1340

[BLN 1340]

PREVIOUS PAGE LOWER: The shorter 6-car P2 ahead is on the trackbed of the original Londonderry
first station trainshed building. To the right is the new carriage line. The longer 9-car P1 on the left is
on the trackbed of the former goods shed line - the long loop starts after the platform lines converge.

ABOVE: This view of P2 and the siding are taken from the Belfast end of the original trainshed which
now has a wall with a large window in it.

NEXT PAGE UPPER: In the opposite direction showing how the original trainshed has been converted
into a magnificent concourse for the new station.

NEXT PAGE LOWER: A historical picture showing the 11.07 arrival, the final one at the original station,
on 24 Feb 1980 looking towards Belfast with the River Foyle on the left. The signal box (95m20ch) is in
the background. The picture was kindly submitted by Alex Esdale, at the time Londonderry area
manager. Later in the day trains used the then new second station, accessed by the tracks to the left.

2853] Belfast Hub: (BLN 133.1962) On 6 Nov Translink awarded the contract for the £208M 'Belfast
Hub' to Graham Ltd who built the new Portrush station building and completed Adelaide Depot in
2012. Construction is due to start in 2021 and take 5 years; eight platforms replace the present four.



[BLN 1340]
2854] Lisburn West: On 8 Nov the 'Belfast Telegraph' carried a planning application affecting land east
of Knockmore Rd, north of Flush Park and south of 68-80 Addison Park & 8-10 Knockmore Rd, Lisburn.
It is for a proposed new rail halt (sic) and Park & Ride facility with track realignment, 'platforms'
[how many?], a footbridge with a ticket office and staff facility, 350 standard car parking spaces, 22
disabled parking spaces, two electric car charging points, a bus turning circle and ancillary works.

This is an amended 2016 scheme with an additional noise assessment and is essentially reopening of
Knockmore station (104m 08ch) - the last call was by the 18.45 Bangor to Portadown on Maundy Thur
24 Mar 2005 ('official' closure was from 30 Mar but the line was shut for Easter engineering works).

Translink purchased the land in 2014 and first proposed reopening in 2016. (Quail 6 p17E Feb 2004)
Knockmore was mainly served by Lisburn - Antrim trains until they were withdrawn from 30 Jun 2003,
with three intermediate stations closed; the line was carrying just 70 passengers a day (but the service
was poor). There was a single platform on the outside (Up side of that single line which is towards
Lisburn and Belfast). On the double track main line there was only a platform on the far opposite side
of the three tracks serving the Up Main (towards Portadown and Dublin) so the station was only
served in that direction from 30 Jun 2003 to 25 Mar 2005. This platform was demolished on 19 May
2012. The three tracks are side by side here (the Down Main has not had a platform since 1975 when
the third line was commissioned for Lisburn - Antrim trains), so it is wondered if the realignment is to
allow an island platform to be constructed to serve both Mains. Previous press releases have indicated
that a third platform would be provided for the Antrim line if it was ever reopened to passengers.

2855] Drogheda: Updating the BLS Microgricing Guide on our website: The 11.07 (SSuX) & 11.05 (SO)
Dunlin Connolly to Dundalk use Up P2 in the Down direction at Drogheda. This is because the 10.35
(SuX) ex-Belfast is booked for Down P1 then. P1 is the default for all Belfast trains for ease of access.
The 18:21 to Newry and 19:08 & 23:43 to Dundalk all SSuX ex-Connolly are also shown on Irish Rail's
Website to use Drogheda P2 in the Down direction although it is not clear why. All Dundalk Up local
starters are thought to use Drogheda P2 except 07.10 & 20.40 (SSuX) - booked P1; (SO to be advised).

2856] New Coaches: (BLN 1336.2356) On 30 Oct Government approval was finally given for 41 extra
22000 Class intermediate DMU cars from Mitsui of Japan (costing €150M) to strengthen existing trains.
They should start to enter service in the Greater Dublin Area in late 2021 (but may run anywhere) and
increase peak capacity by 34%. Delivery could again be along the otherwise disused extremity of the
Alexandra Road Tramway (Quail 6 p1 Feb 2004) in Dublin Port, as for the original units. The 63 set
fleet, now configured 10 x 5-car, 25 x 4-car & 28 x 3-car will become 22 x 6-car, 20 x 4-car & 21 x 3-car.

In an emergency they can run as an 18-car train. [As a Merseyrail train did in the very icy conditions of
Sun 18 Jan 2015 at Hooton before our railtour!] The design and layout is similar to existing cars, with
no additional toilets provided (there will be a minimum of three toilets on a 4-car train). Removal of
four fixed seats and the toilet allows a multi-purpose area at one coach end. The new vehicles are
'expected' to 'plug in and play' but some compatibility work will be needed on the fleet. There is an
option on a further 60 cars. Over 50M Irish Rail journeys are expected for the first time ever in 2019.

2857] M3 Parkway - Navan: The National Transport Authority is to investigate reopening, as mooted
previously. This explains why there is such a long headshunt beyond M3 Parkway, including two
significant double track bridges under the roundabout for the R157/M3 interchange north of the
station. The original Midland Great Western Railway branch from Clonsilla to Navan and Kingscourt
CP 27 Jan 1947; the last passenger train ran the previous day; CA 1 Apr 1963 (final train the previous
day). New stations are proposed at Dunshaughlin, Kilmessan, the northern edge of Navan and Navan
town centre. It is not clear if this would revive the whole closed section to Navan East Jn and connect
with the existing 'freight only' line (as in no railtours recently) from Drogheda Down Jn to Navan and
Tara Mines. Navan now has a population of about 36,000, making it the fifth largest town in Ireland.

The 28 Jul 1990 'Cavan Coup' was the final railtour
to Kingscourt using Northern Ireland Railway's RB3
railbus from Belfast Central and then return.
http://bit.ly/2PWEUEd is a fascinating 52min video
featuring the last revenue earning Gypsum train
(30 Oct 2001 but a different world) from
Kingscourt, detonators and full power! Tara Mines
(Lead-Zinc Ore), cement, beet and passenger trains
are included. The final train of all to Kingscourt
was a 'proper' http://bit.ly/33sDDsH (5 min) loco
hauled weed-spraying train, on 7 Jun 2002. Tara Jn
(30m 71ch) was then disconnected - the track still mostly remains in situ. Some high quality pictures:
http://bit.ly/36GmjSU (best viewed full screen as a slide show; dates are unreliable). ABOVE LEFT: The
railtour souvenir ticket, the station is Kilmainham Wood, the last one before Kingscourt.

1340 ISLE OF MAN (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
2858] Manx Northern Railway: The IOM Government's draft business case to upgrade the trackbed
path between St John's and Kirk Michael has been submitted to Treasury. This would be the start of
linking Douglas with Peel (11½ miles) and Ramsey (25 miles). The Government is using the former
Manx Northern trackbed as an intrinsic part of https://bbc.in/33tDJQz - its Active Travel Strategy. This
aims to encourage use of transport other than cars to travel to work, in particular cycling and walking.
The steam railway routes between Douglas and Peel, and St John's and Ramsey closed in 1968.

