Barnstaple Town Station Set BW1 10 6x4 Black+White Prints
Barnstaple Town station, on the LSWR branch to Ilfracombe, was opened on 16 May 1898 to coincide with the completion of the narrow gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. Our set of ten 6x4 Black+White prints opens with a rare portrait of Commercial Road level crossing and its associated ground frame “box” on 17 June 1958. This was the site of the original 1874 standard gauge station, which was closer to Barnstaple Junction. Our next view, from Barnstaple Town signal box is from 20 June 1957, and we see Commercial Road crossing in the distance, and how the single track line has to thread its way between the main road and industrial property. Barnstaple Town signal box, seen on 15 Jun 1954, was a classic LSWR brick built box with a central brick pillar. A compact 13 lever frame, with the usual staff instruments filled the box as we see in a portrait from 20 June 1957. A view of the station forecourt on 25 September 1954 depicts a line up of classic early post war cars, in which a Ford Consul stands out as an icon of modernity. We take a look under the platform canopy on 20 September 1954, at which time the loop was still in use. Pottington Signal box was 642 yards west of Barnstaple Town and the far side of Pottington bridge, and is depicted on 17 June 1958. Connections to Rolle Quay diverged from the main line just beyond the box, and ‘Battle of Britain’ pacific 34074,”46 SQUADRON” leans into the sharp curve as she heads towards Ilfracombe on 17 June 1958. Maunsell N class mogul, 31838 shunts a mixed rake of stock on Rolle Quay on 17 June 1958, an evocative scene recapturing a long forgotten aspect of railway working when small quays were served by rail. It is a truly wonderful shot for the modeller. Our final view is of the LSWR ground frame hut, which was a short distance beyond the connection to Rolle Quay. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.
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When the Southern Railway was formed in 1923, Torrington, a small community in North Devon, was the furthest outpost of the London & South Western Railway in Devon, but the North Devon & Cornwall Junction Railway, one of the last railway lines to be built, connected with the LSWR lines to Bude and Padstow. Torrington retained a frontier atmosphere as the change over point between the busier section north to Barnstaple, but fell foul of the 1960s transfer of SR lines in the West Country to the Western Region. Milk traffic continued for a few years, but trains to Torrington have been but a memory for decades. This evocative set of FIFTEEN 6x4 ins Black+White prints recalls this delightful station. We open with the stone built LSWR buildings, followed by f the Southern Railway concrete TORRINGTON STATION “running in” nameboard, a design that was a Southern icon for generations. The LSWR had used the ubiquitous Drummond M7 0-4-4Ts on the services between Barnstaple and Torrington, and 30253 waters in the southbound platform at Torrington at the head of set 126 on 21 September 1954. Sister engine 30247 sits in the sidings at Torrington between train duties on 14 June 1958. A general view from the road bridge dated 6 Sept 1964 shows the station layout and the sidings where 30247 was sitting. A view taken from further up the hill concentrates on the goods depot, which had become a milk loading point, and shows a rake of tanks in the yard on the right. Train movements at Torrington were controlled from the signal box which was a most unusual stone and timber structure and not a standard LSWR design. There was a substantial veranda at one end, whilst the interior of the box was unusually commodious as our two views of the structure reveal. Trains on the North Devon & Cornwall Junction section south of Torrington often ran Mixed, i.e. a locomotive, a single passenger coach, some wagons and a goods brake van, and some ex LBSCR Class E1 0-6-0Ts were rebuilt with enlarged bunkers as 0-6-2Ts for the line. No 32610 enters Torrington running bunker first from Halwill Junction on 21 September 1954. Modellers often want detail shots of stations, so the next four views provide different vantage points that will be of help to modellers. Because of a lack of suitable modern branch line tank engines on the Southern, BR drafted in some of the excellent LMS designed Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2Ts is ready to depart for Barnstaple on 12 June 1958. D6306, one of the short lived and unsuccessful NBL Type 2 Bo-Bo diesel hydraulics is ready to depart for Barnstaple on 6 September 1964. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.