South Devon and Tavistock Railway

The South Devon and Tavistock Railway was a broad gauge railway linking Plymouth with Tavistock in Devon, United Kingdom. It opened in 1859, was extended by the Launceston and South Devon Railway to Launceston, Cornwall, in 1865, and was closed in 1962.

Chronology

• 1854 South Devon and Tavistock authorised by Act of Parliament
• 1859 SD&T Railway opened from Plymouth to Tavistock
• 1862 Launceston and South Devon Railway authorised by Act of Parliament
• 1865 SD&T amalgamated with the South Devon Railway
• 1865 L&SD Railway opened from Tavistock to Launceston
• 1873 L&SD amalgamted with the South Devon Railway
• 1876 SDR amalgamated with the Great Western Railway
• 1876 London and South Western Railway opens from Okehampton to Lydford, from where they reached Plymouth over the South Devon and Tavistock line, mixed gauge being laid for the purpose
• 1883 Princetown Railway opens from a junction at Yelverton
• 1892 The broad gauge lines converted to standard gauge
• 1948 Great Western Railway nationalised into British Railways
• 1956 Princetown branch closed
• 1962 Railway closed beyond Marsh Mills

The railway today

The line from Tavistock Junction, to Marsh Mills remains in use for china clay trains, but these are expected to cease in 2007 with the closure of Lee Moor clay works.

A short section of the railway beyond Marsh Mills is operated by the Plym Valley Railway as a heritage railway.

Stations

• South Devon Railway
  • Plymouth (Millbay) (closed to passengers 1941; joint with Cornwall Railway)
  • Plymouth railway station (opened 1877, joint with the London and South Western Railway)
  • Mutley (1871 - 1939, joint with the London and South Western Railway)
  • Lipson Vale Halt (1904 - 1942, joint with the Southern Railway)
  • Laira Halt (1904 - 1930)
• South Devon and Tavistock Railway
  • Marsh Mills (opened 1861)
  • Plymbridge Platform (opened 1918)
  • Bickleigh
  • Shaugh Bridge Platform (opened 1907)
  • Clearbrook Halt (opened 1928)
  • Yelverton (opened 1885)
  • Horrabridge
  • Whitchurch Down Platform (opened 1906)
  • Tavistock (renamed Tavistock South in 1949)
• Launceston and South Devon Railway
  • Marytavy (renamed Mary Tavy and Blackdown in 1907)
  • Brentor
  • Lidford (renamed Lyford in1897)
  • Liddaton Halt (opened 1938)
  • Coryton
  • Lifton
  • Launceston

References

• Anthony, GH (1997). The Launceston Branch. Oxford: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-491-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Kingdom, Anthony R (1990). The Plymouth Tavistock and Launceston Railway. Newton Ferrers: ARK Publications. ISBN 1-87302-900-4.