Photos from Port Perran will be delayed today entirely due to a very busy day for the chief photographer !

Thanks Martin, I'm sure the photos from Port Perran will be worth the wait.

Chris, yes, the Claverdon train spotters have been able to tick off quite a few locos in their Ian Allen ABCs

So....in Cornwall today the GW 125 Celebrations have been largely centered on West Cornwall where there has been plenty of local traffic.
First we have a very busy scene at Port Perran. A 45XX and 14XX are about to depart with a two coach local bound for Truro. A 94XX simmers at Platform 3 with a parcels coach. The Manor is ready to work a later train to Penzance whilst in the background we have a pannier on a demonstration GW goods train.

Two BR black liveried panniers (note the different crests) are about to depart towards Wadebridge with a demonstration broccoli special.  In the background, the Cornish Arms is closed but will be really busy come 12-00 and opening time. Thank goodness the additional supplies arrived yesterday from both Headland and Castle breweries.

Later we see a black liveried 14XX arriving with an autocoach whilst a 45XX prarie awaits a later duty :

Replicating earlier activity at Claverdon, we see an ex GW railcar with a blood and custard autocoach. The 45XX is still awaiting its next duty :

Double headed praries head a 3 coach train to St Austell :

Finally, not to be outdone, there were a number of SR based trains at Trepol Bay. We see a Black Motor with an SR demonstration freight :

Overall, a busy day. No doubt the pubs in the area are now exceptionally busy !!

Exciting times at Port Perran, I think all those involved have earned a few sups of ale or maybe more in the Cornish Arms when it opens.  Great pictures Martin, thanks for the enjoyment.   

Quote from: Caz on April 05, 2015, 07:32:25 PM
Exciting times at Port Perran, I think all those involved have earned a few sups of ale or maybe more in the Cornish Arms when it opens.  Great pictures Martin, thanks for the enjoyment.   

Thanks Caz. The Cornish Arms is bursting at the seams at the moment and a good time is being had bay all.

Don't forget rule 1, between all of us we have rewritten enough railway history to fill a book - maybe you should get started now Chris!

Regards,

Alex

The CLPG in conjunction with BR (WR) have arranged a photo-shoot as part of GW-125 this evening at Port Perran. Our intrepid photographer has sneaked out from celebrations at the Cornish Arms to get a couple of photos. A little "blurred" I'm afraid due to having consumed too much Headland and Castle Ales !
Nevertheless, a sense of the occasion can be glimpsed despite the poor photos :

First we have a pannier and 94XX leaving Port Perran with a two coach local bound for Truro.

Secondly, we have the GW 57XX on the demonstration freight returning from Trepol Bay. The Cornish Arms can be glimpsed in the background. All seems quiet outside but be assured that inside and in the rear garden, the pub is absolutely bursting at the seams. The Cornish Blues All Stars have been booked to play - no doubt very late into the evening !

[Apologies for the poor quality of pictures ].

Very atmospheric, you can almost hear the sounds of the celebrations.

Quote from: johnlambert on April 05, 2015, 08:26:39 PM
Very atmospheric, you can almost hear the sounds of the celebrations.

Yes, it's a VERY lively evening at the Cornish Arms. Similar celebrations are taking place at the Station Hotel at Trepol Bay.

In West Dorset pristine 7810 'Draycott Manor' prepares to leave Chetcombe on an excursion to Cornwall for the celebrations.



Meanwhile, across in the bay platform celebrity 9F 92220 'Evening Star' (looking somewhat less than pristine) has arrived from Bath Green Park via the Somerset & Dorset and the West Dorset mainline as part of local celebrations at Chetcombe!

Lovely photos of a great layout.
I trust that celebrations in West Dorset have gone well today.
Thanks for taking part in GW-125.

Quote from: port perran on April 05, 2015, 08:48:40 PM
Lovely photos of a great layout.
I trust that celebrations in West Dorset have gone well today.
Thanks for taking part in GW-125.

I will be popping into 'The Beaminster Arms' later to make sure they haven't run out of beer - Palmers of Bridport is my usual tipple!

