The favourite book of my early childhood was ‘The GWR STARS, CASTLES & KINGS’ by O.S. Nock: I borrowed it time and again from Penzance Public Library and copied pictures from it, helped by my Dad who drew well too. As Penzance was “the end of the line”, inevitably big steam engines ended up at the Engine Sheds – the most prolific being designated 4-6-0 that meant 4 carried the weight of the front of the engine; 6 were the driving wheels supporting the central portion; and in these particular cases there was no need for trailing wheels behind as some classes construction made necessary.
Trackwork creaks, and the crew of ‘Star’ Class 4012 “KNIGHT OF THE THISTLE” are anxious to be captured on film for posterity, as the loco trundles off the turntable at Long Rock shed in the 1930s. The shed has short dark stumpy chimneys and it looks like white lights have been positioned on its facade to aid illumination. Copyright: Lens of Sutton. 3####AH01-LRK-s4012-PARKD
This strange choice of image for the front of a Post Card shows 4958 ‘PRIORY HALL’, with GWR roundel tender, straddled across the entrance to Long Rock depot. Its crew proudly pose for the camera, and there is a lean-to hut against the pump house. 3####AE01-LRK-s4958-PARKD
4901 sails past Long Rock Signal Box towards Penzance on 25th August 1936. There is a lot of points rodding before the Box, and a neat woodpiles in the background against the depot retaining wall. Photo: C.F.H Oldham. Lens of Sutton. 360825A01-LRK-s4901=PAS_D
Looking every inch a loco in the finest GWR tradition, Penzance allocated 4911 “BOWDEN HALL” waits on Long Rock depot. It ended its days prematurely hit by a WW2 bomb in Plymouth; one of only two GWR locos lost through enemy action. 3####AC01-LRK-s4911-PARKD
1021 “COUNTY OF MONTGOMERY” rests before the shed buildings on Long Rock depot alongside other large tendered engines – with its number roughly painted on its buffer beam, and beside the lightweight maintenance platform. The skyline of the roof is interesting with the clerestory skylights and a couple of chimneys clearly seen – the furthest with an intriguing addition to it. 55###AH01-LRK-s1021-PARKD
A ‘STAR’ rebuilt as a ‘Castle’ – 4032 “QUEEN ALEXANDRA” – is pictured on Long Rock shed beside “CRUMLIN HALL” and other locomotives. One of its crew stands on the tender, possibly preparing to trim the coal pile, and it takes water from one of the shed water cranes. Copyright: J.H. Aston. Lens of Sutton 5##999999-LRK-s4032-PARKD
1019 ‘COUNTY OF MERIONETH’ sits on Long Rock depot’s turntable with, around it, the ribbed apron used for pushing the assembly. To the left is the air raid shelter, a breakdown van and coal wagons, and to the right, the main line. Copyright: R.S. Carpenter. 500627A01-LRK-s1019-TURNT
Long Rock shed in 1951 – 4090 “DORCHESTER CASTLE” and 6801 “AYLBURTON GRANGE” are among the locos stabled. Wooden smoke hoods hang from the ceiling and the shed has yet to be partitioned. The clean floors contrast strongly with the oil covered filth of “my day”! 510624A01-LRK-s6801-PARKD
A buffed-up BR WR 4-6-0 No. 1021 ‘COUNTY OF MONTGOMERY’ is inspected by its driver at Penzance’s MPD in April 1955. There is wear to the cab paintwork lining where the crew grip to climb and an oil can on the cab steps. © Photomatic 550414A01-LRK-s1021-PARKD
Standard Class 4 75028 is left alone on a storage road at Long Rock shed while other, GWR-derived, designs stand in more immediate use behind. It was said that BR standard designs weren’t particularly popular with local crews, and this picture is certainly a rarity. 550524A01-LRK-75028-PARKD
Badly stained with water overflows and in general run-down appearance, 7806 ‘COCKINGTON MANOR’ is parked in the gentle sun before the white storage cabins at Long Rock depot in the late 1950s. Empty tracks occupy the foreground. 5####BE01-LRK-s7806-PARKD
Top link haulage for an up service consists of immaculate 4087 “CARDIGAN CASTLE”, passing Long Rock with locos steaming on shed. The white objects are new diesel fuel tanks, showing that preparation for dieselisation had seriously started. 56###AC01-LRK-s4087-PAS_U
An enlargement of the picture above shows a Gresley coach immediately behind the engine, and a motley combination of other carriages behind that. Two rows of telegraph poles converge from two different directions and two nearby signals are set at “off”. 56###AC01-LRK-s4087-PAS_U
