‘Cornwall’ TransitionfromSteam
TheRCRileyArchive:Vol6 CompiledbyJeremyClements
10 ‘Cornwall’TransitionfromSteam
ThisCategoryAviaductwascompletedin1858,officiallylocatedatmilepost264½,withamaximumheightof150’andalengthof 720’.AswithothersintheLiskeardarea,difficultieswereencounteredduringconstructionwhichwassuspendedin1855-6,due toproblemswithpoorworkbysubcontractors.Backgroundinformationisapparentlylostbutremedialworkwassufficiently soundforthepierstobeextendedhigherwhenthetimberspanswerereplacedwithlatticesteelgirdersin1894,andalsoto supportthedoublingofthetracktwoyearslater.Thetimberspansthushadanoperatingcareerof36years;corrosionforced replacementofseveralofthesteelgirdersin1929yieldingacareerof35years.Theoriginalstonebasepierscanbeclearlyseen withthemoremodernbrickworkabove. RCR6390
14 ‘Cornwall’TransitionfromSteam Laira’sNo.1023 CountyofOxford wascrossingLiskeardviaducton10July1955withaDownpassengerservicethatconsisted ofatypicallymixedrakeofcoaches.TheleadingvehicleisanearlyCollettBrakeThirdfollowedbya70’10-compartmentAll Third,andthenaDiagramE162Composite.Thebroadcarminepanelbelowthecantrailandtheducketatthefarendbetraysthe
LMSoriginsofthefourthcoach.TheseventhcarriesaroofdestinationboardlikethefirstthreeandmightjustbeaToplight.The mixedcompositionsuggeststhisisaninter-regionalworkingfromBirminghamorfurthernorth.
36 ‘Cornwall’TransitionfromSteam Above: AbusysceneontheapproachtoParonthemorningof6July1955.TotherightontheDownmain,No.6829 Burmington Grange (NewtonAbbot)isarrivingwithanexpressservice,passingNo6809 BurghclereGrange (Penzance).Thelatterisengaged inanemptystockshuntingmovementforwhatisthoughttobethe11.05amPar-Penzancestoppingtrain,asummer“extra”.The locomotivewouldhavecomeoffSt.Blazeyshedtodragthestocktender-firstoutofChapel(carriage)sidingsatthewestof stationandintotheNewquaybranchplatform.ThelocomotivewouldthenhaverunroundandpropelledthestockoutontotheUp main.Itseemstobestillreversingtoclearthetrailingcrossover.Oncethesectionisclear,itwouldthencrosstotheDownmain toenterParandawaititsscheduleddeparture.Thepositionoftheshadowssuggestthatthetimeisaroundmid-morning. RCR6271 Oppositetop:DickRileywasonthefootplateofNo.1002 CountyofBerks (St.Blazey)on23September1960.Thelocomotiveis standingwithanUptrainontheloopatSt.DennisJunctiononthePar-NewquaylinewaitingtocrossaDownstoppingservice comprisinga2-coachB-SetplusasuburbanAllThird,hauledbyadiesel-hydraulicB-BClassD63xx. RCR15393 Oppositebottom:No.4099 KilgerranCastle (Penzance)poundsupthegradienttowardsTreverrintunnelwithaDownpassenger service,passingTreverrinSignalBoxatMilepost279on9July1955.Thegroundbehindtheboxformedpartoftheoriginal CornwallRailwaybroadgaugealignmentwhichfollowedamoretwistingrouteontheclimb.Treverrinsignalboxwasopened sometimebefore1911andwastemporarilyclosedinNovember1914.Thedateofitsreopeningisunrecordedbutatthetimeof thisphotographfinalclosurewasnotlongoff,takingplacethefollowingJune.Smallboxeslikethiswereacommonfeatureofthe railwayinremotecountrylocationsandwouldonlybe“switchedin”atbusytimes.Theofficerinchargewouldoftenwelcomethe companyofinterestedenthusiasts,torelievethesolitude. RCR6366
Opposite:Thesetwoviewsgiveaninsightintotheshuntingmovementsnecessarytoaddordetachthetankersofmilktrains betweentheWestCountryandLondon.On12July1956,No.1002 CountyofBerks (Penzance)hasarrivedatSt.Erthandrunon totheSt.IvesbranchbeforesettingbackintothesidingsthatservedtheUnitedDairiesdepot.ThePassengerBrakeVanhas beenshuntedintothelefthandsidinganddetached;itsendprofilecanjustbedetectedbehindthelocomotive’soutsidesteam pipe.TheCountythenranbackontothebranchandreversedintotheright-handofthetwosidings,whereitisnowstanding,to collectloadedtankwagons.
