Drummond T9 No.30313, one of the class members with wide splashers, has arrived at Padstow. This locomotive was an Exmouth Junction resident from August 1959 until withdrawal came in July 1961, thus providing a dating window for this photograph. Maunsell coaching stock prevails. No.30313 having arrived with set 27. This set comprised Brake Second (formerly Third) S3775S and Brake Composite S6603S. It was one of those classified as 'P sets' and intended for use as dividing portions for West of England branches from main line trains to and from Waterloo. In practice during BR days they seem to have spent most of their time pottering around the West Country on local services.
Copyright photo from Colour-Rail

Ex-GWR locomotives at Padstow tend to be associated with the post 1963 period when lines in the area, excepting the Bodmin Road - Bodmin General section which always was GWR, came under the control of BR Western Region but this was not the case. Elsewhere the process had begun in 1958 as a result of boundary changes but in November 1959 two ex-GWR pannier tanks were sent to Exmouth Junction, then still a Southern shed. One was No.4666 and the other No.4694, both being members of the GWR 5700 class. In December 1959 both were reallocated to Wadebridge Shed, apparently for trials on the Bodmin North - Padstow section, where they remained until moved back to Exmouth Junction in February 1963 so the photograph of No.4666 at Padstow likely dates from that period. It should, however, be remembered that whilst resident at Exmouth Junction both are likely to have continued to visit Wadebridge if not Padstow. In this view No.4666 waits at Padstow with one of the ex-Southern Maunsell sets on a service to Bodmin, presumably Bodmin North. On the right a Southern Bulleid coach can be seen stabled, perhaps part of an Atlantic Coast Express set. The Southern system of headcode discs used six positions; one in front of the chimney, one either side of the smokebox and three on the bufferbeam and in this respect the operation of ex-GWR locomotives on former Southern metals is something of a mystery. Just visible in this view is an iron to the right of the smokebox door but apparently without the corresponding iron on the opposite side. A photograph has been seen showing No.4666 legging-it from Launceston in the direction of Wadebridge with a disc in position to the right of its smokebox, but it seems the adaption of ex-GWR locomotives to the Southern headcode system was very much a half-hearted affair. The various types of GWR pannier tanks, so named because of the water tank positions either side of the boiler, were prolific and the 5700 class alone totalled 863 examples. Of these, some were sold to the National Coal Board whilst better known is the batch sold to London Transport and the final examples of which continued in service until 1971. Of those which went on to serve at collieries, the final example is believed to have remained in service until 1975. A number of the 5700 class have survived into preservation but Nos.4666 and 4694 are not among them, both being withdrawn in June 1965 and scrapped. A few of the class, officially three but in actuality four, went on to become the final ex-GWR steam locomotives in BR service being withdrawn in October 1966 from Croes Newydd, by that time a London Midland Region shed and located at Wrexham. Other pannier tanks at Wadebridge shed were three members of the 1366 class; outside cylinder types which had been transferred from Weymouth in 1962 to replace the Beatties. Of these, one, No.1369, has survived into preservation. The Wenford branch, duty 637, was operated by Wadebridge shed's No.1 link which also included trips to Padstow, as did No.5 link, the Wadebridge pilot, but to date no evidence has come to light of the 1366 class actually appearing at Padstow. Some anecdotes have survived concerning the reaction of the ex-Southern Wadebridge men to the arrival of the ex-GWR pannier tanks, albeit a little contradictory. The usual disdain towards 'foreign' locomotives applied plus a view that the panniers were rough-riding, lumbering machines fit only for shunting. The latter grumble, however, was probably no more than an attempt to justify the former. On the plus side, it is said the panniers were popular due to their higher, relative to the Beatties, coal and water capacity as this made the crew's job easier and especially on the Wenford branch where, providing Wadebridge was departed with full tanks, the traditional water stop at Penhargard could be omitted. Perhaps this was just as well because the tank at Penhargard was suited to the well tanks of the Beatties but problems were encountered with the much higher water tanks of the panniers

Taken on the same day as the picture above, the locomotive has uncoupled and is reversing along the release road from where she will proceed to the turntable. Some Maunsell stock is stabled on the carriage siding and the roof of the fish shed can be seen in the background.
Photo from Malcolm McCarthy collection

During the World Wars U-boats lurked off the Atlantic coast but here is a U-boat at Padstow station. U-boat was the nickname given to Maunsell's U1 3-cylinder class 2-6-0s which were recognisable by the 'slab' section above the bufferbeam which housed the third cylinder. Some, if not all, began life without smoke deflectors and in this form their appearance was rather peculiar. Some of the U1 class were rebuilds of the unstable and frankly dangerous K, or 'River' class 2-6-4T's which had been involved in a number of derailments, the most serious of which occurred at Sevenoaks in 1927 resulting in 13 deaths and 40 injuries. No.31903 was not one of the River class rebuilds. One, BR No.31806, has survived into preservation. It had begun life as K class No.806 'River Torridge'. Of U1 No.31903 she was allocated to Exmouth Junction, the shedplate for which can just be seen above, only for a short period from May to October 1961 so the photograph will date from that period. The entire class had gone by 1963, No.31903 going in December 1962 by which time she was at Norwood Junction. Her train at Padstow is an unidentified Maunsell set while on the right is stabled some Bulleid stock, that visible being of a later design with deeper window ventilators. It must have been a warm day at Padstow as shorts and/or shirt sleeves predominate.

Photo from John Mann collection