NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 48
Walkham Viaduct
Michael L. Roach
On Wednesday 10 June 1964 I made an evening excursion to the valley of the River Walkham north-west of Horrabridge village which previously had a railway station on the Plymouth to Tavistock South railway line. The river rose in the centre of Dartmoor and flowed into the River Tavy about three miles south of Tavistock. About a mile west of Horrabridge the railway was forced to cross the valley of the Walkham which it did on a magnificent viaduct some 1100 feet long. Originally a Brunel timber structure on stone piers this was replaced in 1910 by a riveted steel truss girder design by the Great Western Railway. This lasted until the line closed at the end of 1962. The original Brunel structure carried a single line (broad gauge until 1892) but the new steel structure was designed to carry a double standard gauge line, but never did, and the line remained single track until the end. For both viaducts there were 17 spans, with 34 main girders in the steel structure. Each span was about 66 feet.
We parked at Bedford Bridge where the A386 crosses the River Walkham. We walked down the valley beside the river in pleasant evening sunshine, and I say we because there was a young lady with me that evening. She was a lovely young lady and I was sad when we parted after a couple of years but I was too young to settle down and I still had my other love – railways – and lots of travelling to do while there was still steam around for the next few years. We ended up at the bottom of the tallest piers of the Walkham Viaduct which were built of stone with later brick extensions. Track level was 132 feet above the lowest part of the valley. Walkham was a magnificent structure, and even in 1964 there would have been few people around who could have remembered seeing the previous timber super structure, because even though the north end of the viaduct was close to the main road from Plymouth to Tavistock the viaduct was not easy to see because of woodland on both sides of the valley. The viaduct was demolished and completely removed from the landscape including the piers, perhaps because it lay partly within the Dartmoor National Park.
If I had to put the railway bridges and viaducts of Devon and Cornwall in order then top would have to be the Royal Albert Bridge, followed by Meldon Viaduct, and third would have been the Walkham Viaduct. But with Walkham gone what would be number three now ? I think it would have to be Moorswater Viaduct just half a mile west of Liskeard Station, because of its great length, its height, its setting; and the public footpath crossing the line west of the viaduct makes photography easy from many angles. Another reason is that unlike most viaducts which have heavy stone parapet walls Moorswater has very delicate-looking iron balustrades. The other reason for choosing Moorswater is that there is another railway line passing beneath Moorswater Viaduct which is currently disused, but hopefully may be brought back into use one day. The existence of that line beneath the viaduct means there is a wealth of railway history in the valley contributing to the choice of Moorswater as third in my current list. And unlike Walkham Viaduct Moorswater Viaduct is easy to see being very visible from many angles with motorists travelling east along the A38 getting a particularly good view.
Bedford Bridge, where I parked the car, is also known locally as Magpie Bridge; and heading south from the car park is a side valley which the railway had to cross, which it did on a viaduct. The railway line across Magpie Viaduct and Walkham Viaduct opened in 1859 just seven weeks after the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. Now when I want the facts on the major railway bridges I turn to the normally-excellent “British Railway Bridges & Viaducts” published by Ian Allan in 1994; ISBN 0 7110 2273 9. However quite strangely Walkham Viaduct does not appear in the index of the book, nor in the text. Turning to 1859 and page 75 there is an entry for Magpie Viaduct which also mentions another viaduct on the line – Bickleigh, but not Walkham. Magpie is a very ordinary viaduct of no special merit, of a type that british railways had hundreds. Alongside the article on Magpie is a photo of a very long Brunel timber viaduct on stone piers which I am fairly sure is actually Walkham Viaduct. On the facing page (74) is a photo of Moorswater Viaduct which shows the delicate iron balustrade to good effect.
