Pentewan Railway
Map with all coordinates: | Pentewan Railway | ||
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 Pentewan Railway
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| Route length: | 6.4 km | |
| Gauge : | 762 mm ( narrow gauge ) | |
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The Pentewan Railway was a narrow-gauge railway with the then unusual gauge of 762 mm (2 feet 6 inches ) at Pentewan in Cornwall , England . It was built as a horse-drawn train to transport kaolinite from St Austell to what was then a newly built port in Pentewan and opened in 1829. In 1874 the tracks were reinforced so that steam locomotives could be used. After the transport volume was taken over by more efficient ports, the railway was shut down in 1918.
founding
After tin mining lost its importance in Cornwall in the 1830s, kaolin (porcelain clay), which plays an important role in porcelain and paper production, was mined northwest of St Austell . The mineral was transported on pack donkeys to a port in Charlestown built by Charles Rashleigh , from which the mineral could be shipped. To make transportation easier, Sir Christopher Hawkins purchased land at the mouth of the St Austell River. He built a port there for £ 22,000, which was inaugurated in 1826.
In 1827 he published a plan for a railroad that would run from a transfer station on West Road in St Austell to the port of Pentewan, easily accessible by horse from the clay pits. The construction work was put out to tender on September 26, 1829. There were no topographical challenges, so that the railway line could already be put into operation 9 months later, on July 1, 1829. The cost of £ 5,732 6s 8d was borne by the Pentewan Railway and Harbor Company founded by Sir Hawkins.
business
The railway was built with a gauge of 762 mm (2 feet 6 inches ) as the first horse-drawn railway to use this gauge. The northern part of the route had a slope towards the port, so that the loaded wagons rolled downhill by gravity. Horses were used for the rest of the route and to transport the empty wagons uphill.
Porcelain clay mining in Cornwall increased very rapidly during this period from 12,790 tons in 1826 to 20,784 tons in 1838. The Pentewan Railway initially carried a third of that total, but the proportion fell to a tenth in 1838.
In 1833 a siding to the coal bunker in London Apprentice was laid to supply the tin mine at Polgooth . The railway line was also used by several small feldspar mines and to transport coal to other industries such as the St Austell gas works and feldspar works. Timber from the Baltic States was transported from the port to St Austell to be used to build barrels.
Passenger transport
From 1830 there was also a minor passenger transport, of which a few details are still known. Initially the trip cost 3d. There was no timetable, and presumably the passengers were taken on the normal freight cars on request. A saloon car with 16 seats was built in 1875. Its use was reserved for the Hawkins family. From 1883 there were free Sunday school excursions to Pentewan, for which the freight wagons were used.
Steamer Foy of Fowey extinguishing coal
Reloading the china clay in St Austell
Excursion with passenger transport
The only passenger car reserved for the Hawkins family
Steam operation
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In 1874 an Act of Parliament allowed the use of steam locomotives and route extensions to the north in the clay mining area. Therefore, the name of the operating company was changed to St Austell and Pentewan Railway Harbor and Dock Company and a capital increase to £ 50,000 was sought. The rails had probably been strengthened beforehand and a three-axle Pentewan tank locomotive had been delivered in February 1874 .
On January 1, 1876, the Cornwall Railway was taken over by the Great Western Railway , which very effectively transported the clay to the port in Fowey . That had a dramatic impact on the Pentewan Railway. The volume of transport fell from 19,672 tons in 1876 to 5,341 tons in 1877. The proposed and authorized by Parliament increase of capital to £ 50,000 progressed more slowly than planned: by 1880 only £ 11,824 had been raised and the profit was insufficient to cover the costs cover. In addition, the landowner Hawkins appealed against the use of steam locomotives.
Electrification plans
After the temporary slump in transport, it rose to 45,270 tons in 1882, making a profit of £ 1,206. Therefore, in 1886 the originally used steam locomotive Pentewan was replaced by a new, similarly constructed locomotive called Trewithan . At the time there were also plans to extend the railway line even further north and electrify it via a live center rail, but these plans were not implemented.
20th century
The Trewithin locomotive was replaced by the Canopus locomotive in 1901 . The transport volume fluctuated strongly and could be increased from 20,694 tons in 1903 and to 34,123 tons in 1910. Another Pioneer locomotive was purchased in used condition from the War Department in 1912. The steam locomotives were only used as far as Iron Bridge . From there, horses took over the further transport to ensure the safety of the population. The horses were brought there from Pentewan on the first train of the day. Only in later years were the locomotives allowed to run to St Austell.
A strike of 1913 reduced income and the outbreak of World War I in 1914 pulled many workers out of the china industry. On January 29, 1918, the transport of porcelain clay was stopped and the last train ran on March 2, 1918, after which the line was closed. The field railways for supplying the trenches at the front in France had a gauge of 762 mm, so the War Department acquired the locomotives and rails.
staff
From 1887 to 1913, the engine driver and stoker consisted of father and son of the Drew family. The stoker, JH Drew, described his working life in a publication.
Locomotives
| Surname | Manufacturer | Wheel alignment | Factory no. | Construction year | Shutdown | scrapping | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentewan | Manning Wardle | 0-6-0 T | 461 | 1873 | 1886 | 1896 | Purchase price £ 925; no cab |
| Trewithen | Manning Wardle | 0-6-0 T | 994 | 1886 | 1901 | Cab | |
| Canopus | Manning Wardle | 0-6-2 ST | 1547 | 1901 | Purchase price £ 1,051; later use at WD West Drayton | ||
| Pioneer | Yorkshire Engine Company | 2-6-2 T | 757 | 1903 | Built for the Chattenden and Upnor Railway ; came to St Austell on May 6, 1912; unusual front buffer |
Steam locomotive 'Pentewan' on the pier
'Trewithen' steam locomotive
'Trewithen' steam locomotive with retrofitted water tank
Steam locomotive 'Canopus' as RAF No. 7
Steam locomotive 'Pioneer'
remains
A bike and footpath follow the course of the route today. In 2006 there were still a few remains of the railway: A complete switch, which may have come from a later built narrow-gauge railway for transporting sand, is still in place on the old engine shed. An unusual Libra still exists in a very overgrown condition.
literature
- Kidner, RW: Mineral Railways . The Oakwood Press, 1938.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g M JT Lewis, The Pentewan Railway 1829 - 1918 , DB Barton, Truro, 1960
- ↑ a b c d e A Fairclough, The Story of Cornwall's Railways , Tor Mark Press, Truro, undated
- ^ MJT Lewis: The Pentewan Railway . Twelveheads Press, Truro 1981, ISBN 0-906294-05-3 .
- ^ R Symons CE, A Geographical Dictionary or Gazetteer of the County of Cornwall , Penzance, 1884, page 176
- ^ John Henry Drew: Rail and Sail to Pentewan . Twelveheads Press, Truro 1986, ISBN 0-906294-12-6 .