Devon and Cornwall Railway

Introduction

Today much of the line is open west from Yeoford through Okehampton to the closed Meldon Quarry.

This line began as the Okehampton Railway. It was supported by the London and South Western Railway and became the Devon and Cornwall Railway in 1865 when Bude and Torrington extensions granted. Opened 1865.

The line ran from Yeoford (North Devon Railway and Dock) west to Lydford (LSW) where there was a connection to the Launceston and South Devon Railway. A terminus, reached with running powers, was opened at Devonport (LSW), approach to the terminus being from the east of Plymouth.

A later extension, the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway, connected to the isolated terminus, approach now being from the west of Plymouth.






Dates

  /  /1865Devon and Cornwall Railway
Devon and Cornwall Railway opened from Coleford Junction to North Tawton. Stations opened at Bow, North Tawton.
  /  /1865Devon and Cornwall Railway
Powers granted for a branch to Holsworthy. These were allowed to lapse. The London and South Western Railway later, in 1879, built the line as the Holsworthy Branch (London and South Western Railway).
  /  /1867Devon and Cornwall Railway
Line extended from North Tawton to Okehampton Road, where a station was opened.
  /  /1871Devon and Cornwall Railway
Line extended from Okehampton Road to Okehampton, where a station opened. Okehampton Road renamed Belstone Corner.
  /  /1872Devon and Cornwall Railway
Belstone Corner renamed Sampford Courtenay.
  /  /1874Devon and Cornwall Railway
Line extended from Okehampton to Lydford [LSW]. Stations opened at Bridestowe and Lydford [LSW].
  /  /1875Devon and Cornwall Railway
London and South Western Railway
Devon and Cornwall Railway absorbed by the London and South Western Railway.
  /  /1876South Devon and Tavistock Railway
Converted from Broad Gauge to Mixed Gauge to allow connection to the Standard Gauge Devon and Cornwall Railway.
  /  /1876Devon and Cornwall Railway
Connection opened south of Lydford [LSW] station to the 1865 Launceston and South Devon Railway and, beyond that, the 1859 South Devon and Tavistock Railway. These had been converted to Mixed Gauge in 1876 to allow trains to run over it to reach Plymouth.
  /  /1968Devon and Cornwall Railway
Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
Line ceased to be a through route and an alternative route between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth. Line closed from Meldon Quarry to Bere Alston. Stations closed at Bridestowe, Lydford [LSW], Brentnor and Tavistock [LSWR].
  /  /1972Devon and Cornwall Railway
Regular passenger service to Bow, North Tawton, Sampford Courtenay and Okehampton ends.
  /  /1994Devon and Cornwall Railway
Line becomes private between Coleford Junction and Meldon Quarry.
25/05/1997Devon and Cornwall Railway
Regular passenger service to Okehampton restarts. The deeds to the station are given to Devon County Council from CAMAS Aggregates the then owner of the line.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Yeoford to Lydford

The 11.10 from Barnstaple to Waterloo photographed near Coleford Junction in the 1980s. ...
Ian Dinmore //
1 of 1 images.


150 years on from the opening of this line we see Bow station from a special working on the Dartmoor line on 1st November 2015. The line has since ...
Roger Geach 01/11/2015
The former station at Bow on the Okehampton branch in 1982, ten years after the station closed to passengers. ...
Ian Dinmore //1982
2 of 2 images.


The former good shed at North Tawton, seen from a special working on the Okehampton line on 1 November 2015. ...
Roger Geach 01/11/2015
1 of 1 images.


1118 running on the Okehampton line in 2015 to celebrate the 150 years of Bow station and seen passing through Sampford Courtenay. The railway from ...
Roger Geach 01/11/2015
1 of 1 images.


Looking up from the entrance road at Okehampton, this signal box seems to have something in common with the box at Penar Junction (see image ...
Ken Strachan 06/04/2023
This is not the original ticket office at Okehampton; but it is quite a passable reconstruction. ...
Ken Strachan 06/04/2023
The first passenger train of the first 'Restoring Your Railway' reopening will run on Wednesday 17 November, ahead of public services resuming on ...
Network Rail /11/2021
As the Okehampton goods shed (right) is now a Youth Hostel, I assume the loading gauge is now used to check clearance of rucksacks. see image ...
Ken Strachan 13/04/2017
4 of 16 images. more


Meldon, one time mainline now the end of a single track line to a quarry. Sidings in use by preservation group. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.




Meldon Viaduct, looking rather foreboding on 6th April 2023. View looks West, towards Lydford. ...
Ken Strachan 06/04/2023
The underside of Meldon Viaduct just west of Okehampton. ...
John Thorn /05/1969
2 of 2 images.


Just on the Quarry side of Meldon Junction, on the South side of the trackbed, lies the milepost showing 200 miles from Waterloo by the Withered Arm ...
Ken Strachan 06/04/2023
For once, the wooden artwork is useful - you can sit on it - and representative of past glories, in that the diverging benches represent the former ...
Ken Strachan 06/04/2023
Devon panorama: Meldon Junction is 200 miles by the Withered Arm from London Waterloo (there was a milepost to the right of the trackbed). A stone ...
Ken Strachan 06/04/2023
3 of 3 images.









Devonport

This was the junction for a London and South Western Railway branch (later part of their main line). The signal box was on the north side of the line.
...

More details

See also
Cornwall Railway