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PLYMOUTH TRANSPORT INTEREST GROUP 1980's
CITY TOUR 1986: LEYLAND ATLANTEAN 132 "ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL"
PCTIG ran a number of city tours during the 1980s and the winter of 1986 was no exception. Without a bus of our own, 89 CJY299
was unroadworthy and in store at Milehouse. PCTIG relied on hiring pct vehicles from Milehouse.
1986 was of course the last year before deregulation of local bus services on 26th October and as with all other local municipal bus operations, Plymouth Citybus would be set up as a arms length limited company of Plymouth City Council as of 26th October
The first PCTIG trip of the year dawned bright and sunny and was a "City tour" using Leyland Atlantean AN68 132 STK132T "Isambard Kingdom Brunel" following some of Plymouth "Countrybus" services at the following locations.
morning at Mayflower steps, circular route 54 on the road between Cornwood and Lee moor Even on a Sunday Lee moor had a bus service
132 with blinds set to 58, meets the actual 58
heading for Cornwood, 134 "Robert Falcon Scott"
Not long to wait as 58/59 would pass each other at Lee moor. East Lancs AN68 140 VJY 140V on 59 heading towards Shaugh Bridge, Bickleigh and city centre. PCTIG member mingle with lee moor local inhabitants
We return to Plymouth via the short lived route 63 Plymouth to Milton combe via Cadover bridge
VOLKSWAGEN MICROBUS "CITY TOUR"
The second trip of the year on the 28th March and this time PCTIG took advantage of the recent arrival to PCT in Sept 1985 of one of three Volkswagen LT31D with Devon conversion C12C Bodywork. The original plan was to use these "microbus" to initiate a sevice between Plympton St. Maurice and Woodford via Plympton Ridgeway, but this never happened.
The three buses 16 - 18 C916 DFJ etc were never to carry their allotted fleet numbers, eventually being numbered 86-88 carrying on from the large fleet of Dodge minibuses delivered in 1986 to initiate the minibus revolution starting 26th October.
the Volkswagens were painted in the "Cityshuttle" livery introduced in early 1985 on the fleet of four Dodge S56 minibuses which introduced the experimental C1 route around parts of Mutley and Mannamead with Cornwall st and New George st. Remember the pedestrianisation of the city centre didn't commence until the following year. Of course the current 30/31 is the latest incarnation of this route. The Volkswagens were occasionally untilised on the C1 fitted with ticket machine and coin vault.
The diminutive size of the microbus even dwarfed by the standard Dodge meant this trip would go to places never before seen by a PCT bus!
18 is seen parked next to 46 B346VTA
So where is this I hear you ask? The destination blind isn't a clue. We are actually in the lane leading to Warleigh point with the disused Tamerton Foliot station in the background.
So with muddy wheels, only thing to do is to give them a wash below Lopwell dam
Next stop, Milton Combe village and met with WN 50 Mercedes B37AAF "Dartmoor pony" WN had taken over PCT 55/56 route in1984 and was their first minibus
On the way to Burrator we stop at the old Trathens depot in Dousland. Seen here 4 ex lothian Atlantean PDR2s and in the background PCT PD2 69 MCO 669 that was subject to a preservation project. It is thought to still survive as a mobile home
Even further off the beaten track, 18 finds itself at Sheepstor village
heading back towards Plymouth via Moorgate
the next train to arrive at Burrator halt is a rail replacement service. Not the usual location to pose
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Under the railway bridge at Plymbridge halt, long before the Plym valley railway reached there
No longer is the abillity to drive over Plymbridge
APRIL 1986 VW TOUR OF THE WITHERED ARM. BODMIN, BOSCARNE AND WADEBRIDGE
In April 1986 PCTIG once again hired a PCT Volkwagen microbuses, this 16 C916 DFJ and our destination was to visit the railway line around Bodmin and Wadebridge. With the interaction of great western, southern and mineral line around Wenfordbridge. The town of Bodmin was remarkably well served by railway stations. The two main stations were Bodmin North served by the Southern railway and Bodmin General was the former G.W.R station. About 4 miles away was also Bodmin Road on the G.W.R mainline, since renamed Bodmin Parkway.
