Bodmin and Wenford + other Cornish lines

I have put the original question to an informed source who tells me that after exploring and trialling all other options only a second platform gives the required flexibility to allow the practical operation of two trains and provide a service that the public can understand. The BWR is one of the unfortunate heritage railways that goes from nowhere in particular to nowhere at all therefore the public arrive en-masse only in the school holidays and between 10.30 and 14.30. This often results in severe overcrowding not only on the train but also at Bodmin General. The issue is further complicated by intending travellers having to join the train in the middle of the railway, severe gradients , curves and short platforms that limit train length to four coaches ( or five with assistance or if the 42xx is available ) and the lack of foresight on the part of the GWR for building such a small station in the first place!

The plan extends to the provision of an additional crossover and signalling to allow access to the Boscarne line from either platform at Bodmin General. Part of the funding has been provided by Cornwall Council that has an aspiration to encourage better services between Bodmin Parkway and Bodmin General. However, given the current circumstances, there are more unknowns than knowns.

 

Last time I was there I asked why the scheduling is so unfriendly if you are arriving my mainline train. Don't think there was a single reason why more like a lot of things that were not going to happen. Seems to me this is important and should be sorted because you can get a discount ticket on both trains (real and preserved) in Devon and Cornwall. Bringing people into town surely should be important to the council. I live locally and would visit more often if I could arrive by train and get in a full day of visiting not just a few hours.

 

Has anyone seen a press release from the BWR about remaining shut this summer? I've only seen the below article from Rail Advent stating they'll be closed and hiring out the serviceable steamers except for the austerity.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/0...ilways-invited-to-hire-steam-locomotives.html

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I can understand why they'd want to loan out locos if they aren't running but I doubt many would want to hire locos in this current climate, and especially not those based in Cornwall.

 

Maybe they will not find anyone who wants to hire their locomotives, but it makes sense to advertise their availability. Two delightful panniers which many folk would like to see running.

 

In a first step towards something approaching normality, pannier 6435 had a steam test yesterday after an unexpectedly long period of maintenance. Repairs to the boiler included replacement of several rows of crown stays, building up of lap seams, replacing the flue tubes, replacing lap rivets with patch screws and major replating of the ashpan plus a few odds and ends in the smokebox.

 

Good to see steam coming back to life in Bodmin. Will this recent work make the 10 year overhaul from 2022 relatively "easy?" Not that any overhaul on a loco is easy...

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Bodmin is 1 in 30 not 50 so it’s many gradients steeper. Hope this helps why it only has 3 cartridges most times. If they had it with the blower on it might do 4 caridges but it it’s very steep

 

Impressive, for sure, but gentle when compared with the Foxfield's 1:19 ski slope.

 

...which itself pales beside Fawley Hill's 1:13/1:14! Ironically the B&WR's Beatty Well Tank was actually a guest at Fawley some years ago and actually experienced our hill.

 

Sadly, the Beattie well tank 30587 is no longer based at Bodmin.

 

Wher is it based

 

Strewth! That's pretty much Snaefell Mountain Rly territory.

 

Which is why our 0-6-0 makes so much noise coming up the hill into the station! It can also be interesting going down the hill in our 03 when the rails are greasy from light rain...

 

I have permanent scars on my arms caused by hot cinders that prove that locos tackling that climb work very hard!

 

Sounds like the definition of "interesting" coined in the film 'Serenity' ..... i.e. "Oh God, Oh God, we're all going to die!"

 

The first time I went to Fawley Hill I was given a piece of advice. That was, don't ride in the open wagon if you value your clothes. I offer that advice to anyone else who visits.

 

I remember 30587 being something of a handful to fire. Steamed like b&ggery but working the fireman's side injector while on the move was ... interesting, to say the least.

Tom

 

Agreed. Though I've been lucky before, and been on a cooler day. By the time the sparks came back out of orbit, they'd cooled down a bit!

 

It's not that steep is it? I thought the B&WR was nearer 1 in 40, google suggests a maximum of 1 in 37.