Time is almost up at Truro

Another precious piece of our railway heritage will be lost at the end of this month (February 2024) when Truro Signal Box closes, as part of the Cornwall re-signalling project, after a working life stretching back 125 years to 1899.

Unlike the two other boxes to close, at Par and Lostwithiel, there is no Grade II listing to protect the attractive former Truro East box, so it remains to be seen whether it will disappear, or perhaps live on as a ghostly shell, like the former St. Austell Signal Box, which closed more than four decades ago (March 1980).

Truro is Cornwall’s most important railhead, with the the signal box here controlling not only the regular long distance and local services along the main line, but also the half-hourly Falmouth branch workings, including the passing loop and colour light signalling at Penryn, with its long single platform face.

At the time of its closure, scheduled for 27 February 2024, Truro Signal Box will have a total of nine semaphore signals under the control of its 54-lever frame, of which six are in view from the station platform ends, although both up (T6) and down (T49) home signals are obscured by sighting boards.

Out of sight east of the impressive Carvedras Viaduct, which take the line to the north, and high above the compact city, are up section signal T7 and down outer home signal T50, while to the west of the station, but visible from a public footbridge, stands up outer home signal T4 in the cutting curving round from Highertown Tunnel.

The classic view looking west from the station is of four down signals, comprising T20 for exit from the Falmouth branch bay platform (1), down starter T47 (platform 2), the newest signal (T26), installed when frequencies on the Falmouth branch were increased and allowing a train in the up platform (3) to cross onto the down line, and T25 controlling exit from sidings on the up side of the line.

Being at Truro on the first day of ASLEF industrial action (29 January 2024) meant a rare chance to see signal T26 pulled off, when the 13.15 to Falmouth Docks departed from up platform 3 while the bay platform (1) was occupied by the unit (150265) that would have formed the cancelled 12.45 service.

Apart from the pair of Class 150 units forming Falmouth services and IET Class 80x operating most other services, it was good to see all three of that day’s Castle Class HST sets in operation during my time at Truro, namely 43097/186 (GW06), 43004/042 (GW07) and 43093/198 (GW08).

There was even a bonus Castle set working when 1C80 from Paddington to Penzance only ran as far as Plymouth, due to a points failure, from where set GW06 ran in its place as 1Z80 (15.15) to Penzance, before returning to Plymouth by forming 1A39 from Penzance (17.50).

As I wrote following a recent visit to Par Signal Box, closure of Truro, Par and Lostwithiel signal boxes – with control of the route passing to Exeter Panel Signal Box – will leave outposts of mechanical signalling at Liskeard and St Erth on the main line, along with the the boxes at St Blazey and Goonbarrow Junction on the Newquay branch line.

Seeking to drown my sorrows at the imminent loss of Cornish semaphores, I once again chose to return from Truro to Reading aboard 1A96 (16.55 ex-Truro) in order to check out the wine list and sample the superlative cuisine of GWR Pullman Dining, which is offered from Plymouth (18.16) on weekdays only, as well as on the 13.15 departure.

I savoured an excellent Rioja Crianza 2018 (£15 a half bottle) along with ham hock terrine, sage stuffed chicken and the selection of British cheeses (£39.50 for three courses) in a totally full coach L (overspill in coach K) and was once again left wondering why such a great service is so hard to find.

When they were specified by the Department for Transport, every Hitachi Class 80x IET unit for GWR was equipped with a full kitchen (but no buffet counter), yet many of these units are now deployed on local stopping services and there are just two Plymouth-Paddington and one Swansea-Paddington services that offer restaurant facilities. It is such a wasted opportunity.