cornish riviera express geoff re your edit to solihull i have no doubt that you are right that the cornish riviera express ran from paddington and therefore not via solihull however as a year old train spotter spotting from a bridge over the line just above solihull station we used to see kings and castles wearing the cornish riviera express plate hauling long passenger trains out of snowhill it is possible that they may be been out of service or in transit but as a year old the only way that i would ever have known of such a service was to see the trains themselves any explanations would be very welcome