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Tough conditions met ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35028 on its return from Cornwall, but the Bulleid ‘Pacific’ again showed why it fully deserves its class 8 power rating. MANY A SLIP
In SR484 I featured Clan Line’s outward journey to Par on Pathfinder Tours’ June 17 ‘Cornishman Express’, but the eastbound run was also remarkable. The distances shown in the gradient profile in SR484 were the route mileages from Paddington via the Westbury and Frome loops, whereas the mileposts west of Cogload Junction are measured from Paddington via Bath and Bristol.
The net result is that west of Cogload the milepost values are 20.4 miles higher than indicated on the gradient profile.
For its return journey, on June 17, the DB Cargo crew were Driver Steve Matthews and Fireman Steve Rodenhurst, with Traction Inspector Don Clarke. The route conductor west of Plymouth was Mike Bartlett. Clan Line had ten coaches in tow, weighing 357 tons tare and about 390 tons gross.
The train departed ‘right time’ in damp conditions, with light rain for most of the journey. The start from Par is awkward; straight into the sharp climb to the south end of Treverrin Tunnel, which meant speed dropped from 31½mph to 24½mph entering the tunnel. After braking to 45mph for the restriction through Lostwithiel, maxima of 59½mph were recorded either side of the short Brownqueen Tunnel.
Time was kept more comfortably on the eastbound run than on the outbound leg. The climb of almost 6 miles from Bodmin Parkway to Doublebois summit, mostly at 1-in-70/90, was surmounted without falling below 40mph at any point and resulted in a gain of over 2 mins on schedule to Liskeard. From here the line climbs mostly at 1-in-79 to a minor summit at Milepost 263½, where the minimum was 28mph. It is downhill practically all the way to Saltash from this point and No. 35028 achieved a maximum of 71mph in the dip before Shillingham Tunnel. Only a signal check outside Plymouth prevented an early arrival.
After taking water, No. 35028 set off again, 4½ mins late on an easy 74-minute schedule non-stop to Exeter, 52 miles distant. It made a slow start up the short 1-in-77 to Mutley Tunnel, but on the ensuing downgrade towards Laira Junction, speed rose rapidly and a maximum of 64mph was reached at the foot of Hemerdon bank.
By the time it reached Plympton, speed was 59mph and Clan Line surged up the 1-in-41 gradient, falling to 45mph a mile further on where the gradient continues at 1-in-42 – nearly all the way to Hemerdon. Unfortunately the wet conditions induced a bout of slipping and speed fell to 20mph at Milepost 240, dropping to a minimum of 16mph by the top of the bank.
The ensuing gentle climb to the highest point at Wrangaton, much of it restricted by curvature to 60mph, was attacked with vigour, as attested to by the average of 58.9mph over the 14.80 miles from Cornwood to Totnes, notwithstanding braking to 48mph through Marley Tunnel.
Thus, the train had passed through Totnes within half an hour of the start and was now practically on time.
The curves on the approach to Dainton from the west are limited to 55mph.
The gradient steepens to 1-in-37 over the final mile to Dainton summit where speed fell to a minimum of 32½mph – a good performance, if not in the same league as the run in the opposite direction had been, when Clan Line’s minimum up the final 1-in-36 was 35mph.
Closely observing the 55 and 60mph limits on the descent to Newton Abbot, No. 35028 was now 6 mins ahead of its point-to-point booking to this point.
The recovery on the straighter section along the Teign estuary was rapid, and a 73mph maximum was achieved before braking for the curves at Teignmouth.
After keeping to the 60mph limit through the tunnels to Dawlish, the locomotive passed Dawlish Warren at 68mph. There was an increase on level track to 77mph beyond Exminster before signal checks.
Despite a slow finish, the time of
60 mins 43 secs may well be a record with a ten-coach load over the 52.05 miles from Plymouth to St Davids. The schedule had been padded out with a 7-min dollop of recovery/pathing time between Dawlish Warren and Exeter which was not needed. Exeter was reached 8¾ mins early.
The train was scheduled to stop at the disused platforms at Tiverton Junction to take on water, which meant that the climb to Whiteball Tunnel would be compromised compared with a through-run from Exeter. In the event, No. 35028 made an energetic effort, swiftly getting into the mid-70s up the Culm Valley and passing Cullompton in 13 mins 23 secs from the start (12.60 miles).
IN THE LOOP
A slow finish into the Tiverton loop produced an overall time of 18 mins 34 secs against a 19-min schedule.
Clan Line got the road from Tiverton loop 3¾ mins early, attained a maximum of 54mph before Tiverton Parkway and fell to 48½mph at Whiteball summit, entering Whiteball Tunnel in 8 mins 8 secs from Tiverton loop.
A slightly restrained descent from Whiteball followed, with 73mph recorded through Wellington and in the high 60s beyond.
The 16 miles from Tiverton loop to Taunton, where I alighted, were covered in 20 mins 27 secs (schedule 19 mins) after a gentle approach. Arrival at Taunton was 2¼ mins ahead of time.