2859] Were the horses baying for a final run? (BLN 1337.2407) Rather to everyone's surprise, and at
very short notice, the horse tramway operated again over the Derby Castle to Palace Hotel section on
Sat 2 & Sun 3 Nov; the first time since Mon 22 Sep. With the other IOM heritage lines also running for
the last time over this weekend, the horse trams joined in the 'end of term' celebrations too!

2860] MER Winter Works: After the end of season, single lane working has been introduced on the
road adjacent to the Manx Electric Railway on Groudle Viaduct (2m 26ch to 2m 30cch) with traffic light
control. It appears that work will soon be underway on the viaduct track. A sign warning of work and
traffic delays advised that it would start on 7 Nov and last for 5 weeks but nothing was happening on
Thur 7 Nov. On the morning of Sat 9 Nov MER Tram No7 was seen heading north from Derby Castle,
it is not known how far it went but there were not many on board. The MER Facebook page said it was
a special working, 'definitely the last tram of the 2019 season' and had a picture of it north of Laxey.

1340 SCOTLAND (Mike McCabe) [email protected]
2861] Forth Bridge: (BLN 1338.2624) 60 people NIMBYs have lodged the inevitable objections to NR's
Forth Bridge visitor scheme planning application; 15 posted support, some from elsewhere in Scotland.

Their concern centres on a planned 'bridge walk hub' between Dalmeny station and the bridge, where
visitors would be kitted out and briefed for the £60-£100 walks. They suggest that the centre should
be at the Queensferry Crossing Contact & Education centre by the Forth Road Bridge, with visitors
transferred by electric buses. About 135 trees would be felled; people using a new elevated walkway
from the station to the centre would be able to see into houses and gardens. NR said the new public
path would be constructed further away from properties than the existing one and more trees would
be planted. It is feared that with cars parked along the street, serious safety issues crossing the road
and for emergency vehicle access would arise. NR said the centre's car park would be for booked, time
limited parking only. Visitors would be encouraged to travel by public transport, eg train to Dalmeny.

2862] Kintore: (BLN 1329.1361) The new two platform station (13m 29ch), on the site of the original,
(CP 7 Nov 1966) is due to open 17 May 2020. Two lift towers were craned into place at the end of Oct.

ABOVE: 'Locchinvar' on Loch Aline at Lochaline West Pier. This pier was used by a MacBrayne's ferry
from Oban until the car ferry to Fishnish was introduced in 1973. The car ferry slipway, in Loch Aline,
is being reconstructed at the moment, so from 21 Oct until 1 Dec the ferry is diverted to the West Pier
(boat gricers note!) and can only take foot passengers. Buses connect with only a few of the crossings,
so the ferry is hardly used. Our member was the only passenger on the 10.45 Lochaline to Fishnish.
Remains of the sand installation (see below) can be seen in the photo. (Greg Beecroft, 5 Nov 2019.)

2863] Lochaline quartz silica sand mine railway: The village of Lochaline, on the north (mainland)
shore of the Sound of Mull at the entrance to Loch Aline, once had a narrow gauge railway to serve a
mine (NM 6799 4495). Silica sand was discovered here in 1895 and analysis in 1923 showed it to be
about 99% silica. That made it extremely suitable for manufacture of high quality glass, but the remote
location resulted in it being cheaper to import silica sand from continental Europe. WWII created
significant demand for high quality glass for gun sights, periscopes and other military purposes, but
imports were no longer possible. Therefore a mine was established on the shore of Loch Aline in 1940.

An adit was driven into the hillside, and 'pillar and stall' mining was adopted. Sand was initially
transported from the mine by puffers from the nearby Old Pier, but this soon proved to be
unsatisfactory. From 1941 lorries were used to convey the sand from the mine to Lochaline West Pier,
on the Sound of Mull, where it could be loaded onto larger ships. A processing facility was established
at the pier to screen and wash the sand. There was an underground railway, initially horse-drawn, to
bring the sand to the surface, and this was extended by about ¾ mile to the West Pier. That enabled
sand to be moved directly from the mine to the ships. The rails for the line had been manufactured by
Krupp and were obtained from a captured German cargo ship. The mostly single track line (thought
possibly to be 2' 4" gauge) was in use, worked by diesel locomotives, from 1943 until 1963.

ABOVE: A rare picture of a train bringing sand along the shore of Loch Aline from the mine to the
processing plant at the Lochaline West Pier in about 1945, note the sand 'ballast'. (Reproduced under
licence for use in BLN for personal use; not for further distribution without permission; © Canmore.)

Production continued in peacetime, with annual output growing from 52,000 tons in 1948 to 61,000
tons in 1962. Over 60 men were employed at the mine. Although sand was produced mainly for
glassmaking, the mine had contracts to supply the manufacturers of Ajax cleaning powder and Colgate
toothpaste. The railway operated until 1963, when haulage reverted to lorries, both on the surface
and below ground. The mine closed in 2008, which prompted Historic Scotland to research the history
of the industry, using company records and the testimony of workers at the mine. Their detailed
record is at http://bit.ly/2K0JPQJ and the 'Oban Times' had an informative article on 12 Oct 2017.

Reopened in 2012, it is Europe's only underground sand mine and one of the UK's last underground
mines. Sand is loaded directly onto ships at an adjacent jetty in Loch Aline and mostly sent to Runcorn.

With the railway being of light construction and closing over half a century ago, it is hard to find any
remains, except in the vicinity of the pier. There is the further complication that it does not seem to
have been shown on any published map. The North of Scotland was not universally covered at large
scale and maps tended to be infrequently resurveyed and updated. The mine is not marked on the
7th Series One Inch 1956 OS map, even though it had opened 16 years earlier. The railway approached
the pier on a low embankment, which is still there supported by concrete retaining walls. The concrete
bases and stubs of the steel supports for the loading and processing facility can also be seen.

2864] West Highland Line Engineering: (BLN 1337.2409) During the 5-14 Oct line closure between
Crianlarich and Fort William, the various works included refurbishment of bridges near Corrour and
Spean Bridge, ongoing refurbishment of Auch (Horseshoe) Viaduct near Bridge of Orchy and improving
drainage culverts between Upper Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy. Rannoch island platform was rebuilt.

The station tearoom couldn't be accessed by rail and, like at Corrour, no alternative transport could be
provided either. However it was still busy as a rest area and provided refreshments for the workers,
especially appreciated in the persistent rain! Engineers worked for 9,000 hours removing 400 tonnes
of spoil, removing and replacing 600m2 of timber decking and relaying 242m of track.

2865] IBM: (BLN 1318.2565) The new site owners are consulting on proposals to build 450 homes and
20,000m2 of employment space. It is envisaged that this development will result in trains calling at IBM
again. IBM trailblazed the new wheeze for indefinite 'temporary closure' (from Sun 9 Dec 2018).

2866] Greenock: Dellingburn St closed for 20 weeks from 11 Nov for NR to repair and strengthen the
railway bridge over the B788. Buses replace trains on the weekends of the 4 & 5 and 11 & 12 Jan. This
will be fun as it is the main road from Kilmacolm to Greenock and is part of an unsigned, but widely
used, route between the A8 (from Glasgow) and A78 (from Largs) avoiding Greenock town centre.

