Down but not out – Bodmin & Wenford all set to restart operations

DESPITE the Bodmin & Wenford Railway not having run a revenue-earning passenger train for a year and Covid-19 restrictions having hit hard, the Cornish line is still busy – and is aiming to reopen as soon as it is allowed.

During the winter, the track gang has replaced a worn out-point at Bodmin Parkway. On January 28 work began on a similar project next to the Bodmin General signalbox.

In the workshops, with GWR panniers Nos. 4612 and 6435 away at the Nene Valley and Spa Valley railways respectively, the emphasis has been placed on carriage repairs and restoration.

Six decades of corrosion, wood rot, wear and tear, and exposure to the elements have taken their toll on the line’s fleet of BR Mk.1 carriages.

There is much work to be done, not just to the coach bodies but also underneath to the frames, the brake gear, and bogies.

IAN HIGGINS/BWR A section of the Bodmin General point being lifted out under the supervision of infrastructure manager Chris Hatton. Under restoration in the background is the boiler of the line’s flagship GWR 2-6-2T No. 5552 – details of which can be found at https://bodminrailway. co.uk/support-us/theflagship-engine-appeal/ Sheeted and similarly in the process of restoration is Bagnall 0-4-0ST Judy.