Across the South West over Easter - trains in pictures

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A little more free time, and a need to brush up on what's going on with public transport across the region "encouraged" me to take a FOSW^▸ (Freedom of (the) South West Rover) ticket that I am half way through,  Rather more serious than "lighter side", here are a dozen rail related pictures taken over the last few days as I brush up showing a great variety.

As an Easter Quiz, how many can you recognise from the great variation we have across the region?   Please name one each (I'm sure they will all be identified very quickly ...)

0 - Bath Spa - Timmer


1 - Clifton Maybank


2 - Oldfield Park - PhilWakely


3 - Truro - old original


4  - Plym Bridge Platform - johnneyw


5  - Cattewater Branch - Chris from Nailsea and Cattewater Junction


6 - Plymouth


7 - approacing Kingswear - GBM


8 - St Budeaux Ferry Road - a-driver


9 - Gunnislake


10 - Southampton Central - Rob T


11  - Thornford - bradshaw

[bradshaw]

11 Thornford (Bridge Halt), that and Chetnole used the old platform from Cattistock Halt, replacing the timber one originally used.

[old original]

3.  Truro.

[grahame]

11 Thornford (Bridge Halt), that and Chetnole used the old platform from Cattistock Halt, replacing the timber one originally used.

Correct - also know as Thornford for Beer Hackett, and as Thornford International in some quarters.    I walked there from Yeovil Junction - and the walk reminded me of just how crass (IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion')) it is that there's no good passenger interchange between the main line East-West and the North-South line.    Of course, one was "Southern" and the other was "Western" and so never the two shall talk - surely we could overcome that history?

3.  Truro.

Yep!  My intent was to head to Falmouth Docks but plans changed (nothing to do with the railway) ... another day, perhaps.

[Timmer]

0. Diverted XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service passing through Bath due to a points issue between Bridgwater and Taunton on Tuesday.

[GBM]

7. Heading for Kingswear from Bridge Halt (now removed?).
Paignton to Kingswear.
Dartmouth used to have a ticket and luggage office, but no trains of course.
Used to alight from Churston school at Bridge Halt many years ago.

[ellendune]

5.  I am going to guess Heathfield Branch at Newton Abbot from Newton Road Bridge

[grahame]

0. Diverted XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service passing through Bath due to a points issue between Bridgwater and Taunton on Tuesday.

Ah - I had wondered what it was doing there!

7. Heading for Kingswear from Bridge Halt (now removed?).
Paignton to Kingswear.
Dartmouth used to have a ticket and luggage office, but no trains of course.
Used to alight from Churston school at Bridge Halt many years ago.

Yes; I'm a little sad that intermediate stations between Paignton and Kingswear are no longer served.   Picture shown Goliath pulling Madelaine, Rebecca and others about ...

Sorry - No. 5 is not the Heathfield Branch

[johnneyw]

4.  Plym Valley railway perchance?

[Chris from Nailsea]

5.  Cattewater Branch Line, Plymouth.

Chris from Plymouth. 

[Cattewater Junction]

No 5 is the Cattewater Branch  and Cattewater Junction is at the end of the curve

[bradshaw]

In 1985 there were embryonic plans for a platform on the WR lines near where they crossed. The walk from there passed the signal box along live lines meant it progressed no further. I wrote an article mentioning it in Modern Railways for March 1988.
If such a link were to go ahead now I believe that it would use the S to W curve, earthworks for which can still be seen. Part of the Clifton Maybank extension they were never used. Use could be also made of the N to W curve of the 1860s broad gauge goods link which led to the transfer shed, now the Yeovil Railway Centre. The old down platform might serve this but alternative arrangements will be need for the heritage centre.

[Southernman]

In 1985 there were embryonic plans for a platform on the WR lines near where they crossed. The walk from there passed the signal box along live lines meant it progressed no further. I wrote an article mentioning it in Modern Railways for March 1988.
If such a link were to go ahead now I believe that it would use the S to W curve, earthworks for which can still be seen. Part of the Clifton Maybank extension they were never used. Use could be also made of the N to W curve of the 1860s broad gauge goods link which led to the transfer shed, now the Yeovil Railway Centre. The old down platform might serve this but alternative arrangements will be need for the heritage centre.

There are already West Country connections at Castle Cary for passengers from Dorchester/Weymouth. Other alternatives might involve Salisbury terminators (aspiration is to expand to hourly) continuing to Yeovil Pen Mill from Yeovil Junction. When/if Langport Station is ever reopened a round service to/from Exeter St Davids via the Yeovil Stations stopping at all stations might become viable. That would directly link Yeovil and Taunton the two largest towns in Somerset and provide all the links anyone would wish for. The link mentioned was costed at £90M around 5 years ago not including station alterations. That's not going to be at the top of any 'value for money' scheme and has been discounted in the latest Network Rail plans.

[eightonedee]

OK, if no-one else has done it - I'll nominate no. 6 as the Melksham one - and let someone else pick the Taunton one (if it's there!).

[grahame]

OK, if no-one else has done it - I'll nominate no. 6 as the Melksham one - and let someone else pick the Taunton one (if it's there!).

This, sorry, is not a traditional quiz.  Neither Taunton nor Melksham is present ....