2867] Blessed by Sunday services: In a Sunday timetable enhancement there are two return trips
between Mallaig and Glasgow all winter (one by changing at Crianlarich), and an extra Fort William
to Mallaig return train. The previous winter timetable, Nov to Mar, had just a single return service
between Mallaig and Glasgow each Sunday. A local member comments: It's probably a case of use
it or lose it so any publicity would be welcome! Take up of this may also influence the likelihood of
more substantial timetable enhancements in future. This is actually an interesting time of year to do
the trip with few leaves on the trees and snow can feature. Departures times from Queen Street are
12.20 (a 12 minute connection at Crianlarich) & 18.21 reaching Mallaig 17.43 & 23.35 respectively.
From Mallaig it is 10.10 (change at Crianlarich) & 16.06 reaching Queen Street 15.26 & 21.19. There
is also a 12.12 Fort William to Mallaig (13.34) and 18.15 return (arr 19.37). Oban has Sunday trains
all year from Queen Street at 09.56, 12.20 & 18.21 taking just over three hours, with return services
at 12.11, 16.11 & 18.11. Summer school holidays SuO, subject to engineering work, there is also a
direct PSUL train, 08.08 from Edinburgh via Cowlairs North to East Jns, returning from Oban 17.11.

2868] Carstairs Down Yard: (TRACKmaps 1 p10E Nov 2017) With the downturn in local coal traffic at
the time, Freightliner Heavy Haul vacated the yard from 16 Jun 2014 and it has been disused since.
There is a trailing connection controlled by a Ground Frame (with a train 'shut in' facility) to the
bidirectional Down Main at 74m 15ch where the points are currently padlocked. NR now wishes to
abandon the yard as it seems unlikely there will be any future use for it. When Motherwell Signalling
Centre closes this Christmas, the Carstairs Solid State Interlocking is being replaced by Westlock,
controlled from West of Scotland Signalling Centre at Springburn. Some Ground Switch Panels are
being abandoned in preparation for this re-control (such as Beattock North from 29 Sep) but at
Carstairs the Down Yard Ground Frame, with slotting, is retained and interlocked with the new
Westlock. Then, a few months later, it will be abandoned and NR will have to pay for the necessary
data changes (or leave it in the interlocking). To be fair these resignalling schemes are planned a long
time in advance, can be delayed by lack of funding and late alterations are very expensive to make.

2869] Ayr Station Hotel: (BLN 1336.2364) A further report by Mott MacDonald on this derelict hotel
reveals that the building seems not to be at risk of imminent collapse and is in a condition that could
technically allow it to be saved. The north end is in better condition than the south end. However,
there are some important qualifications to the report. A full survey for wet and dry rot has not been
carried out and an asbestos survey has not been made. Mott MacDonald thinks that remedial work
would cost about £10M, but that only appears to make the building safe and sound. It does not include
the work needed to allow it to function as a hotel again, or to convert it into flats etc.

Dated 1885 Ayr station was built by the Glasgow & South Western Railway Company at a cost of
£50,000. It was described by Groome as, ... a new and commodious station ... its platform covering an
area of 3000 square feet, and in connection with it [is] a large and handsome hotel. The work was
superintended by Mr Robert Wilson, assistant engineer. Notable for the good interior detailing to the
hotel and the impressive ironwork to the station canopies. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry.)

Interestingly a member of the public (who presumably stayed there) nominated the hotel for the
register in Apr 2012 after noticing that part of the roof seemed to have collapsed, some windows were
boarded up, decorative ironwork was hanging off or had fallen off and bushes were growing out from
the steelwork. The parent company was in administration but the hotel was still open then.

The hotel closed in 2013 following a period of little use. Information from the Buildings at Risk Register
for Scotland is interesting: The 3-storey plus attic French Renaissance hotel forms part of Ayr station,
with a 4-storey plus attic corner pavilion and a lower single storey. There are single storey with attic
and also 2-storey sections to the station. Coursed red sandstone. Bull-faced battered base course;
channelled rustication to ground floor of principal elevation; openings with architraves and projecting
cills; dividing band courses; deeply moulded eaves cornice; pilastered sandstone rectangular dormers
to attic, with deep entablatures, scrolls flanking; decorative iron brattishing to pavilion roofs.

4

1340 WALES & THE MARCHES (Chris Parker) [email protected]
2870] Marches Line: Hereford (excl) - Maindee Jns TCA Sat 26 Oct after flash flooding washed away a
50yd section of formation and ballast in the River Monnow valley at 15m 41ch, near Vineyard Farm
about a mile north of Pandy station site and 4¼ miles south of Pontrilas, leaving track suspended in
midair. The driver of the last train to pass, 09.31 Manchester Piccadilly to Carmarthen, reported fast
flowing water shortly before 13.00. NR engineers assessed the damage the following day. Five other
locations in the vicinity were also affected. Replacement of sleepers, 500 tonnes of ballast and 300
tonnes of foundation materials were required, also repairs where necessary to drainage, culverts and
cabling. Replacement buses were in operation Newport - Hereford and an hourly all day rail service
south from/to Abergavenny resumed Mon 28 Oct, mainly of through services to/from West Wales.
Unfortunately the media (not National Rail Website) kept reporting that Hereford - Newport was shut.

Abergavenny was an ECS shunt, as some years ago when the Cardiff Central to Abergavenny peak
short workings turned back over one or other of the trailing crossovers to reach Down (southbound)
P2. Abergavenny - Hereford ROA at the start of service on Sat 2 Nov, two days earlier than expected.

The 08.30 SSuX Llandudno to Cardiff Central terminated at Chester all week with no service or road
transport south. Uniquely it is non-stop Shrewsbury to Newport, quite an experience when it's a Class
150, but passes Hereford P2 at reduced speed, so no rare track. Yet again there was no warning on
TfW website, at (or to!) stations where passengers were reported turning up with booked tickets for
the train. Sadly, viewed with the unannounced Dec timetable changes (BLN 1339.2738), and limited or
belated information about the recent temporary Dolgarrog, Tygwyn & Llandanwg station closures,
poor communications have become characteristic of TfW at a time when NR's have been excellent…

2871] Barmouth - Pwllheli: (BLN 1334.2005) The first train after the 16-day engineering closure was a
route proving DMU at 07.45 from Barmouth ECS on Mon 11 Nov reaching Pwllheli at 08.41 (31 min
early!). It then formed the first passenger departure from the terminus at 09.34. The 06.29 & 07.24
Pwllheli to Machynlleth were cancelled throughout, due to overrunning engineering works according
to National Rail. There were all station buses instead (on short term planning) taking 3¾ hours for the
whole journey (the train is 2hr 23min). This was a shame as during the actual closure, commendably,
there were trains to/from Barmouth with 'fast' and 'all stations' bus connections to/from Pwllheli.
Both cancelled trains would normally stable at night at the terminus. Sadly the Transport for Wales
Website was silent about the cancellations and alternative provision (the previous item refers).

