One last look at Lostwithiel

After recent visits to Par and Truro is seemed only right to make a farewell trip on Friday, 9 February 2024 to the third Cornish signal box that will succumb to resignalling in early March 2024, the charming and listed Lostwithiel Crossing, which dates from 1893.

Lostwithiel is a very pleasant place and given its proximity to the town, and location at the eastern end of the down platform, there are hopes that the signal box could gain a new lease of life as a cafe, like those at Bodmin Parkway and Totnes.

But for just two more weeks it will carry on doing what it has done for the last 131 years and safely control a lengthy section of the Cornish Main Line, as well as signalling clay traffic that is heading down or leaving the former Fowey branch line when travelling to or from Carne Point (Fowey Docks).

Why, I wonder has there never been any attempt made to reopen the Fowey branch line to tourist traffic. It is a remarkably scenic route to judge by fabulous panoramic shots of the line at Golant, Fowey is a tourist hot spot and the disused bay platform at Lostwithiel even has tactile paving and a yellow line along it, despite the track having been lifted!

Lostwithiel Crossing Signal Box gained its Grade II Listing in 2013, for being one of the best-preserved and earliest known examples of a GWR Type 5 signal box, once a standard box on the GWR during the late nineteenth century. It dates from 1893 and its 63-lever frame from 1923.

From that frame it controls a total of 14 semaphores, which is more than survive at either Par or Truro. Many of this 14 can be seen from the station platforms, while another good vantage point is from an over-bridge taking the A390 Liddicoat Road over the railway that is a ten-minute walk away.

This bridge offers there is a good view to the south, as the line curves right towards the station, and north towards up section signal LL8, with LL49 alongside it at the end of the up goods loop, as seen above.

Looking south, the four semaphores in view above are a bracket holding up junction signals LL6 and LL7 (loop), down home LL58, with a sighting board behind, and LL40 controlling exit from the down loop.

Standing on the station’s down platform you will see a bracket holding down starter LL57 alongside Fowey branch starter LL54, with up home LL3 around 200 yards beyond on a left-hand curve in the line. Out of sight, and seemingly impossible to photograph, are two further signals, up outer home LL2 and LL4 controlling exit from the Fowey branch.

In the absence of the Goonbarrow Junction to Carne Point China clay train, which apparently only runs on Mondays to Wednesdays, the main rolling stock interest was once again the GWR Castle Class 2+4 HST sets, with all three of the day’s scheduled sets passing Lostwithiel during my time there.

Those in action were 43186/188 (set GW06), 43093/156 (GW08) and 43187/098 (GW09), with a bonus extra sighting of GW08 when delays and cancellations elsewhere meant it passed Lostwithiel at 15.30 with 2Z73 as a replacement from Plymouth (14.46) for a booked IET service from Cardiff.

Being invited to step inside the box and admire its historic frame and instruments, it is also interesting to see how the role of this box was expanded during past resignalling of the main line, with this panel (below) at the north end of the box giving control of the main all the way to Liskeard.

Apart from the privilege of being allowed to see inside the marvellous signal box, a bonus on 9 February was a sighting of Network Rail’s “flying banana” New Measurement Train (NMT), passing Lostwithiel’s semaphores for what will almost certainly be the last time, as it returned from its circuit to Penzance and was en route to Paignton.

Under the current resignalling project, the signal boxes at Lostwithiel, Par and Truro will close, with control of this section of route being taken over by Exeter Panel Signal Box. Isolated outposts of mechanical signalling will then remain at Liskeard and St Erth on the main line, along with St Blazey and Goonbarrow Junction on the Newquay branch.

Sincere thanks to Craig Munday, Network Rail’s Local Operations Manager, for organising my visit, and to signaller Sam Clark for sharing his insights into the workings of the box and his kind hospitality (tea!)