Driver’s Eye View - Bodmin & Wenford Railway - Part 1 - Bodmin General to Bodmin Parkway 

Hi Michael, I missed most of the West country branch lines, they had closed by the time I remember holidays to the West Country. It is wonderful that this line has managed to recreate a little of those long long lost days for us all to enjoy.

Hi Roy, I appreciate your kind comment, as I am sure the guys at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway do. The diesels look as though they have just been out-shopped, their condition was so good. The little pannier tank is a real gem, her crew didn't let her slip once, a real achievement on such a heavily graded line.

Cheers, I'm pleased you enjoyed it, the next part will be live this evening.

The staff and volunteers do a splendid job.

Hi, it's nice to have some feedback on the maps. Around 90% of my viewers are from outside the UK, so I looked for a map to show where Cornwall/Kernow was located in Britain, fortunately some kind person posted the map I used on the commons.wikimedia site where anyone can use it so long as it is credited to its original creator in the video description.

Cheers, It's nice to know you enjoyed the experience. The latest GoPro cameras do a good job.

Thank you, it is a lovely ride, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

That would be really great, and would highlight the business case for reopening the entire line through to Padstow, which is sorely needed due to the tiny roads. The only difficulty would be getting trains onto the line from the Mainline, which would involve several reversals at Bodmin Parkway.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Hi, it's nice to know it plays well on your 62in screen.

Hi, there isn't much wrong with being named "Tim", although I'm often called Jim. The railroad guys a quick to let me know if its OK to hang a camera on the loco or not, surprisingly few people ask. It's getting harder on the national networks although the smaller railroads are pretty accommodating. I tend to leave the videos playing in the background when I'm working as a sort of screen saver.

Thank you.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, the little loco had its work cut out climbing the bank back to Bodmin General.

Hi Jim, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Cheers, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Cheers :-)

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, the guys responsible for keeping this railway running do a great job. I see Boccan's comment has disappeared.

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, like yourself I fondly remember the first generation diesels, the Brighton to Exeter train used to pass by my house steam hauled, I was too young to appreciate its significance. The last BR steam locomotive I saw in action was a 9F passing light engine through Chester station. The staff and volunteers on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway are really friendly; they want every passenger to get the most from their visit. Steam engines come to life when the fire is lit, I love the noises they make, every sound tells you the condition of the locomotive, they even wheeze when things are quite right. In case you didn't find it, here is the link to Part 2 along with a link to a more general look at the railway - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hy0G0cvIWtg.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yQr_O57_xY4.html

Hi, it's nice to know it looks good on your high resolution monitor.

@@Timsvideochannel1 I traded in my hamster powered monitor for a much better one..Honestly, there are a lot of fake hi res videos- great to see true HD!

@@TheSynthZone Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed it, although I feel a little guilty about the little hamster loosing its purpose in life. The latest GoPro cameras are a significant improvement on earlier models, it really does show in the quality of the picture.

@@Timsvideochannel1 I recall a time when super 8 was available ..to those with the wherewithall! My first digital watch cost me 100$ .. Dollar store can beat that now.

Hi Peter, its great that these little reminders of how it used to be are being kept alive for future generations to enjoy, the guys putting the work in deserve our appreciation.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, your own trip sounds to have been eventful. I made another video of the same trip giving a better idea of gradients encountered - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yQr_O57_xY4.html The railway is a credit to all involved in making a trip over the line possible so long after BR closed it.

Thank you, I am pleased you enjoyed it.

Hi, they are nice memories to have, this railway offers a pleasant reminder of daily life on the once numerous West Country branch and secondary lines that have now passed into history. I hope you enjoy your visit, the staff and volunteers are friendly, they go the extra mile to make sure you enjoy your time with them.

Watched that last journey from a field at Legonna. I worked on Peter Sidebothams Farm and stood with him watching that crowded train on its way. The line was convenient for Perranporth Hospital but too slow and indirect to Chacewater then Truro. The line was an afterthought! Originally built to carry from a Fullers Earth Mine close to the back gate of Penhale Army Camp. There was a proper platform still there in 1970.

Would like to add that the original line ran down along Scotland Road down in the valley alongside, crossed over the old road at Rejerrah downhill to Treamble Farm run by the Perry's back in the 60's,now a Campsite I believe. Read somewhere that after the Second World War they tried to carry Army troops from Newquay Railway Station to the back of Penhale Camp but it wasn't very successful for a couple of reasons. 1.The incline was fairly steep and braking problem with lots of men aboard. 2. They still had to walk with a lot of kit from Treamble, It was quicker and easier to use Army vehicles for collection so the line was shut to Treamble.

Thank you, it's nice to hear from Brazil, it's good to know you enjoy these videos.

