The Cornish Main Line: Penzance - Saltash
Carn Brea
Running as long scrapped sister D1012 Western Firebrand, D1015 Western Champion top n' tails with Class 40 40145 East Lancashire Railway at Carn Brea working the 1Z52 1237 Newquay - Crewe 'East Lancs Champion' charter on 16th May 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xy3PX6Pons
Par Station
Colas Class 70 70806 passes through Par working the 6C21 1500 Truro - Exeter Riverside Yard PW working on 16th November 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGatt-aHeQE
Classic diesel-hydraulic action in the far west! Class 52 'Western' D1015 Western Champion passes Par working the 0712 Paddington - Penzance 'Royal Duchy' on 5th April 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOQdh5YVRP8
Lostwithiel Station
A Class 52 'Western' where she should be - on the Cornish Main Line! D1015 Western Champion passes Lostwithiel working the return 1Z53 1700 Par - Paddington 'Royal Duchy' on 5th April 2009. Hard to believe this was over 8 years ago! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgc7Q-ZasN4
Respryn Bridge
Class 52 'Western' diesel-hydraulic D1015 Western Champion passes Respryn Bridge near Lanhydrock, between Lostwithiel and Bodmin Parkway, with the return Penzance - Paddington 'Royal Duchy' charter on 5th April 2008. Listen to those wonderful 65 litre Maybach V12 MD655s as she climbs up the grade towards Bodmin Parkway! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmENlYYWHAw
Bodmin Parkway
Inter-City 'Swallow' liveried Class 43 HST 43185 Great Western / 43153 enter Bodmin Parkway with the 1A87 1140 Penzance - Paddington working as GWR 42xx 2-8-0T 4247 leaves on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway with a branch service to Bodmin General. 24th June 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWcny-lDbs0
Drawood Viaduct
Main Line steam in the glorious Glynn Valley! SR 'Battle of Britain' 4-6-2 34067 Tangmere + BR Standard 7MT 'Britannia' Pacific 70013 Oliver Cromwell cross Drawood Viaduct working the 1Z28 1345 Penzance-Paddington 'Royal Duchy' on 5th May 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtg73iAIxS4
Largin Viaduct
In what is undoubtably the first Bulleid Pacific and Royal Scot pairing on a passenger train through the Royal Duchy, SR 'Battle of Britain' 7P5F 4-6-2 34052 Lord Dowding (34046 Braunton) and LMS Class 6P 'Royal Scot' 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot cross Largin Viaduct working the 1Z46 0853 Penzance - Paddington via Bristol Temple Meads 'Great Britain X' on 7th May 2017.
GWR Class 57/6 57603 Tintagel Castle crosses Largin Viaduct working the 2P70 1125 Par - Plymouth Summer Saturday local service on 4th June 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xvPeyra9TI
Remember when the Mazey Day railtours had real classic traction as motive power? Archive English Electric Type 1 action in the Far West! DRS Class 20/3s 20308 + 20309 TnT WCRC Class 57/6 57601 cross Largin Viaduct with the return 1Z37 0607 Gloucester - Penzance 'Kernow Voyager' railtour on 25th June 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UqCITzo5tM
GWR preserved steam does not get much better than this! Shortly after mass de-forestation of Largin Forest, 5029 Nunney Castle + 6024 King Edward I cross Largin Viaduct in the Glynn Valley with the 0907 Penzance - Paddington 'Cornish Riviera' on 28th June 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvTevNSK7Lo
St Pinnock Viaduct
BR Standard 7MT 'Britannia' Pacific 70000 Britannia crosses St Pinnock Viaduct working the 1Z37 0850 Bristol Temple Meads - Par 'Royal Duchy' on 6th September 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvEf4gyLRVI
A new form of diesel traction in the far west as DRS Class 68 Vosslohs 68016 Fearless TnT 68017 Hornet worked the 'Northern Belle' to Par and back (with the stock running ECS to Penzance). Whilst not the first appearance of a Class 68 in Cornwall, it was the first time the 3800hp Vosslohs had worked a passenger train in the Royal Duchy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH5m7lJJAYA
Shillingham
On 26th April 2016, WCRC Class 57/3 57316 passes Shillingham with the Plymouth - Penzance diesel section of the 'Great Britain IX,' the 1Z82 0844 Victoria - Penzance, having taken over from 46100 Royal Scot at Plymouth. Nice to see a real diesel and coaches on a train in the Royal Duchy once again! www.youtube.com/watch?v=VflItZCOp-I
Moorswater Viaduct
Was this really 11 years ago? With her twin 65 litre Maybach V12s absolutely purring away, memories of the early 1960s are evoked as Class 52 'Western' D1015 Western Champion crosses Moorswater Viaduct near Liskeard whilst working the 1Z24 0623 Gloucester - Penzance 'Cornubian' on 28th October 2006. The railtour later returned from Penzance behind GWR 'King' 6024 King Edward II, with the 'Wizzo' later returning 'light engine.' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG0lffW3a1k
Forder Viaduct
In glorious evening light and with Devonport Dockyard as a backdrop, 6024 King Edward I + 5029 Nunney Castle cross Forder Viaduct with the 0907 Paddington - Penzance 'Cornish Riviera' charter on 26th June 2010. A rare opportunity to photograph GWR steam in the Far West in the evening at this classic location! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2SBSA3-Be4
Churchtown Farm
LMS Class 7P 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot passes Churchtown Farm, Forder, near Saltash working the 1Z37 0852 Bristol Temple Meads - Par 'Royal Duchy' on 30th July 2017.