Cheers !   
Enjoy your evening.  Hic !!

Quote from: johnlambert on April 05, 2015, 05:40:21 PM
Thanks Martin, I'm sure the photos from Port Perran will be worth the wait.

Chris, yes, the Claverdon train spotters have been able to tick off quite a few locos in their Ian Allen ABCs

I'm sure that locospotters throughout GW territory have done a lot of underlining in their ABCs this weekend.
Hopefully they have enjoyed some unusual workings.
There may be more to look forward to tomorrow as revellers make their way home (no doubt some with sore heads!).

Lovely to see Chetcombe is participating in GW125, too. I wonder if we can get brand new (it was completed in 1960) WR celebrity 9F 92220 'Evening Star' down to Exeter on a special from Chetcombe in the summer? It was the last steam locomotive to be built by British Railways (at Swindon, of course). It holds the distinction of being the only British main line steam locomotive earmarked for preservation from the date of construction!

Beautifully cleaned and polished 7810 "Draycott Manor" on the special excursion from Chetcombe to Cornwall for the celebrations brought its train, on time, into Exeter, where it was relieved by an immaculate D63XX class loco. (steam locos. being in short supply with so many trapped at Cant Cove) and, far more pleasing for its passengers, one of the Chocolate & Cream RMB Mini Buffets (W1813, W1814, W1816, and W1821) sponsored by the North Cornwall Pasty Co. and the Castle and Headland Breweries, which will also be serving "Sam's Cider" from Somerset, was added for the journey to Wadebridge where the RMB and some of the coaches were taken off before the rest of the train departed for Trepol Bay and Port Perran behind an unknown (at present) steam loco. Unfortunately, the note passed to me from the "Cornish Arms" was illegible as someone had stood a beer tankard on part of it and the ink had run!

The Cant Cove and Penmayne members of the Cornish Locomotive Preservation Group, together with their friends from the GWS Bodmin, were taken from Cant Cove in a fleet of BR and Southern National buses, each morning since last week's embankment collapse east of Cant Cove, to Wadebridge where they piled into connecting trains to Trepol Bay, Port Perran, Truro and Weaver Cove to either assist their colleagues preparing, cleaning and polishing the participating and arriving locos. or to ride on and photograph the trains before going to the "Cornish Arms", Port Perran or the "Station Hotel" at Trepol Bay for lunchtime and evening drinks with their friends there.

The special Cornish delicacy gourmet dinners at "The Station Hotel", Cant Cove and the "Station Hotel", Trepol Bay are also proving a great success with the emergency luxury coach service between the two proving very popular. The kitchen at "The Station Hotel", Cant Cove, has been blue with Breton oaths but the diners have been extremely satisfied with their meals and the fine ales, wines, and spirits chosen to accompany them. Indeed, all the local hotels and inns, together with the Castle and Headland Breweries and Sam's Cider, Somerset, are very pleased with the numbers (and spending) of all the visiting tourists and rail enthusiasts despite the mixed weather and are already looking forward to the summer-long program.

At the "Castle Brewery", Trevelver Castle, the brewery manager has been promised, by the Lord and Lady, a surprise solution to the problem of conveying rail wagons and vans loaded beer from the brewery (and the empties back) when the rail link is cut.

Sylvia and the Chelsea Girls have been enjoying the celebrations, too, and her friends have promised to keep the secret of with whom she was enjoying a romantic weekend at the "Station Hotel" at Trepol Bay, under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Carne. One of Sylvia's friends, 'Big' Belinda, was seen in a pink Easter bunny outfit very much enjoying herself leading the Cant Cove and Trevelver Castle children on the annual Easter Egg Hunt in the castle grounds, this morning. I understand that someone took a photo. of her . . .

Luxury suite at the "Station Hotel", Trepol Bay, overlooking the hotel gardens behind the building:


On a darker note, the 'Fat Controller' from Plymouth Division, having been alerted by the Divisional Chief Civil Engineer, is due to arrive, this Tuesday, at Wadebridge, in an Inspection saloon, to discover just what triggered the embankment collapse . . .