Helston Railway Preservation Company
Encyclopedia
The Helston Railway Preservation Company is a heritage railway
that aims to rebuild the Helston branch line that linked Gwinear Road on the Cornish Main Line to Helston
, Cornwall
, England.
, and just under 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) of track has been relaid at Trevarno. The line is being built entirely by volunteers and is funded by donations and membership subscriptions, and by members who buy shares in the Helston Railway Preservation Company Ltd. The railway is open to the public at Trevarno estate, where an entrance fee is payable. Current members of the Helston Railway can receive 25% discount on entrance fees at Trevarno, upon production of a valid membership card.
The original concept to re-open the branch was back in 1994 when Mart Hew from Helston and officials from British Rail
, surveyed the line in with the idea of a feasibility study. It was decided that due to the amount of work needed and the possible revenue that could be generated, it was not worth the effort. The idea was eventually dropped.
(BR Class 103
) DMU
, two Ruston & Hornsby 165DS 0-4-0 diesel shunters and a BR 20 ton standard brake van
. All of these vehicles are owned by members of the Helston Railway Diesel Group (HRDG) who are actively restoring all of these vehicles.
DMU
, one of only two left in preservation and the only one in a near-working condition. It is currently under restoration as, when purchased from the West Somerset Railway
, it was little more than a shell. Works are now well under way. It is currently in British Rail
(BR) green livery. The individual cars are Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) 50143 and Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DTCL) 56169. On 12 October 2008, one of the engines was started for the first time.
locomotives owned by the HRDG is number 327974. It has been restored, and has had a livery repaint into BR Blue. It is at the moment the HRDG's only working locomotive.
locomotives is build number 395305. It is currently undergoing restoration but spares for the other Rushton shunter have been sought from it. It is currently painted in BR Black livery.
, B954673. It had been in a very poor state and has undergone major restoration works so that it can soon be brought into use. This is nearly finished; it will emerge in Railfreight
Grey livery.
returned to Helston for the first time since 1962
, during celebration of the completion of the latest station platform on the line and the newest since Truthall Platform in 1905
.
The engine 'Judy', one of two similar preserved Bagnall 0-4-0STs, lent a working presence, courtesy of Bodmin and Wenford Railway
.
The Mayor of Helston officiated at the grand opening of Trevarno Station, on 26 July 2010, with 'Judy' in attendance. Although 'Judy' was in steam and operating on the railway, she was unable to carry passengers, as HRDG are not yet authorised to operate passenger trains. (However, Sunday footplate rides on the diesel shunter are now regularly available.)
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
that aims to rebuild the Helston branch line that linked Gwinear Road on the Cornish Main Line to Helston
Helston
Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and nine miles southwest of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town in the UK and is around further south than...
, 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...
, England.
Overview
Work is concentrated around Trevarno GardensTrevarno, Cornwall
Trevarno is a country estate in south-west, Cornwall, United Kingdom , once the seat of the Bickford-Smith family. It is situated near the village of Crowntown, two miles north-east of Helston....
, and just under 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) of track has been relaid at Trevarno. The line is being built entirely by volunteers and is funded by donations and membership subscriptions, and by members who buy shares in the Helston Railway Preservation Company Ltd. The railway is open to the public at Trevarno estate, where an entrance fee is payable. Current members of the Helston Railway can receive 25% discount on entrance fees at Trevarno, upon production of a valid membership card.
The original concept to re-open the branch was back in 1994 when Mart Hew from Helston and officials from British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, surveyed the line in with the idea of a feasibility study. It was decided that due to the amount of work needed and the possible revenue that could be generated, it was not worth the effort. The idea was eventually dropped.
Rolling stock
The line has five rail vehicles on site: a two-car Park RoyalPark Royal Vehicles
Dating its origins back to 1889, Park Royal Vehicles along with its Leeds-based subsidiary Charles H. Roe was one of Britain's leading coachbuilders and bus manufacturers based at Park Royal, west London, UK.-Associated Commercial Vehicles:...