LMS Class 7P 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot passes Churchtown Farm Bridge at Forder, near Saltash, with the return 1Z39 1740 Par - Bristol Temple Meads 'Royal Duchy' on 30th July 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyP94AzmmDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyP94AzmmDU
Wearde Quay
Breaking new ground for the class and the first appearance for a Peppercorn Pacific in Cornwall, LNER Class A1
4-6-2 60163 Tornado passes Wearde Quay, near Saltash, as she heads the 1Z63 0803 Paddington - Penzance 'Cornishman' on 29th May 2017.
4-6-2 60163 Tornado passes Wearde Quay, near Saltash, as she heads the 1Z63 0803 Paddington - Penzance 'Cornishman' on 29th May 2017.
Making a rare appearance for the class in the Royal Duchy, DBS Class 59/2 59202 + A1 Steam Locomotive Trust Support Coach No. 21269 pass Wearde Quay working the 5Z60 1150 Exeter Riverside Yard - Penzance ECS working on 29th May 2017.
Defiance Platform
Almost 90 years after the station closed, LMS Class 7P 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot passes the remains of Defiance Platform, near Saltash, with the 1Z37 0852 Bristol Temple Meads - Par 'Royal Duchy' on 6th August 2017. Opened by the GWR on 1st March 1905, the station served the nearby Royal Navy torpedo training school aboard HMS Defiance which was moored nearby, with most trains being formed of GWR steam railmotors and auto trains from Plympton, which were run for an extra ¾ mile beyond Saltash. On 4th February 1906 the line was doubled, and it became the junction for a deviation line to St Germans that allowed the removal of the remaining timber viaducts on the Cornish Main Line, with the station closing on 27 October 1930. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITaA1LKNOyc
FGW HST 43026 Michael Eavis / 43023 Sqn Ldr Harold Starr - Last of the Few pass the site of Defiance Platform (opened in 1905 and closed in 1930) whilst working the 1A87 1140 Penzance - Paddington on 6th August 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKZzxUpRKbc
Defiance at Defiance Platform! GBRf Class 50s 50049 Defiance + 50014 Warspite (aka 50007) pass Defiance Platform, Saltash with the 1Z50 0708 Paddington - Penzance 'Class 50 Terminator Phoenixed' railtour on 23rd March 2019. Defiance Platform was opened by the GWR in 1905 to serve the Royal Navy torpedo training school which exsisted at Wearde Quay between 1884 & 1955. The halt officially closed in 1930, but light goods and market produce continued to use the halt until 1957. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGXSXxFOfPA
Saltash
A BR Large Logo Class 37/4 returns to the far west! 37558 Avro Vulcan XH558 (aka 37424) propels TDB975025 Caroline across the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash as they work the 2Z02 0759 Exeter St Davids - Exeter St Davids via Penzance Inspection circular on 25th July 2018. Love these engines in this livery, simply wonderful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBADyZ_1Cdk
DBS Class 66/0 66192 passes Saltash working the 6C53 1506 St Blazey - Exeter Riverside china clay (1000 tons) on 22nd February 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiydKCOUWfE
On one of the rarest preserved Class 52 'Western' workings ever, as D1015 Western Champion passes Saltash with the 6Z52 0935 Tavistock Junction Yard - Burngullow ECC 'silver bullet' china clay slurry tanks on 15th October 2009. Who would have though a 'Wizzo' could be seen on China Clay workings in Cornwall over 30 years since they last performed this duty for BR. Amazing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX7EU-Hmgy0