The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway (7 feet 0.25 inch) from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863. The original section remains open as part of the London to Penzance main line, the Truro to Falmouth line being operated as a branch. Great Western Railway broad gauge steam locomotives awaiting scrapping in 1892 after the conversion to standard gauge. ... Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Map sources for Falmouth, Cornwall at grid reference SW810325 Falmouth (Cornish: Aberfal) is a seaport on the south coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. ... Motto: Onen hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ... Truro is Cornwalls only city and its administrative centre. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see London (disambiguation). ... Location within the British Isles. ...

Chronology

1835 Proposal for a railway from London to Falmouth | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

1839 Proposal for the Cornwall Railway 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

1846 Cornwall Railway Act 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

1848 Construction halted 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

1852 Construction restarted 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

1859 Opened from Plymouth to Truro 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

1863 Opened Truro to Falmouth 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ...

1867 Branch opened to Keyham Dockyard 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

1876 Cornwall Loop line opened in Plymouth 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

1889 Amalgamated with Great Western Railway 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

History

The first proposal for a railway to Falmouth came from London in 1835. Falmouth at that time was an important port for the mail packet ships but the idea of such a long line was too complex and poorly thought out to succeed. A new proposal was advanced in 1839, this time led by Cornishmen, to link with other railways in Devon.

William Moorsom was appointed as engineer and he surveyed a line from Falmouth to Torpoint where the Hamoaze would be crossed by a train ferry to join the South Devon Railway which was proposing to construct a line to there from Exeter. At this period no train ferry had ever been constructed and this was a serious contention when Parliament was considering the railway's bill. Captain William Scarth Moorsam (1804—June 3, 1863) was a British soldier and engineer who built the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway with its infamously badly thought out Lickey Incline. ... Location within the British Isles Torpoint (Cornish: Penntorr) is a town in the far South East of Cornwall, England, separated from the City of Plymouth by a stretch of water referred to as the Hamoaze, which itself is the mouth of the River Tamar. ... The Hamoaze is an estuarine stretch of water at the point where the tidal River Tamar, the River Tavy, and the River Lynher enter Plymouth Sound. ... A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. ... The South Devon Railway is a railway is run by a charity organisation, the South Devon Railway Trust, they run the railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes in southern Devon. ... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in England, UK. It is located at , . In the 2001 census its population was recorded at 111,066. ...

An Act of Parliament was eventually obtained on 3 August 1846 under the guidance of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who had replaced the train ferry with a novel bridge at Saltash, higher up the River Tamar. August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern Isambard Kingdom Brunel (April 9, 1806 – September 15, 1859), FRS was an British engineer. ... The Tamar is a river in south western England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). ...

The passing of the Act was soon followed by an economic depression caused by the railway mania. Although work on construction had started at various places, it was suspended in 1848. Railway mania was the term given to the speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. ...

The Associated Companies of the South Devon Railway, Bristol and Exeter Railway and Great Western Railway had already provided much of the finance in return for a guarantee of a broad gauge line into Cornwall, and they again bailed out the Cornwall company to enable a new start to be made in 1852. A further lack of funds before the line was completed allowed the Associated Companies to tighten their grip on the company and force them to postpone the opening of any section until the line was laid across the bridge at Saltash, despite the line between Truro and Lostwithiel being ready to receive tracks much earlier. This financial arrangement also meant that the Cornwall Railway would be leased to the Associated Companies from opening day and operated by a Joint Committee of directors from the three companies plus the Cornwall Railway itself. The South Devon Railway is a railway is run by a charity organisation, the South Devon Railway Trust, they run the railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes in southern Devon. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... Location within the British Isles Saltash (Cornish: Essa) is a town in Cornwall, UK. It has a population of about 16,000. ... Truro is Cornwalls only city and its administrative centre. ... Lostwithiel is a small town in Cornwall, England at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. ...

HRH Prince Albert opened the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash on May 2, 1859, and the line itself was opened on May 4, 1859. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... The Royal Albert Bridge (sometimes called the Brunel Bridge or Saltash Bridge) spans the River Tamar in the U.K. between Plymouth, on the Devon bank and Saltash on the Cornish bank carrying the Great Western Main Line in and out of Cornwall. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

The inhabitants of Falmouth soon put pressure on the company to extend the line to their town as originally intended. In order to pay for this yet more money was needed from the Associated Companies, who forced the original short-term lease to be converted into one for 1,000 years. The extension opened on 24 August 1863. After the West Cornwall Railway was converted to broad gauge in 1867 the Truro to Falmouth line tended to be operated as a branch, with the trains from London Paddington station operating to Penzance instead. August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Great Western Railway broad gauge steam locomotives awaiting scrapping in 1892 after the conversion to standard gauge. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Paddington station or London Paddington is the name of a major railway station in the Paddington area of London, which is the London terminus for long distance trains to the West of England and South Wales and some West London commuter services. ... Location within the British Isles. ...

