Rivercider

We have had a thread or two before about cement terminals, I posted a couple of my pictures, but I can't find them now, Exeter Central Blue Circle Cement depot. I believe last time I posted this photo the brick building located this side of the cement silo was identified as the compressor house. Note that the former Fyffes warehouse on the right hand siding was by then used by Premier Transport, who handled cartage and cranage for Speedlink traffic including Guinness from Park Royal, 17/7/85 cheers

Funnily the subject of rationalising or relocating the shops in our town centre is something I have mentioned to Mrs Rivercider a few times. Weston (no doubt like many other town centres) has many empty retail units. In Weston they are scattered across the town centre. Some streets have fared well with most units still open and trading. Other streets on the fringes of the town centre now have more closed units (or have been converted back to residential) than those that remain trading, and this must surely be detrimental to the surviving shops to be surrounded by closed or derelict premises. To my mind it would make sense if the streets fringing the town centre were to revert to residential use, while all the trading shops and cafes gathered together in the centre of town for a more compact shopping centre. Of course there are many reasons why that would not take place, cheers

An interesting topic that I had not seen before. I can see some logic in suggesting the preservation movement consolidating on the more successful lines, though, as has been pointed out , it would be an unenviable task deciding who stays and who goes. It is also not a given that the available volunteers, (and potential discretionary spend) would automatically transfer to the next nearest alternative line. I have noticed throughout my career that every re-organisation/office closure or office move brings about a percentage of folk who retire, move elsewhere, or just give up. If a heritage line did close I would expect many volunteers would look to volunteer elsewhere if they could, but a significant proportion might not, especially if they have a particular long standing affinity for the line under threat. Likewise a family looking for a day out might have chosen a heritage railway as it was near their hotel or campsite. If there are other potential attractions in the area they might not want to travel further afield to the next heritage line, so the spend will go on a non-railway related attraction. cheers

Almost all of my railway career was in the clerical grades. In the 1990s our TOPS office was restructured, and the remaining staff given the option to devise our own roster. We chose 12 hour shifts (3 x 12 and an extra short 4 hr shift every 4th week), the one doubter quickly realised the benefit. In another office on a few occasions I worked 14.00-22.00 Sat, then went to the pub for a couple, slept on the floor of a spare empty office room, then worked 06.00-14.00 Sun overtime shift. This saved two 45 mile drives, and the petrol money. Happy days. cheers

The summer 2002 Royal Mail Train Service Guide shows the following departures:- 1L90 00.10 to Norwich NBA. NSA, NTA, NSA, NSA, NBA. 1O02 01.42 to Dover NBA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NSA, NBA 1F01 15.44 to Warrington DTV, PMV, TAV. DTV, DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV 1V33 15.58 Plymouth NAA, NKA, NKA, NAA, NAA, NKA, NKA, NAA 1S96 16.00 Shieldmuir NBA, NKA, NKA, NBA, NBA, NKA, NKA, NBA, NBA, NKA, NKA, NBA 1S04 16.01 Edinburgh DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV, DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV, DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV 1O90 16.30 Dover NBA, NSA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NBA 1S06 20.28 Shieldmuir DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV 1V34 20.30 Swansea NAA, NKA, NKA, NAA, NAA, NKA, NKA, NAA, NAA, NKA, NKA, NAA 1E47 20.35 Low Fell NBA, NKA, NKA, NBA, NBA, NKA, NKA, NBA 1F00 20.45 Warrington DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV, DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV 1E93 22.53 Low Fell DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV, DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV 1V40 23.10 Plymouth NAA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NTA, NAA 1F02 23.10 Warrington DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV, DTV, PMV, TAV, DTV 1E53 23.12 Low Fell NBA, NOA, NBA, NSA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NSA, NBA, NOA, NOA, NBA 1L92 23.15 Norwich NBA, NKA, NKA, NBA 1C00 23.18 Carlisle NAA, NOA, NBA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NBA, NAA 1V44 23.20 Swansea NAA, NOA, NBA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NTA, NSA, NAA There are also 'Q' trains as required, 1O01 00.05 Tonbridge 1E35 00.26 Low Fell 1F03 01.47 Warrington 1V20 04.29 Swansea Edit - the document does not show the diagrammed traction cheers

