Devon Sea Wall Section part III and a couple of banks

Back to a familiar and favourite spot, the Sea Wall section at Dawlish. 43172 and 43190 form the first passenger service of the day off Penzance, 1A36 0622 to Paddington. The train passes Langstone Rock running about 20 minutes late.

A Virgin HST set sweeps round the curve towards Dawlish Warren with 1S71 0719 Penzance - Glasgow Central, the Cornish Scot. Powercars 43159 and 43178 runs with 7 mkIII coaches as the new order comes the other way with 221105 on 1V35 0605 Derby to Plymouth.

Langstone Rock rises behind 43146 as it brings its train round the curve and starts the run along the Sea Wall section at Dawlish. The working is 1C09 0945 Paddington to Penzance running about 16 minutes late. This is the first down train from London to Penzance.

The new First Group livery was starting to make an appearence in 2002 and 43137 and one coach in the set wears the new "Barbie" colours. The working is 1A45 0820 Penzance to Paddington.

The dying embers of the old order. 2002 was the last year of the loco hauled cross country trains with the last one running on the 19th August. 47840 has been repainted into BR corporate blue for the last run and is seen on the Sea Wall working 1M56 0846 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly.

First Great Western maintains the tradition of having named trains. This is the up "Cornish Riviera" passes through Dawlish station with powercar 43020 leading.

A Liverpool bound super Voyager unit, 221105, runs past what would have been the entrance to Dawlish goods yard, now a car park, with 1M40 1151 off Plymouth.

67029 crosses the low viaduct that gives pedestrian access to the beach. 5C43 1032 Bristol Barton Hill - Plymouth is running about 65 minutes late.

Moving to a new location beyond Dawlish station and Horse Cove where the line cuts through the sandstone cliffs in several places. 43088 is the rear powercar of a Virgin working, 1E36 1300 Plymouth to Newcastle. The front of the train is within Clerk's Tunnel.

Finally the sun has come out and paints the lovely scene with decent light. 220020 leaves the 55 yard long Clerk's Tunnel, one of four between Dawlish and Teignmouth, with 1V46 0913 Liverpool to Plymouth.

The driver of 43012 waves as I photograph his train with 43012 fronting a FGW service from Paddington to Penzance, 1133 off, 1C28.

RES liveried 47737 comes by in the afternoon sun heading west. It is running as 0C99 "Q" train in a clamp down on trespass and vandalism on the railway.

The rare sight of a loco hauled train passes by Horse Cove with 47813 at the head of 1C33 1233 Paddington to Plymouth.

With the sun sun shining down on the railway, EWS type 5 67029 brings the lengthy 1E43 1509 Plymouth to Low Fell loaded mail vans along the sea wall section at Horse Cove. There is no public access on the seaward side of the line but there is a foot path which makes this shot possible.

Moving on to Cockwood Harbour and the tide is out. 220020 is seen for the second time as it heads for Leeds from Plymouth, 1550 off, with a Fridays excepted service, 1E67.

The sun has come out, but the water stays away, and 43146 runs over the low embankment with 1A76 1346 Penzance to Paddington, the up Royal Duchy. It is running about 25 minutes late.

A well matched Virgin Cross Country loco hauled service approaches the harbour and the ever present line up of photographers. It is working 1V50 0840 Glasgow Central to Penzance train.

A feather weight load for this EWS type 5 locomotive, 66010 has just one empty china clay slurry bogie tank on the drawbar. The train is 6V70 1000 Cliffe Vale to St Blazey.

For the second time of the day 47813 is recorded in glorious Devon sunshine. It passes by the popular location of Cockwood Harbour with 1A83 1638 Plymouth to Paddington. It is a shame the tide is out.

A cloud has descended over the area just as 47737 heads back to Exeter Riverside Yard. I do not know where it has returned from.

There are two trains a day (when EWS ran the mail trains) from Plymouth to Newcastle Low Fell, the first was seen at Horse Cove. This is the second with 67007 in charge of 1E41 1723 Plymouth to Low Fell loaded mail vans.

The driver of 43084 must have been hot in his cab as the door is open as the train passes by. This is 1E40 1710 Plymouth to Leeds cross country working.

The Tuesdays and Fridays only service from Fawley Refinery to Tavistock Yard oil train approaches Cockwood behind 66126. The train ID is 6V62 leaving Fawley at 1334.

