WESTCOUNTRYCLAYTRAFFIC PART1:CHINACLAYINCORNWALL STUARTMALTHOUSE
MuchhasbeenwrittenabouttheCornishchina clayindustryandtherailwaysservingit(seethe SelectBibliography).Theaimofthisarticleisto presentaselectionofphotographsfromthe1950sto the1970s,mostofwhichitisbelievedhavenotbeen publishedbefore.Theseareaccompaniedbya generalintroductorytextlookingatdevelopments downtothe1970sparticularlysuitableforreaders whomaynothavepreviouslystudiedthesubjectin depth.
Chinaclayismoreformallyknownaskaolin,named afterthemountaininChinawhereitwasfirst discoveredandusedinthemanufactureoffine porcelainasearlyasthe7thcenturyAD.Itisformed fromthedecompositionofthefeldsparingranite. Thisprocessofkaolinisationtookplacebytheaction ofhotgasesduringthecoolingofthegranite,butits extentandeffectivenessvariedfromonegranite areatoanother.Ofthesixmaingranitemassesin DevonandCornwalldescendinginheightfromeast towest(Dartmoor,BodminMoor,Hensbarrow, Carnmenellis,Penwith,andtheIslesofScilly),itwas onthethirdofthese,HensbarrowDownsnorthofSt
Austell,thatkaolinisationwasmostactiveand producedthemostextensivedepositsoftheclay, althoughcommercialexploitationhasoccurred elsewhere,particularlyonDartmoorandBodmin Moor.InEngland,theclaywasdiscoveredabout 1750byWilliamCookworthy(1705-1780),aQuaker minister,withcommercialinterestsasapharmacist andporcelainmanufacturer,thelatterbeingthe reasonforhisinterestinfindingsuitabledeposits. HisfirstdiscoverywasatTregonningHillnear Helston,anoutlierofCarnmenellis,theuplandthat wastobecomemostassociatedintheCamborneRedruthareawithtinandcopper,butthiswas shortlyfollowedbythefirstdiscoverieson HensbarrownearStStephennorthwestofSt Austell.TheCornishclayfromthisareahasalways rankedamongthefinestintheworldforitspurityand thisledtothedevelopmentoftheimportantexport trade.Part-kaolinisationformschinastone,butthis isalsoofuseasafluxinthemanufactureof ceramics.Itisfoundinparticularareasof Hensbarrow,ofteninthesamepitsastheclay,and productionfiguresnormallycoverbothproducts.
20
StDennisJunctionwasakeylocationintheoperationoftheclaylines,andtheoldA30roadbridgeprovidedagrandstand viewofproceedings.Whatappearstobeadoubletracklinestraightaheadisinfacttwosingletrackroutes.Thelefttrackis thelinetoDrinnickMillandBurngullowontheoriginalformationoftheNewquayRailway,whiletherighttrackistheRetew branchwhichdescendsbehindthebushesontheright.Thefourrakesofwagons,fromlefttoright,arestandingonthetip sidings,theupanddownloopsofftheDrinnickMillroute,andtheloopofftheRetewbranch.Ontheleft,theCornwall Mineralslineof1874fromBugle,completingthethroughlinetoNewquayfromFowey,andlaterPar,curvesinaftercrossing GossMoor.Thissectionwasdoubledin1921.Ontheupline,0-6-0PTNo.3635,setsoffwithaloadedclaytrainforStBlazey. ThetrainismostlikelytohavecomefromtheRetewbranchandthelocomotivewillhaverunroundbeforeleavingasshown. Inthebackground,thelandscapeofHensbarrowDownsispunctuatedbythewastetipsoftheclayindustry.11July1955. RCRiley(RCR6409)
DESCENDINGFROM CLIMBINGFROMBOSCARNE SmallPrairieNo.4552attackstheclimbfromBoscarneJunctiontoBodminGeneralwithatrainofWenfordchinaclayboundforFowey. Unseen,thelinefromWenfordpassesDunmereSidingandCrossinginthevalleytotheright,alongsidetheRiverCamelbelowDunmere Woods,toreachtheexchangesidingsatBoscarneJunctionofftotheleft.Here,WesternmotivepowerwouldtakeoverfromtheBeattietanks atwhatwasalsotheboundarybetweenex-London&SouthWesternandex-GreatWesternmetals.27May1961. PWGray(PG2542)
APPROACHINGCOOMBEJUNCTION TheDerbyType2Bo-BoClass25wereamongthefirsttypestoreplacetheWesternRegiondiesel hydraulics,buttheirstaywasrelativelyshort-lived,beingreplacedby37sandotherclassesfrom thelate1970s.Inthisviewof4August1976,No.25216haspassedbeneathMoorswaterViaduct carryingthemainlinewithclayforFoweyfromtheMoorswaterdrybeyondtheviaduct.Thetrain isapproachingCoombeJunctionwhereitwillleavethebranchdowntoLooeandtakethesteeply gradedconnectinglinkuptothemainlineatLiskeard.
