Menheniot railway station
Encyclopedia
Menheniot railway station serves the village
of Menheniot
in Cornwall
, United Kingdom. The station is operated by First Great Western
.
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The station opened with the Cornwall Railway
on 4 May 1859. It was described at the time as "of small extent, consisting of a departure station, a stone building, having a projecting roof thrown over the platform for the protection of passengers. At the 'arrival' side of the line a stone erection, with a covered seat, has been provided, but no enclosed room". The following year saw two cottages built for the use of the railway staff working here. The "stone erection" is still in existence, used as a waiting shelter.
The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway
on 1 July 1889. The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948 which was privatised in the 1990s. Under British railways the staff were removed from the station, and from 17 May 2009 the station is only served on request. The station also has a new footbridge as from 17 May 2009.
and Liskeard
. The crossing loop was not at that time equipped with starting signals. The train for the latter had a clear line and so the signalman called out "All right Dick," to the guard. Unfortunately the guard for the other train was also called Dick and so told his driver to start, but the line was not clear as another train was already on the way down from St Germans. Luckily, the train crews survived the resulting collision.
The accident illustrated the need for starting signals, block working, and some interlocking between the starting signals and the block instruments.
trains on the Cornish Main Line
between and , including a few that run through beyond Plymouth. The level of service itself has been progressively downgraded over recent years:
The station is only served on request which means that people wishing to alight need to inform the guard, and those wishing to join the train here need to signal clearly to the driver.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Menheniot
Menheniot
Menheniot is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated 2½ miles southeast of Liskeard. The meaning of the name is "sanctuary of Neot" ....
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...
, United Kingdom. The station is operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
History
Cornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
on 4 May 1859. It was described at the time as "of small extent, consisting of a departure station, a stone building, having a projecting roof thrown over the platform for the protection of passengers. At the 'arrival' side of the line a stone erection, with a covered seat, has been provided, but no enclosed room". The following year saw two cottages built for the use of the railway staff working here. The "stone erection" is still in existence, used as a waiting shelter.
The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway
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...
on 1 July 1889. The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948 which was privatised in the 1990s. Under British railways the staff were removed from the station, and from 17 May 2009 the station is only served on request. The station also has a new footbridge as from 17 May 2009.
December 1873
On 2 December 1873 two goods trains arrived at the station where they could pass each other before resuming their journey on the single tracks towards St GermansSt Germans railway station
St Germans Station serves the village of St Germans in Cornwall, UK. The Station is operated by First Great Western and west of Plymouth.It is situated immediately west of the large St Germans viaduct.Both platforms have step-free entrances...
and Liskeard
Liskeard railway station
Liskeard station serves the town of Liskeard in Cornwall, England. The station is west of Plymouth on the Cornish Main Line and it is the junction for the Looe Valley Line.-History:-Cornwall Railway:...
. The crossing loop was not at that time equipped with starting signals. The train for the latter had a clear line and so the signalman called out "All right Dick," to the guard. Unfortunately the guard for the other train was also called Dick and so told his driver to start, but the line was not clear as another train was already on the way down from St Germans. Luckily, the train crews survived the resulting collision.
The accident illustrated the need for starting signals, block working, and some interlocking between the starting signals and the block instruments.
February 1897
An accident occurred on 9 February 1897 during the reconstruction of Coldrennick Viaduct, which is situated just outside the station. A gang of 17 workmen were suspended below the viaduct on a platform when it broke away, throwing 12 of the men 140 feet to their deaths. Two of the gangers were criticised for not fixing safety chains and using poor quality wood for the platforms.November 1897
Another accident happened on 15 November 1897 during the reconstruction of nearby Treviddo Viaduct. On this occasion a rope gave way while five men were hoisting a wooden beam up onto the new viaduct. One of them let go of his rope too soon, this meant that the wood swung free and knocked two of the gang to their deaths.Services
Menheniot is served by a limited number of the First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
trains on the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
between and , including a few that run through beyond Plymouth. The level of service itself has been progressively downgraded over recent years:
- December 2008 – evening peak call in service from Liskeard removed. Call in late evening service from Falmouth introduced.
- May 2009 – call by morning peak InterCity 125InterCity 125The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of , making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the...
service towards Plymouth removed. Late evening service from Falmouth disappears. Menheniot becomes a request stop. - December 2009 – remaining Plymouth-bound morning peak InterCity 125 service call removed.
- May 2010 – call in morning peak service towards Liskeard and Penzance due to be removed.
The station is only served on request which means that people wishing to alight need to inform the guard, and those wishing to join the train here need to signal clearly to the driver.