Not really my area of expertise. In recent years when visiting museums and heritage centres in Devon and Cornwall I have come to realise how much cross channel trade there was of coal from South Wales. Most small ports and quays along the North Devon and Cornwall and Somerset coast had a small fleet of ketches and schooners I imagine conveying not much more than a couple hundred tons. Of course the smaller vessels may have tended to load out of smaller ports like Ely or Lydney. I also have a book about the Portishead Coal Boats of Osborn and Wallis who also traded to Bristol Docks mostly from Newport or Ely, in the early 1900s they operated a fleet of small colliers or steam barges of 100 or 200 grt. Certainly a lot of shipping, cheers

As we have seen there are many ways the question can be answered. A helpful guide might be when was the last day (or week) that there was diagrammed steam working on each region, such that an enthusiast might turn up and be able to see an ordinary service train being steam hauled. On the Southern Region week commencing Monday 3rd July 1967 is the last week of steam. These were on services to/from Waterloo, plus some other workings in the Bournemouth/Weymouth/Eastleigh area. There were nine or ten passenger or pilot turns worked by steam on Sunday 9th July, cheers

Agreed, and even though the main target is Joe Public it would be good to to know that 'Thomastown 00' is a 'drive your own train' layout. chers

I think I still have all the show guides of every exhibition I have attended. Something to read in the pub, or train home afterwards. I also try to tick off layouts I see, and make a simple note of those I enjoyed best. My mobile phone is very basic , and only used as a phone! cheers

How about Vic and Bob. I am surprised Punch and Judy (Par Docks) has not been suggested, cheers

Prior to the 1985 re-signalling at Exeter St Davids there were eight tracks over that part of Red Cow Crossing. As well as the six platform lines there was the down through and also the goods shed line. As mentioned above there were another eight tracks (goods avoiders and sidings) crossing the road to the west of the station. 47140 light diesel 9/3/81. Avon Street in Bristol had a fan of six sidings crossing the road onto Avonside Wharf. By the 1980s though not much remained. 08949 at Avon Street 28/9/83 https://maps.nls.uk/view/109729990 cheers

When GWR services worked through to Ilfracombe they were at the mercy of the owning company, either LSWR or SR. Assisting engines were often required over the banks up to Mortehoe and Woolacombe especially during the summer. It seems to have been common practice for the GWR 43XX to be assisted front by a N class 2-6-0, or M7 class 0-4-4T, (running either chimney or tender/bunker first) cheers

The chance of something going badly wrong increases as soon as there is a move away from normal working. During my railway career I heard about two cases involving misunderstandings about a pilotman during single line working. In one the pilotman was wearing a jacket over his armband and other staff did not realise pilot working had been implemented. On the other the pilotman tried, unsuccessfully, to make permanent way staff aware that single line working was to be introduced. Fortunately there were no casualties or damage in either case. cheers

That is interesting. I travelled a lot on the 143s, commuting to Bristol, and thought the refurb to 2+2 seating was a great improvement which made me think other work had been done too. Later when the GWR 143s migrated west to Exeter I still travelled on them quite often on leisure journeys. For some time they worked alongside some 142s (with 2+3 seating) at Exeter and I felt the 143s were definitely a much superior riding experience, cheers

I have defended Pacers before. In a sense here we are mixing the model train world with the real railway. Less detailed model trains, and cheaper commuter/branch trains. At the time they were introduced Pacers were perhaps the only way replacement trains might have been procured within the budget available to keep lines open, and a service running. I used them regularly, and once refurbed with 2+2 seating found them pretty comfortable. As an occasional purchaser of model railway stock I am not looking for all whistles and bells, but something that 'looks' right, and runs well. To me a train, or yard, full of modestly detailed but appropriate stock looks right to me, cheers

I imagine the car has been driven up the (very) steep Beach Road from Carbis Bay - which is pretty posh. There is a private driveway parallel to the upside of the line, but if you go straight ahead at the junction, and split the difference as it were this is where you end up, Edit - this photo is taken off the bridge looking towards St Erth This is the view from the bridge looking east. The car driver has managed to miss an upright rail planted in the ground beside the bridge parapet, which might have better impeded progress. 150244 departs Carbis Bay for St Erth, 12/3/2013 cheers

