At St Erth, one stop up the line from Penzance, 831 “MONARCH” restarts its train westwards, with the driver keen to get in the picture. The diamonds on its buffer beam denote ability to work in multiple with the few others of this class so equipped. 71###AA01-SER–d831-PAS_D
1971 began with fairly typical sightings of Westerns, Warships, Brush Type 4’s and shunters carrying out movements into and out of the Penzance area. Although Warships were sometimes paired on passenger trains, I noticed, they weren’t always the same combinations. For instance, on 17th January, “HERCULES” and “CARADOC” returned from the sheds coupled together, but within a short space of time “HERCULES” and “INTREPID” left with an up passenger train. I hoped for the appearance of some of the later numbered – NBL-built – Warships, as there were one or two I hadn’t yet seen, and one or two in green, as I’d only seen two by then.
D842 “ROYAL OAK” pretends to have maintained its maroon livery, but the tinge is merely a reflection of the setting sun, as it heads a local to Bristol through Redruth. It was from this spot that I sometimes ate my lunch while at college. 710220A01-RED-D842–PAS_U
For some reason 1971 was a sparse year for visits to the railway, with only 67 visits recorded. Perhaps this was because, apart from the odd Brush Type 4, traffic was evenly divided between Warships and Westerns, with even DMUs proving a bit of a rarity, and my heart wasn’t in it so much. My earliest entry for this year included what I noticed on a trip to Porthleven to see Penzance AFC play, so I guess this was when my Saturdays were then taken up with supporting my local football team, too. Even so, there were also clusters of entries in the School holidays and relatively few on weekdays – suggesting heavier homework demands in what was my 3rd year at secondary school.
Named “Brush” locos were always welcome, whether in serif (GWR style) or san serif fonts. 1672 visited more frequently than the other 47s with plates: its former red background slightly shows through the black. 7####DK01-UNK-47086-PARKD
From 9th February to the 8th April the up 2C24 was normally formed of DMUs, which was a disappointment, as only carriages hauled by a loco formed a real train in my eyes, and I was no closer to seeing the complete class of Warships or even one of a sprinkling of visitors from further afield. In April I noticed the occasional train part-formed of milk tanks, and assumed for operational reasons these had overshot their true destination of the creamery at St. Erth, and would be tripped back there later. I had also discovered, and was allowed to subscribe to, ‘Railway Magazine’, the most useful part of which was ‘Traffic and Traction’ which reported the withdrawal of Warships and D63XXs, and encouraged me to make a few more frequent trips to Plymouth to see some of those left.
A smartly finished D807 “CARADOC” backs out the Kensington milk train from the creamery sidings at St Erth before hauling it towards the capital, picking up en route. Points rodding and signal wires run towards it from the Signal Box from where this was taken. 71###AB01-SER-d807–SHU_G
‘Railway Magazine’ was as revelatory to me as the Ian Allen ABC had been a year or so previously. I had come across a copy of the ABC by accident, as the WH Smith in Penzance had closed back in the steam age, and I just happened to glance at the bookstall which straddled the end of Platforms 2 and 3 and found a copy peeping out from behind something – the man at the counter didn’t even realise he had it! I think I had heard of ‘Railway Magazine’ through the grapevine, but because copies were never on display in newsagents in the town, I had to order mine specially. Although most of the content of the publication didn’t appeal much – I was only interested in GWR and the WR – the reports of sightings, the loco transfers and the occasional photo always made it eagerly anticipated, and reallocations led somehow to me getting a Loco Shed book which I’d update religiously, and provided a lot more interest, knowing where, for instance, the SW/NW visiting locos had come from.
I always turned to the “Traffic & Traction” section of ‘Railway Magazine’ first, as it was the only source I knew of that gave the latest news, unusual workings and reallocations. They made it worth the expense of the whole magazine. 731124A01-MIS-MAGZE-RLWAY
The unique nameplates, varied liveries, size of warning panels, positioning and fonts of individual numbers, shed code variants, type and positioning of logos, coupling symbols, route restriction spots and general condition had over time given interesting personalities to the machines, so even though they’d become familiar when they’d turn up on a working, they still made welcome appearances. It had long been obvious that the ‘D’ prefix to transfer-type loco numbers was being dropped from Warships and Brushes, but by mid 1971, when I noticed D1026 “WESTERN CENTURION” had not just had it’s prefix painted out but actually removed, it seemed a real travesty!
Taken much later than 1971, admittedly, but this shot of “WESTERN RENOWN” on Old Oak Common’s turntable shows well the diminution of the ‘D’ prefix of ‘Westerns’ that began about this time. This loco has been very smartly finished by Laira. 7####DD01-OOC-d1071-PARKD
Classification panels had been around for some time, too, by then, but apparently “MAGPIE” was wearing one of the yellow wagon-style versions, I once noticed. By now I was recording when I saw maroon and green locos instead of blue ones, so I guess the balance had now turned in favour of the latter. I noticed “HERMES” and “COCKADE” were missing nameplates – assuming this was to deter souvenir-hunters, or the result of their actions – but later discovered it was due to reinstatement. This was very encouraging news, as there seemed to be a persistent few Warships still eluding me, and I obviously hoped to see all I could.
