Truthall Halt railway station explained

Truthall Halt
Type:Station on Helston Railway
Country:England
Coordinates:50.1209°N -5.2837°W
Platforms:1
Years:3 July 1905
Events:Opened
Years1:July 1906
Events1:Renamed Truthall Platform
Years2:5 November 1962
Events2:Closed
Years3:16 March 2017
Events3:Reopened

Truthall Halt on the Helston branch was opened on 3 July 1905. The small station, which was located just above the 300feet contour, served the villages of Trannack and Gwavas, and also Truthall Manor. It was the first stop about NaNmile north of Helston.[1]

Truthall originally had a short platform with an iconic "Pagoda Platform Shelter”.

Description

Truthall Halt was constructed adjacent to a road overbridge and had pedestrian access down a short flight of shallow steps from the road; there was no vehicular access. It had a single platform 84 feet long on the down side of the line, though it was shortened later to about 50 feet.[2] The platform had stone edging and a cinder surface and infill held back by wooden slats retained by wooden posts and lengths of Barlow Rail, disposed of by the West Cornwall Railway and Great Western Railway.Great Western Railway[3]

History

Truthall Halt was opened by the Great Western Railway in July 1905 after the line had been opened for a number of years.

Truthall Halt opened as such but changed its name to Truthall Platform in July 1906 and closed with this name on 5 November 1962.[4] The station has held three different names – Truthall Platform, Truthall Halt and Truthall Bridge Halt – although the last one was only referred to in ticketing.[5]

In 2016–17 the platform was rebuilt and re-opened in March 2017.[6] On 9 February 2019, Truthall Halt and the Helston Railway won the Heritage Railway Association Annual Award for Small Groups for the work in restoring Truthall.[7]

Restoration

The platform has been rebuilt by the Helston Railway as their third station along the line. The halt has been restored in its original two coach length with as many original features as possible [8] including a replica of the GWR Pagoda shelter has been built new from photos and original drawings of the shelter.[9]

The station was formally opened on the 5th April 2018 by HRH the Duke of Gloucester.

The restored station won the Cornish Buildings Group award in 2019 for its "considerable research and constructional ingenuity".[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Helston Branch - Cornwall Railway Society . Cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk . 2017-03-07 . 2 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202001158/http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/helston-branch.html . live .
  2. Cornwall Railway Stations, Mike Oakley, 2009, Dovecote Press, Wimborne Minster,
  3. Book: Heginbotham, Stephen . Cornwall's Railways Remembered . Halsgrove . 2010 . 91–92 . 978-0-85704-005-3.
  4. Web site: Cornwall railway society webpage. Cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk. 16 February 2017. en. 2 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202001158/http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/helston-branch.html. live.
  5. Web site: Photo of a ticket from Truthall Bridge Halt to Helston . Cornwall Railway Society . 1 September 2017 . en . 2 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202114841/http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/uploads/7/6/8/3/7683812/7519409_orig.jpg. live.
  6. Web site: Helston Railway website photos November 2016 . Helston Railway . 16 February 2017 . en . 17 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170217062857/http://www.helstonrailway.co.uk/gallery-album?November-2016-114 . live.
  7. Web site: 2019 Awards - Winners and Shortlists . Heritage Railway Association . https://web.archive.org/web/20190210044544/https://www.hra.uk.com/2019-awards-winners-and-short-lists/ . 10 February 2019.
  8. Web site: Helston Railway Info page. Helstonrailway.org. 17 February 2017. 17 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170217062748/http://www.helstonrailway.org/truthall-halt/. live.
  9. Jones. Robin. Cornwall's Truthall Halt reappears from the past. Heritage Railway. February 2018. 238. 10. Mortons Media. Horncastle. 1466-3562.
  10. Web site: Awards 2019 . Cornish Buildings Group . 8 January 2021 . 16 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201016095824/https://sites.google.com/site/cornishbuildingsgroup/awards/awards-2019 . live .