2872] Barry: (TRACKmaps 3 p28B, Jun 2018) With the Tourist Railway becoming ever less tourist and
more commercial, its operator Cambrian Transport has signed a contract with Vivarail to use 1½ miles
of its NR-connected track for testing and mileage accumulation of Class 230 units.
Barry Docks, two pictures of our 15 Sep 1979 'South Wales Wanderer No4' railtour that did the low
level dock lines including Woodham's Scrap Yard (NEXT PAGE TOP). Far fight is Alan Quayle and left is
the taller Angus McDougall; far left facing is a very dapper looking Dave Monger. Your BLN Editor
recalls that every single loco was 'reserved' for some preservation group or other. (Ian Mortimer.)



2873] Conwy Valley line: (BLN 1338.2630) This was TCA yet again south of North Llanrwst after the
passage of the 11.35 Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno on 24 Oct for emergency repairs and geological
surveys in Ffestiniog Tunnel. RO was from start of service on Sat 26 Oct. NR has held further drop-in
events in Llanrwst and Blaenau regarding the forthcoming planned closure. Our Dolwyddelan Railway
Rambler correspondent attended the former on 5 Nov and reports that NR test drilled to 60m depth at
Dolgarrog station site before they hit anything solid and considered moving or closing the station but
have decided to replace the platform on the existing site using short piles - just don't jump up and
down on the new platform! He was also advised that while part of the 2m 15ch Ffestiniog Tunnel is
bored through granite, the great majority is through slate, hence its recent problems. Finally, in non-
news, given the well-publicised continuing problems with Class 230s on the Marston Vale line,
(averaging 420 miles between faults) their introduction on TfW routes has slipped back to 2020.

2874] Aberystwyth - Carmarthen: (BLN 1339.2740) Postscript: During their explorations our two
members discovered that four underbridges between Conwil and Danycoed, the present northern
terminus of the Gwili Railway, need substantial restoration so it may be a while before trains return!
At Carmarthen the River Towy/Tywi bridge just northeast of the NR station has gone of course.
2875] Ornithologist's section - Mallards flocking to Wales: Keolis Amey as provider for TfW rail
services has submitted a Vehicle Change Proposal (VCP) to run Mk 4 coaches and DVTs on the Crewe -
Chester - Llandudno/Holyhead and Chester - Earlestown - Manchester Piccadilly routes during the
Dec 2019 timetable's currency replacing existing Mk 3 stock. This is an interim measure; the ultimate
intention is that they should be used just on Cardiff - Holyhead services requiring a further VCP. There
will be two trainsets comprising 4 coaches, DVT and Class 67 loco. The DVTs are to be modified as they
are currently incompatible with Class 67s; many will be pleasantly surprised if it goes smoothly! In your
BLN Editor's humble opinion, Mallard seating is far superior to most modern trains including Azumas.

2876] Wrexham - Hawarden Bridge: NR proposes to increase the line speed for freight on this route
(0m 16ch to the change of mileage at 13m 33ch) from 25mph to 40mph. Local restrictions of 20mph
(Cefn-y-Bedd viaduct and A541 road underbridge, 4m 08ch to 4m 18ch) and 30mph (Caergwrle A550
road underbridge, 4m 79ch to 5m 00ch) will still apply due to structural issues, but at the former the
passenger traffic restriction is to be eased from 25mph to 40mph. The changes result from a review
due to freight trains having insufficient momentum to climb the steep gradients (particularly the 1:50
from Hawarden Bridge to Buckley) during the leaf fall season. Since the restrictions were originally
imposed, much of the line has been relaid with continuous welded rail and structures have been
strengthened and/or reassessed for higher speed. Overall passenger train line speed remains 40mph.

2877] WSP has not fallen flat: (BLN 1338.2631) TfW's mid leaf fall season report issued on 7 Nov
claims that fitting Class 150s with Wheel Slide Protection (WSP) together with NR's various efforts to
improve rail conditions have resulted in a 63% reduction in wheel damage compared with last year.

PREVIOUS PAGE & ABOVE: You won't see either of these from a train as they are beneath the railway.
The colour scheme is inspired by Taff Vale Railway Loco livery - presumably like the design of Mars Bar
wrappers? In the first one is the artist, named Lionel Stanhope not Graig (meaning rock), for scale.

BELOW: Pontypridd Graig station site on 29 May 1977. (Angus McDougall.)

2878] Pontypridd: The road underbridge beneath the station's midpoint has been transformed into a
stunning piece of art. NR commissioned celebrated London based street artist, Lionel Stanhope, to
paint 30ft by 12ft murals on the abutment walls to contribute to regeneration in the area. They depict
railway totems lettered 'Pontypridd' on one wall and 'Graig' on the other together with images of the
town's Old Bridge and a row of terraced houses respectively. The location is known as the 'Gateway to
the Graig', the town's upper district, but perhaps unwittingly there is also railway significance in that
the same road bridged over the Barry Railway's comparatively short lived Pontypridd Graig station
(OP 16 Mar 1896; CP 5 May 1930) higher up the hill. The totems are in black, lined out in red and
yellow, a nod to the Taff Vale Railway locomotive livery. Local politicians unveiled them on 18 Oct.

2879] Gobowen: Oswestry Station Building Trust, also owner of the buildings here, has submitted a
planning application for the Grade II listed Up P1 structure tenanted by Severn Dee Travel. A voluntary
non-profit making organisation, they operate the booking office on commission [open 07.15 - 17.00;
07.15-12.00 SO]. Replacement of the heating system* and rainwater pipes is proposed, together with
restoration to pre-nationalisation GWR livery (mainly Light and Dark Stone with white and black
details). *Our locally based Regional Editor can look forward to some 'hot' ticket deals in future then…

1340 MINOR RAILWAYS (Peter Scott) [email protected]
MR214] Bala Lake Railway, Gwynedd (MR p29) (BLN 1336.MR177): At the end of September, the
Railway took delivery of 500 yards of 75lb/yard flat bottom rail, which is sufficient for over half the
length of the extension of the railway to Bala town centre. Valued at over £100,000, the acquisition of
this rail has been made possible with the support of the East Lancashire Railway (ELR), generous
donations from supporters and Martin Ainscough who sponsored the transport. The rail, and a large
collection of associated track fittings that had been previously gathered by Bala Trust volunteers at the
ELR, was transported using four articulated lorries that arrived in Bala in the early hours of the
morning and which were unloaded at the site of the new Bala Town station. A huge amount of work
continues behind the scenes. The Trust has been in extensive consultations with the Highways Agency
and National Park Authority in relation to the extension, and the Railway continues to work closely
with Natural Resources Wales in scoping the scheme to upgrade the flood defences that will also
provide a formation for approximately one third of the route.

MR215] Bluebell Railway, East Sussex (MR p6): (BLN 1318.MR234): The autumn edition of 'Bluebell
News' mentions that approval has been given for the Kingscote temporary (event days) 7¼" miniature
railway to be converted into a permanent structure, it will be laid on the eastern side of the picnic field
on Kingscote Down side. Rides should be available at special events and on high days and holidays.

