CENTENARY OF THE CALLINGTON BRANCH

 

CONTENTS OF THIS DVD                      OTHER MOVING IMAGES                              HISTORY OF LINE

 

 

Contents and cumulative timings of this DVD

 

1.        1990 ‘Branch Line’ series. Start with shot of DMU going over Calstock Viaduct, then John Doyle at the old Gunnislake Station saying that the line should reach its 100th birthday. 2min 30sec

2.        1934 Endicott Collection film of boat outing (in the Swallow) for picnic at Calstock (appears to be Kelly Quay at Calstock). Only known moving image of Wagon Lift (Ore Elevator). Also note rail track on Kelly Quay. Many still photographs of rail tracks on quays all along Calstock river front, but only moving image known to exist. 3m15s

3.       ‘Ferry on Demand’ 1962, woman crossing ferry to Calstock, with pan up to viaduct to see double headed goods train crossing. 4m30s

4.        Sarah Jenkyn (stationmaster) interview from ‘Trains on Television’. Note that she lived at Latchley Station during the East Cornwall Mineral Railway days and saw the start and finish of passenger services by PD&SWJR. She was 76 in October 1966 (when film shot), so would have been 18 when the line was converted to standard gauge by Colonel Stephens, for passenger use as part of the Bere Alston/Callington line. Also note the closure notice advert  9m00s

5.        Unpublished uncompleted TV documentary about Bere Alston/Callington line, just before truncation at Gunnislake. Some shots similar to ‘amateur’ footage but much better quality of photography. Starts at Callington, shows a DMU being coupled to a carriage at Calstock, school children boarding at Kuckett, scenes at Chilsworthy and Gunnislake (including loading flowers). Scenery out of side windows and through glass partition of cab. Returns to Callington. 15m00s

6.        Amateur footage from Guard’s van on Ivatt tank hauled freight train. Scenes at Callington and Chilsworthy. Views from steam footplate and on footplate. Views down to Calstock Viaduct. Steam hauled passenger train at Gunnislake. Double headed steam freight and lineside shots of freight trains. Returns to Callington. 19m30s

7.        Last train from Callington, Sandercock Collection film. 24m00s

8.        John Doyle from the 1990 Westward series on branch lines, trip on branch line to Gunnislake. 27m30s

9.        1994 amateur film from Patrick Francey of demolition of low bridge at Gunnislake as part of moving station to south of A390. 31m.30s

10.     Modern professional footage of DMU ride from Plymouth to Gunnislake with shots from Calstock Viaduct. Comment on mining history and shots of tombstones of miners kill’d in Tamar Valley mines. 39m30s

11.     Story of miners leaving Tamar Valley (from the film ‘Silent Valley’ - 1971) to emigrate and using Gunnislake station to depart. 43m00s

12.     Clip from ‘The Other Way West’ (1980), a Westward TV Documentary, showing Okehampton, Tavistock and ending at Bere Alston. 44m30s

13.    John Doyle (1978) interviewing Councillors Alec Brown and Louise Hughes at Bere Alston station about partnerships to promote the Tamar Valley Line. (Forerunner of Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership?) 47m00s

14.    Back to John Doyle and 1 above, repeats John’s statement about centenary. HERE’S TO THE NEXT 100!!! 48m25s

 

 

Other known published moving images of the Bere Alston/Callington Line

 

Plymouth to Gunnislake from the cab – Aarchive Film Productions –August 2000- 50 minutes

Little narrative. Cab ride has captions only and in real time but station stops foreshortened, so only 20 minutes on the Callington line. 23:45 to 40:50 is the Bere Alston to Gunnislake section at actual speed. The return journey is shown at 150mph, the Gunnislake to Bere Alston section is 40:50 to 43:30

 

Trains on Television – TSW Film & Television Archive – 90 minutes – 2 clips relevant

First clip is Sarah Jenkyn (4 above).Short 45 second clip of Adams O2 tank 30216 with train arriving at Callington in 1955. 51:30 to 52:15

