Cogload to Whiteball-31.07.79

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1979 > 15. West of England Bike Tour-29.07-04.08.79 > Cogload to Whiteball-31.07.79

After a wild night camping behind Cogload Junction signal box, it dawned bright and relatively sunny. After striking camp, I rode to Taunton, out to Silk Mill crossing, then to Wellington, finally ending up at a remote camping spot a short distance from Whiteball signal box high in the Black Down Hills just over the county boundary in Devon.

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Images 1-9 of 9 displayed.

31165 & 31258, up ballast train, Cogload Junction
Just after dawn and taken from the entrance to my tent, 31165 and 31258 come to a halt with an up PW train. Just out of site to the left is Cogload Junction signal box where the train is stopping so it can drop off water containers that have been brought up from Taunton so that the signalmen can make a cup of tea! As can be seen, it has dawned a beautiful morning after the wild storm of the night before when I feared that my little ten would be blown away!
Keywords: 31165 31258 up ballast train Cogload Junction

50029, 05.57 Plymouth-London Paddington, Cogload Junction signal box
Taken from Cogload Junction Signal Box, 50029 'Renown' races past with the 05.47 Plymouth to London Paddington. I enjoyed a good strong cup of tea with the signalman and the promise of a longer visit on my return journey. This view clearly shows the quadruple track layout between Cogload and Taunton that existed until re-signaling and track rationalisation in 1986 that saw four tracks reduced to two.
Keywords: 50029 05.57 Plymouth-London Paddington Cogload Junction signal box

47159, 08.57 London Paddington-Paignton (1B38), Taunton ST249276
Having ridden my bike along the towpath of the Bridgewater and Taunton Canal from Cogload, I arrived at Taunton. From said towpath, 47159 is seen slowing for its stop at Taunton with the 08.57 London Paddington to Paignton. This is not a great picture from this low vantage point but the signals towards the back of the train were very rarely photographed due to their awkward location. 47159 led a fairly uneventful twenty-three years in service being withdrawn in May 1988.
Keywords: 47159 08.57 London Paddington-Paignton 1B38 Taunton ST249276

47001, unidentified down working, Taunton station
47001 takes the middle down road through Taunton station with an unidentified working. At this stage, Taunton boasted two large signal boxes, both of GWR Type 11 design. They were Taunton West and East, formally East Junction. There was also Taunton West Junction that closed in the early 1970s, it was located just east of the Staplegrove Road bridge. The central island platform at Taunton was very rarely used at this time with large wooden padlocked doors preventing access from the pedestrian tunnel that linked all the platforms.
Keywords: 47001 unidentified down working Taunton station

$50043, 10.55 London Paddington-Paignton (1B62), Taunton West This classic location, to the west of Taunton station at the foot of Forty Steps Bridge, sees 50043 'Eagle' leaving the station with the 1B62 10.55 London Paddington to Paignton. Taunton was this train’s second stop of its journey after Reading. The magnificent gantry seen here was wiped away, along with all the other mechanical signaling, when the Exeter PSB was activated in 1986. The track layout at this end of Taunton station is hugely simplified today with a fraction of what is seen here still in existence. Keywords: 50043 10.55 London Paddington-Paignton 1B62 Taunton West$

50029, 11.30 London Paddington-Penzance, Silk Mill
In Taunton’s Fairwater Yard, a Peak waits for the road whilst the resident departmental class 03 shunter goes about its business. Having reached Paddington earlier in the day, 50029 'Renown' returns on the down ‘Cornish Riviera’. This was one the few remaining titled trains on the BR network. Leaving Paddington at 11.30, it ran non-stop to Exeter St. David’s thence on to Penzance with a scheduled arrival time of 17.07. The World War Two era Nissen huts, that were such a noticeable feature of this section of track to the west of Taunton, are clearly seen here, they have long gone now to be replaced by the Binden Road industrial park.
Keywords: 50029 11.30 London Paddington-Penzance Silk Mill

50004, 12.23 London Paddington-Penzance (1B74), Silk Mill junction
25121 waits for its path out of Taunton’s Fairwater Yard with a down engineer’s train whilst 50004 'St. Vincent' races past with the 1B74 12.23 London Paddington to Penzance. This location, at the western end of Fairwater Yard, was close to Silk Mill Crossing. This was where the busy A3065 road crossed the line at the level crossing operated by Silk Mill signal box. It is good to see that the sun has finally put in an appearance!
Keywords: 50004 12.23 London Paddington-Penzance 1B74 Silk Mill junction

50020, 15.15 Plymouth-Manchester, Wellington
The next signal box down from Taunton's Silk Mill was Wellington. 50020 'Revenge' is seen rushing down the gradient from Whiteball Summit with the 15.15 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly. Wellington Signal box can be seen on the remains of the disused up station platform. This station closed on 5th October 1964 with active and continuing discussions regarding its re-opening. However, as we all know, these discussions can take many years to come to fruition and often include absolutely stunning costings from Network Rail. To me, by producing these ridiculous costings, it's almost as if they are not in favour of re-openings seeing them as too much 'bother'?
Keywords: 50020 15.15 Plymouth-Manchester Wellington

Wellington signal box
Wellington signal box, smart with its BR (Western Region) enamel. Notice the strategically placed ladder from the old platform to track level for the signalman’s use; health and safety anybody? This box sits on the redundant up platform from which the loop has been removed. The down loop remains in use today and is used by engineering trains. The box is one of the Great Western's standard brick-built Type 7 designs with the classic three panes over two window arrangement. This is a large box with four windows into the frame room and it is a little incongruously squat as it sits on the old station platform. This arrangement is the same as that at Tiverton Junction some eight railway miles to the west.
Keywords: Wellington signal box

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