That's a good idea, maybe next year, the only time I've visited was on a day when nothing was running, I need to put that right. I'm touring Austria at the moment, I've captured some interesting driver's eye views along country branch lines, I'll be uploading them over the coming months.

Thank you.

Cheers, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride and I'm sure guys responsible for looking after the line-side will appreciate your observations.

The stream lined train at 18:26 is an HST 125, in Australia they are XPT's running between Sydney and Brisbane.

This is a lovely railway, not quite the Settle and Carlisle, but never the less well worth visiting.

@@Timsvideochannel1 What is your view on Highspeed 2 rail link London to Birmingham do you think it should go a head or just use the existing main lines .

@@lesliedodds4011 My personal view is that I'd like to see the old Central Railway reopened, it was the last main line built from the North to London, it was built to the European loading gauge on a largely 140 mph alignment. Most of the route still exists and it passes through the centre of many large towns. Originally it was closed because Beeching said their was no need for three mainline routes from the North to London. A group of business men tried to reopen it in the 90's, but the government said "No" on the grounds that if the company failed, it would be down to the government to finish the job. I bet the government wish they had listened to that group of business men. My reasoning is that HS2 will prove too expensive with the result that it might never happen, whereas the alternative is a vote winner at a knock down price. In reality 140 mph with good acceleration better suits the distances between stations, especially when energy consumption is taken into account, the existing Javalin trains running on HS1 to the Kent coast would suit this line. For more information please take a look at this link - www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2478093/Railway-line-shut-Beeching-save-36bn-Critics-forward-alternative-route-using-track-closed-1960s.html

@@Timsvideochannel1 I think they will go ahead with Highspeed 2 because there is to many cars and maintaining roads is not been addressed as it should be but it wont have the character of the old routes with great tunnels built and still standing the test of time with trains flying through them .

@@lesliedodds4011 If HS2 is built it will include long tunnels to avoid rich people having to see and hear the trains, also tunnels will have to built under cities to serve town centre stations. The same issues that our Victorian forefathers faced. Something will have to happen, whether it is HS2, re-opening existing railway lines or increasing capacity on the current routes is anybody's guess. It will be interesting to see, assuming it actually happens during my lifetime.

It's the whistle that makes children look up and wave to the driver, just like in the original "Railway Children" film

Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the ride. The line closed on 3 October 1983, it is still connected to the mainline network, please click on this link for more information - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodmin_and_Wenford_Railway - Its nice to know your days are getting warmer, sadly that's not the case here in the UK.

Hi Andrei, I was nice of the crew to allow me to attach a camera to their loco. There was some tidying up, track repair and possibly a new siding being added to the track layout at the Industrial Estate site.

Hi, my daughter is working in a signal box in the West Country, I'm likely to visit quite often now, It's a wonderful part of the world.

I didn't know that, I've learnt something new today.

Hi, you live in a nice part of the world, my travels haven't taken me on one of the new super trains yet, I'll have to put that right.

Hi, the Bodmin and Wenford Railway has plenty of character, I was visiting with a friend from Australia (Signaler and station master at Menzies Creek on the Puffing Billy Railway) and my daughter who was a Signaler at Crediton at the time, she is based at Exmouth Junction now. There was a lot of work going on when we visited, something to do with a second platform. There are enough switches and signals at Bodmin General to make the life of the signaler interesting. The diesel fleet look varied and in good condition. I hope you are successful in qualifying as a diesel driver in the next couple of years.

​@@Timsvideochannel1 That's awesome, I hope you and your friend enjoyed your visit. Bodmin and Wenford is a wonderful place steeped in history. Part of the line (now long gone) dates back to 1834 making it one of the oldest railways in the Country and indeed the world. Yes, they are building a second platform because the railway during the summer peak is at full capacity. Once the second platform is completed we will be able to run two trains, at the same time, one on each line. The second platform itself is now moreless finished (minus the finishing touches such at fencing, lighting and other minor details). Once complete, they will be installing another set of points between the running shed and the turnout for Boscarne Junction as well as upgrading the signalling. The signal box has 28 levers, 26 of them are currently in use. Once the second platform project is complete, all 28 lever will be in use. The second platform project was due to be completed by the start of the 2021 season, although that timeline may have slipped now due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown. No work is currently taking place. Indeed, there are enough levers in the signal box to ensure one never gets bored, life gets interesting when you have shunting movements going on as well as the normal passenger trains. Life will get REALLY interesting when the second platform is comlete. The diesel fleet is varied, they have 4 shunting locos, 4 mainline locos and that single car DMU shown in your video. My favorite loco has to be the class 50 and the class 121, both of which I want to drive one day, essentially the class 121 since it has a manual gearbox. Thank you, that's very kind of you to say so :D P.S. Sorry I've only just replied. I've only just seen that you replied to my post.

