www.sdronline.org.uk

	Photograph left shows the ends of the firebars being cut to shape with an oxy propane torch After the section has been cut the grinder takes over to clean and tidy the cut end.
	And finally in a spectacular light show the arc welder takes over. Photographs Copyright © Sarah Anne Harvey

DID SOMEBODY MENTION DOUBLE HEADING?

WELL THIS IS MOST UNUSUAL!

In which Mr Cocks gives me a private demonstration of double heading on the Dining Train.

Well not actually. Only 5786 is in steam and it was all part of a shunt to get pannier 1369 from the shed to the north end,

ready for when it is transported to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway on Wednesday 10th March. 1369 will

be away for the whole of 2010, and sadly missed by many. Brian Cocks is seen in the above photograph as he is

about the guide the train through the station and 1369 into the headshunt, where she will await the lowloader.

Also on Wednesday the Dining Train is out on a lunchtime private hire - all part of a conference

taking place in the Refreshment Rooms; which will be closed to the public and volunteers

for the day, although the Expressway Model Shop will remain open as usual.

PRAIRIE TANK No 5526 FOR BODMIN

5526 will head off for the Bodmin and Wenford's 'Great Western Steam Spectacular' on the 16th to 18th April. At Bodmin she will be in the company of prairies 5521 and 5552. Both 5526 and 5521 spent much of their time working in the West Country out of St Blazey, with 5526 being based at Bodmin for a period, so neither are strangers to the BWR and Wadebridge even though it was in the late 1950's when they were last on those metals. Bill Parker's 5521 should have no problem with Cornish accents either having recently spent two years on a grand European tour, only returning to the UK last year.

WHAT ARE THESE TWO

MEN DOING DRIVING

A MOON BUGGY

ON OUR LINE?

FULL STORY COMING SOON

THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL NEWS FEATURE

IS A CROSS BETWEEN

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

AND ASHLEY THROUGH THE SPECTACLE GLASS

"AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY

IN THE LIFE OF THE MUSEUM"

Includes FREE advice and demonstration from our D.I.Y. experts on

"How To Get A Damo B Through a Doorway One Inch Too Narrow"

This day should never have happened – at least not until midweek. But on Sunday 28th February, as volunteers looked forward to a relaxing day at home with their families, ‘phones started to ring, warble and shriek as a call for help was put out. At a moment’s notice planned work at Buckfastleigh had to be rescheduled, due to the failure of a contractor to deliver at the promised time a piece of equipment essential to work on the line. Included in this rescheduling, and subject of the call for help, was a fairly intensive movement of rolling stock in and out of the Museum - all part of an extensive refurbishment.

The Museum is sited in a building which is an extension of the goods shed – a typical G.W.R. Brunel design. The goods shed is used by Carriage and Wagon Works and the two are separated by a wooden partition which has a removable centre panel to allow movement of stock through the goods shed into the Museum. The goods shed was occupied by a coach and immediately outside the class 37 diesel was parked. This illustrates that there was going to be a fairly massive shunt involved, and all between the four service trains of the day.

As volunteers scrambled for their cars aka Second World War style, and word of mouth spread around the Buckfastleigh site a small team was assembled to help with the move. With some innovative planning ‘on the fly’ and the co-operation of all parties involved, with the exception of one minor ‘oops’, the day ran remarkably smoothly in what was actually a major operation.

When various movements of stock commenced it was soon apparent that hitherto unseen views of the Museum and goods shed were opening up to my camera and I took full advantage, since some of them would not be seen again for some years to come. The easiest way to describe the events of the day is through the images I produced and these are shown below.

Just like when Alice pokes at the wall-hung mirror behind the fireplace and discovers, to her surprise, that she is able to step through it to an alternate world; so we discover the same when the partition between Museum and goods shed was removed.	Our left hand photograph shows the view from the Museum looking out. In the right hand photograph the Museum can be seen through the opened up partition. In Dart Valley Railway days the goods shed was used as the loco works and a pit was dug.
Lovingly wrapped against the elements the Littleworth coach is very gently moved out of the shed. It sits on a wagon chassis not it's orginal one. Oops! And the Damo B will just not slide through the opening in the partion. Any further movement by the shunter and the whole partition may have come down. (Photograph right)
Whilst the body fitted through (with a tug) it was the side door furniture that put an extra inch or so onto the width, seen above. This was the problem that halted progress and caused much scratching of heads (I wonder why they do that?)	And the FREE advice from our D.I.Y. experts? Use a Birmingham screwdriver with some force; use a stout piece of wood to act as a lever against the main partition support; shout GO NOW to the shunter driver and get two burly men to push, pull and most of all grunt at the right time.
This photograph shows just how diminutive Ashley is - note the cab roof doesn't even come up to the top of the corridor connection.	The Damo B, still containing it's ancient car, sees the light of day for the first time in many a year.
	From the buffer stops looking out through Carriage and Wagon Works. Left - looking in to a cleared Museum where Ashley will soon be on display.
A photograph of Tiny - impossible to shoot side on unless the line is empty. Tiny is the only original Broad Gauge loco in existence. Definitely one for the archives!	It may look a mess but a considerable amount of work has been done to refurbish already. In the background new display panels await their final coat of paint.
	Two locos on display now and the public will be able to get onto the footplate of Ashley. Left - with the main support for the partion cut and moved a couple of inches inwards, the Damo B arrived back without any problems.
Carriage and Wagon's coach has been returned to the goods shed, the Littlworth sheets receive a final inspection and tightening and the 37 is back in the temporary stabling point. Job done - Propuur Job! Report and Photographs Copyright © Sarah Anne Harvey

