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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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BRITISH RAILWAYS (SOUTHERN REGION) Following the Royal Assent of the Transport Act on August 6th 1947, the four major railway companies, together with the canal system, were nationalised from January 1st 1948 under the management of the British Transport Commission (BTC). What had been the Southern Railway became British Railways (Southern Region). On the Southern Region the SR's malachite green was chosen as the "corporate" colour, which presumably saved them repainting all the station name boards although they had to produce the new lozenge-shaped totems that also carried the station names. However, this was replaced at repainting stage by a darker, more pleasant, green. [1] 1950 All lines west of Exeter were transferred to British Railways Western Region in April 1950 although the management remained in the hands of those based at Exeter Central Station [2]. Having said that, there were some locations that remained as "islands" of the Southern within the Western territory, one of them being Meldon Quarry, just west of Okehampton. The Quarry proved ballast to the whole of the Southern Railway and after nationalization it continued in Southern Region hands even though by 1953 it was supplying ballast to the Western Region as well. [22] The first closure after Nationalisation was that of the Sutton Harbour Branch between Friary Goods Station and North Quay, Sutton Harbour, in November 1950. Access was still possible via the Western Region's Sutton Harbour Branch. [3] 1951 In January 1951 the Turnchapel Branch was closed in order to save fuel as there was a fuel crisis on at the time. The Branch was reopened on July 2nd 1951 but closed for good from September 10th 1951. This brought about the closure of Lucas Terrace Halt, Plymstock SR Station, Oreston Station and Turnchapel Station. [4] Western Region 'Star' class locomotive number 4054 was in regular use over the Southern Region main line in November 1951, running the 2.25pm Plymouth Friary to Exeter Central and returning with the 6.47pm from Exeter. [5] Trains still used to run on Christmas Day in those days, basically on Sunday service timings, but in 1951 the Southern ran only two trains from London Waterloo to Plymouth and only one in the Up direction. Although all were officially classed as express trains they stopped at every station between Salisbury and Plymouth. [5B] 1952 British Railways 2-6-4 tank locomotives were reported in January 1952 as working the 7.35am and 8.43am from Exeter Central to Plymouth Friary and the 11.35am and 2.35pm return trips. The first three were stopping trains but the last-name was an express. 42099, 42102, 42103 and 42105 had all been noted on these trains. [5A] It was reported in February 1952 that it was then possible to see locomotives from three different companies alongside each other at Friary Station: an LMS pattern 2-6-4T on the 2.25pm departure, a GWR 4-6-0 on the 2.35pm stopping train; and an LSWR M7 0-4-4T in the middle road as station pilot. [5B] A new loop line avoiding the tar distillery on the Cattewater Branch was opened on Monday February 11th 1952. This would avoid delays to through traffic while wagons were loading and unloading at the distillery. [17] There was an interesting accident at North Road Station on Tuesday February 19th 1952 when a trolley carrying bullion between platforms was struck by an incoming Western Region train from Penzance. The coins were scattered all over the track. The bullion had been brought to Plymouth on board the 1pm Southern train from London Waterloo. SEE Railways - British Railways (Western Region). [20] Two Ivatt 2-6-2 tanks, numbers 41313 and 41315, started working the Bere Alston to Callington line in September 1952, as a result of which the two former PD&SWJ Railway locos 30757 and 30758 were retired. [5C] On Monday September 1st 1952 Ford Station was completely closed to goods traffic, mainly parcels, which since 1947 had been brought by passenger train only. [6] Owing to flooding of the Western Region main line between Tavistock Junction and Plympton in the early hours of Thursday October 23rd 1952, the line was closed for 2½ hours and freight traffic suspended. The 9.50pm night sleeper train from Paddington to Penzance and the 12.15am newspaper train were diverted over the Southern Region route between Exeter and Plymouth. This would have required reversing the trains at both Exeter St David's Station and Plymouth North Road Station. [25] This situation was repeated on Friday November 7th 1952 when the Western main line was blocked by a derailment at Newton Abbot. The 3.30pm Paddington to Penzance and 6.40pm Penzance to Paddington trains were diverted over the Southern on that occasion. [25] 1953 Back in 1906 the London & South Western Railway was forced to stop its Ocean Mail trains from Plymouth to London Waterloo because of a serious accident at Salisbury. It was over forty years later that British Railways Southern Region repeated this venture. On Monday April 20th 1953, they put on three boat trains from Millbay Docks in connection with the arrival of the "Queen Mary", which