Photograph:

🔗PHOENIX-UNITED-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-37204[linkphoto]PHOENIX-UNITED-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-37204[/linkphoto][/link]

If this is super-sized, the bob can be seen being winched through the cylinder opening. Note also the point-work on the railway is not complete

Just a thought here: is it possible that the track as shown in the photo was a temporary junction purely to allow the bob to be transported to the engine house, which is why it appears to be an unfinished set of points. Maybe a few days later the spur to the engine house was removed and the line restored? Just a thought. It's a really interesting photo!

.... and the rail that runs across the junction (the RH one going straight ahead) appears to be chaired to the wooden sleepers (although it isn't that clear). Would this be the case if this was going to be a permanent junction?

You are right as there is another picture clearly showing this to have been a spur off the Liskeard & Caradon Route to original Phoenix Utd site which was situated below the engine house in question. it was refurbished circa 1908 for the purpose of the re-opening of the mine and a tempory single track was laid from the temporary junction to the back of the engine house ... the photo also shows it to be sleepered track.
🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-37241[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-37241[/linkphoto][/link]
Given that the spur ends almost directly in line with the rear of the engine house opening, one wonders whether the cylinder was bought up by rail... I can't find any refs to the beam or cyl being moved there that way and if they were I would be interested to see the stock used!

Perhaps someone can enlighten us further. 🙂

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I don't think that the turnout (set of points) in the initial photo is unfinished - it looks like a stub point. By that I mean that the rails leading into the turnout pivot to change road rather than blades as on a conventional turnout. The distinct advantage of the stub point arrangement over blades is that you don't have to machine blades which is a really tricky job if done properly. On the downside stub points give a clunky transition through the curve, however this would be acceptable for a siding which is only occaisionally used.

Stub points were really common in the North Wales slate industry. Having said that the turnout in the Caradon photo differs from the welsh model in that it appears to have a conventional crossing vee (frog) as opposed to a pivoting rail as in the welsh examples. The pivoting rail was used in the welsh quarrries to cope with double flanged wheels which were common on the relitively crude quarry tramways.

I am not convinced the the siding in the photo is temporary - bear in mind the huge amounts of coal that needed to be supplied to the engine.

All parts of the engine including the boilers were transported by rail via the LCR.

🔗Personal-Album-1228-Image-37254[linkphoto]Personal-Album-1228-Image-37254[/linkphoto][/link]


🔗Personal-Album-1228-Image-37261[linkphoto]Personal-Album-1228-Image-37261[/linkphoto][/link]

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Cheers Spitfire...

Tamar Mole, I have no doubt that there was a siding for coal but if you look at the angle the branch leaves the mainline it is as below and is short and steep, 🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-37240[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-37240[/linkphoto][/link]

if you look on google earth you can see a faint outline also given below-
🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-37285[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-37285[/linkphoto][/link]

The view up the actual route used to serve the mine is also on the google shot above and is nothing like the same angle... see below a pic of the route to the mine,
🔗PHOENIX-UNITED-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[linkphoto]PHOENIX-UNITED-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[/linkphoto][/link]
and this was taken from the junction with the LCR which can be seen at the LH edge of the pic...

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Going back to the original photo', the line to the right was put in to convey parts for the pumping engine and the shaft sinking winder.
It would have remained in use until sinking had been completed being used to convey coal for the temporary Robey winder, after sinking was complete it was taken up.
Coal for the pumping and winding engine boilers was taken down the left hand line to the rear of the boiler house

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