If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

St. Blazey Turntable

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by spicer21, Jan 10, 2015.

  1. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,283
    Likes Received:
    2,650
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Rolls-Royce engineer
    Location:
    Bath Green Park / Mangotsfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    December wasn't mentioned. It might be best to read the quote again. <BJ>
    ''But there was a Steam Dreams tour to Penzance as recently as last September: 34046+5029 down on 5th and back on 8th''.
     
  2. Kingscross

    Kingscross Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2009
    Messages:
    711
    Likes Received:
    484
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    South West
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    St Blazey turntable has now been repaired and is available for use again.
     
    black5, andalfi1, Hemerdon and 4 others like this.
  3. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2006
    Messages:
    16,510
    Likes Received:
    7,753
    Location:
    1012 / 60158
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Good news. Hopefully there will also be ongoing maintenance to keep it that way.
     
  4. 32110

    32110 Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2006
    Messages:
    627
    Likes Received:
    726
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired from full time paid work
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Hope there will be a steam special so that it gets used.
     
  5. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    11,666
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Are there any Royal Duchy's this year?
     
  6. Kingston Flyer

    Kingston Flyer Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2005
    Messages:
    612
    Likes Received:
    15
    Occupation:
    Booking in clerk
    Location:
    Talbot Green, mid glam
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I hope so.

    Booked on 28th August
     
  7. Kingscross

    Kingscross Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2009
    Messages:
    711
    Likes Received:
    484
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    South West
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    lappinp likes this.
  8. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    5,165
    <Pedant mode on> That website refers to "the sole surviving semi-circular Roundhouse left in the country" but the picture clearly shows a quadrant shaped building. <Pedant mode off>

    It's a sign of the time that the trust has needed a grant just to do a feasibility study. Still, it's progress, so good news.
     
    Reading General likes this.
  9. Jimc

    Jimc Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2005
    Messages:
    4,052
    Likes Received:
    4,665
    Occupation:
    Once computers, now part time writer I suppose.
    Location:
    SE England
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Technically I suppose its a sector of a circle, not a full semicircle, but still unusual, especially in the west of England where GW built turntable sheds were rectangular.
    Does anyone know *why* the Cornwall Minerals Railway had such a spectacular structure built? According to the only reference I have, RCTS absorbbed locos, the Cornwall Minerals railway possessed only 18 locomotives, all identical 0-6-0ST intended to be worked in pairs back to back, so the need for such a complex structure seems uncertain unless it was simply to save space.
     
  10. LesterBrown

    LesterBrown Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2009
    Messages:
    995
    Likes Received:
    761
    Location:
    Devon
    The CMR was certainly lavishly funded by loans from the International Finance Society speculating on large scale Iron Ore production in Cornwall . It was constructed remarkably quickly, in less than a year, bearing in mind the scale of the new works; it built the shed with nine roads to accomodate its entire fleet of brand new standardised locos in pairs. Within only a few years it was in receivership (after making the mine go into receivership because it didn't maintain its guaranteed volume of traffic) selling off its locos and leasing the line to the GWR.
     
  11. Robin Whitlock

    Robin Whitlock New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2013
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Gender:
    Male
    Does anyone know how old the turntable is? The VCT lists it as 1951, and I wondering whether that is accurate as some VCT dates for other turntables I am researching seem to be a bit suspicious. Ta.
     
  12. hussar1028

    hussar1028 New Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2013
    Messages:
    75
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    I confirm the Cowans Sheldon builders plate on this turntable carries the date 1951 and works number 9534 as I have seen it myself
     
  13. Robin Whitlock

    Robin Whitlock New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2013
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Gender:
    Male
    Brill. Thanks very much indeed.
     
  14. hussar1028

    hussar1028 New Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2013
    Messages:
    75
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    Robin,

    If you have any research that shows a different date from what is on the turntable database I'm sure whoever runs it would be really pleased to hear about it. Those of us who run the databases have some expertise, but certainly don't know all the answers, and are always glad of additional input
     
  15. Robin Whitlock

    Robin Whitlock New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2013
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Gender:
    Male
    Well the two questions I have with the VCT database at present concerns the turntables at Fort William and Hither Green. The first of these came from Marylebone and the VCT entry says it was built in 1937. However, the turntable is Grade II listed, and the listing entry states that the turntable was actually installed by the GCR in 1898. The problem though is that according to OS maps from 1939 and 1954, there were two turntables at Marylebone, one of them adjacent to the road bridge and another located further north. So the question is then whether there is some confusion about this date (e.g. perhaps one of the turntables was moved from the more northerly position to the location just north of the bridge, replacing the one that was already there which may have been scrapped).

    The Hither Green turntable was moved from London Cannon Street. VCT says it was built in 1926, but the problem with that is that Cannon Street was closed down by the SR in 1926 and the track layout altered (they built a signal box on the site of the filled in turntable pit). So, why would a railway company have a turntable manufactured in 1926 for a site they must have known they were about to close in that same year? Thus the turntable either must be older or the VCT date refers to the date of installation at Hither Green, not the date of manufacture, assuming it was the one moved from Cannon Street of course. And another thing is that there were two turntables at Cannon Street, either side of the main running lines. One serving the shed and the other serving some sidings. The former, and larger, of the two, was apparently built in 1892.

    To be quite honest though, I am not really going to have much space to put all this in, in a general article about turntables, but the date of manufacture is probably quite an important bit to include though so I'd probably like to resolve questions like these if at all possible. I might have missed something here BTW, so please say if I have.
     
  16. hussar1028

    hussar1028 New Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2013
    Messages:
    75
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    Robin,
    Hopefully someone on here can answer your query but it would probably be worth emailing your question to the admin team who run the turntable database. Their email address is:

    turntablesurvey@vintagecarriagestrust.org

    It looks like there could be a discrepancy in their information and I'm sure they would be glad to hear. Alternatively they may be able to give the source of their dates.


    Justin
     

Share This Page