Rail Lines - Past and Present - Cornwall

[Mick F]

Good question.
Return journeys as the branch lines are dead ends, so you'd have to come back.
https://www.visitcornwall.com/about-cor ... e-specials

Start at Gunnislake as the first train out is 06:00 to Plymouth. Last one back arrives after 22:00.
That's Tamar Valley Line. If you wanted to do it, you can park your car there 24/7 for free. Plenty space.

Main line from Plymouth to Penzance and hop off for return journeys on the branch lines.

Have a look at GWR.
See if it could be done!
https://www.gwr.com

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Why is there still a station at Gunnislake?

[Mick F]

Two stories, one I doubt very much, and the other is quite plausible.
Beeching closed the line from Gunnislake out to Callington, but the line as far as Gunny was saved.

Why?
1. I heard that Beeching or his son or relation or someone, lived out this way and got him to save the line against his "better" judgement.

2. The dockyard in Devonport took much labour from the villages along the line and in order to get workers to Devonport, they would have had a massive bus journey. This is also the same for other occupations as it's a long way by bus to Plymouth. Hence, the line was partially saved.

Back in Beeching's day, car ownership wasn't universal at all especially out in the countryside. Whole swathes of Devon and Cornwall were completely cut off and marooned. Beeching only did a time and motion study and unless the line paid for itself financially, it was closed. Just coz a few people utterly rely on the train and most of the journeys the train only had a few people on it, doesn't mean that those people should be denied transport ............ but Beeching didn't consider that. It was all about money money money.

At least the Gunnislake train was used and just about paid its way back then. It's VERY busy these days, and is only going to get busier.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Lucky for you then still open
Why so busy, I'm supposing it's commuters going to Plymouth et cetera from that area?

[Jon Lucas]

Good question.
Return journeys as the branch lines are dead ends, so you'd have to come back.
https://www.visitcornwall.com/about-cor ... e-specials

Start at Gunnislake as the first train out is 06:00 to Plymouth. Last one back arrives after 22:00.
That's Tamar Valley Line. If you wanted to do it, you can park your car there 24/7 for free. Plenty space.

Main line from Plymouth to Penzance and hop off for return journeys on the branch lines.

Have a look at GWR.
See if it could be done!
https://www.gwr.com

I suspect it could be done,with good planning and a very long day. Apart from starting at Gunnislake at 6am, the key to achieving it would be planning it around the line from Par to Newquay, as that has fewest services. The others (Liskeard to Looe; Truro to Falmouth and St Erth to St Ives) are reasonably frequent, though Looe line less than the others.

However, I did wonder whether he was referring to Mick F riding along the rails, which would be a challenge.

[rjb]

With the addition of an outrigger perhaps Mick could ride the rails.

[Mick F]

Lucky for you then still open
Why so busy, I'm supposing it's commuters going to Plymouth et cetera from that area?

Commuters, Plymouth Uni, and Plymouth schools during the week. Shoppers and tourists at weekends. It is usually quite busy seven days a week twelve months of the year.

The Tavistock connection will be re-built in the next few years, so the line will join the Gunny line at Bere Alston ......... like it used to.
There's going to be even more commuters travelling by rail.

With the addition of an outrigger perhaps Mick could ride the rails.

You build one and test it out, and I could be tempted!

[Cyril Haearn]

..
The Tavistock connection will be re-built in the next few years, so the line will join the Gunny line at Bere Alston ......... like it used to.
There's going to be even more commuters travelling by rail.
..

Minus One
They should live near work

[Mike Sales]

I seem to remember seeing film of a HPV rail trolley being propelled north into the Canadian Barrens, perhaps to Moose Factory on Hudson Bay.
It was worked by the arms though, like one in a Buster Keaton movie, if my memory serves me well.

[landsurfer]

..
The Tavistock connection will be re-built in the next few years, so the line will join the Gunny line at Bere Alston ......... like it used to.
There's going to be even more commuters travelling by rail.
..

Minus One
They should live near work

Guess what ... not every skill has work nearby .or affordable housing, schools, GP's, .. i suppose if there is no work close by then it's Benefits for All ...
What is your definition of work .... i'm interested to know ...

[Cyril Haearn]

..
The Tavistock connection will be re-built in the next few years, so the line will join the Gunny line at Bere Alston ......... like it used to.
There's going to be even more commuters travelling by rail.
..

Minus One
They should live near work

Guess what ... not every skill has work nearby .or affordable housing, schools, GP's, .. i suppose if there is no work close by then it's Benefits for All ...
What is your definition of work .... i'm interested to know ...

Not every, but many do
Work is a four-letter word, it should be restricted (4 days/32 hours a week)

[Mick F]

Plymouth is a big city. The biggest in the SW other than Bristol.
Close on 250,000 people. This doesn't include Torpoint, Saltash, Plympton and Ivybridge.
It sucks in workers (and students) from miles around and the roads are clogged.

[Cyril Haearn]

I live in a small city near a big city
Apparently there are lots of gr€at jobs in the big city, many people commute there every day
Surprisingly (?) quite a few people* live in the big city and travel to work in the small city
*about a third as many as commute to the big city

[ChrisF]

I was looking at a 1960 OS map west of Cornwall earlier. The line left Launceston (ancient capital of Cornwall) and went Egloskerry, Tresmeer and Otterham, before heading south to Camelford St Kew, Wadebridge and out to Newquay.

Camelford Station, after closing as a station, was used as a cycling museum for a number of years - I visited it once (must have been about 15 years ago) but it has sadly closed. I don't think the owners were very business-aware as very few people knew of its existance.https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/attractions/british-cycling-museum-closed.htm

[Cyril Haearn]

The Grauniad reports that a bizarre new bridge is to open at Tintagel
One must buy a timed ticket, great, one meets so many people there, should one be lonely plusminus
Not sure whether one might cycle across