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Cornwall - Places of Interest
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The Bodmin & Wenford Railway
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Bodmin General Station, Bodmin, Cornwall PL31 1AQ
Tel: 01208 73666 Fax: 01208 77963
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Throughout the 1830s and 1840s a great expansion of the railway network took place up and
down the land. Cornwall was at the forefront, and
the line from Wadebridge to Wenfordbridge, with a branch to Bodmin, was opened in 1834. Over
the next decades plans were laid to link Bodmin, then the capital of the county,
to the main railway line from London to Truro and Penzance.
In 1887 a line was opened from Bodmin Road (now Parkway) to Bodmin
(now Bodmin General). A further line, from Bodmin General to Boscarne Junction,
was opened in 1888 to connect with the Bodmin to Wadebridge railway. In 1983 British
Rail announced the closure of these lines, and soon afterwards the Bodmin
Railway Preservation Society was formed to save
the lines. To raise the money needed to save the stretch from Bodmin Parkway to
Boscarne Junction via Bodmin General the Bodmin
& Wenford Railway plc was formed; the company issued a share
prospectus and the six miles of track was soon secured. The railway held its
first Open Day in 1986 and in 1990 regular steam-hauled passenger trains
began running again for the first time since 1967, linking the two Bodmin
stations; in 1996 trains began running on the Bodmin-Boscarne line.
The former line includes a stop at Colesloggett Halt, where
passengers can take the opportunity for a walk in the lovely Cardinham Wood.
The station at Boscarne provides a direct link to the Camel walking and
cycling trail - bikes are carried free on the trains. Bodmin General has a
buffet and shop, and there's also a café at
Parkway. Among the resident steam locomotives are 4612, a GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank; 5552, a
GWR 2-6-2T; 4247, a GWR 2-8-0T and 30587, a venerable LSWR 2-4-0 well tank that first
saw service in 1874. The line also employs ex-Bagnall saddle tanks, vintage diesels and
a wide variety of carriages and wagons. Besides the regular timetable, the railway has a
year-long programme of special events. It is operated largely by volunteers, and
welcomes both active and `armchairs' members to support the line. A BR Mk 3 sleeping
car from 1983 provides accommodation for volunteers.
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Photo by Chris Hooper |
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 This
entry is in the Hidden Places of Cornwall. For further information on this title please
Click Here |
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