Great Western Coffee Shop

By chance I came across a rather unhappy chap at Redruth today who had got a Journey plan from Plymouth station, leave Plymouth at 13:53, arrive Redruth at 15:23 then a 40 min (plus) wait for the 16:10 Helston bus, he wasn't at all impressed as a Local Bus Driver said the 16:10 only runs SSHO

The Station monitors did mention a 16:10 Redruth to Helston bus, but if no 16:10 the next bus is 17:10 (thats what a lot of appretices get, a long wait)

Smokey having a smoke.

First bus 41 at 16:10 to Falmouth, change to First bus 230, arrive 17:12

First but 42 at 16:23 to Pool, change to First bus 34, arrive 17:20

National Express 504 at 16:25, change at Camborne to First bus 45, arrive 17:31

via http://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/

Sorry Grahame this info is not totally correct, although provides alternative routes going the very long way round in the case of the Falmouth service.
The service in question will be the First Service 34 (commonly referred to as the Helston Branchline), starts at Redruth and runs to central Helston.  The 1610 is marked as CHo which according the abbreviation key signifies College Holidays only. On College days this service omits Redruth Station and goes from Cornwall College at Pool instead

Any other Cornwall bus queries feel free to ask as I have Cornwall Council Bus Timetable book here. Its a big book just over an inch thick!
 (I also live less than 100m from Redruth Rail Station so more about Redruth services than anything else)

Also untimetabled but the incoming bus arrives at Redruth station approx. 1555 to set down passengers before running off timetable to the College to start the College day journey.
Alternatively there is a 14/18 at xx06/ xx16/ xx46/ xx56 from Redruth station to Cornwall College to connect to the 34 starting at the college.

Just a shame the book is only produced once a year when the timetables seem to change almost weekly. Even then it's quite a task getting hold of a copy.

there is a book store on the street opposite the rail bridge by Redruth station that has the timetable book stocked if you're down this way. They are also (suposedly) available from the one stop shops.

He may have been better off staying on to Camborne, walking to the bus station and travelling on to Helston on the 39.

The First-run "Helston branchline" bus service isn't worthy of its name: services are often timed to arrive NOT to connect with non-FGW train services and if you're arriving in West Cornwall after 6pm and need to get to Helston, your only hope is to stay on until Penzance and get a bus back to Helston from there. Over half a century ago, a prairie and a B-set would have been waiting for you at Gwinear Road at 7.45pm and 9.25pm.   

Or indeed the 45 now. There are now 2 buses an hour from Camborne to Helston for most the day.

The bus service hasn't connected with trains for years now, since the timetable was changed from one providing connections with trains to a regular hourly service, which is more use locally. The loss of evening services is fairly recent too, a victim of the funding cuts as a result of the current governments policies.

Passengers holding through train tickets to Helston may also change at Truro, although that is probably of little use nowadays. The Helston-Truro link has been cut from 3 buses every 2 hours to just 1 every two hours. Even then the bus departs from Truro bus station, a ten minute walk from the railway station. It may be of more use in the evening though, the last couple of buses start back from Truro railway station, and they are later than the services from Redruth. The last 34 from Redruth to Helston departs at 1820. There are 2As from Truro to Helston at 1910 and 2110.