Extracts from Trains Illustrated (4) Jan - Dec 1961

These extracts from Trains Illustrated are continuing my search for information on train movements, locomotive allocations and historical events which might have an influence on any of my proposed projects based in and around Wadebridge - Bodmin area. Though most, if not all, of my projects will be fictitious I'm hoping to bring a good slice of historical accuracy to all of them.

April 1961 issue reports:
Western Region
"On January 30 the 5:10 a.m. St.Austell-Plymouth ran into a landslide at Wivelscombe Tunnel, between Saltash and St. Germans, and for the following fortnight the line was closed at this point, except for some freight traffic. Other freight workings and the milk and perishables trains between Cornwall and the east were diverted via Bodmin Road, Wadebridge, Halwill and Okehampton with Type 2 diesel-hydraulic locomotives and S.R. 2-6-0s as motive power. Passenger trains from Cornwall were terminated at St. Germans and a bus service maintained the connection between this station and Saltash, whence a diesel multiple-unit connected with Plymouth, where services from the east were terminated."

July 1961 issue reports:
Southern Region
"Of the U1 2-6-0s Nos. 31898-31900 have been acquired by Salisbury and Nos. 31901-4 by Exmouth Junction. We understand that the U1s will replace T9 4-4-0s in the West Country; all remaining T9 s have been stored to await scrapping ..... Of the South Eastern Division's B.R. Standard Class 2 2-6-2Ts Nos. 84020-3 have travelled to Exmouth Junction.."

September 1961 issue reports:
Western Region
"The bulk of mainline passenger traffic in Cornwall is now diesel-powered by Type 4 units; steam locomotives still work some parcels traffic and most - but not all - the freight traffic. Although the Par-Newquay line is still mainly steam, St. Blazey depot, which covers it, is expected to be all-diesel by the end of the year. At present, too, the Cornish Type 2 diesels have only two daily turns on the Truro-Perranporth-Newquay line, which is worked chiefly by pannier tanks owing to the current non-availability of many 2-6-2Ts of Cornish sheds."

Southern Region
"The S.R. aims to withdraw all the Class T9 4-4-0s, N15 4-6-0, C, C2X and Class 700 0-6-0s and H, and M7 0-4-4Ts as soon as possible and it's latest withdrawals show further steps to the ends with the condemnation of five T9s, Noos. 30117, 30313, 30701/9/17........ The S.R. is particularly anxious to replace its 0-4-4Ts with more modern power and already redundant Class 2 2-6-2Ts nos. 41238/69/1/70/2/83/4/7 have been moved from the L.M.R. ; but the S.R.s' standard Class 2 2-6-2Ts are to be moved to the L.M.R., as the S.R. has not enough of them to justify Regional maintenance of boiler spares."

October 1961 issue reports:
Southern Region
"Exmouth Junction depot has had a clear-out of ex-L.S.W. types. With the departure of Nos 30120 and 30313 for Eastleigh early in July it rid itself of Class T9 4-4-0s and it's stock of Class 700 0-6-0s was eliminated whenn No. 30691left in mid-July. However, No. 30309 (72B) of the latter class travelled through to Ilfracombe with an engineers special from Exeter on August 15, returning to Yeovil two days later."

November 1961 issue reports:
Western Region
"Type 4 "Warship" diesel-hydraulic No. D845 has emerged from Swindon with its roof fronts painted white and four-character head code panels framed in a broad yellow rectangle as a warning device; the Ministry of Transport is believed to be recommending that a prominent yellow warning panel off some kind be applied to the ends of all main line diesel locomotives. Western region Type 4 diesels are also beginning to appear with electrification warning notices a suitable points in their superstructure.."

"Several of the local workings in the Exeter district are now being covered by N.B. Loco. Co. Type 2 diesel-hydraulics, including the Kingswear portion of the up "Cornish Riviera Express"; these locomotives have also taken over the St. Ives branch, Bodmin Road-Wadebridge duties covered by St. Blazey depot and the Hayle-Hayle Docks workings."

December 1961 issue reports:
Southern Region
"B.R. Class 2 2-6-2Ts Nos. 84020/3 were still on Exmouth Junction shed in mid-October, although the S.R.'s entire allocation of this type has been officially transferred to the L.M.R. Exmouth Junction has now regained three 700 Class 0-6-0s; Nos. 30697/8 and 30700 have joined the allocation for winter snowplough work."

The April report of diverted traffic via Bodmin, Wadebridge and Hallwill is a very interesting working... I was also not fully aware when the "Warships" started to appear with yellow warning panels with white trim above the front windows so this information will be very useful if I ever need a Warship...

Extracts from Trains Illustrated (3) July - Dec 1960

August 1960 issue

"...on the Newquay branch: on June 18 the 7.50 a.m. Newquey-Manchester had a triple-unit combination of Type "4" No. D800 and Type "2s" Nos. D6311/24."

