Helston Railway to commemorate 60 years since its closure | So Good News

The Helston Railway in Cornwall is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the last train from Gwinear Road to Helston running on 3 November 1962 hauled by Class 22 diesel No. D6312 with a special event 60 years back today, next Thursday 3 November .

Although the last train was hauled by D6312, no Class 22 locomotive survives. Instead, daytime services will be operated by Helston Railway’s 0-6-0 Peckett steam locomotive No. 2000 and its diesel locomotive Kingswood in Top & Tail mode.

Before it closed in 1962, the railway was operated by steam locomotives from its opening in 1887 until the introduction of Class 22 locomotives in 1961, so this is a fitting way to remember the line.

During the day, services will depart from Prospidnick Halt at 10.30, 11.30, 13.00, 14.00 and 15.00, and standard prices will apply.

The Peckett 2000 steam locomotive will be at the front of the trains as they travel towards Truthall Hal and will provide rare opportunities to photograph the locomotive pulling the train chimney first.

In the evening, a special train will leave from Prospidnick Halt at 18.30 and drive to Truthall Halt. It will then run several times up and down the line before it departs from Truthall Halt at approx. 20.50 in the route of the timetable that the last train ran in 1962. Steam locomotive Peckett 2000 and Kingswood will change places so that Peckett 2000 will carry the commemorative “last train from Helston”.

Tickets for the evening special are £10 per ticket.

After passenger services ceased on Thursday 3 November, freight trains continued for a further two years, until 4 October 1964. Gwinear Road station on the main line between Plymouth and Penzance closed the following day.

Although no Class 22 locomotives have been preserved, in 2014 a group of like-minded people formed Project 22 to recreate one of the locomotives. Further details of the group can be obtained at http://project22society.co.uk/