The North Devon Line
Barnstaple, North Devon, England
another "content over style" heritage web page from Steve Johnson`s "Cyberheritage"
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION
BARNSTAPLE JUNCTION - in 1985
click above to enlarge
In these times, some passenger services were loco-hauled, typically very early morning and more often on a Summer Saturday. It would be usually a 33, but from time to time it would be a class 31.
The real item of my interest on this line was the local goods.or freight train. Hauled from Exeter by a class 31 or 33, it would stop at Lapford to pick up timber, then proceed to Barnstaple Junction to pick up Cement and another load....possible resin of some sort. Anyway to me, it would be known as the cement train! Even though it`s movements were timetabled, it was certainly a flexible one, so sometimes being at such and such a place to photograph was somewhat dependant on luck.
a DMU waits for the right of way signal for Exeter. or beyond to Exmouth or Paignton
a class 33 waits for the signal, enroute to Exeter, Paignton, or if very early in the morning on a weekday, Plymouth.
class 31, no 31168 waits with a cement train
class 31, no 31406 waits with an empty ballast train
a class 33 waits with a load of timber it would have picked up at Lapford on it`s way up to Barnstaple from Exeter Riverside Yard.
a class 31 runs around it`s train on remnants of the Torrington line
the same class 31 has run under the road bridge on the last few yards of the Torrington / Bideford line. If the line didn't stop, it would go on to Fremington Quay and Instow.
a "push-pull" class 33 on a passenger working has just arrived at Barnstaple Junction
the British Telecom yellow DMU waits at the platform
a passenger class 33 enters the station past a fine signal gantry. (GWR style in an SR location!)
the GWR chocolate and cream painted DMU enters the station
the GWR chocolate and cream painted DMU in the station
a DMU enters the station past a fine signal gantry. (GWR style in an SR location!)
a smokin` DMU pulls out of Barnstaple Junction
the yellow British Telecom DMU rests at Barnstaple Junction in 1985