@@MxWintersAFOL Hi and "yes" my daughter and friend from Australia really enjoyed their visit. I've always been fascinated by the withered arm, I can just about remember visiting Padstow when the tracks were still in place. The second platform is going to be very useful, especially as it is likely every other train will be a single car unit, who doesn't love to see the line ahead? I'll return when travel restrictions are lifted as my daughter now lives in Devon. Watching all the shunting movements adds an extra dimension for visitors, much better than sitting around with nothing going on. The class 50 has to be my favourite too, I remember them on the West Coast and West of England mainlines, before they finished their days on Waterloo to Exeter or Paddington to Oxford workings. I look forward to my next visit. Take care and stay safe. Tim.

Enthusiasts have spent a lot of time and money preserving those creaks for you the enjoy 😊

Yes! I've never heard such a riotous noise aboard trains before. I enjoyed the video but the creaky I could have done without, LOL

@@donniegray553 All those creaks and groans remind me that I'm no longer a Spring Chicken :-)

They were in exceptionally good condition, it would be worth visiting the line for a diesel gala.

Yes, Bodmin and Wenford have a class 08, class 10, class 47, class 50, class 121 and a sentinel shunter. They also have a class 33 which is currently for sale if you fancy buying it.

You are correct about trains not stopping on the gradient on the return leg, The engine struggles to get the train moving uphill, although passengers can catch the diesel unit back to Bodmin General as they can restart on the hill and "Yes" it is a great name for a station.

Hitting the buffers is a very rare occurrence thankfully, although I can appreciate that even at very low speed there can be a bit of a jolt.

Yes, I've done a few miles on preserved lines and this is the only incident I've witnessed. In fairness to the driver, it was a mere "tap" but felt worse as we weren't expecting it.

@@srduke Considering many of the drivers are volunteers, I think they do a good job. The only time I've witnessed a heavy shunt was a driver on a driver experience course on one of the UK's narrow gauge lines.

Cheers I'm pleased you enjoyed taking this ride with me, the sounds were all quite normal for a locomotive, maybe a little different from those generally heard in a passenger carriage. Cornwall is a wonderful part of the world, I wish I'd been there to see Tornado.

Your girlfriend is lucky to have a steam locomotive named after her. Greetings. Tim.

@@Timsvideochannel1 she says hello to you Tim.she likes the name.thanks for it.

@@MrPeerum Tell her Tim says "Hi"

Oh, it was a lady ghost! Hope she's not flammable, a "methylated spirit"! LOL

@@neilforbes416 Hi Neil, I'm touring Austria this week, capturing a few memorable moments to share over the coming months. Might even find some more ghosts.

@@Timsvideochannel1 LOL Brush up on your "Deutschsprach", Tim! And watch out for those flammable ghosts..... "methylated spirits"! Hopefully those ghost you see will be polite, only spook when spooken to!

Look forward to your videos, Tim. Cheers!

@@neilforbes416 I am in Vienna tonight ready to fly home tomorrow, I've got some good stuff in the can.

Hi, thanks for your generous offer, I'll try to visit next year, it's a long time since I last stopped by.

Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The sound track is the original although the camera is looking forward an the sound is picked up from the wheels below.

You are looking at bullhead rail on concrete sleepers, it was used on many Welsh railway lines such as the secondary route via Llangollen to the Welsh coast that used to connect with the Cambrian Coast at the southern end Barmouth bridge.

Gosh, for me being 7 was a long time ago. When I first visited the line it was only used to Bodmin General and the locomotive was an Austerity tank called "Ugly". SW stands for "Sound Whistle", the modern signs simply show "W" for Whistle.

Ah, sound whistle of course! Yeah, back in 1993 I think it was when I first came, I don't think Boscarne Junction existed back then, or if it did we didn't know about it, we only went to the three stops shown here.

@@KRPTV When I look at my old photos of the line, I realise how far it has come since the early 90's, a real credit to everyone involved.

Спасибо.

On the way down to Bodmin Parkway, the loco doesn't need to work hard, most of the sound is the train on the track, on the return trip up the hill it's loco you hear.

Thank you, a cheeky little loco whistling at the pretty girls?

The Brown and Cream carriages in the siding make up the dining train.

@@Timsvideochannel1 LOL. Woosh.

Cornwall is a very picturesque county, wonderful coastline, awesome moorland and great railway journeys, both on the mainline and preserved railways such as this one. Well worth a visit.

corners. the outside wheel is trying to rotate faster than the inside one, both are on a fixed solid axle

The camera was mounted next to the smoke-box where it picked up sounds not normally heard from the rest of the train.

👍😊

@@Timsvideochannel1 Thanks