GWR 125 Celebrations

[Chris in Prague]

Good morning John. Very nice to see another transfer from Penmayne depot at work at Claverdon with a train. 6100's paintwork is in better condition than when it left the sidings were it had been stored!

I see Doctor Who's Tardis is still safely 'parked'. I hope the Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Susan are enjoying their visit to Claverdon. 8-)

[johnlambert]

Good morning John. Very nice to see another transfer from Penmayne depot at work at Claverdon with a train. 6100's paintwork is in better condition than when it left the sidings were it had been stored!

I see Doctor Who's Tardis is still safely 'parked'. I hope the Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Susan are enjoying their visit to Claverdon. 8-)

Thanks Chris.  Although not scheduled for a re-paint into GWR colours it was felt that 6100 would benefit from a bit of attention from the painter's brush.

[Chris in Prague]

Your painters are to be congratulated, John, 6100 looks well cared for but not ex-works, which is far more realistic.

[port perran]

The early morning departure from Wolverhampton (Low Level) has reached Cornwall.
Some through coaches were removed at Wadebridge but 5 remain to continue the journey via Trepol Bay, Port Perran and on to the final destination of Truro. The remaining carriages are a mix of chocolate and cream and maroon stock.
Unfortunately the proposed motive power of double headed 45XX panniers from Wadebridge had to be substituted at  the last moment due to a leaking steam pipe on one of the locos. A clean Hymek was hurriedly arranged as a substitute.
The train is seen at Trepol Bay heading on to Port Perran.
An Ivatt 41XXX 2-6-2 is waiting with a local service train to Wadebridge whilst the Bubble Car unit will later form a service to Port Perran and Lanharrack :

Several local special trains will be operating in the area later today and on Sunday/Monday so hopefully plenty of enthusiasts will be out taking photos.
The Station Hotel at Trepol Bay and the Cornish Arms at Port Perran are expecting to be extremely busy and are offering pasty lunches provided by the Cornsh Pasy Company.  Both establishments are running low on ales and have asked for  a special delivery to be made from the Castle Brewery at Cant Cove. The divisional controller is hoping to be able to arrange a path for a special train later today.

[Chris in Prague]

Many thanks for the photo. update, Martin. Unfortunately, the damaged embankment to the west of Wadebridge has trapped some of the (G)WR steam locos. that were booked so Wadebridge has been trying to turn out last-minute substitutes but, alas, as you report, not all the steam locos. are in as good condition as needed.

The Divisional Civil Engineer has arranged for a loaded "Castle Brewery" van and open wagon to be pushed over the relaid track by Penmayne's ex-GWR diesel railcar, at walking pace, using empty 15' wagons inbetween the railcar and the two loaded goods vehicles so that the railcar will not have to cross the repaired embankment which is still not fully stabilised after it's recent collapse due to a combination of an exceptional load crossing it (the official report is awaited) and heavy overnight rain. On the other side of the repair, a light engine from Trepol Bay has been requested to wait to take the van and wagon on to Trepol Bay and then Port Perran. Unfortunately, the harassed Wadebridge yardmaster does not, yet, know what will be allocated as locomotives are almost fully utilised throughout North Cornwall, today. Maybe, it will be another ex-GWR diesel railcar?

[port perran]

It is a busy afternoon around Trepol bay so we will wait to see what locomotive is allocated. The Station Hotel and Cornish Arms have sufficient stock left to last till tomorrow evening.

[johnlambert]

A few more quick shots of today's train services.

Leamington to Stratford shuttle, 14xx and auto coach.


Heavily laden goods train, including wagons from Cant Cove, with Panniers double heading.







Special excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon; City of Coventry on a Pullman train.

[Chris in Prague]

A very busy Easter Saturday at Claverdon then, John. The photographers are blest with excellent sunny weather, too. The trainspotters must be very happy with the variety of steam locos. passing through.

In view of the rising demand for cut and sawn timber from Cornwall and Somerset, the "Castle Estates" is also investing in 15' open wagons to take logs to Port Perran and timber from Port Perran to destinations beyond Cornwall. (Within Cornwall, 10' wagons are still used on the local goods services.) Whilst there is not enough traffic (by any means) to justify 'company trains', the extra long-distance timber traffic is welcomed by WR management under increasing scrutiny by Doctor Beeching!

