THE sight of steam trains puffing through the Cornish countryside could soon be a thing of the past after a vital railway turntable was declared unsafe.
An inspection revealed that the turntable at the St Blazey engine shed is no longer fit for purpose, with pictures showing it rusty and overgrown with weeds.
Without it, steam locomotives entering the county are unable to turn around, forcing tour operators to cancel a series of events.
The Railway Touring Company, which runs steam day trips to Cornwall from Bristol in summer, has already cancelled the Cornish leg of a national tour. Six more events scheduled for June, July and September have also been scrapped, as have weekly excursions from Bristol.
