St Blazey engine shed
Encyclopedia
St Blazey Engine Shed is located in Par
, Cornwall
, United Kingdom. The depot operator is DB Schenker
. It is named after the adjacent village of St Blazey
and has the depot code is BZ.
St Blazey engine shed dates from the opening of the Cornwall Minerals Railway
on 1 June 1874. This line linked Fowey
and Newquay
via Par
in Cornwall
. The engineer was Sir Morton Peto
and he built workshops for the railway on the north side of Par
, close to the adjoining town of St Blazey
. The workshops included a distinctive roundhouse
engine shed of nine 70 feet long roads around a turntable
. Each shed road had a 58 feet long pit between the rails for servicing engines. The area also boasted an erecting and repair shop, a fitting shop, a smithy, boiler house and a 2,500 gallon water tower.
Because of their location, the engine shed was initially known as Par. On 1 January 1879 a loop line was built to the Cornwall Railway
station at Par
after which the Cornwall Minerals Railway engine shed and adjacent station
were known as St Blazey to avoid the confusion of two stations with the same name.
The Cornwall Minerals Railway was operated by the Great Western Railway
from October 1877. A new, elevated coaling road and 45,000 gallon water tank was provided before 1908.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948. The first diesel locomotive was allocated to St Blazey in November 1960. The last steam locomotive workings from the shed were on 28 April 1962.
The roundhouse has since been converted into industrial units but since April 1987 the adjacent wagon repair shed has been used to service diesel locomotives, local passenger trains, and wagons used for china clay
traffic. The turntable has been retained to turn the preserved steam locomotives that still visit Cornwall on special main line workings. Goods traffic is still sometimes loaded at St Blazey in the marshalling yard adjacent to the depot.
British Rail
was privatised in the 1990s, the goods traffic and workshops becoming the responsibility of freight operator, EWS.
Now owned by DB Schenker Rail (UK) the wagon shops are no longer in use for wagon repairs as this has been transferred to Fowey Docks.
Types that have been in regular use from the depot since the 1980s have been:
The yard was used to store several DMUs overnight for Wessex Trains
for many years, and then First Great Western
when this company took over the operation of local trains. This meant that several morning services started at Par railway station
and evening ones terminated there.
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom. The depot operator is DB Schenker
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is a logistics company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. The company, created by reorganisation and rebranding of various Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, comprises a logistics division encompassing air, land and sea freight, and a rail division made up from a variety of...
. It is named after the adjacent village of St Blazey
St Blazey
St Blazey is a small town in Cornwall, United Kingdom.St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.St Blazey is situated east of St Austell...
and has the depot code is BZ.
History
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
on 1 June 1874. This line linked Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
and Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
via Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The engineer was Sir Morton Peto
Samuel Morton Peto
Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet was an English entrepreneur and civil engineer in the 19th century. A partner in Grissell and Peto, he managed construction firms that built many major buildings and monuments in London...
and he built workshops for the railway on the north side of Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
, close to the adjoining town of St Blazey
St Blazey
St Blazey is a small town in Cornwall, United Kingdom.St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.St Blazey is situated east of St Austell...
. The workshops included a distinctive roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
engine shed of nine 70 feet long roads around a turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
. Each shed road had a 58 feet long pit between the rails for servicing engines. The area also boasted an erecting and repair shop, a fitting shop, a smithy, boiler house and a 2,500 gallon water tower.
Because of their location, the engine shed was initially known as Par. On 1 January 1879 a loop line was built to the Cornwall Railway
Cornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
station at Par
Par railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
after which the Cornwall Minerals Railway engine shed and adjacent station
St Blazey railway station
A passenger station was opened at Par on 20 June 1876 when the Cornwall Minerals Railway started a passenger service from Fowey to Newquay. It was adjacent to the railway's workshops...
were known as St Blazey to avoid the confusion of two stations with the same name.
The Cornwall Minerals Railway was operated by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
from October 1877. A new, elevated coaling road and 45,000 gallon water tank was provided before 1908.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948. The first diesel locomotive was allocated to St Blazey in November 1960. The last steam locomotive workings from the shed were on 28 April 1962.
The roundhouse has since been converted into industrial units but since April 1987 the adjacent wagon repair shed has been used to service diesel locomotives, local passenger trains, and wagons used for china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
traffic. The turntable has been retained to turn the preserved steam locomotives that still visit Cornwall on special main line workings. Goods traffic is still sometimes loaded at St Blazey in the marshalling yard adjacent to the depot.
British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
was privatised in the 1990s, the goods traffic and workshops becoming the responsibility of freight operator, EWS.
Now owned by DB Schenker Rail (UK) the wagon shops are no longer in use for wagon repairs as this has been transferred to Fowey Docks.
Allocation
St Blazey does not have a permanent allocation of locomotives but many are out-based here for use on local freight services.Types that have been in regular use from the depot since the 1980s have been:
- Class 08 ShunterBritish Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
- Class 09 ShunterBritish Rail Class 09The British Rail Class 09 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel locomotive designed primarily for shunting and also short distance freight trips along branch lines....
- Class 37British Rail Class 37The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
- Class 66British Rail Class 66The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
The yard was used to store several DMUs overnight for Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. The company operated trains in the region bounded by Penzance, Cardiff, Gloucester, Worcester and Brighton...
for many years, and then First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
when this company took over the operation of local trains. This meant that several morning services started at Par railway station
Par railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
and evening ones terminated there.