Extensions and locomotives Liskeard and Caradon Railway

the l&cr system in 1861

the liskeard , looe union canal company (lluc) responded volumes of traffic building railway closely paralleling canal itself, , extending quays @ looe; railway opened mineral traffic on 27 december 1860, forming direct connection l&cr @ moorswater. time being railway, referred liskeard , looe railway, wholly owned canal company. hired locomotive, liskeard used l&cr wagons. @ last transshipment @ moorswater eliminated.

the l&cr had applied attention need connecting new mines, , obtained act of parliament on 15 may 1860, authorising additional share capital of £12,000; stated purposes construction of tokenbury branch, building of new line by-passing gonamena inclined plane, acquisition of kilmar railway, , several local improvements existing lines. l&cr evidently saw sphere of influence extending caradon sea @ looe, act authorised l&cr arrange commissioners of looe harbour, respect laying down of rails at, , use of, works of commissioners. not of these powers exercised.

work started on branch tokenbury; ran south , east south caradon terminal, on high embankment near there; opened may 1861 @ latest, , extension @ tokenbury east caradon dressing floor nearby opened too. earthworks line by-pass gonamena started, west of gonamena line near ponton s piece, , abutments bridge constructed, deviation never completed. (the embankment shown on modern 1:25,000 ordnance survey maps.)

the l&cr observed locomotive liskeard operating on looe line, , l&cr ordered locomotive of own gilkes, wilson , company; delivered in august 1862: 0-6-0st, named caradon. on original main line, many of road crossings level crossings , authorising act had forbidden locomotives crossing turnpike roads: £50 penalty specified. appears company may have violated law period; of level crossings replaced bridge crossings in due course. in 1864 third engine, cheesewring, acquired. locomotive maintenance carried out @ shed @ moorswater.

view of cheesewring quarry on caradon old postcard

the reality overwhelmingly dominant traffic throughout between mines , quarries on caradon , harbour @ looe, , in march 1862 joint committee formed between l&cr (three members) , lluc (two members); agreed l&cr work rail-borne traffic, purchasing lluc s locomotive liskeard £600, , setting tolls carriage throughout between mines , quarries , looe harbour.

copper ore carried on railways reached 27,000 tons in 1863, proved peak , gentle decline followed. coal carryings peaked @ 22,000 tons mines went deeper , pumping became dominant.

bodman (page 87) says that: narrow gauge tramway on inclined plane constructed link phoenix united west phoenix mine time after 1870. burrowed under kilmar railway , near summit ran in cutting, terminating near stowe s shaft. plane self-acting, taking ore down phoenix united processing. total length 1,230 feet (375 m). reference west phoenix ambiguous, here means stowe s shaft near cheesewring. gamble defines stowe s section, referred west phoenix shaft. west phoenix mine proper further west again (south of witheybrook marsh) .

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