Bodmin General railway station explained

Bodmin General
Type:Station on heritage railway
Borough:Bodmin, Cornwall
Country:England
Coordinates:50.4661°N -4.7168°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Operator:Bodmin and Wenford Railway
Platforms:2
Former:Bodmin
Original:Great Western Railway
Years:1887
Events:Opened
Years1:1967
Events1:Closed to passengers
Years2:1983
Events2:Line closed
Years3:1986
Events3:Reopened for heritage trains
Years4:2020
Events4:Second platform opened

Bodmin General railway station, located in Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom, was the terminus of the Great Western Railway's Bodmin branch line, and is now the principal railway station of the heritage Bodmin & Wenford Railway.

History

The Great Western Railway opened a terminus in Bodmin on 27 May 1887,[1] the line diverging from the Cornish Main Line at Bodmin Road. On 3 September 1888 a new line was opened to join with the Bodmin and Wadebridge line at Boscarne Junction. Bodmin General remained a terminus, so trains running through had to reverse here and retrace their journey for a few yards before bearing right just beyond the station.

The single-sided platform had two adjacent lines, the nearer being used as a run-round and the further being furnished with a goods shed beyond which another curving siding served a cattle dock. At the end of the platform was the signal box and beyond this were two sidings, one housing an engine shed; the junction being on the running line immediately beyond this. A short refuge siding was added to the Bodmin Road line in June 1928, and further on a connection into Fulford Trumps siding was added in April 1973.

The station was originally named Bodmin and, after nationalisation, became Bodmin General on 26 September 1949, in order to distinguish it from other stations in the area[2] (and Bodmin Road).

The engine shed closed in April 1962, and passenger services ceased on 30 January 1967.[3] Freight services were withdrawn from Bodmin General on 1 May 1967 and the signal box closed later that year. The line officially closed on 3 October 1983 following the demise of freight traffic from Wenford.

Stationmasters

Bodmin & Wenford Railway

The Bodmin & Wenford Railway, a heritage railway, uses Bodmin General as its principal station. Services run to both and to ; the junction between these two lines is just outside the station which is a terminus. In February 2020, a second platform was opened.[11] [12]

An engine shed and workshops is situated adjacent to the station. The workshops are open for inspection when trains are running.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Butt, R.V.J. . The Directory of Railway Stations . 1995 . Patrick Stephens Ltd . Yeovil . 1-85260-508-1 . R508 . 38 .
  2. J.N. . Slater . July 1974 . Notes and News: Western's last "General" . . 120 . 879 . IPC Transport Press Ltd . London . 0033-8923 . 361 .
  3. North Cornwall line closed The Railway Magazin issue 791 March 1967 page 168
  4. News: . Newton . Western Times . England . 13 May 1887 . 10 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  5. . 1835 . 1835-1910 Clerks Vol.5 . Great Western Railway . 537 . 10 July 2021.
  6. News: . Presentation to the late Stationmaster . Oxfordshire Weekly News . England . 1 March 1899 . 10 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  7. News: . Mr. W.A. Glasson . Western Morning News . England . 16 January 1930 . 10 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  8. News: . Penryn . Lake's Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser . England . 3 February 1911 . 10 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  9. News: . Popular Chief . Western Morning News . England . 5 November 1935 . 10 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  10. News: . Bodmin's Last Station-Master Retires . Cornish Guardian . England . 11 February 1965 . 5 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  11. Bodmin defies winter rain to complete construction of its new platform 2 Heritage Railway issue 266 April 2020 page 15
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20200925160812/https://bodminrailway.co.uk/support-us/second-platform-project/ Second Platform Project