Dartmoor Railway
Encyclopedia
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. From Crediton
Crediton railway station
Crediton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Crediton in Devon, England.It is the current junction of the Tarka and Dartmoor lines, though the two lines run parallel until Coleford Junction at Penstone near Coleford .-History:The station, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel,...
the line parallels the Tarka Line
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
to the site of the former Coleford Junction. Heading west it then serves Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay is a village and civil parish in West Devon in England, most famous for being the place where the Western Rebellion, otherwise known as the Prayerbook rebellion, first started, and where the rebels made their final stand...
, Okehampton
Okehampton
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:...
and Meldon Quarry
Meldon, Devon
Meldon is a village in West Devon in the English county of Devon. Situated close to Okehampton, its best known feature is the Meldon Quarry, from which granite is still extracted...
. The route is owned from Coleford to Meldon by Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries, a member of the Holcim Group, is an aggregates, construction and building materials group, with its base in the United Kingdom. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Holcim in 2005.-History:...
. Freight trains serve the ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
quarry at Meldon. The line is leased to and maintained by the Dartmoor Railway CIC
Community interest company
A community interest company is a new type of company introduced by the United Kingdom government in 2005 under the Companies Act 2004, designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good...
, who operate heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
services on certain days. A public service between Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and Okehampton is run on summer Sundays operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. Ballast trains are operated by one of the national freight operating companies.
The route was originally part of the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
from Exeter to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, which opened between 1865 and 1879. In 1968, British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
closed the line beyond Meldon as part of the Beeching cuts
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. The Exeter to Okehampton passenger service was withdrawn by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1972. Between 1972 and 1997 the line was used for railway ballast traffic from Meldon Quarry and occasional freight traffic to the remaining goods yard at Okehampton before its closure. Occasional Charter and Special trains operated to Okehampton and Meldon Quarry during the passenger closure period. The railway reopened to regular passenger services in 1997 with the creation of Dartmoor Railway.
Public train services
Devon County CouncilDevon County Council
Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon...
sponsor the Sunday Rover trains between Exeter and Okehampton. These have run since the 1997 reopening and operate again in 2011 with services running from late May to mid September.
The service consists of five return trips between St James Park
St James Park railway station
St James Park railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter, Devon, England. It is operated by First Great Western. It is adjacent to the Exeter City F.C. football ground.-History:...
station in Exeter and Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
. These trains connect with bus services and heritage railway services at Okehampton, and Tarka line
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
rail services at Crediton
Crediton railway station
Crediton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Crediton in Devon, England.It is the current junction of the Tarka and Dartmoor lines, though the two lines run parallel until Coleford Junction at Penstone near Coleford .-History:The station, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel,...
.
Devon & Cornwall Railways Ltd (a subsidiary of British American Railway Services
British American Railway Services
British American Railway Services is a British train operating company, specialising in locomotive and rolling stock hire and maintenance...
Ltd) announced its intention to operate through services from Okehampton to Exeter in 2010, having made a track access application to Network Rail on 18 March 2010 to operate four return services each weekday between Okehampton and and a further two (plus one on Sundays) as far as . This service would run under an "open access"
Open access operator
An open access operator is a train operating company that is not subject to franchising.- Open access operators in Great Britain :*Eurostar*Grand Central Railway*Heathrow Connect*Heathrow Express*Hull Trains*Nexus*Pre Metro Operations -In development:...
licence. It was initially hoped services could start in May 2010. In the event this date was not realised and the application continues to await approval by the Office of Rail Regulation
Office of Rail Regulation
The Office of Rail Regulation is a statutory board which is the combined economic and safety regulatory authority for Great Britain's railway network. It was established on 5 July 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, replacing the Rail Regulator...
(ORR).
Heritage activities
Heritage services use a variety of rolling stock including a Class 205British Rail Class 205
The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
"Thumper" unit restored to its original livery and number. Services also operate using restored diesel locomotives in push-pull train
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...
s and top and tail
Top and tail
A top-and-tail railway train has locomotives at both ends, for ease of changing direction. This is a British term. It is normal for only the leading locomotive to power the train when in top-and-tail mode, cf push pull operation with both locomotives powering.It is properly distinct from a...
mode with a variety of coaching stock. Steam services operate occasionally.
Volunteer support for the railway is provided by Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association (DRSA). Volunteers assist the railway operation in many of its activities.
British American Railway Services
British American Railway Services
British American Railway Services is a British train operating company, specialising in locomotive and rolling stock hire and maintenance...
Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings
Iowa Pacific Holdings
Iowa Pacific Holdings is a holding company that owns railroad properties across North America and the United Kingdom, as well as providing services such as railcar repairs and leasing and management and consulting services to other operators...
of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway CIC on 4 September 2008. The company intends to develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.
A proposal was made to restore and reopen the disused down platform at Yeoford. It has not been possible to agree arrangements with Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
who own Yeoford Station and the section of line from near the site of the former Coleford Junction. If eventually achieved it could allow the extension of Dartmoor Railway passenger services and provide the possibility of interchange with the Exeter - Barnstaple "Tarka line
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
".
Locomotives
- Diesel Locomotives
- BRBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
0-6-0 Class 08British Rail Class 08The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
no. 08937. Operational. - BRBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 47British Rail Class 47The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
no. 47701 "Waverley". Under Repair. - BRBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
British Rail Class 50British Rail Class 50The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
no. 50008 "Thunderer". 50008 was due to arrive Autumn 2011, but unforeseen problems with a traction motor fault have delayed this.
- BR
- Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Class 205British Rail Class 205The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
units 205028 (1128) and 205032 (1132). Unit 1132 (205032) Under Repair. Unit 1128 (205028) Awaiting Restoration.
- BR Class 205
- Electrical Multiple Units
- BR Class 411British Rail Class 411The British Rail Class 411 electrical multiple units were built at Eastleigh works from 1956-63 for the newly electrified main lines in Kent. These units were based on the earlier Southern Railway 4Cor design, built in 1937. They were replaced by Juniper units.-Description:A total of 133 units...
DMSOs 61742 and 61743 (ex unit 1589). 61743 Operational. 61742 Awaiting Restoration. - BR Class 422British Rail Class 421The British Rail Class 421 electrical multiple units were built at BR York Works between 1964 and 1972. Units were built in two batches, and were initially introduced on services on the Brighton Main Line. Later units were introduced on services to Portsmouth. These units replaced older Southern...
buffet coaches 69310 (ex-unit 2255) and 69332 (ex-unit 2203). 69310 Static Buffet at Meldon. 69332 Awaiting Restoration.
- BR Class 411