Cycling UK Forum

I fancy (yet) another bridges ride.
My plan it to ride over all the bridges over the Tamar Valley Line. Gunnislake/Plymouth.

https://greatscenicrailways.co.uk/lines ... lley-line/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamar_Valley_Line
https://www.scenicrailbritain.com/lines ... alley-line

Here's my first stab at a route. It starts just down the road from Plymouth Station.
Take the train from Gunnislake to Plymouth, do the bridges, and then take the train home.
After crossing the last bridge, I'll work my way back to the city centre, have a beer or two, then back to the station.
I'll still have to work out a route to do the last set from Bere Ferrers back to Gunnislake, but that's a home-and-back route though convoluted as a route.
Some of those bridges are very rural and some are farm tracks, so it'll take a bit of sorting.

Just sketched out the northern section.
I have to get from Gunnislake to near Calstock, then back though Gunnislake and onto the Bere Peninsula. Three of the bridges - or is it four? - are private farm tracks.
From the last one, I still have to ride back home.
Maybe 30miles in total and with LOTS of hills.

Mick F wrote: ↑16 Jun 2022, 7:38pm

Here's my first stab at a route. It starts just down the road from Plymouth Station.

Pennycomequick a good place to start. There's a few more strange places on your route. Enjoy and please post a lot of pics to jog my memory.
I'm looking forward to a good read.


I had a Xmas holiday job for a week before Christmas at Plymouth Central Station 1969. Working for the post office overnight unloading mail bags when a mail train arrived. 10 mins graft every hour, but as Xmas got closer the mail trains tailed off to 1 every 3 hours. The mailbags were then loaded onto an electric truck and driven across to the sorting office next door. We lost an electric truck one night. The police found a rather inebriated passenger who had alighted the train and borrowed some transport to get him home near the Hoe.

It'll be next week before I do the Plymouth section. Got to get over the strike action, and it could be that Mrs Mick F will be going to Plymouth next week too, so we could travel in and out on the same train.

Yes, I'll photo each bridge, and give a report.
The furthest north on the Plymouth section, is at the old Tamerton Foliot station. The bridge exists, as does the station building, but the platforms have gone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamerton_ ... ay_station

I assume you're going to qualify that by adding road bridges. Network Rail might be a bit dischuffed if you ride down the mainline into Cornwall just to add that one to lthe list. It's a pity I'm not down there atm otherwise I'd buy you a beer in the Ferry House when you come past

Actually having had a look at your route there's no reason coming half way down Normandy Hill in St Budeaux just to turn around and go back up. Just head out around Saltash Passage and round to the St Budeaux stations that way. You can also head upriver a few hundred yards to see where the railways passes over the access road into RNAD Ernesettle. Probably not a good place to take too many photo's mind
Tis a pity the path alongside the viaduct into Keyham is shut

Still not done.

However, I do have excuses, and hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll be out on the first section on Thursday.
Plan on riding to Plymouth and crossing over No 17 down to No1 and then to Wetherspoons, having a couple of beers and a packet of peanuts, then riding back through the city to the railway station to take the train north to Gunnislake.

Here's some pictures to illustrate the task.
First, the overall picture, then No17 down to No1.

Next ride will be to No18 and No19. Easy done. However, No20 to No33 has some issues.
No20 is a private road.
Also, No24 and No25 don't seem to be accessible. No28 also.
....... and No30 as well. I'm going to have to go and get the easy ones and check out the others and then formulate a plan of attack.

Just wait until the forthcoming rail strike then you could ride them all downhill from Gunnislake. Easy peasy. Just make an outrigger for Moulton.

Friend of ours was on the train today coming out of Plymouth.
There was a man walking on the railway and the train had to do an emergency stop!
The train staff took him on board, and then after Gunnislake, took him back to Plymouth for the police to be involved.

The route is very bendy and twisty, and the curves are rather "blind" in places and needs "the knowledge" of the drivers.

Back in the 1990's, they moved Gunnislake station from the north side of the A390 to the southern side, and then took down the bridge over the road. They built a new station.
During the "improvements", the trains terminated at Calstock. Maybe six months or more.

When the new station opened, the train terminated still at Calstock, but carried on to Gunnislake to train the drivers so they could get the knowledge again. Many were the trips where two or three drivers were in the cab.
Eventually, the trains complete with passengers, carried on to Gunnislake.

I'd like a job like that. One day a week of train driving. Nice little job in retirement.

Which bike will you be using?

Mercian for the first trip from home - 25miles or so in total.

For the second bit, I'll be taking the train both ways, and I may use Moulton. That's about 19 miles of a ride from Plymouth station to north to 18 and 19 and then down to Wetherspoons and back to the station.

Also, I have to get to Gunnislake station to and from home. Couple of miles each way.

As for the Bere Peninsula ride(s) 20 to 32, Moulton is better for that as the hills are rather steep down there. Bottom gear 16"
As for the distance of that ride, I haven't checked it out yet and I don't know how many stabs it'll take.

No33 is going to be separate ride that I could combine with a general bike ride.

Helping Daughter2 move house today, but I should be doing the Plymouth 17 down to 1 tomorrow. If not, it'll be Friday.

Excellent stuff, following with interest.
Are you going to have a go at the private bridges? Ask permission or stealthily?

Mick F wrote: ↑5 Jul 2022, 7:38pm Friend of ours was on the train today coming out of Plymouth.
There was a man walking on the railway and the train had to do an emergency stop!
The train staff took him on board, and then after Gunnislake, took him back to Plymouth for the police to be involved.

Well done to all involved.
I used to know an ex-train driver who'd hit someone, I don't think he ever got over it.