[port perran]

As anticipated, due to heavy traffic the two wagons of ale from the Castle Brewery were hastily attached to a special service to Trepol Bay giving the relatively unusual combination of a GW railcar plus two wagons seen here having arrived at Trepol bay :


Some supplies were unloaded at Trepol Bay for the Station Hotel but the wagons were marshalled into a short freight for Port Perran. The freight includes a wagon of ale from the Headland Brewery bound for the Cornish Arms at Port Perran. In addition we have a van of perishables. Due to the busy schedule today, a 14XX was hurriedly prepared for this service :


Meanwhile at Port Perran a special demonstration GW freight has been marshalled for a run up to Truro headed by a green liveried pannier. A 45XX is being prepared on shed for a later duty up to Trepol Bay :

The 45XX is seen at Trepol Bay in the carriage siding having arrived with the special. No doubt some of the passengers will use the 90 minutes that they have available to visit the Station Hotel where there is a special exhibition celebrating GW 125 set up.

[port perran]

Thanks for the update from Claverdon John.  It has been a good day for enthusiasts indeed. That Coronation pacific in maroon looks really nice.
Don't think I could justify one on a Cornish branchline though !

[Chris in Prague]

Many thanks for the latest photo. updates, Martin. The photos. are up to the usual excellent standard. The Castle Brewery had to borrow a Castle Estates light blue van and open wagon for the urgent delivery to Trepol Bay and Port Perran as all its own darker blue goods stock was still awaiting return due to the blocked line west of Wadebridge. Fortunately, thanks to the recent purchase of 15' goods stock, the Castle Estates still had some 10' stock in the sidings at Trevelver Castle otherwise the brewery manager would have risked a heart attack.

[Hailstone]

I noted the comments about the limited haulage capacity of the 14xx and have a possible solution - when local trains from Pentewan have to be reinforced with an extra auto coach, then on of Pentewan shed's "4575" prairies is used, as 5572 was built (and in reality built and restored) with auto gear - maybe the GWS can retrofit one of yours?

HTH

Alex

[johnlambert]

For Easter Sunday the local sheds have arranged for two demonstration goods trains; one of GW-liveried vehicles and one of private owner wagons.  The GW wagons are due to wait in the loop at Claverdon on its way North while the private owner wagon train passes through the platform line on its way South.







The goods in the loop has to wait a little longer as the streamlined rail car arrives on a Stratford train with the GWR autocoach in tow.





Finally it is time for the goods to leave for Leamington.



Having left the private owner wagons in the yard at Stratford the Prarie tank works the GWR B-set up to Birmingham.



Pannier tank arrives on a special brake van rail tour.



Into the loop to wait for another Easter special to pass



A hint of Apple Green catches the eyes of the train spotters.



LNER B1 No. 1234, earmarked for preservation and recently painted in green, passes through the station on its way to Stratford.

[Chris in Prague]

Many thanks, John, for another excellent set of photos. Those Gresley design coaches are very fine models. The train of preserved PO wagons and the one of GWR wagons, as well as the brake van tour (very popular in North Cornwall, too) are all excellent ideas. There were, as you know, similar goods trains of preserved GWR and SR stock, yesterday, in North Cornwall. Unfortunately, I don't (yet) have all the GWR and SR wagons and vans that Martin has and mine were (mostly) overhauled and repainted in "Castle Brewery" and "Castle Estates" liveries!

The Claverdon trainspotters must be VERY happy with the unusually wide selection of locos. and stock passing through their station, this weekend.

I'm afraid that more photos, from the Cant Cove area are delayed.

I see that the Tardis is still there. 8-)

[Chris in Prague]

Thanks, Alex. BR fitted over a dozen 4575's in the 1950's (1953, I believe) for use in the South Wales valleys before Derby-built  Suburban DMUs became available:

4578, 4580, 4581, 4589, 5511, 5524, 5527, 5529, 5534, 5545, 5555, 5560, 5568, 5572, and 5574.

In addition, 5526, 5542 have been fitted with auto gear in preservation. (Preserved auto-fitted examples are 5526, 5542, 5572 (cab end only fitted) ). However, I believe that 5534 was the only Auto Prairie shedded at St. Blazey (following the transfer away from South Wales of the auto-fitted 4575s after the introduction of DMUs) that I could run on my NCR-inspired layout. (However, I would be interested in making that conversion to 5534 of my BR Black Early Crest 5544.) Of course, 14XX and 64XX panniers were more common on autotrains and they were also seen in Cornwall but only on the (G)WR lines.