Cornishman (GWR)
Encyclopedia
The Cornishman was a British express passenger train to Penzance
in Cornwall
. From its inception in the 19th century until before World War II
it originated in London. Under British Railways it became a quite different service, starting variously from Wolverhampton
, Derby
, Sheffield
, Leeds
or Bradford
.
's broad gauge
, first running in summer 1890 between and in Cornwall
. The down train left Paddington at 10:15, and called at Bristol at 12:45, Exeter at 14:20, at 13:50, arriving Penzance at 19:50. At 8 hours and 35 minutes for the 325¼ miles, this made it the fastest train to the West of England, and one of the most popular, being unusual for an important named train in conveying third-class passengers. On 20 May 1892 The Cornishman became the last broad-gauge express to leave London for Cornwall.
By 1893 the GWR
, now at standard gauge
, built special Brake Third coaches for The Cornishman (Diagrams D10 and D11), and in 1895 laid water troughs at Goring and Keynsham allowing it to be the first train to run non-stop between London and Bristol. The departure time from London was altered to 10:30, and after another reduction of 15 minutes in 1903 The Cornishman became the first train to be scheduled from London to Bristol in 2 hours. Non-stop running was extended in 1896 when a relief section for was booked to travel from Paddington to Exeter non-stop, the longest non-stop journey in the world at that time. The train then called at Plymouth, Par and Newquay only.
In July 1904, the GWR introduced a new express train to replace The Cornishman: the Cornish Riviera Limited
, running non-stop from Paddington to Plymouth North Road station and then through Cornwall to Penzance. The Cornishman name was not used again until summer 1935, when it was re-introduced for the 10:35 relief to the Cornish Riviera Limited
. The timetable showed the "Limited" running non-stop to Truro
, although stopping to add a banker at Newton Abbot and to change engines at Devonport; The Cornishman had the Weymouth Slip coach, and contained portions for Plymouth, Newquay, Helston, St Erth and Penzance. In the up direction The Cornishman started at , and served Gwinear Road, Truro, and stations from Par to Plymouth. This was, however, a brief return as in the summer 1936 timetable the same train returned to unnamed anonymity.
to a train from Wolverhampton Low Level
(09:15) and Birmingham Snow Hill (09:50) to Plymouth and Penzance (17:55), travelling via , and Bristol. The return working left Penzance at 10:30, reaching Birmingham at 18:36 and Wolverhampton at 19:28. Catering was available throughout the journey and the train conveyed a portion for and .
During the 1960s the northern part of The Cornishman's route underwent extensive changes. Closure of the GWR route from Honeybourne to Cheltenham St James meant using the Ex-Midland Railway
route from Birmingham to Gloucester via the Lickey Incline
. With the impending closure of the Wolverhampton Low Level station the opportunity was also taken to extend The Cornishman over the former Midland line to Derby
and Sheffield, and later on to Bradford Forster Square
. By May 1967 departure was from Bradford Exchange at 07:06, then reversing at Leeds
with a departure time of 07:36. This gave arrival times at Plymouth of 15:08 and Penzance at 17:55. In the reverse direction The Cornishman left Penzance at 11:00 and Plymouth at 13:30, arriving at Bradford at 22:07.
Further changes in the early 1970s saw The Cornishman start from Leeds on weekdays and Bradford on Saturdays. There were also changes to the route between Leeds and Sheffied, reverting to the former Midland lines rather than using a section of ex-Great Northern
track. The additional stop at Wakefield Westgate which this had enabled was, however, retained.
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. From its inception in the 19th century until before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it originated in London. Under British Railways it became a quite different service, starting variously from Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
or Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
.
Broad Gauge
The Cornishman originates from the days of BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
's broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
, first running in summer 1890 between and in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The down train left Paddington at 10:15, and called at Bristol at 12:45, Exeter at 14:20, at 13:50, arriving Penzance at 19:50. At 8 hours and 35 minutes for the 325¼ miles, this made it the fastest train to the West of England, and one of the most popular, being unusual for an important named train in conveying third-class passengers. On 20 May 1892 The Cornishman became the last broad-gauge express to leave London for Cornwall.
