Group Formed
Sunday, 06th June, 1999
Group Description
South West Rail Gen

THE group for whats happening on the railways of South West England.


SWRG is for:

'Real time' gen,
Loco/unit allocations,
Sightings,
General news,
Advance timings of railtours/special workings etc...

For discussion/questions join SWRG's discussion group HERE.

Please.. NO bad language!!!
Group Link
Go to: South West Rail Gen
Geographic Area Covered

Locations within group area

Location Name:
TS1090 - Beam Bridge

Location Notes:
Just off the main A38 between Tiverton and Wellington. This was the location of the temporary terminus of the Bristol and Exeter railway before Whiteball Tunnel was completed.

Railway type and traffic
Mainly FGW HSTs and Arriva Cross Country DMUs and HST sets plus a peppering of freight workings. Regular steam workings at weekends during the high summer.

Location Name:
TS669 - Burngullow Junction

Location Notes:
Burngullow Junction is situated on the Cornish Mainline a couple miles west of St.Austell. It is where the freight only branch to Treviscoe and Parkandillack diverges and is also adjacent to the Blackpool Dryers china clay loading terminal.

Railway type and traffic
Passenger traffic consists of Virgin Voyagers and First Great Western HSTs with local services being class 150/153/158. The only loco hauled passenger train is the Sleeper service, which you can only shoot in the long summer days - It is booked to pass at 07:15 to Penzance and 22:48 to London!!
Charter trains are common as St.Austell is home to 'The Eden Project' and many tours to this location continue to Penzance.
Freight traffic is entirely class 66, anything else is a rarity.

Location Name:
TS334 - Cockwood Harbour

Location Notes:
Cockwood is located south of Exeter on the River Exe and is on the West of England Main Line.

Railway type and traffic
Passenger services are provided by Great Western, Virgin, Wessex Trains and Arriva Trains Wales bringing HSTs, 150/153/158s and Voyagers.
There are infrequent freight services.

Location Name:
TS105 - Dawlish

Location Notes:
On the Great Western Main Line about halfway between Exeter and Newton Abbot.

Railway type and traffic
A mixture of First Great Western (HST's), Virgin (220's/220's), Wessex (150's/158's) and South West Trains (159's) services and the occasional freight train run through Dawlish.

Location Name:
TS333 - Dawlish Warren

Location Notes:
Dawlish Warren is on the West of England Main Line between Exeter and Newton Abbot where it meets the coast after running down the River Exe.

Railway type and traffic
There are regular passenger trains operated by Great Western, Wessex Trains, Virgin Trains and Arriva Trains Wales. There are freight services though these are infrequent.

Location Name:
TS331 - Dawlish, Horse Cove

Location Notes:
Update 20-07-08:
This location would seem to have been fenced off now making the shots described here unavailable.

Horse Cove is just west of Dawlish on the coast between Exeter and Newton Abbot on the West of England Main Line.

Railway type and traffic
There is a regular service along this stretch of line including hourly local trains, hourly Great Western HSTs, half-hourly Voyagers and semi-fast workings by Wessex Trains, South West Trains and Arriva Trains Wales.
There are a few freight workings though these are fairly sparse.

Location Name:
TS482 - Dockyard Station

Location Notes:
A densley populated suburb of Plymouth, on the main Plymouth - Penzance line.

Railway type and traffic
Mostly Wessex Class 150 153 and 158 units along with First Great Western HSTs and a few Virgin Voyagers. There are a few Arriva Class 158 workings during the day.
Freight traffic is mainly DB Schenker 66s, although running on both Tuesday and Thursday evenings the Moorswater cement is a FLHH 66.

Location Name:
TS330 - Golant

Location Notes:
Golant is a very small Cornish village located on a beautiful river about 10 miles from St. Austell.

Railway type and traffic
Golant is on the Fowey branch which is freight only and usually has one working daily of China Clay wagons to the docks at Fowey.

Location Name:
TS177 - Hemerdon Summit

Location Notes:
A road bridge near Plymouth, Devon on the Great Western main line.