The story of line closeures between 1967 and 1983 is a complex one, as is the one of reopening to the condition it is today. As it was, 1986 was the year a fledging Bodmin railway started to reopen the line from Bodmin General to Parkway. this trip focused on what remained of the old southern railway. So landmarks we retraced were Padstow, Wadebridge, Grogley Halt, Nanstallion Halt, Boscarne exchange, Dunmere junction, Dunmere Halt, Bodmin North and wenford bridge.
The bodmin and wenford railway was one of the earliest to be built, opening in 1834. The section from Wadebridge to Bodmin was both passenger and goods, while the branch from Dunmere Halt to Wenfordbridge was always goods only. Services ceased in 1967 and freight by 1978 from Wadebridge, with the final remnants to wenfordbridge in 1983.
KEY TIMELINES OF OPENING AND CLOSURES
1834 WADEBRIDGE TO RUTHERN BRIDGE, BODMIN (BODMIN NORTH FROM 1949) AND WENFORDBRIDGE. THE FIRST STEAM LOCO HAULED RAILWAY IN CORNWALL
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1847 THE COMPANY BROUGHT BY LSWR AND RAN AS AN ISOLATED LINE FROM REST OF NETWORK
1882 ACT PASSED TO ALLOW LSWR TO OPEN NORTH CORNWALL LINE TO WADEBRIDGE AND PADSTOW, JOINING EXISTING LINE AT WADEBRIDGE JUNCTION
1887 G.W.R OPENS LINE FROM BODMIN ROAD TO BODMIN (GENERAL FROM 1949)
1888 G.W.R EXTENDS THEIR LINE TO BOSCARNE JUNCTION AND G.W.R RUN SERVICES FROM BODMIN TO WADEBRIDGE
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1933 RUTHERN BRIDGE TO GROGLEY HALT BRANCH CLOSED
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1963 STEAM HAULED SERVICES WITHDRAWN
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1964 SMALL WOODEN PLATFROMS BUILT AT BOSCARNE JUNCTION (EXCHANGE) TO ALLOW PASSENGERS TO CHANGE TO A SMALL 4 WHEEL DISEL RAILBUS TO CONTINUE TO BODMIN NORTH
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1966 BR SOUTHERN REGION CLOSES NORTH CORNWALL LINE, LEAVING PADSTOW ONLY CONNECTED BY BODMIN GENERAL AND BODMIN ROAD
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30TH JAN 1967 WITHDRAWAL OF PASSENGER SERVICES FROM PADSTOW WADEBRIDGE BODMIN NORTH, GENERAL TO BODMIN ROAD
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4TH SEPT 1978 DAILY GOODS TRAIN FROM BODMIN ROAD TO WADEBRIDGE DISCONTINUED
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31ST DEC 1978 FINAL CLOSURE OF WADEBRIDGE TO BOSCARNE EXHANGE
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3RD OCT 1983 COMPLETE CLOSURE OF FREIGHT LINE BODMIN ROAD TO WENFORDBRIDGE VIA BOSCARNE
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1986 1990 PARTIAL REOPENING AS THE BODMIN AND WENFORD HERITAGE RAILWAY
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Crossing remains of wenfordbridge branch on A389 north of Bodmin
a minor road south of wenfordbridge
16 doing a poor impersonation of a class 08 shunting clay hoods, wenfordbridge dryers
Padstow bus station
what you have to do to get perfect picture!! Paul Burch
Leyland Nationals at Padstow out station
the Late Roger Mathews, Pam Paul Dale Burch Jim Sykes walk the track to Boscarne
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Remains of wenford branch
webmaster examines remains of tracks wendfordbridge
Wadebridge station, rail replacement
16 on the Wenfordbridge branch heading towards Boscarne Exchange
the Gas lamps to light the way between exchange platforms at Boscarne. 1st and last trains of the day switched them on and off
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Boscarne Exchange. To Bodmin General to the right and Bodmin North to left, operated by the railbus. the path ran by the telegraph pole in the centre of picture