had been diverted from Southampton because of a strike of tug men. The liner dropped anchor in the Sound at 6am and while the passengers were having breakfast the heavy baggage was unloaded and sent ashore. [6a] The almost 250 first class passengers were taken off the ship first, of course, and the first of the special boat trains, named "The Cunarder", departed from Millbay Docks at 11.40am, some 32 minutes later than planned. Headed by T9 class 30715 and "Battle of Britain" class 34061, the train of ten Pullman carriages and three ordinary ones took the Southern route via Tavistock, Lydford and Okehampton to Exeter central Station, where Merchant Navy Class 35004 "Cunard White Star" took over for the fast run to London Waterloo. [6a] After lunching on board the liner, the cabin class passengers were brought off next. Some 290-300 passengers were on the second special boat train, which was scheduled to leave Millbay at 2.25pm. That one was hauled by "Battle of Britain" 34057 and T9 class 30708. Finally, the tourist class passengers were landed and left Millbay at 3.43pm in a third boat train that consisted of nine carriages and a four-wheeled box van. That one was hauled by 30709 and 34066. Both the second and third trains changed locomotives at Exeter Central, with those off the second train taking the third one forward as far as Salisbury. In total the "Queen Mary" landed 997 passengers at Plymouth, along with nearly 5,000 pieces of baggage and eight cars before continuing her passage to Cherbourg. [6a] The first special boat train, "The Cunarder", pulled into Waterloo some 18 minutes late, at 5.30pm. The journey had taken 5 hours and 50 minutes. The second train arrived six minutes late, at 7.31pm and had taken just 5 hours 6 minutes. The third train arrived one minute early, at 8.56pm, having taken 5 hours 13 minutes for the run. These times compared unfavourably with the Western region's "Ocean Special" services which were scheduled to take only 4 hours 17 minutes to reach London Paddington. [6a] On Saturday May 9th 1953 the "Titfield Thunderbolt" ran over the Turnchapel Branch. The B4 class 0-4-0 goods locomotive number 30094 with its single coach ran non-stop from Plymouth Friary to Turnchapel and carried fifty members of the Plymouth Locospotters' Club. Read more ..... [6a][13][21] Before Doctor Richard Beeching wielded his famous "Axe" Plymouth had two routes to London, albeit with the Southern Region one going to Waterloo Station rather than Paddington. This meant that if there was a problem on either route, trains could be diverted. One such occasion took place on November 22nd 1953 when some goods wagons broke away from a freight train on Dainton Bank near Newton Abbot and derailed, causing the Western Region main line to be blocked [5]. One of the trains that had to be diverted over the Southern main line was the 9-coach Up "Cornish Riviera", which was hauled by number 6319 [5]. A similar exercise is known to have taken place on December 13th 1953, when the "Cornish Riviera" was hauled by number 7316 because anything heavier was not permitted to cross Meldon Viaduct at Okehampton [7] Another train diverted in the same way on that day was a special train for Royal Naval personnel going on leave, which ran from the Royal Naval Barracks Platform at Keyham to Birmingham via the Southern route. This required it to use the old wartime link at St Budeaux Station. The train was recorded as being hauled by former GWR locomotive number 5339 piloted by a sister engine, number 6319. [7] Using each other's routes between Plymouth and Exeter was also a regular feature of locomotive crew training in the 1950s. On Friday June 5th 1953 Southern locomotive number 34026 was working the Western Region's 4.32pm from Plymouth North Road Station when it caught fire at Totnes. [23] The official allocation of Southern Region locomotives as at Monday July 20th 1953 included [23A]:
1954 On Tuesday November 16th 1954 British Railways class 4 locomotives began working the 2.33pm from Plymouth Friary Station to Exeter Central and the 6.44pm (3pm from London Waterloo) back to Plymouth. These services had previously been hauled by former Great Western 2-6-0s. Number 75026 was the usual engine but 75028 had also been seen undertaking the duties. [24] 1955 CLICK HERE to view the route of the Southern Region main line in 1955.......... During August 1955 the Devon County Council siding at Wilmingtone Quarry, just north of Tavistock North Station, was taken out of use. [3] 1956 The rebuilding of Plymouth's North Road Station recommenced in 1956. 1957 During January 1957 the rails of the Southern Railway's Sutton Harbour Branch were removed. [8] A points failure at North Road Station on Tuesday January 29th 1957 caused a delay to the 11am Plymouth Friary to Brighton train. It left Devon King's Road Station some twelve minutes late behind 34023 and somehow managed to make up time on the long climb to the line's summit at Meldon. 