Although Victoria Road was the GWR terminus station, my recollection of Barnstaple was of the junction station, getting off the train from Exeter, pulled by an original Battle of Britain loco, and watching the Western Region 262 and coaches steaming across the river, and swinging round to stop at the junction station. We went down to Bideford, en route to Clovelly by bus. We also did a run to Ilfracombe (on a different day) with the train struggling to get over the hills and then brakes all the way into Ilfracombe station. On the Bideford run, a major recollection was waiting on Barnstaple Junction platform, and seeing the train from Ilfracombe swing round the corner with steam pluming from the safety valves. We didn't need to see the nameplate - it was "Manston" the one that was so dirty, it looked as if sprayed black. To my shame, I didn't even take a photo. These days, luckily, "Manston" is at work on the Swanage Railway.
I’m a railway enthusiast because I grew up in Barnstaple in the 90’s surrounded by infrastructure but no trains .. Used to walk the old Lynton Line too.. If you had jumped on a couple of bikes you could have spent two days riding the old lines
Brilliant video you've really spoilt us recently. A video about the withered arm would be out standing, as would one on the L&B 😃 but I'm sure what ever you do next will be great
Thank you!! A Withered Arm video is in the works, and has been for a while - it'll be no small operation though ;) And I'd happily come down again for a visit to the L&B!
I be happy to attend the Church of God's Wonderful Railway all the time! Brilliant Video, couple of years ago I did visit Barnstaple myself but only saw the Town Station but my journey was at a awaked time, I left Exeter at 5:40 in the morning! To get there just before 7am! Brilliant video Another Station, Another Mile.
Right? The legacy is still being felt today. Communities cut off, threadbare services and lines, and most depressingly, the remnants of so much of those old stations and lines still hiding in plain sight.
You’re right about plain sight, I walked the Downs Link two weeks ago, West Grinstead prime example of that, you just stand there imagining what once was. Similar to that of the Northern Heights in North London. Even with the Governmenrs token gesture of bringing back old lines, it will never be the same again.
So sad what Beeching did. It’s kind of like what happened over here in the USA with a lot of our railways. The only silver lining from Beeching might be all of the wonderful heritage preservation lines you have there. We have quite a few over here but we call them tourist rail lines unfortunately. Heritage and or preservation sounds much better to me.
Yes, and many smaller towns have not recovered from the Beeching axe. Not only that, there has been considerable demographic change since 1963. The populations of some of our big cities fell sharply between 1961 and 1971, some by over 150000. Many railless towns have expanded; the new towns created by politicians since the war have no, or hardly any, new rail links. Beeching assumed that everyone would have access to a car by 1984. (Remember ass u me.) Beeching was a research chemist by profession, and knew nothing about accountancy. Would you put an accountant in charge of a chemistry lab? I doubt it.
Barnstaple is quite a small sleepy town with a small railway station. Plus the Tarka Line is sometimes referred to as the North Devon Line as the line goes from Exeter St Davids. And there is plans to reintroduce trains that will operate from Exeter St Davids to Okehampton via Yeoford which is known as the Dartmoor Line (Which is part of the Dartmoor Railway).
@@HeyItsAJOmega check the Facebook group 'railway to ilfracombe... in pictures' full of history and pictures of ilfracombe, barnstaple and everything in-between.
The train line didn't go under the main road it went through the freedom centre, Wickes after going through homebase and up the link road. Next to the link road there's old part of the line still hidden.
Exeter, Southern detour quit logical if you compair the GWR route only Tiverton is a serious town, Molton and Rose Ash are to rural to attract enough passengers. Secluded inland, importance less high as New Quai and Padstow wich are populair destinations. Heritage railway might make use of the second platform as it isn´t used at present. What are the posibilities of a Exeter- Barnstaple heritage line, there might be issue of more loop stations ? Shared lines more easely, than recreate a abandoned line !