RogerGeach.
OVERJUNCTIONSIGNALBOX THERECOLLECTIONSOFSIGNALMAN MICHAELJACKSON
Aroughcalculationsuggeststhatatonetime therewereinexcessof2000signalboxes controllingtrainsontheGreatWesternandits constituents.Someofthesewereveritable cathedralstotheartofthesignalengineerwithin excessof150leverswhilstattheoppositeendof thescalemightbeatinystructurewiththenumber ofleverscountedinsinglefigures,andyeteach wasimportantasthenextintheregulationoftrains initsspecificareaofresponsibility.
Workingtheseboxeswasaskilledtask,askill learnedovertheyearsoftencommencingasa bookingboy–recordingthetimesofthebellcodes (andtrains)andwritingtheseintheallimportant TrainRegister.Progressionthereaftermightbetoa smallsignalboxperhapsasaPorter/Signalman andthenclimbingtheladdertoafulltime signalman’spostandsoon.Someboxeswereso busytheyevenrequiredmorethanoneman althoughthiswasnottoeveryone’slikingandthere weremanywhochosethesolitaryexistenceas beingpreferable,butfromwhatwasheardthere weremanygrievances,thatonesignalmanwould wantthewindowsopenandtheotherswouldnot. Thiswasinboxeswheretherewerethreeormore men,inthetwo-menboxestheywereoftenfriends andtheyandtheirfamilieswentonholidaytogether.
Signalman’srecollectionsarerareincomparison withthosefromthefootplate.Overdecadesthere wastheunderstandablebeliefthattheirrolewould
goonforever,aswellaswouldtherebeinterest.In responsetobothofthesepointsallwecansayis lookaroundandseewhatisleft.Excludingthose operatingasmuseumpiecesonheritagelines,the numberofformermechanicalGWRboxesextant andworkingnumbersfarlessthanthreefiguresand allofthesemustbeonborrowedtime. Operationallytoothingsareverydifferent,different typesoftraintogetherwithchangedoperatingrules meanthetruedaysofthemechanicalsignalbox havesadlyfadedintohistory,recallednowbya dwindlingnumberofmenwhowereproudtoserve inaprofessionatthetimeessentialtothesafe passageoftrainsandsimilarlylongrespected.
Fortunatelyoneofthosesurvivorscontacted WesternTimes ashorttimeagoandachance commenthasledtowhatfollows.MichaelJackson wasasignalmanatOverJunctionwestof GloucesterCentralontheSouthWalesmainlineto GrangeCourtandChepstowbetween1955and 1959.Hetakesupthestoryofhowhecametobe there,“TheearliestdateIcanfindforjoiningthe railwaywasinJuly1949atwhichtimeIwastraining asabookingladatFiltonJunctionSignalBox, Bristol.Inthisboxladsworkedonly6.00amto 2.00pmand2.00pmto10.00pm.Gettingtothe‘box wasbythe`StaffTrain'fromStapletonRoadstation whichcomprisedapanniertanklocopullingasingle coachthatranbetweenBristolandStokeGifford Yard(nowBristolParkway).Theservicealso carriedshuntersandlocomen.
Circa1926GWRlocationplanfortheoriginalbox. GWROfficial.