THE 'SUNDAY ONLY' LATE WINTER SERVICE

Sunday 28th February saw the first of three late winter 'Sunday Only' services for our passengers. Running today, 7th and 14th March they are operated by our 1950's Railcar and are the forerunners to our full two trains in steam 'Half Price Weekend' on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st March. Despite earlier warnings of storm conditions for today - high winds and heavy rain - apart from one shower the day turned out to be both warmer than we've seen of late and sunny. Once again an additional coach had to be added to the railcar to cope with the numbers of passengers on some services.


	Above - Railcar W55000 leaves Buckfastleigh for Totnes under pleasant skies. Left - Passengers arriving from Totnes have enjoyed stunning views of the River Dart, clearly visible through leafless trees at this time of the year. Photographs Copyright © Sarah Anne Harvey

PATTERNS

NOW THAT'S DIFFERENT!

3205's BOILER RETURNED FROM LNWR's CREWE WORKS

The photograph left illustrates the top left hand close up in this article -

it's the front of the boiler for 3205 just returned from Crewe,

showing boiler tubes clearly.

The photograph above gives a good view of Swindon's Number 10 taper boiler.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE COLLET 0-6-0?

To the layman, me included, it would seem that all that has to happen now is that the boiler is placed on the frames allowing reconstruction to go ahead at full pace with completion being in a couple of weeks. But as the flying pigs passed me in formation and I investigated further, of course it's not that simple.

Even though a steam test was performed at Crewe the boiler is not returned with a firegrate fitted. So the first step is to fit the ashpan and then make a temporary fitting of the smokebox onto the front of the boiler. That whole assembly is then lifted onto the frames to test the fit and tolerances. Given that all is fine the assembly will probably lifted again in order that the smokebox can be properly rivetted in place. Then once lifted back into the frames for the final time construction will commence on a new firegrate, brick arch, pipe work and insulation. As progress continues over the coming weeks we will of course keep you informed through these columns.

NEW TREADS ARE FITTED TO THE STEPS OF THE

FOOTBRIDGE AT BUCKFASTLEIGH

The footbridge at Buckfastleigh has been in need of some tender loving care since its closure to the public for several weeks now. The none slip treads on the steps had simply worn away with the passage of thousands of pairs of feet over the years. And so in order to protect both the public and the wooden steps a far more radical approach has been taken to secure the long term future of the bridge. That solution explains the top right hand picture at the header of this article - aluminium non slip covers to the whole of the step area! Work will continue on the bridge over the next couple of weeks (weather allowing).

Gary Burgess (left) and Bill Parratt complete the first section

of retreading the bridge.

I wonder, with those drilling skills, are they retired dentists?

Right - the new look steps.

A SUCCESSFUL START

TO THE 2010 SEASON

So says General Manager Dick Wood, who continued

"The week's figures are most encouraging and very good overall with 1,709

passengers carried over the eight days."

Lady Fireman Amanda Hancock checks the road on approach to Hood Bridge on the first day of the auto service

The half term event "From Autos to Railcars" kicked off the new season of public services on the SDR. As expected, the steam services drew out the majority of people in the first five days with 1,367 carried (an average of 273 per day). Dick Wood commented, "I think the weather played a major part in the Half Term week's figures with us carrying far more people than expected on some days and fewer on others -- the wet weather at the start of the week certainly helped us (Wednesday was both the best and arguably wettest day with over 350 passengers) whilst the much needed sunshine from Friday to Sunday will have seen people perhaps decide to venture outside at the final weekend rather than go and sit on a train."

Even on the final day the figures were pleasing since many families would have been getting ready for the return to school and all the work that goes with that. Another extremely heartening aspect was the high number of customers using both the Model & Gift Shop and Refreshment Rooms. Both businesses posted better than expected figures throughout the whole period and were well up on last year, all of which has made for a good start to the 2010 season proper. Equally a very successful experiment on the autotrain service was the provision of a mobile 'on train' buffet trolley which proved popular with our passengers.

All in all with all the trains running to time a hugely enjoyable week for both passengers and volunteers alike – an extremely good counter to those post Christmas ‘blues’.

THE SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY TURNTABLE

A REPORT THAT JUST GOES ROUND AND ROUND

(Updated 11.30am Wednesday 24th)

Our story begins a few years ago in 2006 when Colin Kerswill was passing through Darlington by train, on his way to the Edinburgh Tattoo and saw what appeared to be a disused turntable. Being someone who never lets an opportunity pass Colin made some fast telephone calls and established that it was a 50 foot turntable that used to turn small tender locos running on the High Peak Railway. Negotiations with B.R. commenced, a purchase price was agreed but the SDR would also need to pay for an isolation to cut off power on the overhead wires whilst a crane lifted the turntable out; and then would have to fill in the pit and make it safe.

