South Devon Railway (1991)
The South Devon Railway is a tourist railway that runs along the Dart River between Buckfastleigh and Totnes . It is operated on a non-profit basis.
history
The line was originally built by the Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway and opened on May 1, 1872 - in broad gauge 7 feet ¼ inches (2140 mm). A few years later the track was converted to standard gauge of 4 feet 8½ inches (1435 mm) within a weekend. The route then went from Totnes to Ashburton via Buckfastleigh, today's terminus. In 1876 the Great Western Railway took over the railway line. It was finally shut down on September 7, 1962. The reopening took place on April 5, 1969 by the Dart Valley Railway . The track section from Buckfastleigh to Ashburton remained closed because the railway line to Ashburton was in the way during the construction of the A38 expressway. The so-called Primrose Line (Cowslip Line) only connected Totnes and Buckfastleigh. The old Ashburton Railway Station now houses a garage. On January 1, 1991, the South Devon Railway Trust (SDRT) took over the operation - which is part of the holding "South Devon Railway Group" (SDR).
Today's operation
Various steam locomotives as well as older diesel locomotives are used as tractors - together with some historical wagons. The South Devon Railway (SDR) also has diesel multiple units and push-pull trains with steam locomotives.
Today the SDR headquarters are in Buckfastleigh. There the station was expanded and today offers many attractions such as a maze, a museum, a narrow-gauge railway, walking paths and a very beautiful garden, a restaurant and much more. Free train buses (some old double-decker buses from London) commute through Buckfastleigh and to Buckfast Abbey .
Another source of income for the railroad is the Buckfastleigh depot (workshops), where locomotives of the SDR and other railway companies are repaired and maintained. The SDR has a “Gibson Ring Press” that can be used to coat railway wheels. The SDR has a lot of orders to mount wheel tires for private railways. The advantage is that the SDR can also fit wheel tires from nostalgic steam locomotives. The building of the railway depot was expanded in the winter of 2008 and now has a spacious grandstand.
route
The single track railway is 7 miles (about 11.3 km) long. The route includes Buckfastleigh Station, Bishops Bridge Station, Staverton Station, Nappers Halt and Totnes-Littlehempston Station . There is also a connection to the national network of Network Rail , which connects the branch line with the main line. However, this connection is only used for special trips. Operation is carried out with two signal boxes (a third is under construction at Totnes-Littlehempston station), a level crossing post and a local control device (will be replaced by the signal box under construction in summer 2011).
Rail operations take place all year round - but with timetables adapted to the season, as the SDR is mainly a tourist train.
Web links
- The South Devon Railway homepage (English)