43
UnlessstatedallimagesarebytheAuthor.TheinteriorviewsareofMichaeltakenbyhimwithtripodandtimer.
Whilethegreatershareofthecontentwasa catalogueofhotelsandboardinghouses,therewas adescriptionofeverycountyservedbytheGWR pluseachtownwithin.Illustrationsofeacharea’s sceneryandhistoricvenueswereprolificandwhere appropriate,therewereplentyof‘bathingbelles’. Advertisementsextolledlocalproductsaswith ‘TakeanappleadaytheSymonsway;healthful, delicious,thegloryofDevon.Symonssparkling cider.’Perhapsnotquitewhatthedoctorhad ordered.
HolidayHaunts hadanantecedentpublication named TheCornishRiviera,launchedin1904afew monthsbeforecommencementofthetrainofthat name.ThisbookletwasproducedbyoneWalterHill andpricedatonepenny.WhetherMrHillwasan employeeoranindependententrepreneuris unclearbuthewasmostprobablythelatterasthe GWRlookedaskanceatstaffengagedinoutside commercialactivities.Inanyevent,Paddington tookoverHill’sworkanddevelopeditinto Holiday Haunts althoughmysteryattachestohowandby whomthetitlewascoined.
BurdettWilsonin‘GoGreatWestern:AHistoryof GWRPublicity’ (David&Charles,2nd edition1987) comments:‘Itisnotperhaps,tothecompany’s creditthatthegeneralarrangementofthebook changedsolittleduringmostofthefortyyearsofits existence’.Withhindsight,wasthisfaircriticism? Thestylecouldhavebeenimprovedbutthe massescontinuedtotakeholidaysintheUKsothe boardinghouseremaineddominantuntilthe1960s whenoverseaspackageholidaysopenedmore exoticescapism.Inotherareas HolidayHaunts remainedstoicallywithinpasteraswiththesame illustrationsofhotelsappearingyearonyearand contributingtotheEdwardianfeel,eveninthe changing1920sand1930s.Onechangeatodds withtheold-fashionedstylewithinwasuseof brightercoloursonthecovers,in1929even depictingaswimmingcostumecladbathingbelle.
Thenatureoftheadvertisementsisstriking comparedwith21st Centurypractice.Muchofthe accommodationonofferissupportedbyglowing accolades,oftenapparentlywrittenbythe proprietors,andnomediumintheformofmodernday‘feedback’fromclientele.Advertsoftenalluded totherulesofthehousewhichhadtobeobeyed withoutquestione.g.fixedmealtimesandnoreturn totheestablishmentpermitteduntilperhapsan hourbeforeeveningmeal.Inbetween, holidaymakerswereexpectedtomaketheirown amusementotherthanattheproperty,regardlessof theweather.Thosepayingextratostayinahotel wouldenjoymorelatitudeintheircomingandgoing.
HolidayHaunts promotedaccommodationprovided bythirdpartieswhichfromthemid-1930scompeted
the1911issue;pagesizeremained consistentthroughoutitslife.TheHolidayHaunts publicationhadbeenprecededbyvariousotherGWR publications.PeterRanceattheGreatWesternSociety Museumadvisedthattheearliestintheircollectionis dated1894andcoversFarmhouseandruralCountry lodgings,BoardingHousesandHotelsetc!
withtheGWR’sownsaleofholidayaccommodation intheformofCampCoachfacilitiesalthoughthese wereminisculebycomparison.Duringthatdecade moreseriouscompetitionarrivedwiththe introductionofholidaycamps.Therewereabout 200suchestablishmentsby1939,spread throughoutthecountrywhichwerereachedbytrain therebyharmonisingwiththeessential raisond'être for HolidayHaunts i.e.encouragementoftravelby theGWR.Cross-pollinationwithin HolidayHaunts allowedpromotionofGWRsouvenirsandservices, includingthecompany’s‘enthusiast’booksandthe famousjigsawpuzzles.