An unmanned 4949 “PACKWOOD HALL” and a classmate without numberplate, gently smoke with their noses pointing east on Long Rock depot. The water column beside the locomotive has a ‘fire devil’ below it to help prevent icing up in cold weather. 57###AA01-LRK-s4949-PARKD
A sunny day finds 4968 “SHOTTON HALL” at Long Rock depot, coaled but without steam and as in the Fitting Shop road, probably awaiting attention. Behind the loco is a prominent telegraph pole loaded with insulators, and the calm scene towards the hills. Although the engine is in fine external finish, the numberplate looks slightly “out of true” – the first such fault I’ve ever noticed. #####AY01-LRK-s4968-PARKD
Locos including 1018 ‘COUNTY OF LEICESTER’ stand on Long Rock depot on 20th May 1957 wearing the early BR logo on their sides. The County’s nameplates seemed less graceful by not following the splasher curves. Photo: L.W.Perkins. 57052CO01-LRK-s1018-PARKD
With a loaded tender of a lighter colour hue, 4931 “HANBURY HALL” sits in the sunshine on Long Rock shed. The differences of roof ventilation to the buildings seem to indicate different attempts to deal with the problem of overwhelming exhaust fumes. 5####BK01-LRK-s4931-PARKD
6805 “BROUGHTON GRANGE” sparkles in the sun before the sheds at Long Rock depot, ready for service. Penzance had a reputation at this period for well-finished locomotives, and the up Cornish Riviera Express usually had a buffed-up ‘Castle ‘ at its head – it was even said a withdrawn Grange was cleaned up to this standard even though it was withdrawn and destined for scrap. 6####IY21-LRK=s6805-PARKD
A well-presented and frequent visitor 5025 “CHIRK CASTLE” shares the apron outside Long Rock depot with a more dowdy 1002 “COUNTY OF BERKS” – both gently simmering away in the sunshine. 5025 appears to be in green with “cycling lion” emblem, but 1002 is in lined black. Above the shed doors is a recess for the ventilation housing, the unit now removed. 6####HQ01-LRK-s5025-PARKD
6938 “CORNDEAN HALL” is on shed at Penzance MPD in the early 1960s, as not only is there an 0-6-0 diesel shunter present, but also two D63XXs. A grounded van is sat at the entrance to the depot to provide more storage, and the site is crowded with locos. White ventilation chimneys plus two darker ones are still intact on the shed’s roofline. 6####IB01-LRK-s6938-PARKD
A clean 5926 “GROTRIAN HALL”, wearing a Truro (83F) shed plate, sprays boiling water from below a cylinder as it rests over at Long Rock depot in July 1956. It is parked against some ‘loco coal’ minerals wagons, and behind it are a 5-plank wagon, brakedown tools van, and fireman trimming coal on a tender. 5607##A01-LRK-s5926-PARKD
Separated from a rake of loco coal wagons by it’s weather-worn tender, 6868 “PENRHOS GRANGE” waits on a side road at Long Rock depot, with a better-cleaned 1004 “COUNTY OF SOMERSET” behind it. Steam rises from its cylinders and smoke drifts across from the main shed roads behind it. 611011A01-LRK-S6868-PARKD
Penzance’s proud allocation of 1018 “COUNTY OF LEICESTER” looks a bit work-worn, shunted to the side of Long Rock depot out of immediate use amid hummocks of long, lank grass. Its tender has been cleaned from ground level and awaits completion. 590717A02-LRK-s1018-PARKD
7925 “WESTOL HALL”, with straight-sided tender, is parked to one side of the access tracks, next to a sister loco on Long Rock MPD. Behind it are wooden wagons showing scrap odds and ends through their open doors, and white corrugated iron storage huts. 590824A02-LRK-s7925-PARKD
A view from the seaward lineside sees ex-GWR 4-6-0 locomotives pack Long Rock depot, though only one seems to be in steam. Partially hidden behind 6913 “LEVENS HALL” and the new mineral trucks is the breakdown train, the distinctive skylights of a tool van rising above the rooflines around it, with the chimney of the sand-drying building prominent, too. Copyright: Keith Jones. 61###AI01-LRK-S_LCO-PARKD
Beside the shadow of Long Rock’s Coaling Stage, on a lovely Summer’s Day, 4088 “DARTMOUTH CASTLE” slowly clanks away, wagons squealing, towards the ‘UP SDG’ as displayed by the signal it has passed. A guard looks forward up the length of the train. 5####BV01-LRK-s4088-GDS_U
6875 “HINDFORTH GRANGE” is seen passing Penzance MPD on 11th May 1959 with an up passenger service. The siding beside the depot is packed with locos and everything about the picture looks trim and proper – from the tension of the wires in the fencing to the levelness of the ballast. 590511A01-LRK-s6875-PAS_U