867 pumps out exhaust as it waits the OK to run back towards the depot at Laira, alongside a Western parked behind it. Formerly named “ZENITH”, it had probably been reinstated because of a shortage of motive power. 7####AD01-LRA-D867-LIGHT
Penzance was also the starting point for the West of England TPO (Travelling Post Office) and their rake of distinctive carriages was usually to be found in “Sloper’s Siding” between Ponsondane and the station, or buffered up on Platform 4 awaiting departure. One carriage featured a postbox for last minute, first class, mailings, which I can remember using. Slightly unusual workings of locos I recorded during this time were milk and brake vans behind “ZEPHYR” on the 6B34 on 25th August; “ALBION” with a rake of 5-plank wagons, 1B55, the same day; and “THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE” with just a train of brake vans on the 27th. The loading of flowers had always been part of the Spring scene at the station, and I have memories of trolleys covered with boxes of “daffs” under the covered platforms in the station yard, with staff slinging them into the GUVs where they slid across the floor before being restacked.
With a glass-fronted “domino” headcode, a Class 47 diesel-electric is ready for taking the mails towards Bristol. The blue and grey livery complements the BR corporate identity, but lacks the “special” quality that the traditional red ‘Royal Mail’ suggests. 7####EH01-PNZ-47###-MAI_U
In late Summer, a 2-car converted DMU set, its driving trailer emblazoned with ‘Chief Civil Engineers Department Viaduct Inspection Unit’ on its yellow sides, arrived only to be parked up for several years out of use, as the pink breakdown train had usually been in my early train spotting days. The other car was still finished in standard BR blue, so it always seemed an odd combination, and as it was occasionally moved from siding to siding, I imagined it had been in use (though I never actually saw it under its own power). The Saturday I first saw it was also a “red letter” day for me as I saw four new Brush loco sightings – one of which had the class’s longest name – “GEORGE JACKSON CHURCHWARD”. In September of this particular year, I noticed quite a few trains where fish was the main commodity – for instances, Intrepid heading a 6B29 milk tank and fish combination on the 2nd, Zebra on the 3rd and Panther on the 6th.
The ‘CCED’ as I used to refer to it vegetates among the cow parsley at Long Rock depot, on the former turntable road. Not the most attractive of DMUs, its blue and yellow cars nevertheless suggested the depot as being more “important” than without it. 7####AB01-LRK-CCED1-PARKD
Although well outside my normal stamping ground, knowing the writing was on the wall for D63XXs, I took a trip to Laira in November and managed to see 6338 – my last sighting of this class. What a remarkable sight it was too – straight out of the paint shops in corporate livery, and making up for the dirty, dismal sights I’d always seen before. This is how these locos ought to look! Parked around the side of the shed it shone and sparkled in the sunshine, and reminded me of 820 “GRENVILLE” I’d seen in similar condition on 11th September – although that starkly contrasted with the somewhat grimy background of Long Rock depot. I’d never seen something so pristine as this 63XX – even the roof was virtually soot-free, I later observed as it moved to the other side of the depot!
Although not quite as pristine as 6338 I saw here at Laira, this resembles the sight I had by walking alongside the loco – the first and last time I saw a Class 22 with rail alphabet numerals and logos above. 7####EA01-LRA-D6348-PARKD
The year ended with more new sightings of Brush Type 4’s, and a portent of what was to come (!) On 18th December, 5180 arrived on shed at Long Rock, looking just as run down as the D63XXs it was to replace. Thank goodness the Warships and Westerns still seemed to have some time before they faded away, too!
Pictured a few years later, in 1976 at Laira, this shot gives the impression I had on the arrival of Class 25s at Penzance – that those which were transferred were “cast-offs”, not exactly “in the best of nick”, and even less desirable than their predecessors! 760625A01-LRA-25225-PARKD
Example of a Loco Log entry during 1971
Sat 28/08/1971 Penzance to Long Rock, return
1655 PassD 1B85
1664 PassD 1B55 GEORGE JACKSON CHURCHWARD
1681 Parkd 1B65
1681 PassU 1M0-
D4161 ShunG
4181 ShunS
844 Parkd 1E37 SPARTAN
1952 Parkd 1V36
812 Parkd 1V89 THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE
812 LtEnD 1V89 THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE
D1014 Parkd 1M77 WESTERN LEVIATHAN
1741 Parkd 1V48
1741 LtEnD 1V48
813 LtEnD 1B45 DIADEM
813 PassU DIADEM
1664 Parkd GEORGE JACKSON CHURCHWARD
812 PassU THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE
1741 PassU
The Eric Curnow Collection 