Bookings have now opened for the two Sundays of trips with the GWS Railmotor on the Looe Valley Line ^ 4 and 11 November.
Ticket Web are handling the bookings -
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user?query=search®ion=xxx&category=misc&search=rail+motorMore details in the Didcot Railway Centre press release below
26 September 2012
Press Release
Steam on the Looe Branch
The Great Western Society is pleased to announce that arrangements are rapidly coming together for the unique Steam Railmotor 93 to carry passengers on the Liskeard to Looe branch line on Sundays 4 and 11 November 2012. The Looe Valley will once again echo to the bark of a
GWR▸ steam train, while the passengers enjoy a ride in the elegant Edwardian interior, generously decorated in oak and brass with newly-woven upholstery and window blinds to the original pattern.
The 104-year-old wooden-bodied vehicle has cleared various hurdles to be allowed to run on Network Rail lines. The train operator in Cornwall, First Great Western, has been very supportive and is sponsoring the Looe branch events, with West Coast Railways being the train operator for the steam specials.
Tickets for the return journey from Liskeard to Looe cost ^25 each and can be booked from Ticketweb at
www.ticketweb.co.uk or phone 08444 771000 (booking fees will apply). There will be five return trips both Sundays, with the train carrying 54 passengers each time. Tickets must be booked for a specific service at the times below. It will not be possible to leave or join the train at Looe, so all journeys start and finish at Liskeard. The train operations are still subject to approval by the Office of Rail Regulation.
Steam Railmotor 93 was built in March 1908 and ran as a self-propelled unit for nearly 30 years, before being converted to a locomotive-hauled auto trailer in 1935 and renumbered 212. In 1956 it was withdrawn from passenger service and converted to a work study coach, becoming an office in Birmingham. It was preserved by the Great Western Society in 1970 and stored in the carriage shed at Didcot. In the 1990s the project to build a new steam power unit and rebuild the coach as a steam railmotor began. In July 2007 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the project ^768,000 for the rebuild of the coach, and the work was carried out on the Llangollen Railway, being completed in March 2011.
The Liskeard and Looe Railway opened in 1860. Originally the terminus for Liskeard was at Moorswater, a little to the west of the town. In 1901 the railway opened a link from Coombe Junction to the GWR station at Liskeard, enabling Looe to be promoted by the railway as a holiday destination. The 8.75 mile journey from Liskeard to Looe starts with a steep descent to Coombe Junction, where the train reverses. The line then follows the East Looe river, which becomes a tidal estuary with Looe railway station opposite the point where the West Looe river joins the East Looe. The Looe Valley Line is designated a Community Rail line and is now promoted by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.
Richard Burningham, Manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, said ^I am delighted that steam will be returning to the Looe Valley Line this November. The Great Western Society^s Railmotor is a particular treat and I^m sure the trains will be very popular indeed. At this time of year, the Looe Valley Line^s regular service is operated with a single coach diesel train and I think many local people will be very intrigued to see its century-old steam predecessor.^
Provisional timetable for Steam Railmotor train operations on 4 and 11 November
Liskeard dep 08.30
Liskeard arr 10.10
Liskeard dep 10.30
Liskeard arr 12.10
Liskeard dep 12.30
Liskeard arr 14.10
Liskeard dep 14.30
Liskeard arr 16.10
Liskeard dep 16.30
Liskeard arr 18.10
Journey time is approximately 40 minutes in each direction. It will not be possible to leave or join the train at Looe. Passengers are asked to note that there are no toilets on the train, so please plan accordingly.
ENDS
