Railways Gallery

Locomotive Smelter on the Redruth and Chacewater line, Cornwall. After 1854

Driver and fireman posing for the camera and a group of small children looking on from the vantage point of a high hedge in the background. Authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1824, the Redruth and Chacewater Railway opened on January 30th 1826, running from the Gwennap copper mines to the south coast port of Devoran, with a branch line to service the mines of Redruth. The 4ft gauge line carried minerals and goods only and generally worked profitably. It was worked by horses until 1854 when two tank locomotives, Miner and Smelter, were bought - the first steam locomotives in Cornwall. Eventually during the 1860s the two competing lines were joined to form a coast to coast railway line. The line closed in 1915. Photographer: Unknown

© From the collection of the RIC

Lostwithiel

© RIC, photographer Jonathan Barker

Cornish, Platform, Steam Train

GWR tank number 34 pictured with four men on the St Ives branch. Around 1905

The image shows GWR number 34 pictured with two unnamed men, Charlie Gould the fireman standing on the running plate and the driver Nickie Curnow standing with his feeder (oil can) on the St Ives branch line. The engine itself has a 0-4-4 tank, built as a 0-4-2 saddle tank, along with number 35 at Swindon in 1890 as Lot Number 81. The locomotive was altered to the 0-4-4 side tank in 1895. It weighed 40 tons and had a 800 gallon water capacity. Number 34 was sold in 1908 and eventually made her way to the Longmoor Military Railway where she carried the name Longmoor'. She was sadly cut up in 1922

© From the collection of the RIC