The Great Western Railway System

[Karen Graves]

I am in the process of writing a new historical mystery/thriller set in the late 19th century. My amateur sleuth/hero resides in London, but is called to investigate a case down in Cornwall, specifically the town of Tintagel, aka as Trevena before the Postal Service changed its name. I know that the Great Western Railway service went down to Cornwall because of the tin mines, but I was wondering what specific branch went to Tintagel, and how would my detective reach his destination. What railway station in London would he have to depart from? Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated, as I want my story to be historically correct! Thanks!

 

[DJ737]

Hi there

Your amatuer sleuth would have probably travelled from Waterloo station in London on the Southern Railway which also ran to North Cornwall over the Padstow branchline, the nearest station to Tintagel was Camelford which was about 6 miles away, presumably there was local transport of some kind from Camelford, but I can't say for sure.

This website has a history of the line your sleuth would have travelled to Camelford on.

http://www.northcornwallrailway.co.uk/

Cheers
and good luck with the book.

 

[Eagle]

Small point: if it's the late 19th century it would have been the London and Southwestern Railway, as Southern Railway didn't exist until 1923.

 

[DJ737]

Quite right Eagle, well spotted.

 

[The Decapod]

Even though your sleuth probably travelled to Cornwall on the London & South Western Railway, just in case he also comes into contact with the Great Western during the his travels around Cornwall, one thing to bear in mind is:

During the late 19th century the Great Western was phasing out broad gauge (7ft) and adopting standard 4ft 8.5in gauge. The last GWR broad gauge train ran in 1892 and for some years before then many GWR lines were dual gauge, with a third rail between the two broad gauge ones to allow standard gauge trains to run. I mention this because GWR broad gauge trains and track had a distinctly different appearance from 'normal' railways.

The London & South Western Railway was always standard gauge.

As a rough guide, a late 19th century express locomotive on the London & South Western system would have looked something like this, built in 1892 but similar in appearance to earlier types:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cessna152towser/4667530112/

And for comparison here is a Great Western broad gauge train on dual gauge track:
http://www.railphotolibrary.com/Det...censes=1,2&sort=REL&cdonly=False&mronly=False

 

[Nicholas43]

According to a reprint I have of the LSWR timetable for summer 1914 (thus a bit late for your detective, but unlikely to be enormously different from the service in, say, the 1890s), he could have left London Waterloo at 11.00 am on the North Cornwall and Bude Express, luncheon car London to Padstow, (luncheon 2/6) reaching Camelford at 4.30 pm. Alternatively he might have given an order to the Guard for a luncheon basket to be delivered to him from the buffet at Exeter station. A two-horse omnibus left Camelford at 4.40 pm, reaching Tintagel (Wharncliffe Hotel) at 5.40pm. The hotel advertised that 'special trains are met on receipt of telegram or postcard'. The return fares to Camelford were 69s 2d 1st class, or 43s 4d 2nd class. 3rd class would not concern your detective, unless he was travelling disguised as a salesman.

I expect someone will be along with an 1885 Bradshaw any minute!

 

[krus_aragon]

For the sake of completeness, as you asked about the GWR, the closest that their network got (according to my 1901 timetable) was the branch from Bodmin Road to Wadebridge (where it meets the above mentioned North Cornwall Railway).

Options to travel this way would include the midnight (except Monday mornings) departure from Paddington, with sleeping cars as far as Plymouth (arr 7am), going on to Wadebridge for 9:40 am. Sleeping car costs '5s each berth in addition to the Ordinary First Class Fare'. The Penzance Corridor Express (with 1st class luncheon car to Exeter) departs Paddington at 10:40 with a carriage arriving at Wadebridge for 5:38pm. Two other through trains run from Paddington: 5:30am arr. 3:18pm, and 11:45am arr. 7:51pm. The Wadebridge branch itself had a total of 7 end-to-end trains each weekday (nothing on the weekend).

Onward travel from Wadebridge would most sensibly be on the above LSWR(?) railway to Camelford, then a coach as described. Coaches from Wadebridge left the station at 1:35pm for Post Isaac, St. Minver, and Rock (connecting with the 6:15am from Bristol, which would have been of limited use for a London traveller).

Fares from Paddington to Wadebridge are listed as 41/8, 26/- and 20/10 for first through third class single fare, and 73/- and 45/8 for first and second class return fares.