950 feet above sea level, so that it arrived at Okehampton Station right on time. The train was composed of nine carriages, with a tare weight of 303 tons. Making allowance for the stop at Tavistock Station, the running speed was almost exactly 50mph and driver Whitfield, of Exmouth Junction shed, was to be commended. [8a] 1958 1958 was a major year for the Southern Region in Plymouth. On February 1st 1958 Friary shed took delivery of some new 0-6-0 diesel shunters, numbers 11225, 11226, 11227, 11228, and 11229. (These were later renumbered D2225 to D2229). [5] On the same date all the Southern lines west of Exeter, except those in and around Plymouth, were transferred back to the control of the Southern Region. Four Bulleid Pacifics allocated to Friary shed, numbers 34035, 34036, 34037 and 34038, thus made a rapid departure for Exmouth Junction Shed at Exeter. Friary Shed was transferred to the Western Region from Sunday February 23rd 1958 and was coded 83H. [5] Plymouth's Friary Station was closed as from Monday September 15th 1958 and North Road Station was re-titled just "Plymouth Station". The last train to arrive at Friary Station, on Sunday September 14th, was the 4pm from Waterloo, which was due at 10.34pm but the locomotive failed at Honiton so it did not actually arrive until 11.12pm. [9] On Saturday September 20th 1958 the founding father of train spotting, Messrs Ian Allan Ltd, ran a special train from London Waterloo to Plymouth and back to London Paddington. Named "The Westcountryman", it was hauled from Exeter Central to Plymouth Station by two class T9 4-4-0 locomotives numbers 30712 and 30726. The train arrived in Plymouth at 2.33pm, where the two locomotives came off and were replaced by Merchant Navy class 4-6-2 number 35023 "Holland-Afrika Line" for the 3.35pm return journey back over the Western Region's route to Exeter St David's and on to London's Paddington Station. More information on the British Railways Western Region webpage. [18] 1959 Just as the 7am from Okehampton to Plymouth got to a cutting beneath the Royal Albert Bridge on Monday March 2nd 1959, the locomotive, number 30715, seized up and was brought to a halt. Trains were delayed for two hours. [10] On Tuesday September 29th 1959 Friary Junction Signal Box was closed and replaced with a ground frame for controlling the connection to the Sutton Harbour Branch. [11] 1960 On Saturday May 14th 1960 the Plymouth Railway Circle organised a brake-van train on the Stonehouse Quay Branch. Southern locomotive number 30193 headed the train. [12] The new Plymouth Panel Signal Box came into operation on Saturday November 26th 1960. [11] Part of the Stonehouse Pool Branch between the level crossing gates in Richmond Walk and the old Ocean Quay terminal was closed and handed over to the British Railways Board on Saturday December 31st 1960. [8] 1961 On September 30th 1961 the Plymouth Railway Circle ran a farewell train composed entirely of goods brake vans to the Turnchapel Branch, which closed that day. It was hauled by former Southern Railway 0-4-4 tank locomotive number 30034. [13] The goods facilities at St Budeaux Victoria Road Station were closed from December 11th 1961. [3] 1962 Friary 'B' Signal Box, the one which controlled Friary Station, was closed from July 21st 1962. [3] Tamerton Foliot lost its railway station from September 10th 1962. [4] The goods sidings at Bere Alston Station were taken out of use on October 8th 1962. [3] On October 22nd 1962 "The Royal Duchy" was recorded as comprising of only four coaches when it arrived in Plymouth behind a "Warship". While that train was pausing at Plymouth the 12.40pm auto-train from Tavistock South drew in behind 6438, reported Mr R Leitch. There was only one passenger aboard the one-coach train. On the way towards the Cornish border "The Royal Duchy" passed 6400 heading the 1.25pm auto-train from Saltash to Plymouth. [19B] 1963 On January 1st 1963 all the Southern Region west of Salisbury, in Wiltshire, was transferred to British Railways Western Region for the final time. This was the first nail in the coffin of the old Southern route to Plymouth. [14] Snow blocked the Southern main line at Meldon Junction on February 8th 1963 so the Plymouth to Portsmouth and Brighton trains were diverted to run over the Western Region route to Newton Abbot and Exeter. The eastbound train, with 34109 hauling the normal eight coaches, stalled on Hemerdon Bank and had to be assisted by a diesel locomotive. The following day the loading was reduced to six coaches and on the day after that the service returned to its normal route. [19] As there were very few tank locomotives now allocated to Laira MPD, standard class 2 tank number 41214 was taken out of storage on March 2nd 1963 to be used on the twice-daily freight service between Tavistock South and Lifton. It is presumed that it was temporarily sub-shedded at Launceston. [19] Wednesday March 27th 1963 was the day on which the notorious Beeching Report, "The Reshaping of British Railways", was published. The proposals required the closure of 266 lines, 2,300 stations and 800 freight handling depots and the major modification of 71 other services. Locally, in respect of the Southern Region, the Plan required the closure of Devonport King's Road, Ford, and St Budeaux Victoria Road Stations and the whole of the route to Tavistock North and Okehampton; and the Bere Alston to Callington Branch. [19A] On March 31st 1963 the Railway Clearing House (RCH) was disbanded after 120 years and its functions