Dartmoor Railway
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Coordinates: 50°43′55″N 3°59′46″W / 50.732°N 3.996°W
| Dartmoor Railway | |
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| Dartmoor Railway | |
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| Okehampton railway station, on the Dartmoor Railway | |
| Locale | Devon, England |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | British Rail |
| Built by | London and South Western Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Aggregate Industries until 4 September 2008 British American Railway Services Ltd |
| Operated by | Dartmoor Railway CIC [1] |
| Length | 15.5 miles (24.9 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1865/1879 |
| Closed | 1968 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1997 | Re-opened |
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The Dartmoor Railway is a 15.5-mile (24.9 km) long railway line in Devon, England. The line branches from the Tarka Line at Coleford Junction heading west, and serves Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton and Meldon. The route is owned by Aggregate Industries who run freight trains that serve the ballast quarry at Meldon. The line is leased to and maintained by the Dartmoor Railway CIC [1], who operate heritage railway services on certain days. A public service between Exeter and Okehampton is run on Sundays during the summer operated by First Great Western. Ballast trains are hauled by locomotives from one of the national freight operating companies.
The route was originally part of the London and South Western Railway West of England Main Line from Exeter to Plymouth, which opened between 1865 and 1879. In 1968, British Rail closed the line beyond Meldon as part of the Beeching cuts. The railway reopened to regular passenger services in 1997 with the inception of Dartmoor Railway.
Contents |
[edit] Public train services
Devon County Council sponsor the Sunday Rover trains between Exeter and Okehampton. These have run since reopening in 1997 and operated again in 2009 with services running from 7 June to 20 September.
The service consisted of five return trips between St James Park station in Exeter and Okehampton. The trains connected with bus services and heritage railway services at Okehampton, and with Tarka line rail services at Crediton. It is expected the service will operate again in 2010 but the method of operation may change if Dartmoor Railway passenger trains are extended to Yeoford.
[edit] Heritage activities
The current service uses a Class 205 "Thumper" unit restored to its original livery and number. Services have also been operated using restored diesel locomotives in push-pull trains and top and tail, mode with former Southern Region electrical multiple units. A steam service also ran using non-electric stock, such as BR Mk1 coach Rosemary and a Directors' Saloon as the driving trailer. Volunteer support for the railway is provided by Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association (DRSA). Volunteers assist the railway operation in many of its activities.[2]
British American Railway Services Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings 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.[3]
It is hoped to restore and reopen the disused down platform at Yeoford later in 2009.[4] This will enable the extension of passenger services to this station and provide the possibility of interchange with the Exeter - Barnstaple "Tarka line".
[edit] Locomotives
- Diesel Locomotives
- Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Class 205 units 205028 and 205032. Unit 1132 (205032) Operational.
- Electrical Multiple Units
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b "About the railway". Friends of Dartmoor Railway. http://www.friendsofdartmoorrailway.org/railway.php. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
- ^ "Volunteers". Dartmoor Railway. http://www.dartmoor-railway.co.uk/volunteers.html. Retrieved 3 October 2009. Dartmoor Railway website Volunteers page
- ^ Heritage Railway, Pub. Heritage Railway Magazine. Issue 116, 2 October 2008 - 29 October 2008. P. 18.
- ^ "News". Dartmoor Railway. http://www.dartmoor-railway.co.uk/news.html. Retrieved 2 October 2009. Dartmoor Railway website Newspage
