Moorswater railway station
Encyclopedia
Moorswater railway station was the centre of operations for the Liskeard and Caradon Railway
and the Liskeard and Looe Railway. The two railways made an end on junction here. It was the site of the lines' engine shed
, also a china clay works which is now used as a cement terminal.
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The Liskeard and Caradon Railway was opened on 28 November 1844 from quarries on the moors north of Liskeard
to Moorswater where goods were transshipped to the Liskeard and Looe Union Canal
. At Looe
they could then be transhipped again to sea-going vessels for transport further around the coast.
The canal was superseded by a railway on 27 December 1860 and passengers were carried on the Moorswater to Looe section from 11 September 1879. The Cornwall Railway
, which opened in 1859, had intended to make a junction with the Liskeard and Caradon Railway near Moorswater but a lack of capital saw this scheme abandoned, the line passing high above the goods yard on the Moorswater Viaduct. The new station, which was situated just north of the viaduct, was used by passengers travelling into Liskeard
, but from 1896 a platform was provided at Coombe where trains would call to set down passengers going to Liskeard railway station
if they notified the guard, as the steep road from there to the station was considerably shorter than the route from Moorswater.
On 15 May 1901 passenger trains from Looe were diverted over the new loop line to Liskeard railway station and Moorswater station closed to passengers. Goods traffic has continued – on and off – up to the present day. A siding for the Cheesewring
Quarry Company opposite the station was later used by the Cornwall County Council as a road maintenance depot until 1964. Beyond the station another siding lead into the china clay works of the St Neots China Clay Company where china clay was processed that was brought down from Bodmin Moor
by pipeline before being dispatched as powder to Looe or, later, Fowey
. This was opened in 1904 and closed in the 1990s but the site has since been used as a cement distribution depot and trains are brought in from time to time, the motive power being provided by Freightliner (UK)
.
was situated between the Caradon line and the china clay siding. It was 64 feet × 32 ft (20m × 10m) inside with a small workshop beyond. On the west side was another workshop that maintained the wagons and carriages before the line was connected to the Great Western Railway, although passenger trains were normally kept in another shed at Looe
.
In Great Western Railway days the shed was home to two locomotives, normally as an outstation from St Blazey engine shed
or, for a few years, Laira TMD
. 0-6-0
STs of 850
and 2021
classes gave way in 1924 to larger 2-6-2
Ts of GWR 4400 Class
and then 4500
and 4575
classes. The shed closed on 11 September 1961 after which the branch was worked by DMU
s and British Rail Class 22
diesel locomotives.
Liskeard and Caradon Railway
The Liskeard and Caradon Railway was a mineral railway in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, which opened in 1844 and closed in 1917. Its neighbour, the Liskeard and Looe Railway, opened in 1860 and is still operating as the Looe Valley Line.-History:...
and the Liskeard and Looe Railway. The two railways made an end on junction here. It was the site of the lines' engine shed
Engine shed
Engine shed may refer to:* Engine shed, also called a motive power depot or roundhouse, a structure used for the maintenance of railway locomotives.* Engine Shed , a music and entertainment venue on the University of Lincoln's campus....
, also a china clay works which is now used as a cement terminal.
History
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
to Moorswater where goods were transshipped to the Liskeard and Looe Union Canal
Liskeard and Looe Union Canal
The Liskeard and Looe Union Canal is a derelict broad canal between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The canal is almost 6 miles long and had 24 locks. The Engineer was Robert Coad...
. At Looe
Looe
Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in the former Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 . Looe is divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe and West Looe being connected by a bridge...
they could then be transhipped again to sea-going vessels for transport further around the coast.
The canal was superseded by a railway on 27 December 1860 and passengers were carried on the Moorswater to Looe section from 11 September 1879. The Cornwall Railway
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...
, which opened in 1859, had intended to make a junction with the Liskeard and Caradon Railway near Moorswater but a lack of capital saw this scheme abandoned, the line passing high above the goods yard on the Moorswater Viaduct. The new station, which was situated just north of the viaduct, was used by passengers travelling into Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
, but from 1896 a platform was provided at Coombe where trains would call to set down passengers going to Liskeard railway station
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:...
if they notified the guard, as the steep road from there to the station was considerably shorter than the route from Moorswater.