MR216] East Kent Railway (EKR), Kent (MR p6): Police are investigating after a fire broke out at the
Railway during the night of Wednesday 30 October. A post on the Railway's Facebook page read:
We are sorry to announce that we have been hit by vandals and arsonists. This is a gutting time for
our volunteers who work so hard to make the EKR a place for everyone to enjoy. We have lost a lot
of equipment, power tools, generator, recovered artefacts and more. If anyone has any information
please email [email protected] (our general manager). We will be asking for donations
and for offers of equipment if anyone has any for disposal, thanks for your kind consideration. Police
are investigating and conducting initial enquiries. A spokesman said: The cause of the fire is not
currently known, anyone who believes they witnessed suspicious activity is asked to call Kent Police.

MR217] Didcot Railway Centre, Oxfordshire (MR p7): A member visited this well known location on a
damp and windy Saturday 2 November. However, there were sunny intervals unexpectedly in the
morning before the rain set in. Originally advertised as running this weekend were 0-6-0ST 813 (HC555
/1900) (from the Severn Valley Railway, but unwell, not running and returned home on the Monday)
and 0-6-0ST 31 (HC1026/1913) from the McAlpine's Fawley Hill Railway. The Centre's website
advertised 31, 0-6-0DH D9516 (Sdn/1964) and GWR 4-6-0 2999 'Lady of Legend' as running on both
days this weekend.

[BLN 1340]
When our reporter arrived about 11.30, D9516 was running on the main line with coaches W536 and
W2202 so he took a return trip before asking what had happened to '813'. He was informed that it was
on the branch line and would be moving over later (but the informant had confused this locomotive
with '31'!). On the branch line '31' was running with some wagons, but not being brake fitted,
passengers were not allowed to travel in the brake van. However, the sun was shining so our
correspondent contented himself with some pictures. And then what should appear - but 08604 with
Autocar W190 heading towards the branch line, and after some shunting it found itself in the branch
platform. It was revealed that it would run in service when the guard arrived - which he did soon after.
Two return trips with 08604 were made and later he met our Roving Reporter! They observed 2999
moving onto the main line for service. As the Roving Reporter 'required' the new locomotive, they had
a return trip. '31' had been positioned next to 'Pendennis Castle' for pictures and was later moving
around the site, but was not obviously going to be running, so our correspondent left. However,
passing the site later it was running on the main line with W3755 and a SR tank wagon!

MR218] Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum, Hampshire (MR p18) (BLNs 1313.MR188 and
1339.2751): The 2ft gauge railway here, operated by the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
(HNGRT), ran for the last time on Sunday 27 October for the museum's Halloween event. The locos
and rolling stock are being dispersed to Statfold Barn and the Hampton & Kempton Waterworks
Railway. The track (apparently) will be left in situ. The HNGRT are disbanding, but it is thought a small
group will now remain at Bursledon to operate the 7¼" gauge miniature railway. A visit on 27 October
found a good few BLS members on site - our reporter counted at least seven including him. On the 2ft
gauge railway, operating in 'top & tail' mode with one bogie covered coach, were 4wDM (FH3787/
1956) and 4wDM 'Ashby' (MR8694/1943). Trains ran to end of the line in each direction from Kiln Halt.

It was noted the far end of line near the main entrance has been shortened and lifted. Rides were £1;
a thin white Edmondson card ticket was issued and clipped before departure. Trains were well loaded
with a queue of waiting passengers for most of the time. The only other locomotive visible was a blue
liveried cab-less Motor Rail outside the wagon shed. The 7¼" gauge miniature railway was running a
continuous service with an unnamed and un-numbered sit-in Hudswell style loco in green livery with
two sit-astride coaches. Standing spare on another set of coaches was a Planet style loco named
'Fletch'. Rides were by donation. The site was very busy and there were some traction engines, rollers
and other road vehicles on display - some giving rides. Adult admission was £7 (£7.70 with Gift Aid).

MR219] Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Cumbria (MR p14) (BLN 1309.MR139): In late October the
second brand new enclosed coach arrived on the Railway, as part of a major rolling stock replacement
programme. The first coach, a 1st class vehicle, arrived earlier the same month after being built at the
Ffestiniog Railway's Boston Lodge Works at Porthmadog. In its brand new red livery and padded
seating, the coach offers increased passenger comfort. It will undergo testing before going into general
service. Stuart Ross, newly appointed General Manager (Visitor Experience) said: We're delighted to
welcome the first of the new standard class closed carriages to the Railway. We will be gradually
replacing stock at a rate of one or two carriages per year as part of the long term investment in the
customer experience. Stuart was previously at the Kirklees Light Railway in West Yorkshire.

MR220 Cambrian Heritage Railways (Oswestry), Shropshire (MR p13): Volunteers have cleared
vegetation from Park Hall Halt platform (65ch from Oswesty Branch Jn) on the Gobowen - Oswestry
line (CP 7 Nov 1966). A tramway is proposed for this section, providing a public transport service from
Gobowen (Down bay platform) to Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, near the halt.

MR221] Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, Falkirk (MR p10): http://bit.ly/2Cg2hAK (4½ min) is a video of
West Calder footbridge being moved from Bo'ness to Birkhill, where it was re-erected on Friday 25
October. The video also shows progress with the new platform at Birkhill. On 29 October the Railway
reported that the bridge had been erected at Birkhill http://bit.ly/2PQ5hvy is a 1½ min video of this.

ABOVE: Bursledon Brickworks Museum Miniature, the station area. The nearest platform is used for
arrivals only; boarding is from the platforms in the background. BELOW: The 2ft gauge Light Railway; a
train runs towards the entrance on the final day of operation. (Both Sun 27 Oct 2019, Peter Scott.)

MR222] Great Cockcrow Railway, Surrey (MR p24) (BLN 1327.MR59) (TRACKmaps 5 p36E Nov 2008 &
p38E Aug 2019): A visit was made to this extensive, fully signalled complex 7¼" gauge line on a rather
dull and cold Sunday 20 October. Nine locomotives were in use, with a continuous service running over
both 'Green' and 'Red' routes. Running were: D1001 'Western Pathfinder' BE, 0-6-0 SR 30541, 2-6-0 SR
1803 'River Itchen', 4-6-0 LMSR 45145 Black 5, 0-6-0ST 'S&L', 2-8-0 GWR 4704, 4-6-0 LMSR 45440 Black
5, 4-6-0 SR 837 and 0-6-0BE GCR 11 'Winifred' (shunter). An adult 'Double' ticket was £7, which
allowed two rides (Green or Red routes). The ticket was thin blue, slightly larger than an Edmondson.

MR223] CairnGorm Mountain Railway, Highland (MR p32) (BLN 1334.2106) (TRACKmaps 1 p19F):
The potential cost of dismantling the Railway could run to more than £13.3M, its owner Highlands and
Islands Enterprise (HIE) has reported. HIE said its intention would be to repair the railway at an
estimated cost of £10M. The Scottish government will be asked to make a decision on the repairs. HIE,
a public body, said it expected to have the business case for this work to be ready to submit to the
government in December. Removing or repairing the Railway is complicated because it will have to be
done in a way that minimises impact on Cairn Gorm Mountain - a 1,245m (4,084ft) Munro and one of
Scotland's best known summits. During the original construction a helicopter was used to deliver
building materials to the mountainside. In its latest update on the Railway, HIE said the potential cost
of removing the structure did not include a new lift for snow sports enthusiasts and other visitors.

