23rd June 2012 - Mazey Day

June 23rd and thats means Mazey Day in Penzance. This normally means several rail tours heading West. This year was no exception, although due to rolling stock shortages (!) only two would be running. Pathfinders were running 'The Mazey day Cornishman' and Spitfire ran 'The Kernow Explorer'.

I headed out early as my FOSW was valid. I was to meet Peter later in the morning so planned a mileage move (and with luck winners for 2012) to Taunton and back to Newton Abbot. Both the HST up and voyager down were winners for 2012 and a few more 2012 miles on the clock. 

So I met Peter at Newton Abbot and we headed to Pumpkin for a tea. It was then time for the busy 2P94 to  Plymouth on 150261. Shortly after we hopped onto the HST hauled by 43163 to Par. The original plan was to head back to Bodmin and pick the Spitfire tour from there to Truro. We changed our minds however and took a walk to see what we could see of the 60s now stored at St Blazey. I knew I didn't need them for sight but Peter had a high chance of requiring them all. Disappointingly there were visible just but not photographable. I managed one shot which caught the nose of 60100 and the St Blazey Lizard. 

It wasn't yet 11am but we headed back to the station the Par Inn for a drink. We also got a stamp in the Atlantic Coast Line and The Great Cornish Rail Ale Trail leaflets. 

Back at the station we waited for the Kernow Explorer. It rolled in on time with 37516 and 37676. Both required for haulage. We took this to Truro for £10. It was then an hour wait till the Mazey Day Cornishman arrived with Royal Scots Grey at the Helm. We popped into Truro for another couple of stamps in the leaflets. This time we visited Wig & Pen and William IV for two more stamps in the Cornish leaflet and the Wig & Penn in the Maritime leaflet. 

55022 arrived on time and for the second time just over a week I had Deltic haulage, this time on the mainline. I have now doubled my Deltic mileage to 50 odd miles! Once we got to Penzance we took photos and then headed out along the sea wall to get some photos of the 37s that had already dragged it's coaches to the sidings. 

Next up was time to head to St Ives. New track for Peter. We walked into town and headed to the newly opened Wetherspoons. After a swift drink here there was time for another at The Golden Lion, a pub in the St Ives Bay leaflet. On the way back to the station we saw an other pub that was in the Cornish Rail Ale leaflet. It would have been rude not too! 

It was now time to head home. Well I say home. I was due to meet my wife at Par where we would grab something to eat before we headed to Eden Project to see Tim Minchin. I managed another stamp in the Atlantic Coast Line with a bonus food stamp at the Royal Inn.

It was a good day. I travelled 298 miles and was good to catch up with Peter. It had been a long time. Oh and despite the awful weather that had rolled in, Tim Minchin was excellent at Eden Project!