Totnes Quay and
Ashburton branch revisited
Ashburton branch revisited
Five quite remarkable pictures have come to light which were taken by the late Cedric Owen. Cedric, a keen enthusiast was well known to us in West Cornwall for the several shows he gave us using his epidiascope - a remarkable large piece of equipment, which, by illuminating postscards with a powerful, (and very hot) lamp threw the reflected and rather faint image onto a screen. Thankfully things have moved on since then! This collection dedicated to the memory of Cedric is brought to us by Sid Sponheimer. Many thanks Sid.
Plymouth Railway Circle / South Devon Railway Society
Farewell to the Ashburton Branch
Loco 4567 Stock UsedBrake VansRoute :
Loco(s)Route Totnes - Ashburton Jn - Totnes Quay- Ashburton Jn - Staverton - Buckfastleigh - Ashburton- Buckfastleigh - Staverton - Ashburton Jn - TotnesNotes. Reported to be the first passenger train over the Totnes Quay line as well as being the last passenger train over the Ashburton branch, the line being closed to all traffic with effect from 10th September 1962. Courtesy the Sixbellsjunction website
A further historical note on this railtour from Roy Hart who writes from a sweltering Burma - On the Totnes pictures by Cedric Owen (one of the great characters of the era!) - the engine had been condemned and taken out of service in the week prior to the special. It was specially steamed for the trip and then finally taken off for scrap. Thanks for that Roy
Farewell to the Ashburton Branch
Loco 4567 Stock UsedBrake VansRoute :
Loco(s)Route Totnes - Ashburton Jn - Totnes Quay- Ashburton Jn - Staverton - Buckfastleigh - Ashburton- Buckfastleigh - Staverton - Ashburton Jn - TotnesNotes. Reported to be the first passenger train over the Totnes Quay line as well as being the last passenger train over the Ashburton branch, the line being closed to all traffic with effect from 10th September 1962. Courtesy the Sixbellsjunction website
A further historical note on this railtour from Roy Hart who writes from a sweltering Burma - On the Totnes pictures by Cedric Owen (one of the great characters of the era!) - the engine had been condemned and taken out of service in the week prior to the special. It was specially steamed for the trip and then finally taken off for scrap. Thanks for that Roy
Complete with the PRC headboard the railtour stands ready to depart from Totnes down platform. 8th September 1962. Copyright the late Cedric Owen.
The first and last passenger train on the Totnes Quay branch returns to the main line. A remarkable picture of a once only event captured by the late Cedric Owen. As well as the long 13 brakevan train the telegraph post with its mulititude of arms and wires is another memory of the past. Copyright the late Cedric Owen.
Luckily, very luckily for us, Cedric was able to obtain this lineside picture of the railtour, after having been back to Totnes station, moving out acoss the main line to gain Ashburton Junction and the branch. This picture nicely framed by telegraph poles. 8th September 1962 Copyright
The last ever passenger train runs into Buckfastleigh - or so it was thought! 8th September 1962. Copyright the late Cedric Owen.
And finally, at the end of the line. 4567 draws its train into Ashburton station on the 8th September 1962. Will this station ever be re-opened - one hopes so. Copyright the late Cedric Owen
40's from the west
John Cornelius
John Cornelius
An absolutely fantastic picture which only a member of railway staff could get. John who was a signalman at the time at Athelney has climbed a nearby signalpost to get this panorama which puts everything into perspective. The signalbox, the level crossing, the bridge over the waterway and in the distance the tower of Lyng Church. Copyright John Cornelius. N.B. John has asked that it be made clear that he was not on duty at the time the picture was taken but took over later on.
A picture taken earlier in the day as the railtour reunited with 40083 40081 at Newton Abbot passes Dawlish. 16th October 1997 Copyright Roger Winnen