Car train or Motorail at Newton Abbot

[RSC Friends]

Hi,
Newton Abbot Museum has a brown sign which says "To Car Train" with a 'feathered' arrow.
Was the car train service the same as the Motorail service?

 

[30907]

Yes. Motorail is a British Rail-era name. 1966 says Wikipedia.

Car-Sleeper and Car-Carrier were among the names used previously.

 

[RSC Friends]

Thanks

 

[Comstock]

An idea who's time may come again in the electric car era?

Whilst a 100-150 mile range might be enough for everyday use, it won't get you down to the Westcountry or up to the Highlands on holiday.

 

[AlterEgo]

An idea who's time may come again in the electric car era?

Whilst a 100-150 mile range might be enough for everyday use, it won't get you down to the Westcountry or up to the Highlands on holiday.

I think by the time electric cars become mainstream the battery problems will have been resolved. In fact, I think the battery issues being solved is an obstacle for the electric car to surmount before becoming mainstream.

 

[Comstock]

I think by the time electric cars become mainstream the battery problems will have been resolved. In fact, I think the battery issues being solved is an obstacle for the electric car to surmount before becoming mainstream.

Maybe. But a lot of people's objections to electric cars centre around the annual holiday.

It's possible Motorail wouldn't be flexible enough to solve the problem but it might be worth committing a small amount of money to market research to find out

Anyway probably off topic for a nostalgia forum.

 

[Busaholic]

Yes. Motorail is a British Rail-era name. 1966 says Wikipedia.

Car-Sleeper and Car-Carrier were among the names used previously.

First Great Western revived the concept in 1998 between Paddington and Penzance, continuing until 2005. My father used it to visit me in the latter place that first year, and he most certainly would not have driven that distance.

 

[Taunton]

Newton Abbot itself was one of the terminal points for Motorail services when they started in 1966.

However by then the Corporate Identity had taken hold, and any signage would be black on white, and arrows not feathered. The sign described seems to have the characteristics of earlier Western Region signs. The only car service the WR operated before Motorail was Pilning to Severn Tunnel Junction.

There was a previous (steam hauled) Southern Region service from Surbiton to Okehampton, but all signage for that would assuredly have been green!

 

[30907]

The Severn Tunnel service sounds a good candidate.

However, I've uncovered a couple of others:

1. Newton Abbot and St Austell were loading points for the WR Car Tourist service from Paddington. Not a conventional Motorail, as the cars were carried separately overnight, exactly like the present-day SNCF Auto-Train. It is shown in the summer 1963 timetable..

2. There was a Newcastle/Sheffield-Exeter Car Sleeper in the 1965 timetable,

I don't know the history of either, and a quick Google doesn't throw up anything obvious..

 

[randyrippley]

The Severn Tunnel service sounds a good candidate.

However, I've uncovered a couple of others:

1. Newton Abbot and St Austell were loading points for the WR Car Tourist service from Paddington. Not a conventional Motorail, as the cars were carried separately overnight, exactly like the present-day SNCF Auto-Train. It is shown in the summer 1963 timetable..

2. There was a Newcastle/Sheffield-Exeter Car Sleeper in the 1965 timetable,

I don't know the history of either, and a quick Google doesn't throw up anything obvious..

Based on this poster held in the NRM, the car tourist service was running in 1959
http://www.nrm.org.uk/ourcollection/posters/CollectionItem?objid=1978-937&pageNo=165

 

[RSC Friends]

See attachment to see the sign in person!

 

[John Luxton]

Was not there also a Newton-le-Willows to Newton Abbot Motorail?

I remember my father looking into using it for our twice yearly trips to the West Country - possible around the time in the early 70s when there was a possibility of fuel rationing.

Still have some fuel coupons somewhere which I kept. However, the threat didn't materialise thus we never sampled Motorail!

Though I do recall in 1978 or 1979 when I had an All Lines Railrover travelling on a service train from Inverness which had car flats at the rear.

John

 

[30907]

Was not there also a Newton-le-Willows to Newton Abbot Motorail?

Though I do recall in 1978 or 1979 when I had an All Lines Railrover travelling on a service train from Inverness which had car flats at the rear.

There was, from 66 or certainly 67 (I have a 67 LMR timetable...), but I haven't found anything to say it ran earlier, which slightly surprises me.

And was that the Inverness-York? No -see Taunton's post, I'd forgotten about that service. See
http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p670496912/h24DD531D#h24dd531d

 

[Taunton]

We actually went on the Newton-le-Willows to Newton Abbot service in 1966. I'll write about it when I get some time.

Has anyone else here had their family car steam hauled ?

Though I do recall in 1978 or 1979 when I had an All Lines Railrover travelling on a service train from Inverness which had car flats at the rear.

Me too. It was a late afternoon service from Inverness to Glasgow, which we took to Stirling, changing there for Edinburgh. Do I recall that the car flats worked as far as Perth? The A9 road was under reconstruction at the time and the service was provided to avoid the works. If I recall correctly there were just one or two cars loaded, so it really didn't have any impact.

 

[Bald Rick]

An idea who's time may come again in the electric car era?

Whilst a 100-150 mile range might be enough for everyday use, it won't get you down to the Westcountry or up to the Highlands on holiday.

No chance. It is far cheaper to hire a car (even an electric one) at your destination than to load it on a train and have it transported halfway along the country. The smallest cars take the space of approx 15-20 seats, and that is roughly the value you would have to pay to make it a worthwhile venture for a train operator.

Also, it is rather quicker to get the train and hire a car at destination than roll up at least half an hour before departure, get your car loaded, then wait a similar amount of time at ten other end.

Motorrail is dead.