Yes I remember the Pines Express at Walsall too on a Saturday afternoon this time hauled by a 'Brit' I think it must have been the return working to Manchester. Just how it arrived at New St in the opposite direction compared with normal Manchester trains has always intrigued me. Perhaps someone will give details of the route it followed off the WCML.
Another puzzle - The 'Cornishman' - What loco (GW or LM) was used beyond Gloucester on the Midland main line into Bristol Temple Meads?
Here you are.
Move to the Midlands
In the 1952 timetable, the name The Cornishman was applied by the
BR(WR) to a train from
Wolverhampton Low Level (09:15) and
Birmingham Snow Hill (09:50) to Plymouth and Penzance (17:55), travelling via
Stratford-upon-Avon, Cheltenham and Bristol. The return working left Penzance at 10:30 reaching Birmingham at 18:36 and Wolverhampton at 19:28. Catering was available throughout the journey and the train conveyed a portion for
Torquay and
Kingswear.
During the 1960s the northern part of The Cornishman's route underwent extensive changes. Closure of the GWR route from Honeybourne to Cheltenham St James meant using the Ex-
Midland Railway route from Birmingham to Gloucester via the
Lickey Incline. With the impending closure of the Wolverhampton Low Level station the opportunity was also taken to extend The Cornishman over the former Midland line to
Derby and
Sheffield, and later on to
Bradford Forster Square. By May 1967 departure was from
Bradford Exchange at 07:06, then reversing at
Leeds with a departure time of 07:36. This gave arrival times at Plymouth of 15:08 and Penzance at 17:55. In the reverse direction The Cornishman left Penzance at 11:00 and Plymouth at 13:30, arriving at Bradford at 22:07.
Further changes in the early 1970s saw The Cornishman start from Leeds on weekdays and Bradford on Saturdays. There were also changes to the route between Leeds and Sheffied, reverting to the former Midland lines rather than using a section of Ex-
Great Northern track. The additional stop at
Wakefield Westgate which this had enabled was, however, retained.