January - Intercity Railway Society
January - Intercity Railway Society January - Intercity Railway Society
Days Out Devon Day Ranger 3 rd Dec 2011 by Kevin Bates: The weekend of my self-imposed Devon exile started on Friday 2 nd December with a journey down the M5 to an overcast Brixham. On arrival arrangements were quickly made to meet my travelling companion (Colin Broomfield who some of you might remember from NREA and STARS) at Newton Abbott for the 08.30 ride down to Plymouth. The aim of the day was to travel around on a Devon Day Ranger, for the princely sum of £10. Unfortunately for me this necessitated a 07.13 start on the bus into Paignton for the 08.06 connection. Arrival was at a dark damp Paignton station and for those who haven’t had the pleasure the station is alongside the Dartmouth Steam Railway terminus (renamed from Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway). The DSR is currently undergoing a rebuilding program and in the gloom the surviving steel structure from the demolished station could be seen. Just before 08.00 the level crossing was lowered for the arrival of 150221 to start the day’s adventure. We left on time and after stops at Torquay and Tore we arrived in Newton Abbott at about 08.20. My travelling companion alighted from a Cl.150 (going to Penzance) and with the 08.30 to Plymouth, running 20 minutes late we decided to rejoin 150221 for the ride up to Exeter St David’s. So under a brightening sky we travelled down the Teign along the spectacular sea wall at Dawlish and back up the Exe estuary to St David’s. After alighting 150221 then reversed and carried on its journey down to Exmouth. A quick glance at the departure board showed the next train out was to Plymouth and to our great delight the approaching train was a HST with 43091 & 43016. On the depot at Exeter stood an assortment of Cl.150s including several incomers transferred to FGW, ex-Silverlink 150121 and 150127, ex-Centro 150102 plus a couple of other unidentified ex-Centro units, LMT 153335 on hire along with a Colas tamping machine. ex –Centro 150102 & LMT 153325 (on hire) stand on Exeter Depot at 10.10 We were soon enjoying a relaxing ride back along the sea wall then through Newton Abbot and on to Totnes. On arrival at Totnes, the flexibility of the days plans took over again as we de-trained and headed of f for refreshments in the excellent café in the former station signal box. If you have never been it is an excellent place to view the line and enjoy coffee and sausage baps. After the reviving supplies the next journey was quickly determined and we were soon on a Voyager back to Newton Abbott for a quick change over to catch a connection down to Plymouth. It was with much sadness we saw the approach of a Voyager and not an HST, but a quick glance at the board showed this was 26
unning late and the HST was approx 5 minutes behind, which was just as well as the Voyager was packed to gunnels. So very soon were we aboard the XC HST and on our way to Plymouth with 43357 & 43132. The journey down was under caution as we were following the Voyager and so took a little longer than normal. Very little was on show as we passed Laira depot apart from some FGW carriages. We alighted at Plymouth in glorious sunshine to look out across the numerous empty platforms with comments of “where are all the trains” and what must it have been like in the hey-day. After a couple of pictures of a FGW HST as it paused to take on passengers it was back onto the XC HST and off back to Totnes to see the RHTT which was due about 13.30. Arrival back in Totnes was around 12.45 and we once again had coffee to keep us going. Then back to the serious business and it was up on to the footbridge to snap a couple of HST’s and 150123 which was heading for Plymouth, very soon the jungle telegraph was in operation with phone buzzing to say the RHTT was on its way, so off we trotted down to the road bridge in preparation . The RHTT came through about 13.30 headed by a cleanish 66061 (see photo below) and trailing a very grubby looking 66139 and surprisingly it traversed the station line and not the through line before heading off to St. Blazey. With snaps secured we headed off to gain transport back to Exeter and once again we were treated to a HST into the Counties capital. And all I can say is the journey was worth it, with great views over the Teign and Exe estuaries and along the sea wall. Once back into Exeter we had about 45 minutes before the train back to Paignton and the end of my ranger day. Whilst on the platforms we snapped a couple of Cl.159s arriving and departing to London and an old friend from Centro, 150102 which came off the depot to set back for its run down to Paignton. And this is the point at which we made our mistake. Colin mentioned his wife would be on the next train back to Paignton from Exmouth whilst we were snapping 150102 which were departing before said train. So with that in mind we failed to board the ex-Centro 150102 which promptly departed into the failing light...what a mistake that turned out to be. Oh well the train off Exmouth would soon be here and soon there it was descending the curve into St David’s and alas it was only a 2 car unit which was imitating a train through Delhi with the amount of passengers. So we squeezed in 27
