AN OLD LUGGAGE VAN AND BRANCH LINES

I’ve moved to an 1859 luggage van which is parked at St. Germans station. Squeezed inside is a pull out double bed, which serves as a settee during the day, a loo and shower, a galley kitchen and two bunk beds. Dave and Lizzy Stroud (www.railholiday.co.uk) have two lovingly restored carriages here and one at Hayle station. Dave, a Grimsby-based driver for German Railways Deutsche Bahn, who are becoming a big operator in Britain, is in the old Travelling Post Office which is rather more spacious than my new temporary home.
Dave and Lizzy have grand plans for St. Germans, where the old station is their family home. Two coaches are already in position awaiting Dave’s expert rebuilds. Another one will shortly arrive to be equipped for disabled visitors.
The old luggage van is so close to the main London to Penzance line that I am a bit worried how much I will be disturbed by trains, but in the event I sleep undisturbed although undoubtedly various high speed trains have whizzed by during the night.
I have decided to explore two little branch lines in the area. From Plymouth I take the 14-mile long Tamar Valley line to Gunnislake. The line twists and turns so much as it heads under Brunel’s 1859-built Royal Albert bridge that, until I later look at a map, I think I am heading south rather than north. The highlight of the 45-minute journey is the passage high across the Tamar on the Calstock viaduct, just as we enter Cornwall.
On our return journey, I ask the conductor where I need to go to catch my next train. She studies her schedule and tells me to stay where I am, because the crew are taking the same train south to Penzance.
Back in Plymouth, the almost empty train becomes packed. I feel slightly superior as my ticket is not required to be shown to be new best friend. At Liskeard, you have to walk to an entirely separate platform a couple of hundred yards away to catch the Looe Valley train.
This surely has to be one of the quirkiest little lines on the entire British Rail network. Just like the Tamar Valley branch, you start out in one direction and, after a token collection at Coombe Junction too give you permission to proceed along the single-track; you head in the opposite direction alongside the river for the nine mile journey to Looe. There’s a little code of buzzes between the conductor and the driver. Three buzzes followed by two means that there are no passengers for the request stops of St. Keyne Wishing Well Halt, Causeland and Sandplace. On several occasions, we stop to blow our horn before heading gingerly across unguarded level crossings.
In Looe, spilt into east and west by the River Tamar, I enjoy an excellent and good value snack lunch at Martin’s Dairy, where I purchase a takeaway cream tea and a couple of their excellent pasties for my self-catering luggage van.
It’s been a splendid day out.