A week in Cornwall - Freight.....plus a bit extra

Lostwithiel station on a Sunday morning after a drive south from Fife. 66125 stands parked up and quiet waiting for the next day when it will form 6Y00 0555 to Fowey Docks loaded CDA china clay hoppers. 14/4/2002

St Blazey yard and pilot shunter 08499 in EWS livery is also parked up and quiet. It is coupled onto a rake of fuel oil tanks for the next day's run to Penzance.

EWS type 5 locos 67013 and 67015 are parked up and quiet on St Blazey shed along with sisters 67025 and 67030. The locos are deployed on EWS' Royal Mail traffic. 14/4/2002

67019 sits in the branch platform at Par station having brought its short rake of TTA gas oil tanks in from the yard and run round them. Its booked departure time is 0849 but is about an hour early, MO 6C21 to Penzance. 15/4/2002

66125 squeals round the Up Par Loop with loaded CDA's working 6G16 1008 Goonbarrow to Fowey Docks to unload its china clay load for export. This train is about an hour early too.

A move to Marizion, about 2 miles from Penzance and 67025 approaches with 5C01 1600 from St Blazey to Penzance empty TPO. On arrival it will reverse back to Long Rock Depot, run round, and then reverse again back to the station. Then it will head for Bristol Parkway at 1930 as 1C01.

And here is that working, 67025 passes 47811 and the empty sleeper stock being dragged down to Penzance station behind 08410. 15/4/2002

Penzance station is a busy place first thing in the morning with numerous arrivals and departures. 67025 is back having returned with a TPO, it will work back to St Blazey as 5C02 0859 off. Next to it is 47832 which will head to London Paddington at 0820, 1A45.

With most of the first batch of morning departures away, 67025 departs for the 47 mile run back to Par and then to St Blazey shed.

Now at Bodmin Parkway and the junction with the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. Mainline blue 60011 grinds up the twisting 1in 65 gradient with the heavy daily china clay slurry tanks bound for the Potteries. The working is 6M72 1655 St Blazey to Cliffe Vale.

This working almost caught me out as 67025, again, approaches Bodmin Parkway with 5M99 1808 St Blazey to Plymouth empty TPO. The hot afternoon sun glints off the entire train as it passes the exchange sidings with the preserved Bodmin and Wenford Railway.

66078 runs into Lostwithiel with a short rake of four empty CDA hoppers from the Carne Point loading terminal at Fowey Docks. It will run round them and head onto St Blazey. 16/4/2002

In wet conditions 67004 crosses Gover Viaduct, over the Gover Valley, to the west of St Austell, with 5C02 0859 Penzance to St Blazey empty TPO. The line drops at 1 in 90 in the up direction. 17/4/2002

It is just as well the line is falling in this train's direction. 66250 fronts 6S55 WO 0940 Burngullow to Irvine loaded china clay slurry tanks. The 10 loaded TIA bogie tanks forms a heavy train destined for the Caledonian Paper Mill in Irvine, south west Scotland, the UK's longest distance freight flow.

St Blazey yard pilot 08499 is busy and goes about its business shunting Imerys china clay tanks. Visible is St Blazey signalbox and the platform of the former station here which closed to the public on 21/9/1925 but remained open for workmen till 29/12/1934.

A track level view of 66125 passing the home gantry at St Blazey with 6G10 1546 Goonbarrow to Fowey Docks loaded CDA hoppers. The noise of the wheel flanges squealing at ear level as the train passed was deafening and painful!!

A quick drive round to Par station and 66125 was found sitting in the Up Par Loop waiting for the road after the departure of an up service. With that clear of the section, 66125 gets the road and heads out onto the main line with its 26 CDA hoppers trailing behind.

20 minutes after 66125 departed for Fowey, 66090 appears with a train from Fowey, 6P11 1537 off bound for the dries at Parkandillack at the end of the branch of the same name.

Still at Par and 67015 comes from the yard with the empty Travelling Post Office stock for Penzance. The loco will run round here and head off as 5C01 1620.

Down on the platform and another empty TPO working comes off the Up Par Loop. 67004 will not require to run round its train as this is 5M99 1808 from St Blazey to Plymouth where it will form 1M99 2211 to Willesden Railnet Terminal, London.

Down at Burngullow and 66090 eases itself and its loaded rake of CDA hoppers off the Parkandillack branch as 6C82 1945 to Lostwithiel. The ivy clad building between the two lines is the remains of the Cornwall Railway station that closed on 14/9/1931. The singled main line has since been redoubled back due to increased traffic. 17/4/2002

Early morning sun and this has caught me by surprise. 66135 gets away with a train of loaded cement tanks and vans, 6C24 from Exeter Riverside Yard to Moorswater. Usually there are two trains a week, Tuesday and Thursday but with no train on Tuesday, there are two this day, the Thursday. 18/4/2002

A quick drive to Liskeard and I'm in time to catch 66135 leaving the main line to take the branch to Coombe and onto Moorswater.

Having dropped down the steep line and turned a full 360 degrees, 66135 brings its train slowly past the small open platform at Coombe on the branch to Looe. It will continue onto the freight only part of the line to Moorswater.

Below the 147 foot high Moorswater Viaduct 66135 has stopped in the loop to be uncoupled form its train to then proceed into the terminal to collect the wagons brought in earlier.

66135 slowly eases over the minor road at Moorswater and goes forward into the former clay dries now used for cement distribution.

Back at Coombe and looking north towards Moorswater Viaduct. 67008 and 67010 pass over with 1130 TThFO St Blazey to Tavistock Junction loaded CDAs. It is running about an hour early. The CDA hoppers were rebuilt from HAA coal hoppers and given a waterproof hood to keep the clay dry.

With the work at the terminal complete 66135 heads away. The shunter has obtained the token from the Liskeard signalman and removed it from the machine located in the shed on the right. This working is 6C03 1300 TThO Moorswater to St Blazey empty cement and is about 35 minutes early.