Cows on the Line

It would be hard to imagine a more authentic excuse for the late departure of a 1950s rural branch line train than that of cows straying onto the tracks. The first departure from Buckfastleigh in this instance, however, was the 10.30 for Totnes Riverside on Saturday 30^th July in 2022. It was an age-old problem that simply added to the overall ambience that the South Devon Railway so effectively manages to recreate. There was no urgency for us in terms of missing the connecting train from a junction station or finding that the Saturday morning market was already winding up for the day. In contrast, we were in no hurry at all.

Particularly low water levels in the River Dart, itself, had apparently tempted the untimely incursion. An announcement over the Tannoy explained that the owner would need to be identified, the cows rounded up and guided back whence they came, and that this might take some time. It was actually completed remarkably quickly, given the circumstances. The diesel shunter-hauled permanent way train that had first sounded the alarm returned to its Buckfastleigh base quite smartly. The fireman of 4575 Class Prairie 2-6-2 tank No. 5526 then took charge of the token. The guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag, and we were away. The rest was just plain sailing.

Tiny

Tiny is a very special survivor, being the only remaining ex-GWR broad gauge loco still in existence. Built by Sara and Co. in 1868 for the South Devon Railway, she was employed as a dockside shunter in Plymouth. From 1927 onwards, she was mounted on the platform at Newton Abbott station, before becoming part of the National Collection and moving to Buckfastleigh station in 1980, where she can now be found on display in their museum.

Breaking the News

The British Library, next door to St Pancras station, has a fascinating current exhibition giving an insight into how the press has operated since its inception. These two railway references were included. The Tay Bridge disaster report from The Aberdeen Journal comes with a sketch of the bridge still intact and a cross-section immediately below it to show just which parts of the structure had been affected. Cyril Power’s linocut “The Tube Train” of c.1934 [copyright applies] shows commuters on a tube train all reading newspapers so avidly that the papers appear to have become merged with the seated figures strung out along both sides of the coach’s length.

 

Three Thames Railway Bridges

Three of the railway bridges across the Thames, as seen from the river. Blackfriars carries Thameslink services across London from north to south and the modern Blackfriars station platforms have been extended across the bridge itself. The foundations of the first railway bridge still stand alongside their replacement. Hungerford bridge caters for traffic out of Charing Cross and has the two pedestrian Golden Jubilee bridges attached, using the same supports. Grosvenor bridge is described as the busiest railway bridge in the world, dealing with the main line southwards from Victoria station.

Kingswear Again

Some things I never tire of, like the Kingswear to Paignton line. Quite apart from the unique Dartmouth ferry approach and the harbourside location, Kingswear station just oozes with nostalgia, yet I never got there in time to see the Castle-hauled Torbay Express. There is something very romantic about the notion that this seaside haven with its bustling port and pastel-coloured houses clinging to their hillside was linked to London Paddington very directly. Viewed from Dartmouth waterfront, it’s reassuring to watch the steam trains snaking past the boatyard and the marina, skirting the estuary and beginning the climb to Greenway tunnel before disappearing into the trees, then just puffs of smoke.

The Kingsbridge Branch

Leaving the main line at South Brent, the Kingsbridge branch enjoyed a relatively short life. Opened in 1893, it was closed completely in 1963. The station and junction at South Brent are no more and the former course of the railway through the South Hams is less obvious today than on many other former branch lines. We took a short walk along a recognisable section next to the River Avon north of Loddiswell. The old station here has been restored as an impressive private house, complete with signalbox – now used as self-catering accommodation - and the former goods office.

Drake’s Trail

Drake’s Trail is a cycleway and recreational path that follows the old GWR route from Plymouth to Tavistock for much of its course. The South Devon and Tavistock Railway opened in 1859, becoming part of the GWR in 1876. The Plymouth terminus was at Millbay. Passenger trains were eventually withdrawn from the route in 1962.

We cycled the route in two sections on different days – Yelverton to Tavistock and then Plym Bridge to Yelverton. It crosses a hilly and scenic landscape, rising from the city suburbs through wooded valleys to open moorland around Yelverton. Brunel had his work cut out with the frequent tunnels and viaducts that were necessary. Shaugh Bridge platform survives alongside the path in the northern section. To the south, the cycleway from the National Trust car park at Plym Bridge runs close to the Plym Valley Railway, now a reopened heritage line as far as Marsh Mills, a distance of one and a half miles.