We parked at Bedford Bridge where the A386 crosses the River Walkham. We walked down the valley beside the river in pleasant evening sunshine, and I say we because there was a young lady with me that evening. She was a lovely young lady and I was sad when we parted after a couple of years but I was too young to settle down and I still had my other love – railways – and lots of travelling to do while there was still steam around for the next few years. We ended up at the bottom of the tallest piers of the Walkham Viaduct which were built of stone with later brick extensions. Track level was 132 feet above the lowest part of the valley. Walkham was a magnificent structure, and even in 1964 there would have been few people around who could have remembered seeing the previous timber super structure, because even though the north end of the viaduct was close to the main road from Plymouth to Tavistock the viaduct was not easy to see because of woodland on both sides of the valley. The viaduct was demolished and completely removed from the landscape including the piers, perhaps because it lay partly within the Dartmoor National Park.
If I had to put the railway bridges and viaducts of Devon and Cornwall in order then top would have to be the Royal Albert Bridge, followed by Meldon Viaduct, and third would have been the Walkham Viaduct. But with Walkham gone what would be number three now ? I think it would have to be Moorswater Viaduct just half a mile west of Liskeard Station, because of its great length, its height, its setting; and the public footpath crossing the line west of the viaduct makes photography easy from many angles. Another reason is that unlike most viaducts which have heavy stone parapet walls Moorswater has very delicate-looking iron balustrades. The other reason for choosing Moorswater is that there is another railway line passing beneath Moorswater Viaduct which is currently disused, but hopefully may be brought back into use one day. The existence of that line beneath the viaduct means there is a wealth of railway history in the valley contributing to the choice of Moorswater as third in my current list. And unlike Walkham Viaduct Moorswater Viaduct is easy to see being very visible from many angles with motorists travelling east along the A38 getting a particularly good view.
Bedford Bridge, where I parked the car, is also known locally as Magpie Bridge; and heading south from the car park is a side valley which the railway had to cross, which it did on a viaduct. The railway line across Magpie Viaduct and Walkham Viaduct opened in 1859 just seven weeks after the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. Now when I want the facts on the major railway bridges I turn to the normally-excellent “British Railway Bridges & Viaducts” published by Ian Allan in 1994; ISBN 0 7110 2273 9. However quite strangely Walkham Viaduct does not appear in the index of the book, nor in the text. Turning to 1859 and page 75 there is an entry for Magpie Viaduct which also mentions another viaduct on the line – Bickleigh, but not Walkham. Magpie is a very ordinary viaduct of no special merit, of a type that british railways had hundreds. Alongside the article on Magpie is a photo of a very long Brunel timber viaduct on stone piers which I am fairly sure is actually Walkham Viaduct. On the facing page (74) is a photo of Moorswater Viaduct which shows the delicate iron balustrade to good effect.
Looking north-west along the west side of Walkham Viaduct at 8.00pm on the sunny evening of 10 June 1964. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Looking east up the River Walkham. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Another view along the west side showing the stonework of the piers. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
In this view, taken on 12 October 1964 during demolition, it can be seen that the later brick extensions were of substantial height needed to keep the track at its original level. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
This view shows one of the main girders at the Horrabridge end where the viaduct was on a curve. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Re: D1660 'City of Truro'
Bill Elston
Following on from the recent pieces ref 'CITY OF TRURO', (click here, or here) I've attached a few fots of my own of this loco, all taken at Exeter St Davids.
As 47076 - 20/3/84. Copyright Bill Elston.
47076's nameplate. 20.03.1984, copyright Bill Elston.
47625, still in blue, 24/2/87. Copyright Bill Elston.
47625, now in 'main line' livery, 7/7/91. Copyright Bill Elston.
Resplendent in RES livery (with 47565), 2/10/92. Copyright Bill Elston.
The nameplate of 47624 as in 1992. Copyright Bill Elston.
Great photos Bill, thanks for sending them in.
Duff by dusk
Phil 'Shattered' Smith
In this shot, taken late in the day, 47839 is making its departure known as it powers away from Bristol Parkway. 2002. Copyright Phil Smith.
Another excellent photo, Phil - many thanks indeed.