| The Okehampton line from Exeter was a main line railway some sixty miles in length which for almost a century provided an alternative route to Plymouth. It passed through spectacular countryside as well as the important market town of Tavistock which boasted Sir Francis Drake as one of its notable residents. This book gives a detailed account of all aspects of the line between Cowley Bridge and Davenport junctions, together with some background of the railway beyond at Exeter and Plymouth, A full description of the line including maps, track diagrams and many photographs, mostly previously unpublished, complete we hope, a definitive account of THE OKEHAMPTON LINE. Contents:
- CHAPTER ONE - The Line Described
- - Exeter Central, Exeter St David`s, Cowley Bridge Junction, Newton St Cyres, Crediton, Neopardy, Yeoford, Coleford Junction, Bow, North Tawton, Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton, Meldon Quarry, Meldon Junction, Bridestowe, Lydford, Brentor, Wilminstone Siding, Tavistock, Bere Alston, Bere Ferrers, Tamerton Foliot, Ernesettle Sidings, St Budeaux, Weston Mill, Camels Head, Ford, Albert Road, Devonport, Devonport Junction.
- CHAPTER TWO - From Exeter to Yeoford 1831-1877
- - Early Railways Promoted and Constructed 1831-8, Brunel`s Broad Gauge Main Line 1841-9, The Railway Mania 1845-7, The South Western Railway Intervention 1846, The Railway Commissioners Investigate, Construction of the Exeter and Crediton Railway 1844-7, Construction of the Taw Vale Railway and Dock 1845-7, The Gauge Question 1847-8, Post-Mania Depression, Opening of the Exeter and Crediton Railway 1851, Construction of the North Devon Railway 1851-4, Opening of the North Devon Railway 1854, Early Years on the Broad Gauge 1854-62, The Arrival of the South Western 1860, The Missing Link through Exeter 1862, The Mixed Gauge Era 1863-77 , Doubling the Line Exeter to Crediton 1874-5, Doubling the Line Crediton to Yeoford 1874-6.
- CHAPTER THREE - From Yeoford to Devonport 1862-1890
- - The Okehampton Railway 1862, Construction of the Devon and Cornwall Railway 1864-5, Opening to North Tawton 1865, Construction to Okehampton Road 1865-7, Opening to Okehampton Road 1867, Construction to Okehampton 1867-71, Opening to Okehampton 1871, Construction Okehampton to Lidford 1871-4, Opening to Lidford 1874, Accident at North Tawton 1875, from Lidford to Devonport 1873-6, Opening to Devonport 1876, Signalling Instructions 1876, Early Years on the Exeter to Devonport Line 1876-90, The Stonehouse Pool Branch 1886, Doubling the Line Yeoford to Lidford 1877-9, The 1881 Timetable, General Progress 1876-90, Accident near Yelverton 1885, Accident at Devonport Junction 1889.
- CHAPTER FOUR - The South Western Main Line to Plymouth 1890-1922
- - The Plymouth Devonport and South Western Junction Railway 1883-90, Construction of the PD&SWJR 1887-90, Opening of the PD&SWJR 1890, General Progress 1890-1908, Minor Works 1895-7, Accidents between Brentor and Tavistock 1897-8, Permanent Way Changes, Plymouth Suburban Services, The Callington Branch 1908, Ocean Liner Specials, Traffic Pooling and Economies 1910-17, Signalling Instructions 1916, World War One 1914-8, Accident at Bere Ferrers 1917, Peat Works Siding Bridestowe 1920, Mishaps at Meldon 1915-21, New Works at Meldon Junction 1921, The later South Western period 1920-2, Wilminstone Siding 1922.
- CHAPTER FIVE - The Southern Railway period
- - The Grouping, General progress 1923-39, Okehampton Re-building 1932-5, Ernesettle Sidings 1938, The Second World War 1939-42, The St Budeaux Connection 1941, The Second World War 1943-5, Inspection of Wartime Works, The post-war Period 1945-7.
- CHAPTER SIX - The Early British Railways Period 1948 to 1972
- - Nationalisation 1948, General Progress 1948-64, Royal Trains 1954 and 1956, Acts of God, The Blizzard of 1962-3, Modernisation at Plymouth, Dieselization, The Beeching Report, Closures and Rationalisation 1964-72.
- CHAPTER SEVEN - The Later British Railways Period from 1972
- - The Gunnislake Branch, The North Devon Branch, The Meldon Quarry Branch, Return to Okehampton, The Future.
- CHAPTER EIGHT - Traffic and Train Services
- - A Survey of Passenger Traffic, Main Line Passenger Train Services, Plymouth Suburban Services, Other Passenger Services, Excursion Traffic, The Atlantic Coast Express, The Devon Belle, The Brighton, Summer Saturdays, The Car Carrier Train between Surbiton and Okehampton, Passenger Train re-marshalling at Yeoford, Ocean Liner Specials, Tamar Valley Fruit and Flowers, Rabbit Traffic, Other Passenger Train Traffic, Camping Coaches, A Survey of Freight Traffic, Freight Train Services, Meldon Quarry Services.
- CHAPTER NINE - Locomotives and Rolling Stock
- - A General Survey, Broad Gauge locomotives and rolling stock, Joseph Beattie Locomotives, William George Beattie I.ocomotives, Adams Locomotives, Drummond Locomotives, PD&SWJR Locomotives, Maunsell Locomotives, Bullied Locomotives, Scheduled Great Western Locomotive workings, Diverted Great Western workings, LMR type Locomotives, British Railways Locomotives, Preserved Steam Engines, Friary Locomotive List 1956, LSWR Engine Working Diagrams 1919, Locomotive Workings 1957, Diesel Locomotives and Multiple Units, Carriages and Wagons,Train Formations 1876, Waterloo Carriage Workings 1913, Carriage Workings 1944, Carriage Workings 1955.
- APPENDIX - Gradient Profiles
Continent: Europe
Country: UK
Area: UK Devon |
