Gunnislake - Callington

18th December 2006

Closure: 7th November 1966 (all traffic)

This short branch, formerly the East Cornwall Mineral Railway, made rather a late entrance into the national network - for although following for the most part the route of the 3' 6" gauge ECMR, it was not until 1908 that the standard gauge passenger line was connected to the outside world over the Calstock Viaduct to the main network at Bere Alston. The steep and tortuous curves of the Tamar Valley ensured that the stub to Calstock & Gunnislake remain open to this day, thwarting Dr. Beeching's cold hand. The final 5 miles through Chilsworthy, Latchley and Luckett would not however prove so fortunate.

Not closed as such, but certainly hanging by a thread: the erstwhile junction at Bere Alston, also stripped of its mainline status in 1968, barely clings to life as a reversal point from Plymouth. Looking down the length of the former 'up' Waterloo platform, May 1988. 1131x720 2006-12-15 15:49:52	Chilsworthy Halt, November 1985. This view is taken along the platform with the entrance path down from the road and station fence posts prominent. November 1985. 959x622 2006-12-04 14:45:33	Latchley, November 1985. Although now a private house, the platform is thoroughly intact and complete with milepost. 949x666 2006-12-04 14:43:41	A closer view of the milepost at Latchley - six and a half miles from Bere Alston, the junction station. 654x1022 2006-12-18 00:00:00