Calstock railway station
Encyclopedia
Calstock railway station is an unstaffed railway station serving the village of Calstock
in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is situated at at the north end of Calstock Viaduct which carries the railway at high level over the River Tamar
.
was opened to Kelly Quay at Calstock on 8 May 1872. Wagons with goods from the mines around Gunnislake
and Callington were brought down the hillside on a 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) cable-worked incline
with a gradient of 1 in 6 (17%).
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
opened the station on 2 March 1908. This line was a branch from Bere Alston
to Callington Road
and crossed the River Tamar
on Calstock Viaduct.
A steam-powered lift
was attached to the downstream side of the viaduct which could raise and lower wagons to the quays 113 feet (34.4 m) below, making it one of the highest such lifts in the country. It was connected to the station goods yard by a second parallel steel stub viaduct. A short section of the narrow gauge line was retained to serve a lime kiln, but the wagon lift and all the sidings were taken out of use in September 1934.
Fruit and flowers were an important part of the traffic carried on the railway and were still carried by train from Calstock until the mid 1970s.
from to . Connections with main line services can be made at Plymouth, although a small number of Tamar Valley services continue to or from .
. The line is promoted under the "Tamar Valley Line
" name.
Two pubs in Calstock take part in the Tamar Valley Line rail ale trail
, which is designed to promote the use of the line. The line is also part of the Dartmoor Sunday Rover network of integrated bus and rail routes.
It was built between 1904 and 1907 by John Lang of Liskeard
using 11,148 concrete blocks. These were cast in a temporary yard on the Devon
bank opposite the village. The engineers were Richard Church and WR Galbraith.
Calstock
Calstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is situated at at the north end of Calstock Viaduct which carries the railway at high level over the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
.
History
The gauge East Cornwall Mineral RailwayEast Cornwall Mineral Railway
The East Cornwall Mineral Railway was a narrow gauge industrial railway opened in 1872 to serve the iron ore and stone quarries around Callington in Cornwall....
was opened to Kelly Quay at Calstock on 8 May 1872. Wagons with goods from the mines around Gunnislake
Gunnislake
Gunnislake is a large village in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately ten miles north of Plymouth...
and Callington were brought down the hillside on a 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) cable-worked incline
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
with a gradient of 1 in 6 (17%).
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway in England was built by an independent company but operated by the London and South Western Railway as part of its main line to give it independent access to Plymouth. It ran from to Devonport Junction, just west of Plymouth North Road...
opened the station on 2 March 1908. This line was a branch from Bere Alston
Bere Alston railway station
Bere Alston railway station is an unstaffed halt situated near the village of Bere Alston in Devon, England, north of Plymouth on the branch to Gunnislake....
to Callington Road
Callington railway station
Callington railway station was a railway station in the town of Callington, Cornwall, built by the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway, but operated by the London and South Western Railway. It was the terminus of a branch line from Bere Alston, and the station closed in 1966...
and crossed the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
on Calstock Viaduct.
A steam-powered lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
was attached to the downstream side of the viaduct which could raise and lower wagons to the quays 113 feet (34.4 m) below, making it one of the highest such lifts in the country. It was connected to the station goods yard by a second parallel steel stub viaduct. A short section of the narrow gauge line was retained to serve a lime kiln, but the wagon lift and all the sidings were taken out of use in September 1934.
Fruit and flowers were an important part of the traffic carried on the railway and were still carried by train from Calstock until the mid 1970s.
Description
The single platform – on the right of trains arriving from Plymouth – is situated on a sharp curve which makes it difficult to see trains approaching from Gunnislake. It is on the hillside towards the edge of the village.Services
Calstock is served by trains on the Tamar Valley LineTamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
from to . Connections with main line services can be made at Plymouth, although a small number of Tamar Valley services continue to or from .
Community railway
The railway from Plymouth to Gunnislake is designated as a community railway and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail PartnershipDevon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is the largest Community Rail Partnership in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon and Cornwall, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.The...
. The line is promoted under the "Tamar Valley Line
Tamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
" name.
Two pubs in Calstock take part in the Tamar Valley Line rail ale trail
Rail ale trail
A rail ale trail is a marketing exercise in the United Kingdom that is designed to promote tourism to a rural area, by encouraging people to visit a series of pubs that are close to railway stations along a railway line. Participants are rewarded for visiting the pubs by train. In doing this they...
, which is designed to promote the use of the line. The line is also part of the Dartmoor Sunday Rover network of integrated bus and rail routes.
Calstock Viaduct
The viaduct is 120 feet (37 m) high with twelve 60 feet (18 m) wide arches, and a further small arch in the Calstock abutment. Three of the piers stand in the River Tamar, which is tidal at this point and has a minimum clearance at high tide of 110 feet (34 m).It was built between 1904 and 1907 by John Lang of Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
using 11,148 concrete blocks. These were cast in a temporary yard on the Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
bank opposite the village. The engineers were Richard Church and WR Galbraith.