Great work so far. As an Exonian I have been following this with interest. cheers

Good shout! John Dedman has a lots of photos on Flickr. I just searched his collection for 'Speedlink' and 'Willesden' for example, there are a lot of shots taken in your time frame, including 6M93 Eastleigh to Willesden Speedlink, and 6O57 ex Willesden hauled by class 73s. Edit - although I don't have a John Dedman book covering that part of the Southern I do have his /Rail Blue Western Region Book S & SW', and the 'Train Formations' book, both of which are very good with informative captions. cheers

Although there were quite a number of stone terminals around the Eastleigh area, and elsewhere in the South East I don't think the Mendip stone traffic would normally be seen on the Eastleigh -Basingstoke line except for diversions. Speedlink wise 6E30 was an Eastleigh to Tees or York or Haverton Hill service over the years. The southbound service 6O49 arrived in the early morning, so photos of that would be pretty rare. A bit earlier than your time frame here is 6E30 16.35 Eastleigh to Tees at Basingstoke behind 47367. Ford Transits as already mentioned were regular traffic. The white roof VDAs were empties from Eastleigh going back to Rowntrees at York. Empty HEAs had conveyed domestic coal, by around 1987 these would be on a Speedlink Coal Network service. 11/4/83 cheers

The National Carriers building in the background, 50017 has arrived on the 06.41 from Salisbury, 31260 is on the Old Oak Common empty news van service and has just picked up the empty GUV to attach. Re-signalling of the station area has recently seen the removal of the down through line, 9/7/85,

I remember that was a serious proposal at least as far back as about 1990. The idea has merits, it would be a much shorter journey between the major population centres of Newquay and St Austell, and would also serve St Dennis and Nanpean. I had not realised until recently that route has never had a passenger service. It is also steeply graded and also includes a number of severe curves, including the deviation at Carpalla around the 'Carpalla Gap' that was the object of a court case lost by the GWR. cheers

Like Mike (The Stationmaster) I have also had several short breaks in Cornwall each time travelling entirely by train or bus. Me and Mrs Rivercider stayed in the Wetherspoons in Camborne, about 7 minutes walk from the station. On each visit we then used the train on different days to visit Hayle, St Ives, and Penzance. Also a bus trip from Camborne to Portreath for a day trip and coast path walk. We chose Camborne because there is a basic 30 minute train service, and are planning to visit again later this year. I also noticed a significant amount of off peak local passenger traffic. I think Newquay definitely deserves a better train service, but here the legacy of the history of the building of the route, the Treffry Tramway, and Cornwall Minerals Railway mean the line was never engineered for speed. Some of the road crossings might be improved, but there are plenty of severe curves, and gradients, which means the journey time along the branch cannot be reduced by much. From an employment perspective hopefully South Crofty will be successful, and provide more employment opportunities for the area, cheers

I have just been reading about the St Blazey to Fowey china clay traffic in the steam era. From St Blazey the line climbs at 1 in 36 up through single track Pinnock Tunnel which at 1,173 yards long is the longest in Cornwall. From the tunnel there is a steep descent to Fowey. The GWR 2-8-0T or 2-8-2T tanks used on the line were run bunker first with loaded clay from St Blazey to make things more bearable for the crew going up through the tunnel. cheers

A new station for Okehampton Parkway is one of the grants, £13.5m for that should help to increase usage on the Okehampton line. I would hope that the more successful that line re-opening becomes the greater chance that Tavistock will follow at some point, cheers

We have stayed at Bugle a few times recently as a family member's flat is right beside the station. We have used the train for a day out on every visit, and last year the guard on the train spoke about the upgrade plans. The additional platform face at Newquay will require to take back some land from the supermarket next door, and I think the new loop will be at the site of St Dennis Junction. The improvements to the service should be useful, we did not make as many train trips as we would have liked due to the summer service where local branch stops are withdrawn during the day as the Newquay/Paddington services do not make intermediate calls. Edit - and this hourly service would potentially be useful for folk living at Bugle to commute to Newquay for college or work for example. We can see Bugle station from the flat and I note that passenger use although not busy is steady, and there is quite a lot of new build housing in the area. I would not think there would be many through journeys made between Falmouth and Newquay, and would agree that a two hourly Plymouth to Newquay service might have made some sense, cheers