The Bristol and Exeter Railway and South Devon Railway amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1876 which left this company as the majority vote in the Joint Committee. The Cornwall Railway made moves to amalgamate also, but this was not achieved until 1 July 1889. In the meantime there was a long-running dispute between the Cornwall and the Great Western over the cost of replacing Brunel's original and distinctive timber viaducts with more permanent masonry structures. The lease precluded the conversion of the line to standard gauge (which by this time had reached from London as far as Exeter), and the Cornwall Railway refused to pay for the widening of the viaducts during rebuilding to accommodate a double line of standard gauge tracks (it had been built as a single-track line). The South Devon Railway is a railway is run by a charity organisation, the South Devon Railway Trust, they run the railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes in southern Devon. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

Following the amalgamation, plans were put in place for the gauge conversion, which took place over the weekend of 21 May 1892. May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

During the following years all the viaducts were replaced, those between Saltash and St Germans being replaced by a deviation line, the remainder being either rebuilt in situ or having a replacement viaduct built immediately alongside. Because of this, many of Brunel's original piers still remain today. Other original structures which are largely intact are the Royal Albert Bridge, many smaller masonry bridges, and the stations at Liskeard and St Germans. The stations standing at Par and Saltash were also built by the Cornwall Railway, although these were later constructions. The footbridge at St Austell is a rare example of a Great Western Railway footbridge that still retains a roof. On the Falmouth extension there is an original goods shed at Perranwell and a group of 20 workers' cottages at Falmouth. The Royal Albert Bridge (sometimes called the Brunel Bridge or Saltash Bridge) spans the River Tamar in the U.K. between Plymouth, on the Devon bank and Saltash on the Cornish bank carrying the Great Western Main Line in and out of Cornwall. ... Main-line platforms Branch-line platform Liskeard station serves the town of Liskeard in Cornwall, it is the junction for the branch to Looe. ... The station St Germans Station serves the village of St Germans in Cornwall UK. The Station is operated by Wessex Trains. ... The station, looking northeastward Saltash railway station serves the town of Saltash in Cornwall, UK. It is situated on the south side of the town between the Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar and Coombe Viaduct which spans a small tributary of the same river. ... The station in the evening, looking west St Austell Station serves the town of St Austell, Cornwall, UK. The station is operated by Wessex Trains as is every other station in Cornwall. ...

Apart from a short branch at Keyham opened on 20 June 1867 to serve the naval dockyards, no branches were ever built by the Cornwall Railway. Independent railways did however form junctions: the West Cornwall Railway to Penzance (1859), Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway (1869), and the Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway (1869). Other lines were proposed but failed during the economic depression following the collapse of the Overend, Gurney and Company bank, notably the Saltash and Callington Railway, and the Bodmin and Cornwall Junction Railway. The Cornwall Loop was opened at Plymouth on 17 May 1876 to avoid reversing trains in the terminus at Millbay. It was mainly used by London and South Western Railway trains at first but later found use for fast passenger and perishable goods trains. June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Devonport in 1909, courtesy WW1 Archive HMNB Devonport or Devonport Dockyard is a major Royal Navy base near the city of Plymouth in Devon and the largest in Western Europe. ... Location within the British Isles. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1840 to 1923. ...

Stations

The station at Plymouth was worked jointly with the South Devon Railway. Other stations were at Devonport, Saltash, St Germans, Menheniot, Doublebois (1860), Liskeard, Bodmin Road (temporarily located at Respryn in 1859 until the permanent station was completed at Glynn), Lostwithiel, Par, St Austell, Burngullow (1863), Grampound Road, Truro (joint with the West Cornwall Railway), Perranwell (originally Perran), Penryn, and Falmouth. The South Devon Railway is a railway is run by a charity organisation, the South Devon Railway Trust, they run the railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes in southern Devon. ... The station, looking northeastward Saltash railway station serves the town of Saltash in Cornwall, UK. It is situated on the south side of the town between the Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar and Coombe Viaduct which spans a small tributary of the same river. ... The station St Germans Station serves the village of St Germans in Cornwall UK. The Station is operated by Wessex Trains. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Main-line platforms Branch-line platform Liskeard station serves the town of Liskeard in Cornwall, it is the junction for the branch to Looe. ... Bodmin Parkway, looking east Bodmin Parkway (formerly Bodmin Road) serves the nearby town of Bodmin in Cornwall. ... The station in the evening, looking west St Austell Station serves the town of St Austell, Cornwall, UK. The station is operated by Wessex Trains as is every other station in Cornwall. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Truro Station serves the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. It is the junction for the Maritime Line to Falmouth. ...

Locomotives and rolling stock

The locomotives were provided under a contract with Messrs Evans, Walker and Gooch. This enabled the expensive equipment to be provided without a huge capital outlay. The South Devon Railway took over the contract in 1867 and worked both of the companies' lines and also that of the West Cornwall Railway with one common pool of engines, although throughout both contracts the Cornwall Railway was responsible for ordering its own engines and was charged for their costs. Sir Daniel Gooch was the first chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway from 1837 to 1864. ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Carriages and wagons were bought by the Cornwall Railway and maintained at workshops established at Lostwithiel. These workshops also had equipment for preparing timber for the viaducts and permanent way. Lostwithiel is a small town in Cornwall, England at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. ...

At the opening of the line there was provided 8 first class, 18 second, 16 third, and 4 composite carriages; in 1861 a post office sorting carriage was provided. These were all six-wheel vehicles. By 1889 there was 1 less second class but 3 more third class carriages plus 6 luggage vans. Initially 30 mineral and 20 cattle trucks were provided, along with 8 brake vans, 10 carriage trucks, 8 ballast trucks, and 2 timber trucks. By 1889 this fleet had grown to 421 vehicles. There were also 15 vans for carrying meat, and 9 horse boxes. 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

References

The records of the Cornwall Railway can be consulted at The National Archives at Kew.

History of the Cornwall Railway 1835-1846, Edward Osler, Avon-Anglia Publications, Weston-super-Mare 1982 ISBN 0905466489

The Great Western Railway in East Cornwall, Alan Bennett, Runpast Publishing, Cheltenham 1990, ISBN 1870754115

The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall, Alan Bennett, Kingfisher Railway Publications, Southampton 1988. ISBN 0946184534