years ago Langley either early feb 2001 or 2000 Col brook already mentioned. Thame near Princes Risbrough - I think finished early nineties Swindon Jack Dean Oils - track in private compound still in situ but disconnected from Network, still in use unto end of Speedlink network (1991) Melksham Jack Dean Oils - traffic certainly finished by the time Melksham station reopened, 1985 Bridgwater - British cellophane oil received 1988 to 1994 Flax Bourton connection removed early part of 21st century - track inside terminal gates and rail served loco shed still in place! Tiverton Jn, terminal out of use by 1985 but still in situ, removed by the time Exeter resigns ling occurred 1986 Frome bitumen terminal last train November 1993. Exeter city basin out of use by early nineties Heathfield oil terminal - last train Jan 1996 Westerliegh still in use opened 1990 Plymouth cattewater in use until May 2010 Lauira and Penzance train care depots still receive loco fuel by rail

What a fascinating thread. Rich has stumbled across my website North-Devon-Railways when he refers to the closure documentation - I cannot find the missing page - yet! My late father John worked in BRs freight offices at Bristol when the line closed (1982)- volumes of clay on offer from Meeth and Peters Marland could not justify upgrading the line for air braked Polybulk / Tiger wagons (tops code PBA) - plus Landcross viaduct needed monies spending on it as did many sections of plain line - he gave me copies of official BR documentation - supporting all of the foregoing. Clay in vac braked four wheelers ran for the last time I believe the first week of September 1982. The milk and fertiliser had already finished in 78 and 80 respectively. From my time in BR ops, my understanding was that Lapford logs and Lapford other traffic (Polybulks - Grain and Fertiliser) would come via Barny only to simplify things operationally at Lapford. Cement was the last traffic at Barnstaple finishing in May 1987 - after that date traffic to Lapford ran as a trip working finishing in 1993 - a company train of fertiliser, a portion off the same working to Truro and Plymouth, from Ince & Elton. The sidings at East Yelland Power station had their own loco until 1974 - see Flickr under Kingmoor Klickr for the only shot I have ever seen of the Yelland diesel loco. http://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/ Freight at East Yelland by rail was very rare - coal normally coming by ship. The sidings were down certainly unti the last train to Torrington in November 1982 - I saw them from the last train - exchange sidings completely overgrown but lines around the PS immaculate. The last train to Torrington wasnt the last train of course - a final special (an all blue BR bubblecar) ran on 27-1-83 as far as Torrington - to assess the line for reopening. Tracklifting started at Meeth in summer 1984 - the industrial shunt locos remained at Peters Marland for quite a number of years after. Paul aka Devonbelle

Well it was yesterday actually (26th Feb). On 26th Feb 1975 a class 25 and a BR inspection coach (steam heated!) were the last railborne vehicles to go out and back to Ilfracombe - nearly 5 years after the last passenger train. Devonbelle