Three car 175 arrived today at Laira 97 minutes early so missed a chance to see it on Dawlish cams.

It was The Pen and The Sword tour. I am sure I have the trip guide for it somewhere.

It was at Kineton. Wikipedia has an article about the Nightstars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightstar_(train)#Delay

Wasn't Long Marston Ministry of Defence land where the Euro Nightstars were kept before being sold to Italy?

I was on a rail tour that took us there and before we entered the army came on board to say we couldn't take photos because munitions were stored there.

Our tour, The Pen and ?  then went on to Stratford-upon-Avon and we had an open top bus tour.

That map hasn't got Newton Abbott to Moreton Hampstead via Heathfield and it branch via Chudleigh to Exeter closed 1958. The branch to Princetown is also missing.

The railways killed the villages of central Devon.

175002 arrived a Laira yesterday.

175002 left Ely Tuesday at 1306 (2hours late) hauled between two diesel locos maximum speed 30mph did a tour of England and arrived at Laira  Wednesday at 0735 on time. I suppose the long route was for the speed restriction.

With the winter timetable coming GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) might have enough 800s to replace them. The 175s are coming for the May timetable; that's in Todays Railways.

St Ives is usually 2 cars once the holiday season is deemed over.

The train is normally routed via Westbury so those passengers lost out.

On the good side. Dawlish has lifts and rebuild of the seaward platform. Paignton station had new doors to street and platform.

Bad side. Torquay still waiting for lifts, Newton Abbot still waiting for new entrance to industrial estate. Edginswell still not built. Exeter St David's platform 2 extension abandoned which would have helped service flexibility. Exeter Central needs something done to help congestion on the narrow footbridge.

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) only include Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset in their Spotlight area. ITV include Bristol and Avon.

The 175s primary job is to get rid of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train). They will go on Barnstaple and Okehampton.  The 19 150s at Exeter are diagrammed to rotate through the Cornwall branches stabling overnight at various locations in Cornwall before working back to Exeter. The 150s seem to be becoming very unreliable.

The 175s I don't think can be cleared for the Cornwall branches. The 158s at Exeter are likely to go to Bristol.

Paignton-Exmouth will still need at least 4 turbos and 175s occasionally as 158s are used now when short of stock. The Barnstaple/Okehampton 175s will stable at Exeter, in place of the 158s overnight before having to work back to Laira.

It looks like 7 miles. Up to a mile west of St Earth 6 miles towards Cambourne taking in Hayle.

Looks like the 175s are coming to Laira plus the two simulators. The 158s at Exeter to go to Bristol.

The steam engine was ok between Taunton and Kingswear but the diesel failed and the return trip to Paddington was cut short at Slough.

1A81 Paignton-London three car 165108. Return as 1C85 Paddington-Paignton. Being overtaken by 1C86 at Taunton.