MR224] Leas Cliff Railway, Folkestone, Kent (BLN 1275.MR37): The Grade II* listed Railway has been
added to Historic England's At Risk Register. Built in 1885, it is one of only three remaining UK water-
balanced lifts. It last ran on 6 November 2016 then closed due to safety issues with the braking system,
since when the building, tracks and machinery have degraded further. A trust has been formed to
manage the building with the hope of reopening the lift in 2023. Historic England has added 247 sites
to its At Risk Register, but on the positive side, 310 were also removed as they were regarded as saved.

BELOW: Leas Cliff Railway. A view of the mothballed funicular railway. (Peter Scott, 23 Feb 2019.)

1340 FIXTURES REPORTS (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
2880] South Hampshire Minor Railways, Day 2; Sun 22 Sep 2019: By Nick Porter. Situated by the River
Itchen in Southampton, Riverside Park is no doubt a very lovely place on a nice day. Sadly today
wasn't; 17 soggy members met up for Day 2 (The Hayling Taxi) of our Solent sojourn. The park centre
has been the home for the last 60 years to Southampton Society of Model Engineers. [They were
actually founded in 1912 as the Southampton Power Boat Club.] We were made most welcome in the
cosy and welcoming clubhouse where their members who'd braved the deluge provided unlimited
biscuits and hot drinks. It was so wet that, unusually, normal public running was cancelled this day.

As we dried out the reassuring sound of moving rolling stock was heard and, with the rain thankfully
subsiding, we started our fun a little late at 11.30. In many ways the set up was typical of model
engineers. The 360yd public run 7¼" gauge ground level track (OP 1997) is the outside with the original
(1962) elevated 3½/5" in the centre, but with some very significant non-public 7¼" inside that. Running
is the usual Sunday golden hours of 13.00-16.00 (when you want to be in many places at once) and
until the day of our visit they hadn't missed public running this season. Normal running involves both
circuits which is possible due to a footbridge over the 7¼" at the single station to access the elevated
line platform. Tracks are deliberately unballasted to prevent ballast from being misused!

We started on the ground level 7¼" track where 'Vulcan', a red battery loco, and two very open sit-
astride coaches awaited. Splitting into two groups, having done what track we could in the shed area,
our train propelled out of the shed to the headshunt to access the main line connection. This quite
extensive layout is within the elevated circuit - a moveable section of which allows access to the public
ground level outer loop. This was completed and we returned to allow the second party to travel.

Proper BLS activity then began, the turntable and all possible tracks off it were griced. This included
the steep 'ski slope' loading line and most of the steaming bays. Despite raining again, 'people power'
was used with help from 'Vulcan' on the steep loading line. While this was taking place, the elevated
line started running. D1015 and two sit-astride coaches took us around the circuit. A moveable 'sector
plate' accessing the shed is expected to be commissioned this winter; its mechanics were explained.

'Vulcan' and the coaches were returned to the shed but not ECS of course (!). Then a single seat truck
was procured to complete the 7¼" layout to all extremities for all that wanted to do this (nearly all).

By now at 13.15 the visit had gone quickly, so having profusely thanked our hosts for the much
appreciated efforts they made to meet our needs despite the not great weather, we moved on. There
was free time before the next visit so we all headed our own ways. With a few others I had a ride with
another 'Western' D1000 on the always interesting 1,000yd Royal Victoria Railway (10¼"). A good
number crossed to West Sussex and were made welcome at the 850yd intricate Stansted Park Light
Railway (7¼") near Rowlands Castle which was running - including shed visits. There is great scope for
an 'all line' visit here. A couple also walked part of the Hayling Island branch (CP 4 Nov 1963) as well -
the whole 6 mile route is walkable from Havant station except the missing Langstone Harbour bridge.

Then along a wet M27 to Hayling Island, which was larger and dare I say nicer than I remembered!
Now called the Hayling Seaside Railway, this one mile long 2ft foot gauge railway runs along the front.
The relatively new railway first ran on 8 Aug 1988 at a nearby holiday camp before moving to the sea
front where running began on 5 Jul 2003. Already well known to enthusiasts, with the railway now
being up for sale, it recently featured in the national media, much to Bob Haddock, the owner's
surprise who, in his 70s, is retiring. Bob was there to greet us and was our special train guard.

Still blustery but now sunny with wonderful views across the busy Solent, 17 members, a slightly
different 'line up' from the morning, met up. There was no catering but nearby facilities offered the
usual seaside delights and members were seen enjoying themselves.

[BLN 1340]
We began (after public running) at 16.30 with steam outline diesel 'Jack' powering two nicely enclosed
coaches. Leaving from the now main base Eastoke Corner at the eastern end we headed out onto the
main line which winds its way via the midway Mengham Road station along the sea front to the other
(western) terminus Beachlands, where the shed etc was previously. The line has shortened here. Stubs
of tracks can be seen but the only other accessible line is the run-round loop. Our train did as much of
this as possible but due to curvature and, of course, spring loaded points we couldn't reach the end.

Heading back we retraced our tracks reversing into the landside midway loop but not beyond due to a
longstanding points issue. Then it was back to Eastoke Corner station. 'Jack' ran round to propel us as
far as possible into the run round loop. This done we headed off to Road 3 of the adjacent 5-road new
shed, to the buffer stops. Assuming that was it as the other roads were occupied, much to our surprise
we were then asked to transfer to the two coaches on the blocks in Road 4.

Diesel Hydraulic 'Alan B' sneaked on, returning us to the passenger platform where the tour finished.
This method of working must be encouraged for future visits, as it maximises track and haulage in the
quickest time! The very efficient work meant an early finish, probably welcome after a frenetic but fun
weekend. Many thanks to the railways, and especially to our member Bill Davis for all his hard work to
make the whole weekend such an enjoyable success. We hope that there are many more to come!

BELOW: Southamptom MES, leaving the inner loop behind 'Vulcan'. The connecting line from the
centre sidings, turntable and shed runs though the (temporary) gap in the elevated line behind.
The River Itchen is top left. (All pictures by a slightly wet, bedraggled Simon Mortimer, 22 Sep 2019.)

NEXT PAGE TOP: Propelling back over the connection to the headshunt (in the distance)
for the shed, turntable and steaming bays.

BELOW: Returning from the end of the headshunt (top left); the elevated line loops round far right.



ABOVE: The turntable road and steaming bay coverage exercise begin. Your BLN Editor is quite happy
to be pushed around! BELOW: The station footbridge is in the background.

ABOVE: The Car Park loading line was traversed to limit of the extendable bridge section...
BELOW: Ready to depart from the station for two circuits of the 5" gauge elevated line.



