RAILSCOT | South Devon Railway

South Devon Railway

Dates

/ /1844	South Devon Railway Authorised
29/03/1844	Dalkey Atmospheric Railway (Dublin and Kingstown Railway) 2 mile long extension opened from Kingstown Harbour to Dalkey [1st]. This used Samuda and Clegg's Atmospheric Railway system (later used by Brunel for the South Devon Railway).
/ /1846	South Devon Railway Opened as an atmospheric railway between Exeter and Newton Abbott. This was not successful and the principal was abandoned.
/ /1848	South Devon Railway Torquay branch opened
/ /1849	South Devon Railway Line opened to Plymouth
/ /1851	South Devon Railway Line operated by Contactors
/ /1866	South Devon Railway Contractors cease to operate the line
01/10/2001	South Devon Railway Work to reinforce the seawall at Dawlish begins, a £2.5M scheme.
11/10/2002	South Devon Railway Between the 9th and 11th five Voyagers fail after being soaked by waves. High tide combined with strong winds lead to waves breaking over the beachside railway embankment.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

Exeter St Davids

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See also
Bristol and Exeter Railway

This is clearly a grab shot at Exeter, but it looks like an interesting survivor. The shed appears to be practically disused, but the size of those ...
Ken Strachan 18/02/2023

A Virgin CrossCountry service bound for Bristol, recently arrived at Exeter St Davids platform 5 on 4 June 2002. Locomotive in charge is 47741 ...
Ian Dinmore 04/06/2002

Going to the end of the line - and not a Travelling Wilbury in sight. 43189 'Launceston Castle' leads 43092 'Cromwell's Castle' out of Exeter on the ...
Ken Strachan 18/02/2023

A pair of 153s forming a train for Exmouth boarding at Exeter St Davids on 4 June 2002. Both units are sporting the promotional 'Heart of ...
Ian Dinmore 04/06/2002

4 of 55 images. more

Exeter Railway Junction

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See also
Exeter Railway

Exminster

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45010 passes Exminster with 1V85, the 1040 Manchester to Paignton, in 1977. The old station building is on the left 19523. The former D112 was in ...
Roger Geach 03/09/1977

Exminster opened in 1852 and closed in 1964 but the Italianate station building still stands alongside the Devon main line. However, the loops and ...
Mark Bartlett 19/06/2008

2 of 2 images.

Starcross

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37668 and 37674, a St Blazey pair of clay locos, head 6M72 1655 St Blazey to Cliffe Vale, passing the well known Cockwood Harbour near Starcross in ...
Roger Geach 08/07/1999

A Virgin CrossCountry service photographed just south of Starcross, Devon, in June 2002. The train is passing Cockwood Harbour, on the GWR main line ...
Ian Dinmore 29/06/2002

Looking east towards the River Exe estuary at Cockwood Harbour at low tide in the summer of 2002. The train is a First Great Western service from ...
Ian Dinmore 29/06/2002

3 of 3 images.

Dawlish Warren

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A Wessex Trains 150 stands at Dawlish Warren in the summer of 2005 with a service to Exmouth. ...
Ian Dinmore //2005

Traveller's Fare roast chicken poster from the 1980s. ...
Ian Dinmore 25/03/2015

The 11.05 Penzance - Leeds photographed passing through Dawlish Warren in June 1982 behind 45076. ...
Ian Dinmore 19/06/1982

3 of 3 images.

Dawlish

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Network Rail has started work on the second section of the new, bigger sea wall at Dawlish, in Devon, which will provide greater protection to the ...
Network Rail /11/2020

A GWR Paington to London Paddington service pulls into Dawlish on 9th October 2019, with further work on the sea defences taking place.
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Alastair McLellan 09/10/2019

The signal box at Dawlish in April 1988. ...
Ian Dinmore /04/1988

A Cross Country York to Plymouth service runs through heavy rain on a miserable day in Dawlish. Only an hour earlier I had been stood in bright ...
Alastair McLellan 09/10/2019

4 of 18 images. more

Parson's Tunnel

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The completion of a new rockfall shelter marks a major milestone for Network Rail's programme of work to protect the iconic coastal railway between ...
Network Rail /10/2023

This is part of the new Rockfall Shelter which will be installed to extend Parson's Tunnel to protect the South Devon line from rockfalls. The tunnel ...
Network Rail //2022

2 of 2 images.