By 1893 the GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, now at standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, built special Brake Third coaches for The Cornishman (Diagrams D10 and D11), and in 1895 laid water troughs at Goring and Keynsham allowing it to be the first train to run non-stop between London and Bristol. The departure time from London was altered to 10:30, and after another reduction of 15 minutes in 1903 The Cornishman became the first train to be scheduled from London to Bristol in 2 hours. Non-stop running was extended in 1896 when a relief section for was booked to travel from Paddington to Exeter non-stop, the longest non-stop journey in the world at that time. The train then called at Plymouth, Par and Newquay only.
In July 1904, the GWR introduced a new express train to replace The Cornishman: the Cornish Riviera Limited
Cornish Riviera Express
The Cornish Riviera Express is a British express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance in Cornwall since 1904. Introduced by the Great Western Railway, the name Cornish Riviera Express has been applied to the late morning express train from London Paddington station to Penzance...
, running non-stop from Paddington to Plymouth North Road station and then through Cornwall to Penzance. The Cornishman name was not used again until summer 1935, when it was re-introduced for the 10:35 relief to the Cornish Riviera Limited
Cornish Riviera Express
The Cornish Riviera Express is a British express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance in Cornwall since 1904. Introduced by the Great Western Railway, the name Cornish Riviera Express has been applied to the late morning express train from London Paddington station to Penzance...
. The timetable showed the "Limited" running non-stop to Truro
Truro railway station
Truro Station serves the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. It is the situated on the Cornish Main Line and is the junction for the Maritime Line to Falmouth. The station is operated by First Great Western....
, although stopping to add a banker at Newton Abbot and to change engines at Devonport; The Cornishman had the Weymouth Slip coach, and contained portions for Plymouth, Newquay, Helston, St Erth and Penzance. In the up direction The Cornishman started at , and served Gwinear Road, Truro, and stations from Par to Plymouth. This was, however, a brief return as in the summer 1936 timetable the same train returned to unnamed anonymity.
Move to the Midlands
In the 1952 timetable, the name The Cornishman was applied by Western Region of British RailwaysWestern Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
to a train from Wolverhampton Low Level
Wolverhampton Low Level railway station
Wolverhampton Low Level was a railway station on Sun Street, in Springfield, Wolverhampton, England .It was built by the Great Western Railway, on their route from London to Birkenhead via Birmingham...
(09:15) and Birmingham Snow Hill (09:50) to Plymouth and Penzance (17:55), travelling via , and Bristol. The return working left Penzance at 10:30, reaching Birmingham at 18:36 and Wolverhampton at 19:28. Catering was available throughout the journey and the train conveyed a portion for and .
During the 1960s the northern part of The Cornishman's route underwent extensive changes. Closure of the GWR route from Honeybourne to Cheltenham St James meant using the Ex-Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
route from Birmingham to Gloucester via the Lickey Incline
Lickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
. With the impending closure of the Wolverhampton Low Level station the opportunity was also taken to extend The Cornishman over the former Midland line to Derby
Derby Midland railway station
Derby railway station , also known as Derby Midland Station, is a main line railway station serving the city of Derby in England. Owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains, the station is also used by CrossCountry services and one Northern Rail service...
and Sheffield, and later on to Bradford Forster Square
Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
. By May 1967 departure was from Bradford Exchange at 07:06, then reversing at Leeds
Leeds City railway station
Leeds railway station is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England...
with a departure time of 07:36. This gave arrival times at Plymouth of 15:08 and Penzance at 17:55. In the reverse direction The Cornishman left Penzance at 11:00 and Plymouth at 13:30, arriving at Bradford at 22:07.
Further changes in the early 1970s saw The Cornishman start from Leeds on weekdays and Bradford on Saturdays. There were also changes to the route between Leeds and Sheffied, reverting to the former Midland lines rather than using a section of ex-Great Northern
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
track. The additional stop at Wakefield Westgate which this had enabled was, however, retained.