PREVIOUS PAGE TOP: 'People Power' and a Gricycle made for one - perfect for finishing those
awkward little bits off. Top right is the elevated line shed with the station and footbridge behind.

ABOVE: BLS obstacle course - you need to be fit to go on a Society Minor Railway visit… Our organiser,
Bill Davis, clambers out over the train in the shed after sitting at the rear on the final move in.

BELOW: Hayling Railway the curtailed western end Beachlands station which used to be a bit further
on. The points are set and locked for the run round loop. The lines off right once went to the shed etc.

ABOVE: Eastoke Corner station looking east to the end of line with Bob Haddock the current owner.
BELOW: View forward propelling down Road 3. 'Alan B' (left) later drew us out in the stock on Road 4.

ABOVE: THE END! No historic running in boards were damaged in the course of reaching the end of line.

2881] The Kernow Funicular, Wed 23 Oct 2019: (Subtitled: A funicular thing happened to me on the
way to Helston…) By the organiser, our member Mark Thomas, additional material by Tim Wallis. Our
'Type 3 to the Sea' 10 Aug railtour was a great opportunity to sell Royal National Lifeboat Institution
goods (the first RNLI shop on a moving train?), promote the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society and vitally
raise awareness of water safety and the 'Float to Live' message. The RNLI is first and foremost a rescue
organisation but its objective of avoiding loss of life at sea is also met by education and prevention.

All the RNLI team on board that tour thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with participants and, not
surprisingly, it led to some interesting questions and discussions. Among these were questions about
the two RNLI owned funicular railways at Padstow and Lizard lifeboat stations. Both stations are linked
to the cliff top by steps, which provide the quickest route for crew on a shout. The funicular railways
provide more sedate but essential transport for supplies, parts and rarely for casualty evacuation.
The remote location and poor road access to both stations make any urgent casualty evacuation from
the boats better by helicopter or by calling at nearby Falmouth or Padstow quaysides, subject to tides.
The general public or anyone else very rarely, if ever, has a chance to ride on these unusual railways.

John Lawson, Chairman of the Congleton RNLI Fundraising Branch, is regularly in Padstow and well
known at the station. Both Padstow and Lizard were happy to allow an organised group to make a
return trip on the railways and open up their station facilities during a visit. The locations at Trevose
Head (Padstow) and Kilcobben Cove (Lizard) are certainly impressive but a consequence is that access
and parking is very restricted. John's visit confirmed that the group should travel on chartered
transport and anything more than a small minibus was likely to be 'out of gauge' for local roads!

Planning involved sourcing a minibus and driver with a convenient start point at St Austell meeting the
05.24 ex-Bristol (a short HST to Penzance) and complete the day so members could catch the last
Paddington service (with a Birmingham connection). We were advised that the railways could
accommodate up to nine passengers at a time, requiring three return trips including two 'Class 5' ECS
runs. Dwell time at the lifeboat stations for refreshments and a personal needs break, together with
point to point times for the road journeys, were put together as a draft schedule and submitted for
validation by the minibus company. It all sounds a bit familiar! (I did receive some feedback that it was
not strictly necessary to define a headcode simplifier for the lift run.) Our fixture was ready to launch.

Lift Trip Group Headcode We were keen to go in October to exploit the last potentially good
weather and chose a mid week date to minimise clashes [Ironically
1 Down 1 1P11 / 1H11 there was a totally unexpected clash with the UK Railtour's Class 313
EMU farewell tour!] Member feedback that work commitments (and
1 Up ECS 5P20 / 5H20 the need to take a few days off work in a few cases) had prevented
some attending mid-week is noted. If demand warrants a rerun in
2 Down 2 1P12 / 1H12 Spring 2020, it will be on a Saturday. Please contact your BLN Editor
(back page) ASAP to assess demand if you are definitely interested.
111111 hour break PNB /Station visit.

2 Up 1 1P21 / 1H21

3 Down ECS 5P10 / 5H10

3 Up 2 5P22 / 5H22

With a full complement of 16 places sold I set off to the Duchy the day before and GWR treated me to
a IET requiring a complete shut down and reset at Newton Abbot resulting in a 34 minute delay.
The shuffling of passengers within and between 2x5 car sets to alight at short platforms in Cornwall is
worthy of an entire report! I soon realised that my already full baggage containing tea, coffee, sugar,
cups, lids and RNLI sales items would not be able to ascend the 'bank' from St Austell Travelodge to
the station without assistance. Once a large carton of fresh milk was added in the morning, the 'UK Bus
Checker' app was made good use of to identify public transport up the hill.

Allen's Travel minibus (KT08 WBD) arrived right time off shed into a bay 'platform' by St Austell bus
station and at 09.35 all passengers were accounted for, on board and issued with their 'RNLI Goody
Bags'. I occupied the Second Man's seat to assist with route knowledge and our very competent and
jovial driver Lynette explained that the booked driver had called in sick so she had been rostered at
short notice. (Train Operators please note, spare crews on standby avoid short notice cancellations.)

We arrived a few minutes early at Trevose Head, where the glorious sunny weather and vista were just

stunning. Once the minibus was shut down and stabled, Lynette joined our group for the descent to

the station. The 2ft gauge railway, 32.34m long, was opened in 2001. Its sole car (Alimark, Rushden
No20274/811162) runs at 0.35m/s at a gradient of 48o, with a maximum of 12 passengers (in fact). An

unexpected bonus was allowing a participant to press the button to begin the descent. Local member

Maurice Dart was nominated as this was his last section of required 'passenger' track in Cornwall!

At the 'base station', we were greeted by our host, the station visits officer. The first lifeboat based at
Padstow was from 1827, taken over by RNLI in the 1850s. The first three stations were in Padstow
Estuary but gradual silting up meant launches were not possible in all tides, so a new boathouse was
built in 1967 on the current site, from asbestos and steel. The current spectacular boathouse on stilts
was completed in 2006, officially opened 17 Sep that year, costing a mere £5.5M. All materials were
delivered by sea other than the concrete that was piped down from above. Even though it is now six
miles from Padstow, the lifeboat crew regularly beat the 15 minute target to arrive for callouts.

The new boathouse could house the larger Tamar class lifeboat 16-04 'Spirit of Padstow' (ON 1283)
that went into service in 2006 and cost over £2M. This was the second lifeboat generously provided by
local resident Miss H B Allen. When we arrived the lifeboat was partway down the slipway as the
winching equipment was receiving some planned maintenance - almost as if specially scheduled for
our visit. The boat is powered by two Caterpillar C18 diesels generating 2,000 hp, sufficient to make 25
knots for up to 10 hours and also have a towing capacity of seven tonnes. Tamar class lifeboats carry a
small inflatable powered boat for use in shallow waters and this launches 'Thunderbird style' from
beneath the stern deck in under two minutes. All five seats in the wheelhouse are equipped with flat

screens and all propulsion, radar and communication systems are available to any seat such that all the
boat's systems can be operated with the crew safely strapped into their pneumatic seats at all times.

