Helston Railway

24/3/24

Here is the 3rd visit to a railway on this trip, the Helston Railway, a new one on me, so I was excited to see what this Railway was like.

The Helston Railway (8.5 miles) was built upon the old cornish Branch between Helston and Gwinear Road, where it met with the mainline. So far, they have managed to recreate a small portion (1.5 miles) of the line, with big intentions to make it to Helston itself with the trackbed already in place. Their starting point is currently at Prospidnick Halt, which isn't an original station but is situated close to where the original Nancegollen station would've been, from there, they have gone on to bring back Trevarno, and Truthall Halt, where they currently finish.

I must admit, I wasn't expecting the line to be as long as it was, I didn't realise they had gone as far as they had, so I was very impressed with the efforts of the volunteers to have brought back the parts of the line that they had. To add to the excitement, it seems that potentially they will be getting the visit of a Small Prairie later this year, which was the main motive power on the old line, so that'll look right at home.

Our locomotive for the day was Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 'Kingswood', an ex colliery diesel that worked at the Kingswood Colliery hence its name. It was previously at the Avon Valley Railway, where the big comparisons could be made between Kingswood and the visually identical 'Grumpy', the same type but completely different history, being an MOD locomotive that went everywhere!

At Trevarno, the locomotive came off and we could have a ride on it in the sidings, from the station to the shed entrance. It was nice to have a ride in this locomotive, as it different to what I'd normally end up being in. In the sheds are Peckett No. 2000, on hire from Beamish, and due to be here for at least 5 more years, and ex Southall 'William Murdoch' a Peckett 0-4-0st, under overhaul.

At the other end of the line, there were a few more locomotives to be spotted, including two Ruston 0-4-0de and two DMUs, and a Class 10 'Colonel Tomline' previously at Spa Valley Railway, and due to head up to Bodmin and Wenford Railway to take over shunting duties from 08 359, which as of writing this has left the line and Colonel Tomline has since arrived.