(BR Class 103
British Rail Class 103
The British Rail Class 103 diesel multiple units were built by Park Royal Vehicles with diesel engines by British United Traction . Ordered in the first half of 1955, 20 of these sets were built by Park Royal at the Crossley Motors works in Stockport of the ACV Group. They consisted of a power car...
) DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
, two Ruston & Hornsby 165DS 0-4-0 diesel shunters and a BR 20 ton standard brake van
Brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
. All of these vehicles are owned by members of the Helston Railway Diesel Group (HRDG) who are actively restoring all of these vehicles.
Park Royal Class 103
HRDG's first purchase was a British Rail Class 103British Rail Class 103
The British Rail Class 103 diesel multiple units were built by Park Royal Vehicles with diesel engines by British United Traction . Ordered in the first half of 1955, 20 of these sets were built by Park Royal at the Crossley Motors works in Stockport of the ACV Group. They consisted of a power car...
DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
, one of only two left in preservation and the only one in a near-working condition. It is currently under restoration as, when purchased from the West Somerset Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, it was little more than a shell. Works are now well under way. It is currently in British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
(BR) green livery. The individual cars are Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) 50143 and Driving Motor Lavatory Composite (DTCL) 56169. On 12 October 2008, one of the engines was started for the first time.
Ruston locomotive 327974
One of two Ruston shunterSwitcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
locomotives owned by the HRDG is number 327974. It has been restored, and has had a livery repaint into BR Blue. It is at the moment the HRDG's only working locomotive.
Ruston locomotive 395305
The second of the Ruston 165DS 0-4-00-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
locomotives is build number 395305. It is currently undergoing restoration but spares for the other Rushton shunter have been sought from it. It is currently painted in BR Black livery.
BR 20-ton standard brake van
HRDG's newest purchase is a BR 20-Ton Standard Brake vanBrake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard...
, B954673. It had been in a very poor state and has undergone major restoration works so that it can soon be brought into use. This is nearly finished; it will emerge in Railfreight
Railfreight
Railfreight was a sector of British Rail responsible for all freight operations on the British network. The division was created in 1982 when BR sought to assign particular stock and management to the evolving requirements of freight traffic...
Grey livery.
Steam working
On 25–26 July 2010, steamSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
returned to Helston for the first time since 1962
1962 in rail transport
-January events:* January 8 – The Harmelen train disaster, the worst railway accident in the history of the Netherlands, occurs when one passenger train driver misses a warning signal and passes a red signal to collide nearly head-on with another passenger train...
, during celebration of the completion of the latest station platform on the line and the newest since Truthall Platform in 1905
1905 in rail transport
-Events:- January events :* January 30 - The Halifax and South Western Railway opens, connecting Halifax to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.* January 31 - New York Central and Hudson River Railway officially takes control of Ottawa and New York Railway.-March events:...
.
The engine 'Judy', one of two similar preserved Bagnall 0-4-0STs, lent a working presence, courtesy of Bodmin and Wenford Railway
Bodmin and Wenford Railway
The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:...
.
The Mayor of Helston officiated at the grand opening of Trevarno Station, on 26 July 2010, with 'Judy' in attendance. Although 'Judy' was in steam and operating on the railway, she was unable to carry passengers, as HRDG are not yet authorised to operate passenger trains. (However, Sunday footplate rides on the diesel shunter are now regularly available.)
Current status
As of August 2011:- The laid track was now half a mile long.
- Discussions were taking place regarding the possibility of housing steam locomotive(s) from private owners, at Helston. This would need specialised locomotive shedTraction maintenance depotIn the United Kingdom, a traction maintenance depot, or TMD, is a railway depot where locomotives are serviced and maintained. A traction and rolling stock maintenance depot, or T&RSMD, is a maintenance depot where locomotives, multiple units and rolling stock are serviced and maintained. Each rail...
, complete with an inspection pit. - Work was in progress to build up the ballastTrack ballastTrack ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
, to provide sufficient bankingBanked turnA banked turn is a turn or change of direction in which the vehicle banks or inclines, usually towards the inside of the turn. The bank angle is the angle at which the vehicle is inclined about its longitudinal axis with respect to its path....
on a new bend. - Permission was given to relay 1 mile of track, linking the recently completed Trevarno station to a new station at Truthall.