We enjoyed a relaxed visit with stunning vistas of the coastline, hot drinks and, of course, the chance
to purchase RNLI Christmas cards! We were proud to present the station with a donation of almost
£190 and after taking some photographs, including some random headcodes, all ascended the lift to
rejoin the bus. It should be noted that some energetic members made a VSTP move on the 101 steps
for an additional ride on the lift ECS. 'Up' and 'Down' direction are very appropriate terms here.

We had identified sufficient slack in the timetable to permit an unscheduled stop at Tesco in Truro to
purchase lunch. Thanks to Tim Wade for identifying and temporarily reserving a large enough space for
the minibus [and you didn't realise he was that big…] and then providing the necessary 'Victorian' style
shunter's hand signals to bring the vehicle to a stand in the correct position for disembarkation.

While the station at Lizard is of the same spectacular design as Padstow, it is nestled in a much
narrower ravine in the cliffs and the approach lane is very narrow. We had been advised that the
minibus needed to return ECS back down the single track because parking is so limited that we would
be blocked in for an undetermined period if a 'shout' took place during our visit. The railway, which is
the most southerly in mainland Britain, opened in 1995 and runs at an angle of 38o for 45m. The car is
Austin & McLean Ltd, Bournemouth, NoFR00-01 HFC. This railway replaced simple lifts built in 1960
and its construction was part of the rebuild in 1995 on the original boathouse foundations. Like at
Padstow, the car rides on 2ft gauge Alimak track but, unlike Padstow, is also supported by outer 8ft
gauge (that's definitely broad) rails, allowing a wider riding vehicle.

Martyn Chambers, Station Visits and Community Safety Officer, welcomed us, provided a safety
briefing and information about the station and its Tamar class boat 16-20 'Rose' (ON1300).
This went into service in 2011 with the current station being completed in 2012. We were introduced
to the Coxswain and the Coxswain Mechanic, the only paid personnel. Our tea and coffee micro buffet
service began again and we viewed various exhibits and enjoyed retail opportunities before ascending.

A cheque for nearly £190 was presented to Martyn and, before departure, some members had the
opportunity to view the winding gear at the summit while others were more focussed on getting the
funicular ECS 'in the book', with more VSTP activity noted - this time nearly 200 (Very STeeP ?) steps!

One Lizard volunteer mentioned that he was also an active member of the Helston Railway, running
with steam that very afternoon. Always keen to provide added value, a phone call was made and the
Railway kindly agreed to hold the last return trip for us. With some route knowledge from the second
man's seat, Lynnette our driver diverted on a VSTP basis to the rather remote Railway at Prospidnick.
Here our vehicle was directed by exception past the car park and down the Helston branch trackbed,
stopping adjacent to the waiting train. It seemed that no token was required for this movement‽

The return trip hauled by Peckett 0-4-0ST 1788 'Kilmersdon' was thoroughly enjoyed, with the request
to proceed to the stabled wagons at Truthall Halt met. Lynette completed a reversing manœuvre back
to the car park and succumbed to a request for another short diversion to the back of the yard to view
an 'On Track Plant' machine. We then returned Class 1 to booked passenger set downs at Truro and
St Austell in good time for the last Paddington service (and even an earlier short HST to Plymouth).

Grateful thanks to all personnel at Padstow and Lizard RNLI, the Helston Railway, Allen's Travel and
Lynette our fantastic driver for a very successful day out and some superb Cornish weather. Finally
sincere thanks to all participants whose fares enabled us to donate nearly £380 to the RNLI, making a
total of £16,488 donated to the charity by the BLS in the last two years. YOU ARE ALL LIFESAVERS.

Please notify your BLN Editor (back page) ASAP if you are interested in a future repeat of this fixture.

PS: There is a third RNLI funicular at St Davids (Southwest Wales, not in Exeter). Watch this space!

NEXT: All pictures by Mark Thomas Wed 23 Oct 2019. An intense discussion is taking place on the
balcony about the criteria to properly 'do' the lifeboat launch slip (available bidirectionally).

X.156 Guess the Location: (BLN 1339.X.149)

It is appropriate to include this here…

LEFT: Cryptic clue, you will not find this bar in
London & North Eastern Railway territory, but
you can find it in Southern Railway territory at
times. Easier clue, do not forget your passport.
The LNER themed bar is on the P & O cruise ship
'Ventura', based in Southampton. In the bottom
right corner picture (best seen on the full page
original) are a couple of porthole reflections.
(Pictures by Kevin Driscoll, 28 Oct 2019.)





NEXT: The Lizard, mainland Britain's most southerly railway and mixed gauge too.
BELOW: View from the car/cage from half way up (or down depending on your point of view).









PREVIOUS PAGE TOP: The GS is caged up. LOWER: Arriving at Prospidnick Halt from the north along
the Helston branch trackbed. ABOVE: The current southern terminuses at Truthall Halt (honestly) -
looking north, note access path off to the right. The future prospisnicks for this friendly line are good.

:Details must be checked 1340 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.

2882] Railway Benefit Fund: Please support this small railway charity by looking at their Christmas
Shop: https://www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/shop/ something (railway/non-railway) for everyone.

2883] Ian Allan, Birmingham reincarnated? (BLN 1335.2218) Although this book and model shop near
New Street station closed in September a remarkably similar one has now opened not so far away -
and taken on some of the staff who were made redundant. Described as an independent specialist rail,
road, air, maritime transport and military book and model shop it is ideal for those who like to browse.

Tornado Books & Hobbies is at 68-70 Dalton Street, Birmingham, B4 7LX a short walk from Snow Hill
station and West Midlands Metro Bull Street stop. Walk through 'The Minories', northeast down
Corporation St, then first right into Newton St. Dalton St is the dead end one first right, the shop is
opposite the NCP Car Park. Shop open 09.30-17.00 Tue-Sat http://bit.ly/36WBIhY 0121 236 2283.

●Bookings: Mark Gomm, 84 Mornington Rd, STOKE-on-TRENT, ST1 6EL. [email protected] 07983 541887.
●Neil Lewis, (AGM Friday/Sunday): 95 Little Morton Rd, North Wingfield, CHESTERFIELD, S42 5HL. [email protected]
●Geoff Blyth (Redcar British Steel event): 26 Trafalgar Way, BILLERICAY, CM12 0UT. [email protected]
●Iain Scotchman, (Sweden May 2020) [email protected] 102 Shenfield Place, SHENFIELD, CM15 9AJ.
●Paul Griffin (Germany): School Bell Mews, Church Lane, Stoneleigh, COVENTRY, CV8 3ZZ. [email protected]
●Sales Officer: Graeme Jolley, Dolbryn, Penegoes, MACHYNLLETH, SY20 8NN. [email protected] 07484 646542.
●Paper BLN Problems :UNTIL BLN 1341: Dave Monger, 6 Underhill Close, GODALMING, GU7 1NU. [email protected]
…or text/ring the Editor. :FROM BLN 1341 ONWARD: contact your new Membership Secretary Lisa Sheppard 186 Anlaby Park
…Road South, Hull, HU4 7BU [email protected] 07873354464 (Text/Phone mostly turned off at work.)
●Editor: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX. 01684562862 07790652351. [email protected]
●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.