The long stretch of line east of Truro used to include three stations but the closest – Probus & Ladock platform – and the farthest, Burngullow, closed before the “Beeching” Cuts. Grampound Road, between them, had sidings, and some platform remains are still visible today. The track is flanked by sparcely-populated farming country, and was not of particular interest to me until the “up” siding before the junction before the china clay dries of Burngullow appeared, where there occasionally was a train backed up there. A building, platform remains, and a signal box were still in existence for quite some time, and I can remember seeing traffic further on, on the siding joining from the left just after St Austell viaduct a couple of times, but eventually that line was lifted. St Austell, itself, was an interesting location, with old wooden buildings and footbridge, and sidings on both sides. Motorail trains used to be formed in the “up” sidings beside the station, and an 08 shunter was often parked up or busy between there and the goods yard beyond the over bridge.
The fireman looks back along the train to check all is well as 6828 ‘TRELLECH GRANGE’ slides away from St Austell on 18th August 1959 with a down service. Passing along behind is the tail end of an engineer’s train of grampus wagons – grampus apparantly being the dolphin family, though I had no idea of that in my railway years, thinking it a ‘geological’ term! 590818A01-SAU-s6828-PAS_D
With both engines pouring forth smoky exhaust and the Second Man looking from the cab, D1041 “WESTERN PRINCE” waits for the road at Burngullow in January 1977. The locomotive is in very rough external condition, and not long off withdrawal. 7701#EF01-BGW-D1041-PARKD
“WESTERN FUSILIER” hauls a long rake of 5-plank china clay wagons up the incline west of Burngullow. Towards the top is a refuge siding which invariably housed a china clay rake as I passed, sometimes complete with loco. The huge china clay dries invariably had at least a shunter parked or working before them, too. 760519A01-BGW-D1023-C_CLY
“WESTERN FUSILIER” hauls a long rake of 5-plank china clay wagons up the incline west of Burngullow. Towards the top is a refuge siding which invariably housed a china clay rake as I passed, sometimes complete with loco. On the clay-sprinked tracks to the right is the Parkandillack branch. 760519A01-BGW-D1023-C_CLY
The Driver and Second Man share some sort of joke as they leave St Austell with a westbound 3-car DMU service – the “speed whiskers” across the front have been painted over with a yellow warning panel. Photo: By kind permission, D Chandler Collection. 6####GL01-SAU-DMUX3-PAS_D
Bright sunshine casts shadows on the platform that a freight train is drawing away from as D825 “INTREPID” waits opposite for a restart at St Austell Station in the early 1960s, The locomotive has yet to receive its yellow warning panel – that I personally think detracted from its appearance – and heads maroon coaches. The ‘parachute’ water tower still remains behind. 5####CZ01-GWI-S_LCO-PAS_D
Such blistered roofs of ‘Warships’ were familiar to me as I arrived at the cliff overlooking Penzance from school. Here D806 “BENBOW”, the driver’s attention diverted, rolls under the bridge at the east end of St Austell Station, prior to receiving warning panels. 6####CR01-SAU–D806-PAS_U
May 75 sees D4007 in one of the sidings beside St Austell station – a loco I saw several times – most memorably well east of here in blue livery – but it was never sent westwards to Penzance, so far as I can remember. In the background is the goods shed, and D4007 is parked north of it. In green livery, it has a contrasting blue-backed shed sticker. 7305##A01-SAU-D4007-PARKD
D1063 “WESTERN MONITOR”, in very work-worn condition, rolls wrong-line into St Austell Station, probably to take a train eastwards. An ’08’ shunter with brake van and five plank wagon waits on the other side of the over bridge down to the town. 750717A01-SAU-D1063-LIGHT
In 1979 there was still a short southern siding leading to the main station building at St Austell, prior to development of the station yard beside it into more of a Bus Station. 47438 is on the 11.30 down Cornish Riviera Express from Paddington to Penzance, and exhaust hammers skywards as it slowly eases its ACS stock westwards. 790319A01-STA-47438-PAS_D
In pleasant rural scenery, D1054 “WESTERN GOVERNOR” heads a passenger train near St Austell – in a typical formation with a GUV next to the locomotive and Mk1 stock trailing. Its ‘D’ prefix has been painted out. © Dave Lazenby Collection. 7####AH01-PAD-70025-PAS_D
In February 1982, large logo liveried 50041 hauls away a train of mineral wagons of spent ballast from St Austell Goods Yard as 47082 “ATLAS” passes by on the up main line. New signal cable trunking stretches into the distance and fresh ballast has been selectively added to all lines. Photo: John Vaughan. 820222A01-SAU-50041-FRGHT
The Eric Curnow Collection 