3. Around Torbay-13.07.80

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1980 > 7. Devon Roadtour-11-13.07.80 > 3. Around Torbay-13.07.80

A really wet and thoroughly miserable day - the great British summer! As the weather was so poor we decided to have a look at the South Devon Railway and then venturing back towards Aller Junction before heading for home. We had a sedate journey home hoping that 'UAM' (the Mini) would not overheat now running with a piece of nylon cord around one of the flutings of the bypass hose and no radiator cap on; needless to say, we made it!

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Images 1-13 of 13 displayed.

4588, 13.15 Kingswear-Paignton, Greenway viaduct
Long term resident of the South Devon Railway ex GWR Churchwood/Collett 2-6-2T 4588 climbs over Greenway viaduct leading the 13.15 Kingswear to Paignton service. 4588 was rescued from barry in 1971 and sent to Swindon (its birthplace in 1927) for restoration returning to steam in 1973. It worked on this line for many years with a short spell on the SVR before being sold and moved to Peak Rail where, at the time of writing (2020), it still languishes awaiting another full overhaul.
Keywords: 4588 13.15 Kingswear-Paignton Greenway viaduct

4588, 14.15 Paignton-Kingswear, Hookhills Viaduct SX895577
The Collett designed 4575 class of 2-6-2T tanks were a development of the original Churchward 4500 class. One hundred were constructed between 1927 and 1929 as a mixed traffic locomotive and were found all over the GWR network. 4588 was based for most of its working life in Devon and Cornwall until withdrawal came in 1962 at Laira from where it was sent to Barry. After spending nine years deteriorating in South Wales it was rescued and restored at Swindon works. It is seen here, in awful lighting, climbing towards Churston about to cross Hookhills viaduct working the 14.15 Paignton to Kingswear service on the South Devon Railway.
Keywords: 4588 14.15 Paignton-Kingswear Hookhills viaduct SX895577

4588, 14.15 Paignton-Kingswear, Hookhills Viaduct SX895577
Passengers in the observation car of the 14.15 Paignton to Kingswear service will not quite have the panoramic views they might have wanted but at least they will have the sight of a Collett working hard at fairly close quarters! The train is seen passing over Hookhills viaduct between Goodrington and Churston on a dismal July day with swathes of rain sweeping in off the Atlantic!
Keywords: 4588 14.15 Paignton-Kingswear Hookhills Viaduct SX895577 SDR South Devon Railway Collett

Paignton South signal box (GW, date not known)
Paignton south signal box is seen with its associated crossing gates. I believe that the box is GWR Type 3 but have no details of its construction date. However, as it has the higher roof with steeper pitch would suggest its the earlier design pre 1895ish. Notice the huge lamp above the railway picket fencing. In a slightly later photograph from 1982, the lamp had disappeared with the box being closed in 1985. Today the crossing still exists but is controlled by automatic barriers with a revolting and characterless relay room replacing the delightful GWR building.
Keywords: Paignton South signal box

P473, Class 118 DMU, ECS, Paignton South
Having worked into Paignton's BR station a little earlier a pair of Class 118 DMUs with set P473 leading makes its way out of the station towards the Goddrington carriage sidings. The lines off to the right lead to Paignton's South Devon Railway station with one of its shunters just in shot. Notice the two hundred and twenty-two milepost to the left. This is the distance from Paddington via Swindon, Bath and Bristol rather than the Berks and Hants route.
Keywords: P473 Class 118 DMU ECS Paignton South Empty Coaching Stock

Paignton South Signal Box (GW, date not known)
A second view of Paignton South signal box taken from a position standing on the top of a wall. It's an example of a Great Western Type 3 box with the slightly steeper pitched roof and a lovely external timber porch. The six pane sliding windows are typical of GW boxes as are the arched locking room windows. The box survived another six years before giving way to the new MAS signalling controlled by Exeter panel.
Keywords: Paignton South Signal Box (GW, date not known)

P473, Class 118 DMU & 45055, 13.50 Exeter St. David`s-Paignton, Torquay station
An easy job for 45055 'Royal Corps of Transport' working the 13.50 Exeter to Paignton local stopper! It would have had little difficulty getting three Mk.1 coaches away from Torquay station as seen here passing the lovely signal box and a pair of Class 116 DMUs heading in the other direction. The box has not always been located on the platform. Originally it was a stand-alone box with the platform finishing approximately level with the first coach with a west-facing bay platform slotting into the right of the train where the line of 1970s cars are parked. Notice the area of tack in front of 45055 heavily polluted by leaking fuel and oil from countless diesels that will have been coming to a halt at this spot over the years!
Keywords: P473 Class 118 DMU 45055 13.50 Exeter St. David`s-Paignton Torquay station Royal Corps of Transport

