3rd Feb 2019 - excursion Bristol to Looe

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Special Train, Bristol Temple Meads to Mooreswater, Looe and Buckfastleigh - Branch Line Society, top and tail 2 x Brush 47

Edit to correct title

[SandTEngineer]

Lose...wheres that then.....

[grahame]

Lose...wheres that then.....

Lost somewhere to the south of Coombe Junction Halt??

[ChrisB]

Any weblink(s) at all?

[grahame]

Any weblink(s) at all?

Couldn't find one [yet], Chris ... I had a look at the Branch Line Society website, but I'm not a member there ... and I think it's hidden behind their paywall.

[bradshaw]

Detail as quest of BLS, click on fixture and then click on tour title

https://www.branchline.uk/fixture.php
Both timings and routing are provisional and subject to confirmation but are validated by WCR and bid to Network Rail as follows:

Bristol Temple Meads P12 PU^▸ (stops to Pick Up only) 08.10 - Taunton P2 PU 08.59 - Fairwater Yard Goods Reception - Tiverton Parkway P1 PU 09.37 - Exeter Riverside Yard Down Goods (on the Up side) - Exeter St Davids P6 PU 10.14 - Newton Abbot P3 - Totnes P1 PU/SD 10.51 - Plymouth P4 PU/SD 11.25 - Liskeard (rev) - Tarmac Moorswater (rev) - Looe (1 hour break/rev) - Coombe Jn (rev) - Liskeard (rev) - Plymouth P8 (photo stop) PU 17.07 - Totnes P2 PU 17.40 - South Devon Railway RM - Totnes RM - Newton Abbot P1 - Exeter St Davids P5 SD 20.04 - Tiverton Parkway P2 SD 20.25 - Taunton P5 SD 20.41 - Castle Cary - Westbury Avoider - Heywood Jn (rev) trailing crossover - Hawkeridge Curve - Bath Spa P1 SD 21.59 - Bristol Temple Meads P15 SD 22.16.

[stuving]

Lose...wheres that then.....

Lost somewhere to the south of Coombe Junction Halt??

No, Lost is ... surely you remember where?

[PhilWakely]

Detail as quest of BLS, click on fixture and then click on tour title

https://www.branchline.uk/fixture.php

Link is incorrect! should be https://www.branchline.uk/current-fixtures.php

Tour is already full!

[bobm]

I assume looking at the routing that it will traverse the crossover from the mainline to the branch at Liskeard with passengers possibly on board.  Has that happened before?

[bradshaw]

BLS are asking NR^» (Network Rail - home page) if it is possible
“As many are aware, passenger use of the significant 'strategic connection' between the main line and the branch at Liskeard is not normally permitted and an approach has been made to Network Rail to clarify the current position” - from website

[MVR S&T]

https://photos.signalling.org/picture?/1973/category/128-liskeard

Quite a few point clips required to run through a goods yard then..

It depends it NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are in a good mood or not I guess. Or even if a hundred ton loco can use the track at all.

[grahame]

Or even if a hundred ton loco can use the track at all.

Well - the Moorswater cement trains can

[MVR S&T]

Over to Network rail then.
We had the Branch line society at our Railway, the Moors Valley Railway, only a 7.25 inch gauge railway, but fully signalled to BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) practice, and they even wanted to run a train over our turntable and across the car park on temporary rails, which we did run for them!

[martyjon]

I assume looking at the routing that it will traverse the crossover from the mainline to the branch at Liskeard with passengers possibly on board.  Has that happened before?

Yes, it was a few years ago now, a Top and Tailed Pathfinders Tours ramble included the Looe branch in its entirety but it was a case of most pax walking through most of the train to alight at Looe. 

[martyjon]

View

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lc8zPBqZXE

on YouTube