BODMIN & WENFORD RAILWAY a steam railway and top tourist attraction in Cornwall

NEWS

Lack of a couple of Panniers!
1/12/2011
For those who are not familiar with the railway, the title to this article means two things.

Resident pannier tank 4612 has now gone to the Flour mill workshops in the forest of dean for its ten year overhaul and boiler lift, and work is well underway with the engine being stripped down and is now a kit of parts, ready to be inspected, repaired and re-assembled.

Our other resident pannier tank 6435 is also out of traffic for its 10 year boiler lift, which instead of being sent off to do, is being done 'in house' at Bodmin General. With the overhaul quickly progressing, we will keep you posted with reports and pictures on here.

New Exhibition Coach
23/10/2011
Very good progress on the new Exhibition Coach - has continued to be made over the summer, so much so that it has been out-shopped from the workshops, sporting a fine coat of the 'railways colours' which is the Carmine & Cream livery.

Attention has been given to the Bodywork on former RMB coach number 1873, as well as the framing, with repairs carried out where required, and specialist contractors had to be bought in to remove some asbestos. Considerable work has gone into the interior of the coach, and the quality of the work carried out has been the subject of much favourable comment.

Work has now started on fitting out the coach for the exhibition, which is planned to be opened at the Bodmin Branch 125 gala event over the last weekend in May next year, however the Bodmin General end of the coach will be open this Christmas , providing an excellent heated seating area as an overflow from the station buffet.

Bodmin Branch 125
05/10/2011
NOT content with celebrating our own 25th Anniversary this year - which has gone a long way to raise the profile of the BWR - 2012, is year not only for the Olympics, but also it marks the 125th anniversary of the opening of the 31/2 mile branch from Bodmin Road to Bodmin (as the stations were originally called). The actual anniversary day is the 27th May which, ironically, just happens to fall on a Sunday next year!.

Bodmin Branch 125 will be the main thrust for our marketing next year. Watch this space for full details including a very special anniversary gala from 25-27th May 2012

September Gala, Another Huge Success!
12/09/2011

THIS year’s Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway – Cornwall’s only full size (standard gauge) railway still regularly operated by steam locomotives – was the most successful such three-day event ever held on the line.

Over 1,600 passengers visited the railway during the event, at an average of almost 550 per day. This compares very favourably with the figure of 428 per day at last year’s event, which itself saw a record attendance for a Steam Gala held on the line in its 25-year history.

The only real disappointment to what was otherwise a phenomenally successful event was the unfortunate failure of City of Truro, which had to be withdrawn from service early on Sunday morning due to leaking boiler tubes in the firebox. Its place in the locomotive roster on the Sunday was taken by GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank No 6435.

“Our September Steam Gala & Real Ale Festival was the best such three-day event we have ever held,” comments Richard Jones, General Manager of the BWR, “and we were delighted to welcome so many people to the railway over the three days, including customers from both UK Railtours and Steam Dreams. The return of City of Truro to Cornwall, supported by five other locomotives of Cornish pedigree, certainly made a very impressive spectacle. Our staff worked incredibly hard over the three days to put on an excellent show for our visitors, and it is thanks to them that the Gala was such a resounding success.”

Bodmin & Wenford Railway, General Station, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1AQ
smiles and smiles of family fun!