All eastbound trains from Penzance are certain to stop at Plymouth – the first big city en route, and just into Devon. In the 60s/70s the station was still sometimes called by its former name of Plymouth (North Road) to distinguish it from the several others, but as the other main ones closed, the generic name fell to the GW main line one. I visited Friary and part of the Millbay route on childhood visits, but they have both closed and merely the commuter stops along the line towards Cornwall remain.
My abiding memories of Plymouth Station are wet, windy and barren – the station rebuild was purely functional, and rather austere. The incongruous office block added to its oddity, as well as the slightly futuristic signal box. I think my recollections were probably tainted by the absence of anything to take my interest while waiting, though, as I usually allowed too much time to ensure I didn’t miss my train, and arrived back at the station far too early.
With tyres gleaming, 1002 “COUNTY OF BERKS” rolls in to Plymouth Station on an up perishables, passing milk tanks, a coach and a view northwards up to the skyline. The ballast-free ‘6-foot’ is hard packed, but puddles and rubbish sprinkle the sidings. 590717A01-PLY-s1002-TNK_M
With safety valves lifting, British Standard 9F 92221, in poor external condition, attracts attention from platform passengers at Plymouth Station, heading a Class 3 freight – an up milk train. WR men prefered Swindon-built locos, but standard designs were tried out on some trains. Station rebuilding is going on, but the canopies and hut have not yet been replaced. 6####ID01-PLY-92221-TNK_M
A new D806 “CAMBRIAN” stops at the end of Plymouth Station with a Paddington train of mixed-livery stock, creating sufficient interest for some train spotters to capture the sight on film. Cable spools, new lamp posts and a dug-over area indicate resignaling is going on, but a 45XX tank and water column show steam provision is still something to be considered. 6####BU01-PLY–D806-PAS_U
D600 “ACTIVE”, with original bodyside louvres, is piloted by a ‘Hall’ on an up passenger service from Plymouth North Road Station in the early 1960s, beside a rebuilt platform, old gantry and shunting/describer assembly, plus out-of-use ‘X’ covered new colour light signal. It will soon pass a D63XX diesel waiting under a semaphore gantry beyond. 6####AW01-PLY–D600-PAS_U
A view of St Budeaux Signal Box in 1965, with D601 “ARK ROYAL” approaching on a “down” service from the Plymouth direction. To the right the track with the catch point ran down to the dockyard and the track from the Southern converged at front left. 65###AG01-SBF–D601-PAS_D
Wearing an unusual peaked yellow warning panel, D861 “VIGILANT’ appears at Plymouth Station with what looks like a dynometer car behind the loco. Beyond in the shadows is D6300 in original livery and radiator grills, with an unfitted freight for Cornwall. 620906A01-PLY–D861-PAS_D
The return leg of an Ian Allen sponsored charter in 1966 consisted of a D8XX diesel running from Plymouth to Paddington via the Southern’s “Withered Arm” to Waterloo. Here a crewman adds the (slightly-lopsided) headboard prior to departure. 6607#AC01-PLY–D823-PAS_D
This press photo shows the first speeded-up service from Paddington to Penzance with a 6-hour schedule passing through Plymouth station, headed by a pair of ‘Warship’ diesels, D831 “MONARCH” leading. This loco was the only 42/43 to not have cabside numbers when painted blue. 680507A01-PLY–D831-PAS_D
A maroon ‘Western’ returns west to Plymouth (North Road) Station past the site of the former Mutley platform, in the cutting before the car park was built over the tunnel entrance to the left of the loco. The wall behind shows remnants of the former access. 6####FK01-PLY-D10##-LIG_D
The second man looks at the cameraman as D6348 and a coupled classmate head an up goods from Plymouth Station past the site of the former Mutley Platform. Both are in original green but with yellow warning panels added, and in very unkempt condition. In the background is ‘Home Park’, where Plymouth Argyle’s ground is just over the horizon. 7####HA01-PLY-D6348-LIG_U
In the parcels bay at the eastern end of Plymouth Station, 814 “DRAGON” awaits departure, heading an ex-GWR Syphon G ventilated van, originally designed to carry milk churns. The absence of roof exhaust staining suggests a very recent Works visit. 69###AJ01-PLY–D814-GDS_U
The 1960s tower block dominant in the background of Plymouth Station dwarfs D1034 ‘WESTERN DRAGOON’ awaiting departure with the 11:08am to Penzance on Friday 8th September 1970. Water hoses and a drain lie in the ‘6ft’ before it. 700908A01-PLY-D1034-PAS_D
Parked in a siding opposite Platform 8 at Plymouth Station is D1053 “WESTERN PATRIARCH”, its long and impressive bodyside commendably clean above the solebar, but the wheelsets and housings below the waistline turned pinky-beige with brake dust. 7509#AA01-PLY-D1053-PARKD
Ex-works shunter 08937 is the centre of attention for spotters at the east end of platform 1 at Plymouth Station, though D1015 “WESTERN CHAMPION” and the Class 45 loco with protruding split-headcodes would normally take pride of place over a menial ’08. 7####BO01-PLY-LOCOS-PARKD
The driver of a London-bound service headed by D1068 “WESTERN RELIANCE”, one end disfigured with a welded patch, watches enthusiasts at the eastern end of Plymouth Station while waiting for the boarding to complete and the “Right Away” signal. 760802A01-PLY-D1068-PAS_U
On a damp day in the early to mid 1970s, 252001 – the prototype High Speed Train – waits at Plymouth Station with red light suggesting its next movement is eastwards. Beside it is D1047 “WESTERN LORD” with Penzance-bound 1B45 ‘Cornish Riviera’ Express – the Second Man looking back along the train for the “right away” signal from the Guard. 7####GE01-PLY-LOCOS-PARKD
Tracks diverge, and with a rank grassy bank on the near side and buildings and a lorry park built on ex-railway land opposite, 47048 powers cement empties eastwards through St Budeaux in Plymouth – it’s roof blackened by the exhaust “clag” that its emitting. 750708A01-SBF-47048-CEMNT
After taking a photo, a train spotter fills his eyes with 37299 and 37142 heading an ‘up’ freight through Plymouth Station on damp 13th June 1981. Hands in his pockets, a rail worker whiles away the time before the signal ahead clears. Somehow, I always found Plymouth cold and grey on my visits there. 810613A01-PLY-37XXX-PAS_U
Rather out of sync with the other material on this website by at least ten years, an unusual sight to my experience was this class 09 shunter in Rail Express Systems (RES) livery, with Canton goat diamond shedplate, at the east end of Plymouth Station. 9####AB01-PLY-09103-SHU_S
A 2-Car DMU waits for passengers at Gunnislake before its return to Plymouth in 1970. The station wears its Southern Region green and cream livery, on an insubstantial building faced with corrugated metal – pre-cast concrete pillars hold up the stove-enamelled running in board. It must have been so disheartening for staff seeing such benign neglect day after day. 70###AE01-GSL-3XDMU-PAS_I
Laira allocated 3-Car DMU set P481 is arrived at Gunnislake in 1972. The saw-toothed edged awning of the station building reaches towards the unit above the rough platform edging on the near side and ballast indented with impressions from sleepers of the former passing loop are to its other side. Beautiful views towards Dartmoor stretch away into the mist. 72###AG01-GSL-3XDMU-PAS_O
I only went up the Gunnislake Branch once and that was out of curiosity. The dog’s leg route via Bere Alston and Calstock viaduct are out of the ordinary, but the rest of the route is just a nice country ride along the Tamar. A DMU sits at the end of the line. 84###AB01-GSL-DMUX3-PARKD
The Eric Curnow Collection 