Railway type and traffic
Mainly FGW (HSTs) Virgin (220s and 221s) and the odd Wessex (150s, 158s, 159s)
Also occasional freight workings with 66s or 60s.

Location Name:
TS162 - Keyham, Plymouth

Location Notes:
A small station outside Devonport naval base. On the Great Western main line between Plymouth and Cornwall.

Railway type and traffic
All rail traffic into and out of Cornwall passes through the station.

Location Name:
TS336 - Langstone Rock

Location Notes:
Langstone Rock is on the West of England Main Line between Exeter and Newton Abbot where it meets the coast after running down the River Exe, just to the south of Dawlish Warren

Railway type and traffic
There are regular passenger trains operated by Great Western, Wessex Trains, Virgin Trains and Arriva Trains Wales. There are freight services though these are infrequent.

Location Name:
TS571 - Long Rock

Location Notes:
On the Great Western Main Line near to its terminus at Penzance.

Railway type and traffic
FGW express services to/from Paddington, Virgin XC services and occasional Wessex local services.

Location Name:
TS332 - Lostwithiel

Location Notes:
Lostwithiel is on the West of England Main Line between Bodmin Parkway and St. Austell. It is a small town set in countryside.

Railway type and traffic
There are regular services provided by Great Western and Wessex Trains with Virgin and Arriva Trains Wales which bring 158s, 220s and HSTs to the area.
There is also a nightly sleeper service and a variety of freight, most notable of which is the China Clay Workings to and from Fowey Docks.

Location Name:
TS248 - Marazion

Location Notes:
A holiday resort in west Cornwall, nearest town is Penzance.

Railway type and traffic
Mostly HSTs, Voyagers, Units. The Penzance sleeper and an odd Freight Train.

Location Name:
TS570 - Penzance Station

Location Notes:
The terminus of the Great Western Main Line right in the centre of Penzance.

Railway type and traffic
There are hourly FGW express services from London, Hourly Virgin XC services and occasional Wessex services. Theres is also an overnight sleeper service to London.

Location Name:
TS268 - Restormel

Location Notes:
Situated in the Fowey Valley between Lostwithiel and Bodmin Parkway in Cornwall it is situated on the Great Western mainline to Penzance.

Railway type and traffic
FGW, VXC, Arriva Wales and Wessex passenger services.
DB Schenker freight trains, mainly connected with the china clay industry and Freightliner's twice weekly Earles to Moorswater cement empties which run round at St Blazey.

Location Name:
TS178 - Saltash footbridge

Location Notes:
A footbridge on the outskirts of Saltash overlooking the Great Western main line.

Railway type and traffic
Mainly FGW (HSTs) Virgin (220s and 221s) and the odd Wessex (150s, 158s, 159s)
Also occasional freight workings with 66s or 60s.

Location Name:
TS284 - St. Blazey Depot

Location Notes:
St. Blazey Depot is the only major freight depot south-west of Exeter. It is situated on the Great Western main line at Par. The nearest town(s) are St. Blazey, Par and St. Austell is about 5 miles away and Lostwithiel is about 4 miles away.

Railway type and traffic
The depot is used by EWS and Wessex Trains. In St. Blazey depot you can usually find 4 or 5 EWS class 66s on a good day i.e: a weekend when the locos are not working. In the can be seen the usual 08/09s doing theirs duties in the yard.
The line also carries the Newqay branch traffic.

Location Name:
TS501 - Teignmouth, Shaldon Bridge

Location Notes:
Shaldon Bridge is a road bridge that crosses the River Teign just south of Teignmouth Station

Railway type and traffic
There is a regular service along this stretch of line including hourly local trains, hourly Great Western HSTs, half-hourly Voyagers and semi-fast workings by Wessex Trains, South West Trains and Arriva Trains Wales.


Disclaimer
Back to the top

All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.

The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.

This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavor to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.

Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.

Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.

The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window.

Please enjoy this guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.