14th April 1987

A cheeky grin from the driver, as he acknowledges me whilst taking his portrait! 37207 "William Cookworthy" passes through with a rake of china clay hood wagons, carrying ball clay, en route to Cornwall. The train has just come off the Heathfield branch. Ball clay is quite rare to find, with deposits in Eastern USA, Devon and Dorset, and is used to produce fine quality white coloured pottery. Although still mined, ball clay is no longer despatched by rail from the Heathfield branch.
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