Devon Sea Wall Section part II

It is very hard to believe that this single car class 153 unit is a class 1 working! 153374 forms 1C05 0600 Cardiff Central to Plymouth service. All the way in a bubblecar...not the best way to travel.

A Virgin Cross Country working comes through Starcross station with 43166 leading 1E31 0821 Plymouth to Newcastle.

43018 fronts an up First Great Western London bound true class 1 train. This is 1A36 0622 Penzance to Paddington, the first up train of the day off Penzance.

A winkle picker combs the shore of the River Exe as 47841 puts down the clag with power on working 1V35 0605 Derby to Plymouth cross country service.

Brush of Loughborough converted 12 class 47's into class 57's for Freightliner. They also made a passenger version and FGW trialled it. 57601 has a refurbished General Motors 645-12E3 2,500hp powerplant coupled to an ex class 56 alternator with an ETH tapping for passenger work and is owned by Porterbrook. It wears a strange purple livery and is seen at Starcross fronting 1A43 0920 Plymouth to Paddington

A down FGW service runs beside the River Exe with powercars 43035 and 43138 on 1C09 0745 Paddington to Penzance via Bristol.

Moving to Dawlish and the footbridge to the east of the station. 47732 in FGW livery powers through the station with 1A45 0820 off Penzance to Paddington. The length of the down platform here gives an idea to how busy this station was in previous years.

More type 4 loco action and Virgin liveried 47807 hauls cross country service 1M56 0846 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly past Dawlish station and the carpark that used to be the goods yard.

A Virgin high speed set shakes the disused and boarded up but listed signalbox with a long distance train from Penzance to Edinburgh, 0922 off. Train ID 1S35 carries the name "The Cornishman" with powercars 43097 and 43078.

Turning round on the footbridge for some west bound traffic now and 43198 and 43006 come towards Dawlish station with 1V38 0605 Leeds to Plymouth.

Another move to the other side of Dawlish station and the footbridge just by the east portal of Kennaway Tunnel. An unknown FGW HST speeds towards the tunnel with 1C20 1003 Paddington to Penzance.

47841is seen again and emerges from the 209 yard long Kennaway Tunnel into the warm light of a summer's day. It is heading for Liverpool from Plymouth, running as 1M40 1150 off Plymouth.

43146 and 43135 provide the motive power for a down FGW service. 1C23 1033 off Paddington to Plymouth restarts its train after making its Dawlish station stop. This is the only down train express to stop, there are two up services booked to stop.

Looking down on the station and part of the sea front from above Kennaway tunnel. 43006 and 43198 is running late on its 1E36 1300 Plymouth to Newcastle service. The whole network was still plagued with post Hatfield speed restrictions at this time.

A pair of SWT class 159 units, 159014 and 159010, run through the station with the Wales and West 1337 Exeter to Plymouth service. This is a continuation of a Waterloo to Exeter SWT working. On arrival back at Exeter, the SWT crew will take the train on to London Waterloo.

Virgin 47829 and its uniformly matched rake of mkII coaches pass through Dawlish station bound for Plymouth with 1V46 0913 off Liverpool Lime Street.

The sea looks peaceful and calm and not causing any danger to passing trains, the "Dawlish Carriage Wash" is not operating today! An unknown FGW HST passes the turquoise waters of the bay with 1C28 1133 Paddington to Penzance service.

Dawlish is left behind and Teignmouth is the location on the west side of the station. 43135 and 43146 power by the edge of the River Teign with 1A70 1432 Plymouth to Paddington, the up "Mayflower".

43071 is the rear powercar of train 1V47 0710 Edinburgh to Plymouth. Journey's end is about 36 1/2 miles away.

This set has been seen already on this day, it was running about 40 minutes late then. On its return 43093 and 43102 has kept those 40 minutes and gained another 10 as it runs towards Teignmouth station with 1S11 1411 Plymouth to Edinburgh.

SouthWest Trains 159012 runs along the east shore of the River Teign with Teignmouth station being its next stop. This is a Wales and West crewed and operated 1456 Plymouth to Exeter St Davids train.

A mail working comes round the curve with 67012 at the head of a rake of mail vans. 1E43 1509 Plymouth to Low Fell is routed via Birmingham where some of the vans will be detatched and forwarded onto Warrington by another service.

Still at Teignmouth but a shift of location to the east side of the station and the sea wall section. Virgin 43148 and 43196 power 1V49 0640 off Dundee to Penzance, "The Cornishman".

Even in 2001 a loco hauled train was something to savor, it was the last full year of loco hauled VXC services before the Voyager invasion. 47829 follows the contours of the cliffs at a height of about 25 feet above the sea and beach. The loco is working is 1E61 1550 FX Plymouth to Leeds.

Most of the trains were running late to various degrees, all due to the post Hatfield speed restrictions. I belive this working to be 1C38 1333 Paddington to Penzance, the down "Royal Duchy". The lead powercar is 43041.

An exception to the late running passenger trains is this one, 66211 at the head end of 6V70 0857 Cliffe Vale to St Blazey empty china clay running about 100 minutes EARLY. The rake is a mixture of JAA bulk tanks and vans.

Another late running down working approaches with 47747 running some 30 minutes down with 1V50 0840 Glasgow Central to Penzance. Considering the distance travelled and the nationwide speed limits in place this deficit is not too bad at all.

Wales and West have decorated many of their class 153 units with a promotional livery depicting places of interest along their routes. 153318 runs along the Teignmouth sea wall section with the 1624 Exmouth to Plymouth working.

43159 is the rear powercar, 43071 is the lead, of 1E40 1710 Plymouth to Leeds VXC service. The remains of a P Way hut is tucked in under the cliff. Despite almost the full length of the train being past the signal, it still shows a green aspect.

67009 leans into the curve as it clears Teignmouth station. The driver has opened his charge up judging by the hint of clag coming from this 125mph rated type 5 locomotive. 1E41 1723 Plymouth to Low Fell mail comes out of the station cutting and onto the sea wall section of the line.

A 47 in yer face!! 47830 fills the frame and takes the curve off the sea wall section to turn west to pass through the station and run up the Teign Estuary. The train is 1C44 1433 Paddington to Plymouth.

The final location for the day is Cockwood Harbour and first to pass is 43080 and 43195 working 1V51 1208 Newcastle to Plymouth via a reversal at Paington and Totnes.

Another down working crosses the low embankment. Virgin HST with 43194 and 43087 providing the motive power for 1V52 1120 Glasgow Central to Penzance. Unfortunately the tide was out and sun in on this visit.

Due to the severe gradients in Devon and Cornwall, the heaviest freight workings are booked for class 60 haulage. Loaded china clay trains fall into this category, 60027 leads 6M72 1655 St Blazey to Cliffe Vale in the Potteries region of the Midlands.

Prototype type 4 locomotive 57601 crosses the bridge giving access to the inlet at Cockwood Harbour. The train is 5C50 1925 Exeter St Davids to Plymouth Laira CS ECS. This loco has been rebuilt with a refurbished General Motors 645-12E3 2,500hp power plant and an ex class 56 alternator with an Electric Train Heat tapping.