Bridge 1: The single remaining parapet of the overbridge straddling the cutting where the branch peeled away from the mainline under Trevingey Road. The other parapet is gone, and the cutting filled in and built on. December 20th 2006.

A few minutes behind Trevingey Road, the trackbed reappears as it climbs steeply, here swinging south to the incline summit. It is exceedingly overgrown on this section. December 20th 2006.

Looking up the steep cable-worked incline just short of the summit, where the trackbed crosses the Great Flat Lode trail near Wheal Uny. December 13th 2006.

Looking down the incline from the summit towards Redruth. The town is sprawled below with the Atlantic visible behind. The 1 in 15 incline ensured a height gain of 170 feet in half a mile onto the scrubby granite uplands. This archaic working practice coupled with the demise of the rump of the mining industry hereabouts, contributed to an early closure.

Another view up the incline, December 13th 2006. With a gradient of 1 in 15, the incline was cable worked on the counterbalance principle, with the shunting engine running up the bank light.

This band of heather growing just below the incline summit seems to retain the 'memory' of the running line.

The remains of the winding engine house at the summit. December 13th 2006.

Another view of the building remains at the incline summit. 15th January 2007.

Having breasted the summit, the line drops for a mostly level run along the valley side above Lanner. It is mostly intact and traceable. Here, looking back towards the incline top, gorse and fly tipping occupy the trackbed. To the left of frame was a siding quoted variously as being either a ballast or coal yard siding.

Shortly after the incline summit comes the first major siding destination, Wheal Buller. Here the siding compound is still extant, and seemingly in use as a silage dump.

Looking south across the remains of Wheal Buller siding compound. This is the southern side of the siding compound as seen from behind. The 'main line' of the branch continued on, front of frame.

Wheal Buller siding from the north east. 15th Janary 2007.

Looking south toward Tresavean beside Wheal Buller siding, the trackbed continues as a brambly turf swathe.

A clearer view of the turfy trackbed just past Wheal Buller and bound for Copper Hill.

Looking back towards Wheal Buller siding along the trackbed.

After Wheal Buller Siding, the trackbed is breached by two minor road crossings in quick succession. The trackbed describes the hypoteneuse of the triangle formed by these two roads. It is visible as a narrow walled thicket: it shortly after resumes as the driveway to Copper Hill Farm, as seen here. After Copper Hill Farm, the trackbed loses itself for a short distance amongst rough paddocks and scrubby heath.

Looking back to Copper Hill Farm along the trackbed. The garden of Copper Hill Farm is perhaps surprisingly, the only post-closure breach of the trackbed after the lower reaches of the incline.

A lone railway fencing joist in the turfy paddocks after Copper Hill, some seventy-three years on.

A wider view of the same, atop a crumblng section of the vernacular drystone hedging still prevalent along former Hayle Railway routes.

Shortly after Copper Hill, the trackbed reasserts itself between walls as a farm track running out onto a short low embankment before curving south towards Wheal Beauchamp siding. Note here the faint sleeper marks showing as darker earth infill on this still ballast-flecked section. A photo in Lewis Reade's "The Branch Lines Of Cornwall" shows sleeper recovery work on this very section.

The siding compound for Wheal Beauchamp, some 1m 43ch from Redruth Junction. Originally a loop siding, the main branch trackbed is seen continuing across the road to the left.

From Wheal Beauchamp Siding looking back towards Redruth. The narrow gauge Redruth & Chasewater Railway, an independent affair that closed during the First World War, crossed on the level just behind the camera.

Wheal Beauchamp Siding compound viewed from the west. Note the similarity to the structure at Wheal Buller. Wheal Beauchamp itself closed in 1874. Local coal and agricultural traffic almost certainly subsumed the original purpose of this siding. December 20th , 2006.

Wheal Beauchamp Siding compound viewed from the rear or Tresavean end. Note the stopped-up exit for the loop siding.