and staff transferred to the Chief Accountant's Department of the British Railways Board. The RCH had been apportioning railway receipts between the British railway companies since 1842. [19A] The last remnants of the locomotive exchange workings of the 1950s was still in existence in 1963. The 8.41 am from Exeter Central to Plymouth and the 2.25pm return journey were then being worked by a D63XX class diesel while the 2.35pm from Plymouth to Exeter Central was being headed by a "Warship" class diesel. As the load was normally only three carriages, the "Warship" usually an on one engine only. Its return working was the Plymouth portion of the 3pm from London Waterloo. However, it is recoded that on April 11th 1963 this train comprised no fewer than nine coaches and was headed by a "West Country" class steam locomotive instead. [19B] The signal box at Plymstock Station was closed on Wednesday May 1st 1963 and the layout remodelled for hand-operated points. [3] The locomotive depot at Friary was closed from Sunday May 5th 1963. [19] Cattewater Junction Signal Box closed on Tuesday October 1st 1963. [3] Shortly afterwards, on Monday October 7th 1963, Plymstock Station was closed to goods traffic. [3] 1964 On Friday September 4th 1964 the "Atlantic Coast Express" made its final run as a train of multiple portions. [15] The Southern line between Devonport Junction, through Devonport King's Road and Ford Stations, to St Budeaux Victoria Road Station was completely closed to traffic from Monday September 7th 1964. Trains now used the Western Region main line to St Budeaux and the wartime link to regain the Southern main line to Okehampton. [4] 1965 It is reported that at that time, the end of 1964 and beginning of 1965, there were only two turns left that were rostered for steam engines: the 10am from Plymouth and a late afternoon return service. A British Railways tank locomotive number 80039 was recorded as performing that duty in February 1965. [16] Devonport King's Road Signal Box was closed on March 14th 1965. On July 18th 1965 St Budeaux Victoria Road Station was reduced in status to an unstaffed Halt and on July 25th 1965 the St Budeaux Victoria Road Signal Box was closed. [3] 1966 Goods traffic ceased between Bere Alston and Okehampton and between Bere Alston and Callington as from February 28th 1966. [11] April 20th 1966 saw the closure of Friary 'A' Signal Box, all the points having been disconnected and converted to hand operation. [3] The Beeching axe continued to fall with increasing rapidity and on June 27th 1966 all the sidings at Calstock and Gunnislake Stations were taken out of use. From Monday November 7th 1966 the Callington Branch was cut back to Gunnislake Station and Chilsworthy, Latchley, Luckett and Callington Stations were closed. [3] It is said that in June 1966 the Stonehouse Pool Branch carried its last revenue earning traffic although it remained officially open until 1970 [8]. As the branch was already closed beyond the level crossing in Richmond Walk in is different to understand what that traffic could have been other than the removal of track from that lower section. 1967 On Saturday March 4th 1967 another nail was hammered in the coffin with the last journey of the 10.40am Plymouth to Brighton express, formed of D810 and nine carriages [14]. From that date all passenger trains on the line were operated by diesel multiple units. 1968 The small signal boxes at Calstock and Gunnislake Stations were closed on May 5th 1968 and the Branch was operated on the 'one engine in steam' principal. The following day, May 6th 1968, the main line between Bere Alston and Lydford Stations was closed to all traffic, which meant that Tavistock was now without any railway service. The only portions of the Southern Railway now remaining in use were from Devonport Junction to Devonport King's Road Station; from St Budeaux Victoria Road to Gunnislake and the Stonehouse Pool Branch, which was defunct by now anyway. [3] However, the track was not removed immediately, which was just as well because in October 1968 it was necessary to use the track for one special urgent goods train from Exeter to Plymouth, drawn by D864 "Zambesi". [16] From October 27th 1968 the signal box at Bere Ferrers was closed. [3] 1969 On May 5th 1969 St Budeaux Victoria Road Station became simply St Budeaux Station. [6] 1970 The remainder of the Stonehouse Pool Branch between King's Road Station and the Richmond Walk level crossing was officially closed on May 30th 1970. [8] Bere Alston finally lost its signal box on September 7th 1970. [3] 1971 The last piece of the Southern main line within the City of Plymouth, between Devonport Junction and Devonport King's Road, was closed to goods traffic from January 4th 1971, seven years after it had been closed to passengers. The track was not taken out of use until March 7th 1971 [8]. 1972 On Monday June 5th 1972 the coffin carrying the Southern Region was finally nailed down when the line between Okehampton and Coleford Junction was closed to passenger traffic. [2] The line is still open from Exeter as far as Meldon Quarry for ballast trains. DEVELOPMENTS SINCE 1974 ARE NOT YET COVERED BY PLYMOUTH DATA. Sources:
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