Exeter Central

From our farmhouse family holiday, I took the bus to Taunton on the Monday morning of 29/7/63. I was in the first carriage with my head out of the window immediately behind 4993 Dalton Hall’s swaying tender all the way to Exeter St David’s. Hauled up the hill to Central by 34078 222 Squadron, I then changed trains again for the Exmouth line with 80059 as far as Polsloe Bridge Halt.

I ran to Exmouth Junction sheds. It was like heaven on earth. I knew it would be special. I copped almost everything I saw, including Merchant Navy 35026 Lamport and Holt Line [coming off the shed and backing down to Central prior to a trip to Waterloo] and 15 light Pacifics. I was ecstatic. The return journey to Taunton was behind a Warship - a taste of things to come, of course, but on that day, I just didn’t care.

Here is Exeter Central 55 years later, still nestling comfortably in its shallow valley below Northernhay Gardens. The centre roads have gone but the platforms and canopies are instantly recognisable. We came in by bus this time and though Exeter has a lot to recommend it, the bus station is not one of its finest attractions. In fact, it’s awful.