 

The Last train to Callington -  Aarchive Film Productions –55minutes – all relevant

Much archive footage as well as cab ride in last DMU. Shots from air, taken more recently, of Bere Alston to Gunnislake and then onward to Callington picking out old trackbed. Older stills of Calstock Viaduct with Wagon Lift and ECMR incline replaced by Viaduct and lift. Cab ride (edited) on DMU from 1960 over complete length of the Callington line. Goods and passenger trains, steam and diesel, some from steam footplate of goods train. Driver stopping to pick daffodils and John Snell (ex Bere Alston booking clerk) recalling market garden traffic.

 

The Withered Arm –Jim Clemens Collection Number 3 – B&R Video Productions

Bere Alston to Callington and return. Some repetition of others above. 54:15 to 59:10

 

Decades of Steam 20s – Ian Allan SBS Video

A S Harris (original loco on line) as pilot at Nine Elms Shed 20:45 to 21:20 (DVD 20:35 to 21:10)

 

Steam Routes West (The Southern way) – B&R Video Productions

Ivatt tank passenger train towards Callington.  57:25 to 58:15 (On DVD 56:45 to 57:30)

 

Branch Lines in the west – Transport Video Publishing

See Calstock Viaduct from Tavistock line, diesel hauled train into Bere Alston and see steam hauled train to Callington. Several shots of steam hauled trains on Calstock Viaduct from below. Shots of Gunnislake station and Luckett and arriving at Callington. 12:08 to 14:14

 

Steam Byways – Volume 3  - South and Southwest – Railfilms Ltd

Ivatt tank with one coach at Callington. Ivatt at Gunnislake with longer passenger train.

DVD 25:15 to 25:50

 

Steam World Archive Series  - Vol. 17 – Steaming Around the Southwest – Tele Rail

Bere Alston Station, mainline with long distance and local passenger plus freight with M7, Ivatt, West Country and T9.Callington Branch platform (not on to branch) with Ivatt and Adams O2 hauled passenger service plus double headed Ivatt freight. DVD 8:40 to 10:40

 

Depot No. 1 – Plymouth Laira – Bolevard Publishing

Some historic/geographic comment on Gunnislake branch. Shots from front and rear DMU cabs on branch. Sharp curves mentioned. Laira fitter explaining that old DMUs would have 3mm flange wear in 2 months and be turned on Laira triangle to even out wear. Pacers (lightweight fixed wheelbase DMUs) tried in 1986 on branch showed 10mm flange wear in weeks and were unsuitable for the line 29:30 to 35:30

 

History of the Line

 

In May 1872 the East Cornwall Mineral Railway (ECMR) opened a 3’ 6’’ gauge line from Kelly Bray (near Callington) via an incline to Calstock Quay to serve the mines and quarries of the Tamar Valley, it did not carry passengers. In 1890 the Plymouth Devonport & South Western Junction Railway (PD&SWJR) stopped their reliance on sharing the Great Western Railway line between Plymouth and Lydford by building their own line via Bere Alston. This line was operated by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR)

 

The PD&SWJR took over ECMR in 1891 with the intention of linking the line to their new mainline at Bere Alston. Finances were tight and plans did not proceed until 1900. John Charles Lang, a Liskeard builder, won the contract to build the Bere Alston & Calstock Light Railway (BA&CLR) to connect Bere Alston to the ECMR just south of Gunnislake, near Albaston. This included the 120ft high Calstock Viaduct. The ECMR was converted from 3’ 6” to standard gauge by Captain Sowdon the ECMR Manager with the assistance of Colonel Holman Fred Stephens, a light rail pioneer.

 

Problems in the construction of Calstock Viaduct delayed the project but the branch was officially opened to passenger traffic on the 2nd March 1908. The ticket on the cover was issued on the 17th June 1908. The line was truncated to Gunnislake in 1966. In 1994 the low bridge over the A390 was removed and Gunnislake station moved to the south of the A390.