TheprocesswasthenreversedtocollectthePassengerBrakeVanandinthesecondviewtheensembleisnowbackingofftheSt. IvesbranchtoreturntotheUpmainlinewithintheconfinesofSt.Erthstation.Onceclearofthebranchjunction,theCountywill befreetocontinueitscoursetowardsPlymouthandLondon.Thetraincannowbeseentocompriseseven6-wheelmilktankers andaPBVwhichappearstobeofDiagramK41orK42.Atthisstage,thiscomparativelyshorttrainwouldhaveweighedaround 230tonsbutprobablybecamesubstantiallyheavierbythetimeitreachedPlymouth. RCR7610,7612
Above:ChurchwardmogulNo.6397(St.Blazey)wasnearingTreruleSignalBoxonaDownthroughunfittedfreighton16July 1956.Thetrainconsistsofaround15wagonsofwhichthefinalpairinfrontoftheToad(balconyleading)seemtobe4or5plank opens.Theremainderarestandard16tonBRmineralwagonsandaroundfourtimber-bodied7-plankopens.Nothingcanbeseen oftheloadbutthereisastrongprobabilitythatitwaslocomotivecoal.Thecostofmovingfueloversignificantdistancesfrom SouthWaleswasasignificantelementintherailway’soperatingeconomicsinthefarwest. RCR7692
71 Goodstrain
People
OnaninfrequentvisittoBritainafewyearsagothe compiler,anxioustorenewhisacquaintancewith BristolTempleMeads,politelyaskedtheofficialatthe gatewherehecouldbuyaplatformticket.This requestmetwithbafflementandthenanadmission thattheofficialhadonceheardofsuchthingsfrom thedistantpast.Timewaswhennotebook,pencil, bottleofTizer,ageingporkpie,andaone(old)penny platformticketwassufficienttoguaranteeaday’s innocenthappiness.Nowatickettotravelsomewhere isessential,otherwisetrainsandstationsinlargepart arecordonedofffromenthusiastsintheinterestsof revenueprotection,safetyconcerns,andthatgreat catch-all“security”.
AsignificantportionofDickRiley’scollectionwas gathered“insidethefence”,aswasapparentfromhis activitiesattheotherendofthesystem.Thereare
enoughviewsofRanelaghBridgetosuggestthathe hadtherunoftheplace,andthesameseemstohave appliedatthethreemainCornishmotivepower depots,andbyextensionthesub-shedswhere behaviourwouldhavebeenevenmoreinformal.It wouldhavebeenimpossibletoobtainformalpermits foreveryoccasionsoitshouldbeassumedthathis presencewaswelcomed.Perhapshewasendowed withapersuasivecharmthatothersmightenvy.
Theimpressionisgainedfromhisworkthattheline throughCornwallwasverymucha“family”affair whereeveryonekneweachother,andwherethere wasastrongspiritofco-operationinensuringthe operationofanefficientandimportanttransport system.
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Thebriefnotesaccompanyingthesetwo imagesdescribethesubjectmatteras “ForemanDrewandMrMacy”plusofcourse No.4095,on8April1960. HarlechCastle had beenaresidentofPenzancesince1957but wouldleavethefollowingmonthforabrief sojournatTauntonbeforemovingtoLaira. No.6826 NannerthGrange ontheadjacent linewasalsoalocalengine,sheddedthere fromDecember1949untilJuly1962.Close upphotographslikethisareinformativein revealinglocomotivedetail,andinproviding afrustratingremindertothemodelbuilderto includealltheancillarypipeworknecessary –asthecompilerhasrealised! RCR14613, 14614
Chapter6
101 DriverRundleinthecabofD816 Eclipse haulingatrainofemptyclaywagonsnearPinnocktunnelboundforSt.Blazeyon22July 1960.Workingconditionssuchasdepictedherewereafarcryfromthosethatthisdriverwouldhaveexperiencedatthestartof hiscareer.Heprobablycommencedonthefootplateasthesecondmanaboardapanniertankengagedinshunting. RCR15188 Sixtyyearsagoandadifferentworld.Thisnostalgicviewcogentlyremindsofhowthingsusedtobeonrelaxed,sunnydaysthus stirringtherichestofmemoriesforGWRenthusiastsofacertainage.GiventhecasualattireoftheaudienceadmiringNo.6800 ArlingtonGrange,29April1961musthavebeenunseasonablywarm,andobviouslythepairhavebeenallowedthefreedomof Penzanceshedyard.Itisnotclearwhatthefitterisuptoinattendingtothesafetyvalveoftheadmirablyclean4-6-0buthisperch looksprecarious.Health&SafetyInspectorslookawaynow. RCR15661
110 ‘Cornwall’TransitionfromSteam