September 1960 issue

"....A correspondent returning from Cornwall in July writes that almost all passenger and parcels trains between Plymouth and Penzance are now diesel-powered, with the later N.B. Loco. Co. Type "2" diesel-hydraulic locomotives now in extensive use as pairs; he adds a further observation of a "Warship" on the Newquay branch, for he recorded No. D801, piloted by "Grange" No. 6816, heading away from the coast with a 15-coach load on the 10 a.m. Newquay-Paddington on July 2. Following last month's report of triple-heading on the Newquay branch, a reader writes that this practice is not uncommon in Cornwall nowadays, seemingly because of the use of Type "2" diesels in pairs. For example, a "Manor" is diagrammed to pilot the 8.55 a.m. (S0) Wolverhampton-Newquay and Penzance from Plymouth to Par; on July 2 this train was headed from Plymouth by a brace of Type "2s", and ahead of them was No. 7816. Some triple-heading is unpremeditated, of course. On July 16 one of two Type"2s" on the 1.20 p.m. Penzance-Paddington failed on Hayle bank: a pannier tank was summoned from Gwinear Road to give assistance as far as Redruth, where it gave place to a "Manor" No. 7813, which triple-headed the diesels, Nos. D6306/9, on to Plymouth....."

December 1960 issue

"...on September 1, Standard Class "4" 2-6-0 No, 76018 was an unusual visitor to North Cornwall; it was sent down from Yeovil to Exmouth Junction to work a Civil Engineer's special to Bude and back, after which it returned to Salisbury on September 3."

I have a soft spot for Standard Class 4 2-6-0s I think it stems from building an Airfix kit in my early 'teens'. Does the last entry allow me to develop the thought that I could justify one running further down the NCR line on an engineers train..? I'd like to think so...

Extracts from Trains Illustrated magazine (2) July 1953

One random, rather tatty, copy of Trains Illustrated I picked is from July 1953. It has a few interesting entries regarding workings to and around Wadebridge. I quote...

'...Of the two Pacifics loaned from Stewarts Lane to Exmouth Junction in the spring, Nos 34066/8, the former was still to be seen at Wadebridge in Mid-May, still carrying a 73A shedplate, it was working the "A.C.E." in both directions. On 2/3/53. "O2" No. 30203 failed at Bodmin North, and the elderly 2-4-0 well tank No. 30587 was turned out to work the 2 p.m. Bodmin North-Wadebridge and the 3.10 p.m. return, but the "O2" had recovered sufficiently to work the 4.23 p.m. from Bodmin.
On 19/5/53 a standard 2-6-2 tank. No 82013, appeared at Wadebridge for the first time, working in on the evening goods; it was dead on shed all next day, but after taking up a midday petrol tank train working to Bodmin North, it returned to Exeter on the 4.30 p.m. goods....'

I was under the impression the the Standard Class tanks did not start to venture down to Wadebridge until the last few years of the NCR's existence......

Extracts from Trains Illustrated magazine (1) Jan - June 1960

Modelling time since the Leatherhead show has been a little limited but progress is slowly being made on a few more wagons. I've also been thinking hard about attempting to build my first loco chassis. I hope to post blog entries of progress of these tasks soon.

One other thing I have been doing is off loading a few duplicate copies MRJs and GWRJs on ebay, the proceeds of which have been put towards purchasing copies of Trains Illustrated. So far I've focused my purchases on 1960/1 looking for any information that might be relevant for my twist on history for Grogley Junction. Train workings and engine movements in and around Bodmin, Wadebridge, Newquay, St. Blazey and along the NCR.

For anyone that might be interested the first few entries that I've found are copied out below.....

February 1960 magazine
"A possibly unprecedented incursion into W.R territory by an S.R, engine was reported on December 18 (1959), when Cless “N” 2-6-0 No 31846 (72A) headed a 12:45 p.m. special Freight from Tavistock Junction, Plymouth to St. Austell; after servicing at St. Blazey, the “foreigner” returned light to Friary shed."

"Three W.R. pannier tanks Nos. 4666/94 and 9756 are now allocated to Exmouth Junction and Nos. 3633/79 are at Wadebridge."

April 1960 magazine
"On each Sunday in February and the first Sunday in March the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash was closed for maintenance work and through passenger traffic between Devon and Cornwall by this route was interrupted. Passengers were conveyed across the Tamar by bus. On the first Sunday at least the 1130 a.m. up freight and the 12.35 and 5.40 p.m. milk from Penzance were booked to travel via Bodmin and Wadebridge on to the S.R. route via Launceston and Okehampton. The morning freight was hauled throughout by N.B. Loco Type “2” diesel-hydraulic unit No. D6304, which had to run round its train both at Bodmin General and at Wadebridge. Two “45xx” 2-6-2 tanks brought the first milk train into Wadebridge, where it was taken over by S.R. Class “N” 2-6-0 Nos. 31834/8 sent down light that morning from Exmouth Junction. Two more 2-6-0s were despatched from Exmouth for the second milk train, but this was able to take its normal route owing to early completion of the work at Saltash and the pair of 2-6-0s when home jobless."

At Eastleigh "….....also Beattie 2-4-0 well tank No. 30586, which was receiving a general overhaul although it is believed listed for withdrawal this year."

June 1960 magazine
"The first Birmingham R.C. &W. Co. three-car diesel multiple-unit for the Western Region, Nos W59302/17 and 59469, arrived at the Harwell Street diesel depot, Plymouth early in April and was put on to crew-training between Plymouth and Truro. As reported on page 233 of our April issue, the Birmingham order is for 15 three-car sets similar to the suburban railcars already delivered to the W.R. by Derby works, the principal difference between the two varieties being that the Birmingham version has lavatory accommodation in the centre trailer."

"From April 11 a daily duty over Par-Newquay line was added to the Laira diagrams for pairs of N.B. Loco Co. Type “2” diesel-hydraulic locomotives. The only jobs performed singly by the N.B. Loco Co. units are banking duties and one afternoon and evening trip from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton and back."

Hope this is of interest to someone, I will post more relevant entries as I discover them.