Twoversionswerepublishedannually.Thatin paperbackformwasforpublicsalewhilethestouter clothboundversionwassuppliedtohotels,clubs, enquiryofficesandships.From1908,theterm‘The HolidayLine’entereduseandincludedtheofferof souvenirpicturepost-cardsforahalfpennyeachor ‘fineartengravingsasusedincarriages’atone shillingeach.Thescenicviewswerealmost certainlytakenbytheGWR’sownphotographers makingthiswasoneoftheraremeansbywhich ‘official’viewswereofferedforpublicsale.
68 WESTERNTIMES
WESTERNTIMES
variedinaccordancewiththetypeofblocktobe mouldedandcanbeincreasedupto2,000Ib.per squareinch).Allthetypeappearsinraised charactersontheresultingsheetofwax,which, afterbeingpreparedandpolishedisimmersedina copperbathandleftforaconsiderabletimeinorder thatathickdepositmayformandprovideastrong, durableprintingsurface.
‘Thiscoppershell,afterbeingbackedwitha suitablemetal,issenttotheactualprintingworks, whereamachinebendsitintoasemi-circletofitthe cylindersoftheprintingmachine-avastmonster wherethegreatrollsofpaperarepressedonthe smoothlyinked‘electros’andpassoutattheother endinaseeminglyendlessroll,onwhich64pages atatimeareprinted,folded,cut,andejectedintoa basket-likecontainer,readytobepreparedforthe mostwonderfulofallthemachines-amechanical
giantwhichoperateswithsuchdexterityandsurety thatitseemsasthoughitisendowedwithabrain, fornotonlydoesitcollecttogetherthepagesintheir properorder,butitactuallystopsifanymistake occurs!
‘Thewirestabbingofthepagesisdonebya machinewhichcanbeadjustedtobooksofany thickness,thewiresbeingforcedthroughthewhole bookandbentintoplacebyheavypressure.The picturecoversarethenfixedandtheguillotining follows,onamachinewhichissoarrangedthata pileofbooksistakenroundtoeachofthree speciallyplacedknives,whichcutthetop,sideand bottomofthepages,andsofinishtheproductionof HolidayHaunts intheneatandhandsomestylein whichitistoreachthehandsofthereader.The bookisthenreadyforsale’.
WithgratefulthankstoPeterRance.
Thisisthetitlepagefromthe 1935‘Centenary’edition.After nationalisationthenamewas changedto HolidayGuide but revertedto HolidayHaunts in 1958.Thiscoincidedwithan ongoingpublicrevivalofthe spiritoftheGWR,exemplified byseverallocomotiveclasses appearinginlinedgreen,the re-introductionofchocolate andcreamliverycoachesand namedexpressesreturningto thetimetablefrom1956.The publicationof Holiday Haunts byBritishRailways ceasedin1963,inwhich yearitwastakenoverbyan outsidepublisherwho repeatedtheexercisefor 1964.Itthenceased completelyapparently succumbingtothegrowth offoreignpackage holidays.
bookincreasedtothreepencein 1908andagaintosixpenceby1911, thepriceitremaineduntiltheend.
Originallycostingonepenny,the
Example11:Concertina-styleFirstDiningCars(DiagramH13Nos.9522-5/9528-33)wereimpressive-lookingvehiclesand thisexamplewasprovidingofficeaccommodationatSwindonLocoon10July1963.NumberedIU079128,itsearlier identitycannotbeverifiedfromrecordsavailable.AmemberoftheeditorialteamsawthiscoachinJune1965bywhich timeitwasstandingclosetoCShopwiththeimplicationthatitsworkingdayswereover. RoyDennison.
Example12:AnotherpassengercarryingvehiclerelegatedtointernalusewasthisformerCollettA27auto-trailerfrom December1928whichwaswithdrawnfromordinaryserviceinJuly1959andseenhereatLairainJuly1960.Several vehiclesfromthisbatchfoundtheirwayintodepartmentaluse;atleastoneotherauto-trailerwasusedatOldOak.In generalterms,itwaschancewhetheravehiclefoundanadditionallifeafterwithdrawal,baseduponprevailingdemandfor office,messingorotheraccommodation. RCRiley.
77 ISSUE5
ISSUENo.5-WINTER2022 WESTERNTIMES