Whilst on the phone in the queue to the RAC to have my car keys removed from the car, 66019 heads east with one TIA and at least four ICA loaded slurry tanks. This clay will be used in the pottery industry. 30/7/2002

Early the next morning at Starcross on the shore of the River Exe and lone experimental type 4 locomotive 57601 fronts its usual weekday working 1A34 0730 Plymouth to Paddington. 31/7/2002

In the morning sunshine, 43021 leads the first up service off Penzance to London Paddington, train ID is 1A36 0622 off the western terminus.

47737 is seen running light heading west again with another anti trespass and vandalism Q trip, 0C99 Exeter to possibly Plymouth.

A patch of weak sunshine lights up the railway as Super Voyager 221129 comes along the estuary edge heading for Plymouth from Derby, leaving at 0605, 1V35.

As the Voyagers are slowly introduced, the loco hauled trains are the first to be displaced, then the HSTs will go. 43157 leads a Glasgow Central bound working from Penzance. Train 1S71 left at 0719.

Moving round to the west side of Teignmouth station and the River Teign is the piece of water seen in this photo. Looking towards Bishopsteignton 159008 follows the coastline as it runs towards Plymouth with a working from Waterloo, 1L17 left at 0710.

67017 comes round the gentle curve to the west of the station with the empty mail vans from Bristol Barton Hill to Plymouth, 5C43 1032 off. Yesterday this train was over an hour late, today it is an hour early.

The rough corrogated iron buildings belong to a boat yard between the railway and the river. It does nothing to enhance the scene as 43138 approaches Teignmouth. The working is 1A45 0820 Penzance to Paddington.

43148 fronts the down "Mayflower" service to Paddington. 1C12 is booked to leave Paddington at 0833. The service is named after the ship that the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth to America in.

A Virgin loco hauled train that has just a few weeks of running left before it is replaced by a Voyager. 47841 powers 1M56 0846 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly. The train is made up of seven mkII coaches.

The tide in the Teign Estuary is in and gently laps against the retaining wall of the railway. 43088 leads 1V38 0600 Leeds to Plymouth, the "Armada".

Another classic location at Teignmouth sees 66229 come out of the cutting from the station below the high road over bridge and into the sun light on the sea wall section. 6S55 0940 WO Burngullow to Irvine loaded china clay slurry is the longest distance freight working in the UK.

The sun has gone as 43144 curves onto the sea wall section. It leads 1A49 0920 Penzance to Paddington, the up "Cornish Riviera".

The sun has emerged from behind its cloud and 221129 is recorded working 1M40 1151 Plymouth to Liverpool.

Another move to another classic location, the west bound climb to Dainton Summit, this is the awesome Dainton Bank. 221125 climbs the ruling 1 in 44 grade with 1V46 0913 Liverpool to Plymouth. The actual gradient varies between 1 in 36 and 1 in 56.

67003 and its four van load drops effortlessly down the steep and twisting Dainton Bank. The train is 1C06 1353 Plymouth to Bristol Parkway RMT loaded mail vans. This section of railway was originally designed by Brunel for atmospheric traction and easy gradients were not thought important.

Even HSTs feel the strain of the bank. All the Devon Banks are fiercesome and if a powercar is out or on low power then it has to have a pilot loco. 43170 and 43192 approach the tunnel marking the summit under full chat with 1C28 1133 Paddington to Penzance.

A Scotland bound Virgin HST drops down the 1 in 44 ruling grade, 43068 and 43088 power 1S41 1412 off Plymouth for the Scots capital. The atmospheric form of traction failed and locomotives had to be used and the Devon Banks became an operating nightmare.

Another of the infamous Devon Banks is Rattray Bank running from Totness to Wrangaton Summit, a distance of 9 miles. 67017 passes milepost 224 1/2 from Paddington with 1E43 1509 Plymouth to Low Fell loaded mail vans. The gradient at this point is 1 in 50 dropping down towards Totness.

An up train on the way down, down Rattray Bank that is! 43185 is on the front of the HST set working 1A76 1346 Penzance to Paddington, the up "Royal Duchy".

A class 47 grunting hard against the 1 in 50 pull sees 47832 working 1C33 1233 Paddington to Plymouth working. Steam locos at Totnes Riverside station could be heard whistling in the distance.

Tilting Voyager 221125 comes tearing down Rattray Bank with 1E67 1550 FX Plymouth to Leeds cross country working. 31/7/2002

OK, this is Liskeard which is in Cornwall and outwith the area of the title. But I just had to include this shot of BR blue 47840 making its station stop with 1M56 0846 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly on 1st August. On Monday the 19th of August, it was all over. Virgin nominated this working to celebrate the end of its loco hauled services.