Teignmouth

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First Great Western 43015 speeds through Teignmouth at the head of a Paddington to Penzance express on 29th July 2015. ...
Mark Bartlett 29/07/2015

A Cross Country service from Paington to Manchester Picadilly pulls away from Teignmouth on 9th October 2019. This was a typical day of British ...
Alastair McLellan 09/10/2019

GWR 150002 rounds the curves of the South Devon coastline, with an Exmouth to Paignton service, approaching Teignmouth on 9th October 2019.
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Alastair McLellan 09/10/2019

Up HST passing through Teignmouth. ...
Ian Dinmore //

4 of 7 images. more

Newton Abbot

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See also
Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway

GWR 3-car Sprinter 150002, on an Exmouth to Paignton service, ready for departure at Newton Abbot on 8th October 2019.
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Alastair McLellan 08/10/2019

A sawmill in Abergavenny in Wales has received its first load of rail-transported timber since 2004, thanks to a partnership between Network Rail and ...
Network Rail 23/02/2022

The impressive 1927 station frontage at Newton Abbot, on 6th October 2019. ...
Alastair McLellan 06/10/2019

Evening scene at Newton Abbot, looking south along platform 3 in June 2002. [Ref query 18 May 2018] ...
Ian Dinmore 04/06/2002

4 of 15 images. more

Aller Junction

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See also
Torquay Branch (South Devon Railway)

Two Class 31s, having just negotiated the Devon banks, bring a freight from the Plymouth line through Aller Junction on a sunny July evening in 1985. ...
Mark Bartlett //1985

Summer evening at Aller Junction as a HST takes the Paignton line passing the mechanical signalbox and the Plymouth line curving away to climb Dainton ...
Mark Bartlett /07/1986

A summer evening in 1985, prior to the removal of Aller Junction, sees a DMU leave the Paignton branch and cross over the line to Totnes and Plymouth ...
Mark Bartlett /07/1985

3 of 3 images.

Ashburton Junction

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See also
Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway

Totnes

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This is the interior of the cafe in Totnes signal box, seen in 2011. ...
Ewan Crawford 12/09/2011

Totnes signal box now a cafe. Note the milk churns on the lorry behind . The milk factory has aslo closed and remains out of use. ...
Doug Nicholls /9/1967

Ex-GWR Collett 0-6-0 3205 with a Golden Jubilee special at Totnes Riverside on the South Devon Railway in 2002. ...
Ian Dinmore 04/06/2002

A view from the station footbridge (now replaced) looking North East shows the vast scale of this Broad Gauge 4-track layout designed by Brunel. The ...
Charlie Niven 05/09/1988

4 of 12 images. more

Brent

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See also
Kingsbridge Branch (Great Western Railway)

34067 'Tangmere' working 1Z37 0850 Bristol Temple Meads to Par special at South Brent on 2nd August 2015. The down side station platforms were just on ...
Roger Geach 02/08/2015

1 of 1 images.

Ivybridge

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66122 pilots 70000 'Britannia' on the 'Great Britain VIII' railtour near Ivybridge on 29 April 2015. ...
Roger Geach 29/04/2015

1 of 1 images.

This junction, east of Plymouth gave access from the former South Devon Railway to the South Devon and Tavistock Railway. Approach to the branch was from the west. The junction opened in 1859 and the Tavistock [GWR] line was absorbed by the South Devon in 1865, which became part of the Great Western Railway in 1878. Tavistock Junction Yard was developed to the east.
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See also
South Devon and Tavistock Railway

Laira Halt

There have been two stations here. The first was the temporary terminus of the South Devon Railway (1848-49 before extension to Plymouth [Millbay]) and the second a halt (1904-1930) by Laira Shed.
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Lipson Junction

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See also
Sutton Harbour Branch and North Quay Branch (Great Western Railway)

Lipson Vale Halt

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Mutley

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Plymouth

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Side of the Cornish Riviera Express at Plymouth. ...
John Yellowlees 02/10/2015

The Gunnislake DMU has arrived at platform 6 in Plymouth, a station known to us as North Road when Plymouth had more then one station. ...
Doug Nicholls /06/1969

View from the west end of Plymouth station, with 43037 ready to depart for Penzance and 150131 in the bay on Gunnislake branch duties for the day. ...
Mark Bartlett 29/07/2015

A class 47 hauled First Great Western service arrives at Plymouth in May 2002. ...
Ian Dinmore 31/05/2002

4 of 21 images. more

Cornwall Junction

This junction was north of Plymouth Millbay, the western terminus of the South Devon Railway which reached Millbay in 1849. The junction was formed in 1859 when the Cornwall Railway opened, extending the line west to Truro (Penwithers Junction), although a reversal was needed in Millbay station to continue the journey west.
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See also
Cornwall Railway

Plymouth Millbay

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GW Ocean Terminal

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South Devon Railway

Dates

Locations along the line

Exeter St Davids

Exeter St Thomas

Exeter Railway Junction

City Basin Junction

Exminster

Exminster Watertroughs

Starcross

Dawlish Warren

Dawlish Warren [1st]

Dawlish

Parson's Tunnel

Teignmouth

Newton Abbot

Aller Junction

Ashburton Junction

Totnes

Brent

Wrangaton

Bittaford Platform

Ivybridge

Ivybridge [1st]

Corntown

Plympton

Tavistock Junction

Laira Halt

Lipson Junction

Lipson Vale Halt

Mutley

Plymouth

Cornwall Junction

Plymouth Millbay

GW Ocean Terminal

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