15th July 2019

The Tavistock Vintage Bus Running Day
'A day out in the late 1960s'
Roger Winnen

A very interesting programme of tours were planned for this day with ten routes operating from Tavistock to Yelverton, Princetown and Two Bridges, Milton Abbot, Site of Plaster Down Camp, Greenlands Estate, Gunnislake and Calstock Quay, Lydford Memorial and a Royal Blue service to Okehampton, Callingtonand Gunnislake.
We were able to ride the circulat tour to Princetown and to Lydford Memorial where the Double Decker overheated on the steep climb near Lydford thus we returned after filling up the radiator downhill to Tavistock.
It was a well organised day with beautiful weather

100714a OTT 85 at Princetown. Still has the modern look built in 1954 now 65 yrs old and due for the state pension. Copyright Roger Winnen

190714aa Plenty of light inside of this LS6G coach with Eastern Coachworks bodywork. Copyright Roger Winnen

190714b Princetown Station was situated in front of these dwellings closing on 5th March 1958. Copyright Roger Winnen

190714bb The branch trackbed is seen as at snakes around Dartmoor descending towards Peek Hill bridge. Copyright Roger Winnen

190714c The rebuilt bridge which carried the Princetown Railway over the road at Peek Hill is designed for bikers and walkers to gain access to the moor. Copyright Roger Winnen

190714d Dousland Station photographed through the windscreen of the coach. Copyright Roger Winnen

190714e A variety of buses in Tavistock Bus Station. Copyright Roger Winnen

Ivybridge 25 today
​Mike Roach

Ivybridge's new park-and-ride railway station is 25 years old this year. The formal opening ceremony took place on Friday 15 July 1994 and was performed jointly by the Chairman of Devon County Council and the Regional Director of Railtrack. The 2-platform station was sponsored by the British Railways Regional Railways Sector and constructed at a cost of £380,000 which sounds like a bargain now. Although marketed as a park-and-ride station it has no booking office and is effectively a wayside halt, and the station has never had the frequent train service associated with park-and-ride. Has the station lived up to the expectations at the time of construction. The latest passenger usage figures for 2017/18 show a figure of 57,000 and falling. The population of Ivybridge is about 12,000. Meanwhile Totnes, with a population of 15,000 has a passenger usage figure of 700,000 and rising. Since the closure of the Kingsbridge Branch Totnes Station has served a large area of South Devon including Kingsbridge and Salcombe. The figure of 700,000 for Totnes Station is 39% more than Tiverton Parkway Station which also serves a large area.  Many thanks Mike.
 

Ivybridge Plaque as seen on the 15th June 1994 Copyright Mike Roach

The following pictures were kindly supplied at Mikes request by Clive Smith. Many thanks Clive.

(1) 5029 Nunney Castle makes a magnificent sight at Ivybridge as it heads the 'The Anniversary Ltd' Westbury - Plymouth on the 9th May 2014. Copyright Clive Smith.

(2) It's 12.25 and the late running 10.00 Penzance - Paddington HST passes 150126 at Ivybridge on the 09.00 Cardiff to Penzance on the 4th December 2018. Copyright Clive Smith.

(3) A poster advertising the countryside available from Ivybridge station published in 2019. Copyright Clive Smith.

(4) The 06.47 Penzance - Paddington GWR 2+8 HST arrives at Ivybridge on the 1st May 2019 with 43172 Harry Patch leading and with Inter City liveried 43185 on the rear. A handful of passengers get ready to board the train . This is one of three direct weekday services to London from this unmanned station. Copyright Clive Smith.

(5) In 2006 the Wessex Trains franchise ended and with it the 9 trains a day each way that stopped at Ivybridge. This caused a local furore because the Department For Transport proposed that only three trains each way would stop at Ivybridge under the new Greater Western franchise. Meetings were held in the town hall with Great Western to voice objections.The local MP Gary Streeter did a fantastic job in getting the service level increased. This was done by extending Penzance and Gunnislake locals to Newton Abbot until it was possible to get HSTs to stop at the station when Central Door Locking was introduced I believe later in 2006. The picture shows a demonstration at the station in protest at the proposed cuts. Copyright Clive Smith,

Many thanks to both Mike Roach for the original article and first picture and to Clive Smith for the remainder of the pictures.
​

The Old Ivybridge
Mike Roach

The original Ivybridge which closed on the 2nd March 1959 was someway to the west of the new station. This view was taken from the down platform. This was served by a road spur which came to the back of the station building, there was a short cut should one have already walked up the steep road from the village - the short cut entailed a climb of 67 steps!! The above picture is copyright Mike Roach.

Exmouth Jct. Shed
Richard Murrin

Richard brings us the tenth in his series taken while he worked at Exmouth Junction. Many thanks Richard.

EXJct10 T9 30120 now a part of the National Collection at Exmouth Junction. Copyright Richard Murrin