STOP PRESS – since we published this article, the Helston Railway 1940s Weekend has been cancelled. Sorry to anyone who was planning on attending.
Helston Railway is a popular attraction in Cornwall which is organising a trip back in time with the Helston Railway 1940s Weekend over the August Bank Holiday 2013. The event will be held at Helston Railway on Trevarno Farm at Prospidnick.
Whether you lived through the war or just heard tales of the “Roaring 40s”, everyone remembers this era as a time of great camaraderie and spirit. To celebrate the very best of that time, head down to Helston from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 August, 2013 to attend this unusual event.
Helston Railway 1940s Weekend on August Bank Holiday Weekend
The 1940s Weekend at Helston Railway will include a Dad's Army-style Home Front display, Heavy Horse display, an old-fashioned steam organ, living history displays and children's games from that era. More exciting activities are planned such as Home Guard Grenade Throwing training, bayonet demonstrations and World War II weapons firing! Educational and historic, this weekend sounds like lots of fun for old and young.
Vintage trade stands will be part of the weekend event and will relate to the pre-1950s era with appropriate dress which should be fun to see and photograph. There will be plenty of antique garden tools for sale from Tresamble Trading, timeless sweet cakes from Alegria Baking and other items to browse and buy from Ted Butcher Military Trading.
Agricultural and World War II displays
As part of the Wartime Farming theme there will be a Foster Thresher and a typical farm tractor of that era, a 1939 Standard Fordson. The amazing contraption known as Colin Benney's Ransomes Threshing Machine will be on display with its many belts, wheels, bags and tubes.
Other primitive farming aids include an Albion Binder for harvesting wheat, which was pulled by three heavy horses. A restored Shepherd's Hut will also be part of the agricultural display. The age of steam is represented by miniature steam engines, all restored and fully working.
On the military side, there will be living history displays complete with camouflaged tents, small arms and a Gaz 67b Command Car for visitors to check out, along with a German Field Hospital setup. Many attendees and exhibitors will be sporting uniforms representative of the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry, German Paratroopers and the US Airborne.
Military vehicle enthusiasts can delight in poring over a Half-track Armored Personnel Carrier complete with canvas top, an Austin Eight NAAFI Van, a 1942 Royal Enfield Motorcycle among other restored jeeps and 1940s vehicles.
The Kernow Old Vehicle Club will be raising the tone with a collection of beautifully restored vintage vehicles including a 1938 Standard 12 and a 1945 Chevy Pick-Up.
Helston Railway Preservation Society
The Helston Railway Preservation Society was founded ten years ago by a group of railway enthusiasts who were able to re-open a section of the former Helston branch line. The original line was opened by Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1887 and ran for just over eight miles with stations at Praze and Nancegollan.
Helston Railway was used for freight and passengers, and carried many evacuees and servicemen during World War II when petrol was rationed. It closed in 1964. The preserved part of the track is part of the Trevarno estate which was fittingly the home of the first chairman of Helston Railway, William Bickford Smith.
A visit to Helston Railway is a treat at any time, not just when the 1940s Weekend is in full swing. Visitors can take a ride on the Little Train, take a trip in an old Brake Van and see the current restoration project, the Blue Rushton Shunter.
Visit the buffet at Prospidnick Halt and step inside the converted Mail Van which now operates as a souvenir shop with an exhibition of photographs and old railway archives. Open Thursdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, Helston Railway is signposted off the B3303 Helston to Camborne Road.
Have you visited Helston Railway or do you have local knowledge to add in the comments box below? We'd love to hear your comments. If you attend the 1940s Weekend, do let us know what your experience was like.
Born in Cheshire, Gillian Birch moved to Cornwall at her earliest opportunity and never looked back. After 20 years, her ongoing discovery of popular attractions, quiet footpaths and local eateries has made her a fount of knowledge as she entertains readers with her informative articles on the hidden gems of Devon & Cornwall from a local point-of-view.