Points heater?

In the good old days of steam there was a steam tap on the front of the boiler alongside the smokebox door, at least there was on the steamers that I've fired and driven. To that, as a fireman, you would attach a steam lance, turn the tap on and direct the stream of superheated steam onto the points and hey presto the snow would melt away to allow the signalman to operate the points. At busy junctions and big stations, the local linemen and platelayers would be positioned, with their shovels, dressed up in their railway issue black overcoats, to dig the snow out from around the points. After one particularly bad winter (1963 ?) heated points were introduced widely. These were propane gas fired for which the linemen / platelayers had to go to the points and light the gas burners which kept the rails warm so that the snow didn't settle. Anyone remember seeing the padlocked wire cages at junctions and in large station areas housing the propane gas bottles. With the increasing introduction of MAS signalling, area power boxes, mechanised track maintainence (tampers, rail grinders, stoneblowers), use of concrete sleepers, continuous welded rail secured to sleepers with pandrol clips, this did away with the need for the linemen / platelayers to walk the tracks with their key hammers and a sack of new wooden rail keys to replace those that had worked loose and dropped out. That coupled with the increasing availability of an electric supply to the remotest of lineside relay rooms meant the gas supply could be replaced by an electricity supply but I do wonder whether point heaters are still installed as a norm on todays railway for that once in 10 year event ?

 Not many places between Plymouth and Penzance where they
 can run at 75 m.p.h. are their ?

But why only during times of severe disruption?   Wouldn't it encourage more people to use public transport if they could go out on the train and back on the bus or vice versa?

But remember to add the coming of 2 trains an hour to the Cornwall main line, where there are currently gaps (as I recall) of around 80 minutes at some times of day.   There's going to be skill required not only for timetabling the services, but also timetabling them so that the load is spread between the trains.

...mmm.  It's sure to be vandalised if its left there...

Thank you, Kernowman. I hope that the disconnection of Oil road does not mean that no provision will be made for a future reinstatement of rail-borne fuel delivieries. If there is going to be an increase in frequency of services on the main line to Plymouth/beyond, it could follow that larger quantities of fuel will be delivered to Penzance. In this case, a train of fuel tankers should be more economically attractive than before. 

I also wonder what the plans are for the Ponsandane sidings. 

I was about to make a glib comment about "and the best solution is to get a folding surfboard" but, apparently, they do exist! http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/10314-the-fantastic-world-of-collapsible-surfboards