Back on track at Plym Valley Transport Weekend
FOUR locomotives were in operation during the Plym Valley Railway’s successful July 2/3 Transport Weekend.
Most trains were headed by Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2248 Albert of 1948, which worked for the British Sugar Corporation at its Worcester and Somerset plants.
A small mechanical issue with Class 08 D13002, the third of the class to be built, at Derby in 1952, meant that on the Saturday and the Sunday morning, its usual role at the rear of the train was taken by Ruston Hornsby 0-6-0DH shunter River Annan. Formerly a Ministry of Defence locomotive and numbered 429, it is normally based at the Avon Valley although recently it has been at the Elsecar Railway. It has been hired by the Plym Valley Railway to cover during the 08’s routine maintenance periods.
Joining in on Sunday afternoon was Shrewsbury-built Sentinel 0-4-0DH
No.1077 of 1961. The locomotive worked for a Tarmac quarry in County Durham and since entering preservation has had several homes, including the Locomotion museum at Shildon. Bought by a private owner, it has been at the Plym Valley since 2015.
The railway ran an hourly service. The last train of the day contained all four locomotives, with Albert leading the Sentinel and four coaches, with the Ruston Hornsby and the 08 at the rear. The line is steeply graded, with a section at 1-in-50, and slightly steeper approaching Plym Bridge Halt. Given the lion’s share of the work, the sound of Albert echoed through the river valley woodland.
Adding its support to the event was the Robey Trust of Tavistock with its 1924-built six-ton tandem steam roller No.42129 Bullet. It offered 15-minute trailer rides to passengers alighting at Marsh Mills station. The roller had been supplied new to contractor R Dingle & Sons of Stoke Climsand.
The heritage line is a surviving part of what was the 1859-built South Devon & Tavistock Railway’s Plymouth to Tavistock branch. Closed in 1962, the 1-½-mile section from Marsh Mills to Plym Bridge was saved and reopened in the early 1980s by the Plym & Tamar Valleys Railway Association. The remainder of the route is a popular Sustrans cycleway.