With smoke from a ‘Hall” drifting behind it, 6809 “BURGHCLERE GRANGE” catches the weak sun. The difference in body finishes suggest a cleaned engine, but an indifferently finished tender. A rake of loco coal wagons is assembled behind it. 6####CY01-LRK-s6809-PARKD
A mist drifts over 6837 ‘NORTHAMPTON GRANGE’, in A1 condition, parked before the commonly positioned mineral wagon on the Firring Bay road at its home Long Rock depot of 83G, as displayed by the oval shed plate on its front end. The wooden palisade fence is clearly discernable before it with the edge of the stores building to the right, but the hillside beyond is indestinct. 6####IY18-LRK=s6837-PARKD
Bearing a handwritten service number on its smokebox door, 7022 “HEREFORD CASTLE’ moves off Long Rock shed towards the crossing to take the 10:50am Penzance to Manchester. The sidings behind it already show signs of dereliction. 600716A01-LRK-s7022-LIG_D
With sides oiled down and brasswork gleaming, 6800 “ARLINGTON GRANGE’ waits top link duty on the siding at Long Rock depot. Behind the engine is the Air Raid shelter, and on the roof line of the sheds the chimneys and glazing seem to have been cleaned, had attention or been replaced. 610426A01-LRK-s6800-PARKD
Parked on the oil tanker road at Long Rock depot is 6808 “BEENHAM GRANGE” on 24th April 1962. Behind it is a ‘Warship Class loco, the sanding hut, its chimney, water crane and worn brake blocks stacked before the Pump House. The roof of the diesel shed is being replaced and the smoke hole has been bricked up. A warning notice is before the engine on the turntable road. 620424A01-LRK-s6808-PARKD
1008 “COUNTY OF CARDIGAN” waits outside Penzance (Long Rock) shed in the company of 6921 “BORWICK HALL”, D6341 and D838 “RAPID”. Steam was confined to the two-road shed on the left at this time, and the diesels to the right; its facade brickwork recently repaired. Copyright: Paul Sankey. 620611A01-LRK-s1008-PARKD
The diesel shed at Long Rock Depot has had remedial attention to the bricks on its gable end and roofline ventilators have been removed in 1962, the scene pictured here on 22nd August. 6808 “BEENHAM GRANGE” lurks beside the Sand Shed and Modified Hall “MOBBERELEY HALL” oozes steam as it waits before the Steam Shed. Copyright: Michael Hale. 620822A02-LRK-S_LCO-PARKD
In this sharp and carefully composed picture, a locoman kicks the motion of Castle 5069 “ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL” as his colleague with him watches with a ‘NOT TO BE MOVED’ sign in his hand. Beside them are 6830 “BUCKINHILL GRANGE” and 6931 “ALDBOROUGH HALL” – the three locos’ steam hiding the depot building behind them. Copyright: J H Aston. 6####IY22-LRK=sLCOS-PARKD
Steam billows from 6868 ‘PENRHOS GRANGE’ as it waits beside the coaling stage on Long Rock depot. The turntable can be glimpsed in the distance and pools of water suggest a recent downpour on this miserable grey day. 620421A01-LRK-s6868-COALG
Gorse sprouts from thick clumps of grass beside 6825 ‘LLANVAIR GRANGE’ that is packed into the diesel fuel loading road beside Long Road shed with other locos on 10th June 1962. Parking space was often at a premium here. Photo: D K Jones. 620610A01-LRK-s6825-PARKD
Coaled, and in steam, 6802 “BAMPTON GRANGE” is pictured in black BR livery alongside a line of white corrugated iron storage huts in the early evening of 26th September 1956. Beyond it, the retaining fence leads towards a huge heap of loco coal plus Long Rock Signal Box, and at right are breakdown vehicles. Photo: H.C. Casserley. 560926A01-LRK-s6802-PARKD
In 1958, 6823 ‘OAKLEY GRANGE’ waits on the approach road to Long Rock depot for an opportunity to gain the main line to run back into Penzance Station before heading a train eastwards. A huge stockpile of coal is in the background before the fence. 58###AE01-LRK-s6823-LIGHT
On a dull day in the early 60s, a young man with greasy hands and soiled trousers is aboard 6931 “ALDBOROUGH HALL” at Long Rock Shed while a companion leans to turn the loco. The turntable is in fine external order, and an array of interesting boxes line one retaining wall and the loco’s buffer beam. In the background is a green diesel shunter and ex-GWR-era carriage. 6####IS01-LRK-s6931-T_TBL
This is the clearest view I’ve seen of what I take to be an air raid shelter at Long Rock depot, demolished before my first visit. Among the locomotives present, 6864 “DYMOCK GRANGE” and a “County Class’ loco smoke away as a south easterly wind blows their exhaust away. A pile of debris to the west of the shelter suggests levelling of the site before building. 6####IY17-LRK-S_LCO-PARKD
The Eric Curnow Collection 