- Page 1 and 2: Tracks the monthly magazine of the
- Page 3 and 4: Society Notice Board Editor’s Com
- Page 5 and 6: Eastleigh Works Report by Carl Wats
- Page 7 and 8: 31285 spent over a week based at th
- Page 9 and 10: Ramblings of a Rail Enthusiast by D
- Page 11 and 12: Gloucester (later Cl.122) bubble ca
- Page 13 and 14: Network News East Grinstead Station
- Page 15 and 16: Further to the report in November 2
- Page 17 and 18: From Cannon Street our booked route
- Page 19 and 20: 73213 draws 1001 out of Tonbridge W
- Page 21 and 22: December 9 Two light engine moves t
- Page 23 and 24: Out & About by James Holloway To be
- Page 25: Manchester Victoria: 66124, 142014,
- Page 29 and 30: Gloucestershire Sightings by Nigel
- Page 31 and 32: 26 th November 05.45 66426 4H47 MN-
- Page 33 and 34: 1937 built 2-6-2T C12 164, owned by
- Page 35 and 36: Dutch Class 600 Shunters in the UK
- Page 37 and 38: The similarity to Cl.11 is shown if
- Page 39 and 40: Freight Corner WAGON UPDATES by Sco
Days Out<br />
Devon Day Ranger 3 rd Dec 2011 by Kevin Bates:<br />
The weekend of my self-imposed Devon exile started on Friday 2 nd December with a journey down the<br />
M5 to an overcast Brixham. On arrival arrangements were quickly made to meet my travelling<br />
companion (Colin Broomfield who some of you might remember from NREA and STARS) at Newton<br />
Abbott for the 08.30 ride down to Plymouth. The aim of the day was to travel around on a Devon Day<br />
Ranger, for the princely sum of £10. Unfortunately for me this necessitated a 07.13 start on the bus<br />
into Paignton for the 08.06 connection. Arrival was at a dark damp Paignton station and for those who<br />
haven’t had the pleasure the station is alongside the Dartmouth Steam <strong>Railway</strong> terminus (renamed<br />
from Paignton & Dartmouth Steam <strong>Railway</strong>). The DSR is currently undergoing a rebuilding program<br />
and in the gloom the surviving steel structure from the demolished station could be seen.<br />
Just before 08.00 the level crossing was lowered for the arrival of 150221 to start the day’s adventure.<br />
We left on time and after stops at Torquay and Tore we arrived in Newton Abbott at about 08.20. My<br />
travelling companion alighted from a Cl.150 (going to Penzance) and with the 08.30 to Plymouth,<br />
running 20 minutes late we decided to rejoin 150221 for the ride up to Exeter St David’s. So under a<br />
brightening sky we travelled down the Teign along the spectacular sea wall at Dawlish and back up<br />
the Exe estuary to St David’s. After alighting 150221 then reversed and carried on its journey down to<br />
Exmouth. A quick glance at the departure board showed the next train out was to Plymouth and to our<br />
great delight the approaching train was a HST with 43091 & 43016. On the depot at Exeter stood an<br />
assortment of Cl.150s including several incomers transferred to FGW, ex-Silverlink 150121 and<br />
150127, ex-Centro 150102 plus a couple of other unidentified ex-Centro units, LMT 153335 on hire<br />
along with a Colas tamping machine.<br />
ex –Centro 150102 & LMT 153325 (on hire) stand on Exeter Depot at 10.10<br />
We were soon enjoying a relaxing ride back along the sea wall then through Newton Abbot and on to<br />
Totnes. On arrival at Totnes, the flexibility of the days plans took over again as we de-trained and<br />
headed of f for refreshments in the excellent café in the former station signal box. If you have never<br />
been it is an excellent place to view the line and enjoy coffee and sausage baps. After the reviving<br />
supplies the next journey was quickly determined and we were soon on a Voyager back to Newton<br />
Abbott for a quick change over to catch a connection down to Plymouth. It was with much sadness we<br />
saw the approach of a Voyager and not an HST, but a quick glance at the board showed this was<br />
26
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