On 15 May 1901 passenger trains from Looe were diverted over the new loop line to Liskeard railway station and Moorswater station closed to passengers. Goods traffic has continued – on and off – up to the present day. A siding for the Cheesewring
Cheesewring
The Cheesewring is a granite tor in Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated on the eastern flank of Bodmin Moor on Stowes Hill in the parish of Linkinhorne approximately four miles north of Liskeard. It is a natural geological formation, a rock outcrop of granite slabs formed by weathering...
Quarry Company opposite the station was later used by the Cornwall County Council as a road maintenance depot until 1964. Beyond the station another siding lead into the china clay works of the St Neots China Clay Company where china clay was processed that was brought down from Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
by pipeline before being dispatched as powder to Looe or, later, Fowey
Fowey railway station
The railway from Fowey to Newquay was opened by the Cornwall Minerals Railway on 1 June 1874. Fowey railway station was opened on 20 June 1876 when a passenger service was introduced, the next station being at Par....
. This was opened in 1904 and closed in the 1990s but the site has since been used as a cement distribution depot and trains are brought in from time to time, the motive power being provided by Freightliner (UK)
Freightliner (UK)
Freightliner Group Limited is a rail freight and logistics company, founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Australia. It is the second largest rail freight operator in the UK, after DB Schenker Rail .- History :...
.
Engine shed
The engine shedEngine shed
Engine shed may refer to:* Engine shed, also called a motive power depot or roundhouse, a structure used for the maintenance of railway locomotives.* Engine Shed , a music and entertainment venue on the University of Lincoln's campus....
was situated between the Caradon line and the china clay siding. It was 64 feet × 32 ft (20m × 10m) inside with a small workshop beyond. On the west side was another workshop that maintained the wagons and carriages before the line was connected to the Great Western Railway, although passenger trains were normally kept in another shed at Looe
Looe railway station
Looe railway station serves the twin towns of East and West Looe, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The station is the terminus of the scenic Looe Valley Line south of Liskeard.- History :...
.
In Great Western Railway days the shed was home to two locomotives, normally as an outstation from St Blazey engine shed
St Blazey engine shed
St Blazey Engine Shed is located in Par, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The depot operator is DB Schenker. It is named after the adjacent village of St Blazey and has the depot code is BZ.-History:...
or, for a few years, Laira TMD
Laira TMD
Laira TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Plymouth, Devon, England. The depot is operated by First Great Western and is mainly concerned with the overhaul and daily servicing of their fleet of High Speed Trains and also the DMUs used on local services...
. 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
STs of 850
GWR 850 Class
Class 850 of the Great Western Railway was an extensive class of small 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotives designed by George Armstrong and built at the Wolverhampton Works of the Great Western Railway between 1874 and 1895...
and 2021
GWR 2021 Class
The GWR 2021 Class was a class of 140 0-6-0 saddle tank steam locomotives. They were built at the Wolverhampton railway works of the Great Western Railway between 1897 and 1905...
classes gave way in 1924 to larger 2-6-2
2-6-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...
Ts of GWR 4400 Class
GWR 4400 Class
The Great Western Railway 4400 Class was a class of 2-6-2T side tank steam locomotive. They were introduced in 1904 for work on small branch lines.- External links :*...
and then 4500
GWR 4500 Class
The Great Western Railway 4500 Class or Small Prairie is a class of steam locomotive. They are 2-6-2T type. A total of 75 were built; 55 were built in four batches between 1906 and 1915. A fifth batch of 20 locos was built in 1924, during Collett's tenure at Swindon. The first two batches were...
and 4575
GWR 4575 Class
The Great Western Railway 4575 Class is a class of steam locomotive. They are 2-6-2T Small Prairie type based on the 4500 Class but with larger side tanks...
classes. The shed closed on 11 September 1961 after which the branch was worked by 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:...
s and British Rail Class 22
British Rail Class 22
The British Rail Class 22 or "Baby Warship" was a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives designed for the Western Region of British Railways and built by the North British Locomotive Company. They were very similar in appearance to the Class 21 diesel-electrics...
diesel locomotives.