Coleford Junction to Okehampton
Credits, Many thanks to all contributors - please see a list on the home page.
Progress report on the re-establishment of passenger services to Okehampton and hopefully beyond.
visit CRS daily and note the article about engineering work on the St Ives branch
and photographic recording thereof. There is a page on the DRSA website that is
dedicated to recording the accelerating activities at Okehampton which maybe of interest
to your audience,
Kind regards,
David Ellis
https://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/comingsgoings <https://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/comingsgoings>
visit CRS daily and note the article about engineering work on the St Ives branch
and photographic recording thereof. There is a page on the DRSA website that is
dedicated to recording the accelerating activities at Okehampton which maybe of interest
to your audience,
Kind regards,
David Ellis
https://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/comingsgoings <https://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/comingsgoings>
Many thanks to David Ellis for the above link, it is very interesting.
Coleford Junction
Bow

Bow station, looking towards North Tawton on the 5th September 1961. We are standing on the up platform and an up train has been accepted and the home signal pulled off.North Tawton, 5th September 1961 looking towards Okehampton. This picture is the copyright of J. Eyers and is supplied from the collections of Graham Bowden and South West Circle - with permission.
An interlude at Bow in 1971 with Ron Kosys
Thursday 26th August 1971. Bubble, 55016.
Interestingly, unlike my visit to the Bridport branch on the same Railrover, EVERY service had at least one other revenue passenger as well as myself (poor English but you know what I mean...).
On this day, revenue recorders were travelling on every train, recording in detail with a Dictaphone the stations between which each passenger was travelling, along with the type of ticket they were using/holding or purchasing from the guard on the train.
I spent time at each of the stations that was due to close with the withdrawal of the Okehampton service.
Had I known a Hymek would be passing through with a train of loaded ballast from Meldon Quarry I would NOT have remained on that platform I can assure you. Ron
Interestingly, unlike my visit to the Bridport branch on the same Railrover, EVERY service had at least one other revenue passenger as well as myself (poor English but you know what I mean...).
On this day, revenue recorders were travelling on every train, recording in detail with a Dictaphone the stations between which each passenger was travelling, along with the type of ticket they were using/holding or purchasing from the guard on the train.
I spent time at each of the stations that was due to close with the withdrawal of the Okehampton service.
Had I known a Hymek would be passing through with a train of loaded ballast from Meldon Quarry I would NOT have remained on that platform I can assure you. Ron
From a level crossing west of Bow
North Tawton

No doubt where this is - North Tawton. 5th September 1961 looking towards Okehampton. The track level here has been raised considerably to improve the clearances on a nearby Rail over road bridge. This picture is the copyright of J. Eyers and is supplied from the collections of Graham Bowden and South West Circle - with permission.
An interlude at North Tawton in 1971. Ron Kosys
Sampford Courtenay
- 8/1/1867 opened as Okehampton Road
- 3/10/1871 renamed as Belstone Corner (no label exists for that name BTW)
- 1/1/1872 renamed as Sampford Courtenay
The DARTMOOR RAILWAY SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION
Operate passenger services on an irregular basis between Meldon Quarry and Okehampton with some continuing to Sampford Courtney.
The DRSA have a most excellent and very much recommended website, for much more detail, photographs etc - please click on the link below:-
http://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/resources
For the latest update - December 2015 - Click here http://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/news
Operate passenger services on an irregular basis between Meldon Quarry and Okehampton with some continuing to Sampford Courtney.
The DRSA have a most excellent and very much recommended website, for much more detail, photographs etc - please click on the link below:-
http://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/resources
For the latest update - December 2015 - Click here http://www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org/news
An interlude at Sampford Courtenay by Ron Kosys

On the 20th August 1971 with only weeks to go we see, running light towards Meldon D833 heads through on the down line. Nowadays only the up line remains.
Copyright Ron Kosys D833, named 'Panther' was put to traffic on the 6th July 1960 and withdrawn on the 3rd October 1971 - it met its fate being cut up at Swindon on the 5th February 1972.
Fatherford Viaduct
Paul Barlow writes - A couple of shots from 1985. Location is Fatherford viaduct near Okehampton
These photos would be impossible today even if there were were trains, as this view point has been completely ruined by the building of the A30 dual carriageway. The A30 now runs parallel with the viaduct probably about 50 yards between each other. There was a lot of controversy at the time as the road was to built on the National park, but it went ahead anyway.
The first shot is from the hill opposite the viaduct, the return working if stood in the same spot today you would be on the northbound carriageway of the A30.
Hope these are of interest - very much so - many thanks to you Paul.
These photos would be impossible today even if there were were trains, as this view point has been completely ruined by the building of the A30 dual carriageway. The A30 now runs parallel with the viaduct probably about 50 yards between each other. There was a lot of controversy at the time as the road was to built on the National park, but it went ahead anyway.
The first shot is from the hill opposite the viaduct, the return working if stood in the same spot today you would be on the northbound carriageway of the A30.
Hope these are of interest - very much so - many thanks to you Paul.
More on Fatherford Viaduct -
the Okehampton By - pass.
An article by Colin Burgess
the Okehampton By - pass.
An article by Colin Burgess
Dear Keith, You must be so thankful not getting regular, lengthy despatches from Christow, though I'm sure you won't mind the occasional one. Paul Barlow sent some shots a while ago of Fatherford Viaduct before the wretched dual carriageway was built through the ancient Okehampton Castle deer park, in contravention not only of the spirit of the national parks but also of the D.o.E's. own guidance on trunk road building. This prompted me to scan the shots I took in October, 1992, three years after the incursion was completed. One can't be far away from where Paul was standing. [image: Fatherford 1.png] [image: Fatherford 2.png] [image: Fatherford 3.png] [image: Fatherford 4.png] [image: Fatherford 5.png] [image: Fatherford 6.png] [image: Fatherford 7.png] These shots were taken in part to illustrate the relative impact of road and rail on the landscape and to rubbish the cost-benefit analysis formula which made possible the building of new roads but could not be applied to railway development. This is an interesting reflection on the Okehampton Bypass Inquiry, which started more than 40 years ago. https://campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2019/05/12/okehampton-bypass-inquiry-40-years-ago/ My "Scouting" page is being improved as I go along. With best wishes, Colin Burges
N.B. The copies of the reports concerning the inquiry into the building of the by-pass are very much worth an examination and it is with Many Thanks to Colin that we invite you to sample the extensive material available on the link which he has provided - see above.
With many thanks to Colin for his article. One hopes, fingers crossed that this line will be re-instated from Meldon through to Tavistock. October 1992. Copyright Colin Burges. Now if you haven't checked Colins collected report on the inquiry please click here. https://campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2019/05/12/okehampton-bypass-inquiry-40-years-ago
Okehampton

1970-71 picture. The ‘bubble car’ has arrived at the Down platform and unloaded, and is now moving back across the crossover in the distance before reversing back into the Up platform. This was after closure of the line west of Meldon, but before the line from Crediton was singled. Note the collection of vans in the yard. Copyright Chris Osment