Torre Signal Box (GW, 1921)
The impressively tall Torre signal box was constructed by the Great Western Railway in 1921 to their type 7 design and stands on the up platform. Like its smaller brother box a short distance away at Torquay it is still in existence and was to be sold at auction in 2017 but can find nothing out about what has happened since then. Back in 1980 it was still in use but switched out on this particular Sunday afternoon. Notice the large Western Fuel Company coal depot behind the box. I wonder if the odd bucket of coal was passed over the fence for the use of the signalman when his supplies ran low?
Keywords: Torre Signal Box

Running in board, Torre station
A timber running-in board on Torre station. I am not sure as to its history and if it is a genuine GWR sign or a reproduction - local knowledge anybody? I do know that it still exists today but that it has a slightly different paint scheme, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/24745327604/running-boards-bench-torre-station
Keywords: Running in board Torre station

Frontage, Torre station
The frontage at Torre station is seen on a quiet Sunday afternoon with just three cars in the car park one of which is our own orange Mini. The timber-framed building, clad with horizontal boarding was opened by the GWR in 1848 when just one platform served a single broad gauge track. When standard gauge replaced the broad gauge in 1892 a second platform was added to serve the new up line. The station is Grade II listed and looks very similar to this today but the road in the foreground is a little busier and much of the station is now split up into small business units.
Keywords: Frontage Torre station

50001 & 50025, 16.45 Plymouth-London Paddington (1A57), Aller Junction
It's now late afternoon and the haze has been driven in from the coast - only a mile or so further inland it was clear with some brightening skies but not here at Aller Junction. Taken from the signalman's parking spot just behind the box 50001 'Dreadnought' and 50025 'Invincible' lead the 1A57 16.45 Plymouth to Paddington service. We never did establish why this was double-headed. It was before BR trialed the so called 'super trains' that often saw two Class 50s working together so perhaps it was due to a failure? To take the equivalent photograph today I would need to be standing by the side of the very busy A380 dual carriageway taking my life into my hands in doing so!
Keywords: 50001 50025 16.45 Plymouth-London Paddington Aller Junction Dreadnought Invincible 1A57

50001 & 50025, 16.45 Plymouth-London Paddington (1A57), Aller Junction
I did not usually take many 'going-away' photographs but double-headed 50s would have got me reaching for the wind-on lever on the Zenith camera! Taken from the small car park where the Aller Junction signalmen parked their cars 50001 'Dreadnought' and 50025 'Invincible' accelerate away towards Newton Abbot leading the 16.45 Plymouth to Newton Abbot. As can be seen, the sea mist has drifted in creating a particularly miserable afternoon scene. This is a reverse view of a number of photographs that I took a couple of months previously, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29422479804/x50019-14-00-penzance-birmingham Unfortunately, the lovely twin arch stone occupation bridge that I spent a very pleasant few hours on back in May 1980 has now been knocked down with a stonking great big dual carriageway obliterating the land to the right.
Keywords: 50001 50025 16.45 Plymouth-London Paddington Aller Junction Dreadnought Invincible 1A57

Exminster signal box (GW, 1924)
After a miserable two days of heavy cloud, rain and sea mist as we headed for home and it brightened up! On passing Exminster we decided to turn right off the A379 in the village (some years before the Exminster bypass was opened) and headed down the lane leading towards the railway and the signal box. In this view, the 1924 GWR box looks very smart and as though it has been in receipt of a recent lick of paint. Notice the signalman's blue Saburu BRAT parked next to the box. The box survived on until 1986 with it being converted to a bird-watching hide. By 2006 it had fallen out of use and was dismantled piece by piece and taken to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway for use on their Broadway extension. This did not take place as the box was deemed too big so they constructed a more appropriately sized box, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/26925146604/broadway-signal-box As far as I know the GWSR still have Exminster box safely stored - hopefully with every wooden panel carefully labelled!
Keywords: Exminster Signal Box

Images 1-13 of 13 displayed.