 | 1093 |
 | Marcel Gommers |
 | 1950 |
 |  |
Dulverton Station, Somerset
James Carter is correct (see the original description and resulting comments below). I should have followed up my doubts about the location of the signalbox earlier! This is Dulverton station, on the Taunton-Barnstaple line, actually at Brushford, two miles from the town. Wiveliscombe, to the east, also had the same layout, but without the bay for the branch: signalbox/goods shed/station buildings, in that order, on the up-side platform. The Devon & Somerset’s 43-mile long route from Norton Fitzwarren - on the main line - opened throughout to Barnstaple on 1 November 1873, originally as a broad-gauge railway. It was converted to standard gauge in 1881, while leased to the Bristol & Exeter and became part of the Great Western in 1901. It was a beautiful line to travel on, crossing the rivers Tone, Exe and Bray; there were frequent 1 in 60 gradients and three tunnels en route. After World War II, Churchward and Collett 2-6-0s were the mainstay motive power with Collett 0-6-0s used on lighter goods trains. The small prairie tank 5525 was less typical; this loco was shedded at Taunton in 1959. South Molton to the west of Dulverton used to provide enough rabbits for a daily special before myxomatosis struck. Quantities of fertiliser were imported, too, with hides for the tannery at Swimbridge.
The bay platform at Dulverton was the northern terminus of the Exe Valley branch, which diverged southwards at Morebath Junction to reach Tiverton on 1 August 1884. A further section of the route opened from Tiverton to Stoke Canon, on the Bristol & Exeter’s main line on 1 May 1885. These branches were standard gauge from the outset and latterly worked typically by Collett 0-4-2 tank-powered auto trains. One of these engines, 1442, is preserved in Tiverton Museum.
Beeching’s Axe fell here and the branch from Dulverton to Exeter via Tiverton closed in 1963. The Taunton - Barnstaple route came to an end on 5 October 1966.
Martin Bodman
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3 March 2010 - Editor:
The original title I used was 'Lostwithiel Railway Station 1950s'. However, following the comment of James and the in-depth research of Martin Bodman I have changed the description as above. But I have left the original description and the comments below as they are a valuable trail and show some nice 'paper archaeology'.
Original description:
Photo of the Lostwithiel Railway Station, in Cornwall, as it was in the 1950.
Situated on the banks of the river Fowey, this station opened in 1859 by Cornwall Railway. Currently only two platforms are in use (2010). Note the signal box on the right and the bridge of course.
Waiting at the platform are a passenger train and locomotive 5525 (heading a goods train).
Photo © The Step Back Through Time Collection
Picture Added on 27 December 2009.
Comments
Regards James Carter
Added by James Carter on 27 February 2010.
Added by Martin Bodman on 27 February 2010.
Added by Marcel Gommers on 27 February 2010.
Added by Martin Bodman on 27 February 2010.
1 The signalbox is in the wrong place for Lostwithiel. A plan of Lostwithiel in 1908 shown in Alan Bennett's 'The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall', [Run Past Publishing 1992] indicates one signalbox there, by the road crossing to the east, and not in the middle of the platform
2 The footbridge shown in a photo of Lostwithiel station in Bennett's book is of an entirely different design
3 Lostwithiel didn't have a goods shed alongside the platform [as per plan mentioned above]; Dulverton and Wiveliscombe stations did, and to this design
4 Small prairie 5525 was shedded at Taunton in 1959, which suggests the loco may have been in the vicinity in 1950, too. [Source: W J Gardner. Cleaner to Controller. Reminiscences of the GWR at Taunton. The Oakwood Press 1994]
5 The bay platform would have been the right side for trains on the branch to Bampton and Tiverton
Added by Martin Bodman on 28 February 2010.
This is looking in the opposite direction to the 'Lostwithiel' shot, but the goods shed is in about the right location and seems to match
Added by Martin Bodman on 28 February 2010.
If you found this interesting, have a look at the following groups of pictures.
Step back through Time, trains and stations
5525 was one of the numerous 4575 class of 2-6-2Ts introduced in 1927, modified from Churchward's 4500 class of 1906. Several of these locomotives have been rescued from Barry scrapyard, rebuilt and preserved on 'heritage' lines.
Lostwithiel is in a dip, by the river: the railway has come down from Doublebois and Bodmin Road on gradients of 1 in 70, 1 in 96 and 1 in 66. To the south it climbs up at 1 in 72 to Treverrin Tunnel before falling again to Par Station. The climb from there to St Austell is at 1 in 6o: the route is something of a switchback.
This view is, I think, looking roughly north, so that the photograph was probably taken in the afternoon, judging by the light
Added by Martin Bodman on 26 January 2010.