Our contact with B.R. was a Mr Nick Beilby at York, responsible for the disposal of assets, who turned out to be a great asset to the South Devon Railway when he subsequently telephoned Brian Cocks to tell him that there was a much better option available. This turned out to be a longer turntable (60 feet 5 inches) at Botanic Gardens near Kingston-Upon-Hull. Hull Botanic Gardens, shed code 53B, TOPS code BG – was a sub shed of the main district depot Hull Dairycoates 53A on British Railways North Eastern Region; and with this turntable there would be no requirement to fill the pit in.

So Colin, Brian and Robbie from Engineering made the first trip up to inspect the Botanic Gardens site in 2006. As Colin told me, “We went on the turntable, Brian at one end and me at the other. We took the dogs out which are the arms that lock it in position and then they become the handle that you push it round with. And low and behold instantly it moved and so we gave it a push and it still kept moving. It proved to be the very thing we wanted.”

A further visit was arranged with Brian, John Keohane, Gavin Bishop and Denver Woodward – the SDR’s Civil Engineer. Agreement was reached on the eminent suitability of the turntable for subsequent installation at Buckfastleigh and after negotiations the nominal sum of £1 was paid to B.R. for its purchase. The SDRA made a sum of £50.000 pounds available for the project and at 35 tonnes in weight it wasn’t going to be a cheap job to retrieve it. However the actual amount spent in hiring a 350 ton long reach crane at Hull to extract it, hiring John Antell’s ubiquitous low loader to get it to Buckfastleigh (it was 12 foot six wide and so didn't need a special escort) and a 150 tonner here to unload the beast, only amounted to £15.000.

Through Nick Beilby the SDR discovered that the North Yorkshire Moors Railway had a ‘sister’ turntable to ours and they have been extremely helpful in supplying copies of the drawings of it. These will be invaluable when digging and lining the pit and when reconstruction and installation takes place. We are also aware that at some time during 2002 the turntable received a full service since it was still in use to turn power cars of D.M.U.s.

However the story does not end there, it simply keeps going round and round. On Saturday 23rd February 2002 a mainline charter left London Kings Cross for Manchester, hauled on the first leg by 47786. Its name was The Pennine K and on reaching York, Class K1 2005 was attached to the train where it ran to Selby and on to Hull Paragon where it was booked to arrive at 12.30pm for a layover until departure time at 14.02pm.

The K1 arrived at Hull Paragon at 12.33, cut off and ran round the train to be routed to Hull Botanic Gardens for the purpose of taking water. Unfortunately at Botanic Gardens it was routed wrong road through the service lines and consequently had to use the turntable to gain access to the water supply. This is the turntable now in our possession. The locomotive, however, was not turned but it was the last recorded time that a steam locomotive visited the turntable. We know that because the driver of the K1 was none other than Dave Court who visited the South Devon last week. K1 eventually rejoined its train at 14.19 and with a later departure at 14.27 continued via Goole-Pontefract -Hebden Bridge-Rochdale to Manchester Victoria.

I am indebited to Mike Notley, 'Top Link' Editor - Steam Railway Magazine who was on that charter recording the locomotive performance, and who supplied me with the detailed timings of the train whilst at Hull Paragon. Mike told me, "One of the things I remember about the layover at Hull Paragon was that the fish and chip shop, opposite the station, did a roaring trade that day." Fish and chips and a steam train, sounds like heaven to me! Mike also came to the South Devon last week with Dave Court and in a couple of days I'll be writing a little more about him and his locomotive performance recording.

And so our story comes full circle. From Colin Kerswill seeing a disused turntable in Darlington; to us rescuing one from Hull Botanic Gardens; and then on to Dave Court - a guest on the railway - being the driver who drove the last steam loco onto the turntable in 2002. Perhaps the world isn’t such a big place after all!

Dave Court (left) reunited with the turntable and Brian Cocks

FOOTNOTE

An amount of £35.000 remains allocated in the South Devon Railway Association funds for use in reinstalling the turntable.

With our newly gained TWO work can theoretically start in the forseeable future. However further funds are required for this

project, £35k will simply not be enough to cover all the costs. Brian Cocks has therefore started fundraising under the banner 'Ten For The Turntable' and within three days collected £90.

It's simple to help this exciting project. All you have to do is donate a minimum of ten pounds. Of course the

Association and Brian won't mind how many noughts you might want to add to the basic 'ten' either.

The facilities of a turntable will be of immense value to the railway, not only will we be able to turn our

own locomotives but those visiting engines too, and anything that might need turning before entering the Workshops.

We understand from Brian that he hopes to have a more formalised fund in place sometime in early March

- as usual we'll bring you the news as it happens.

Photograph of K1 2005 at Carnforth by David Ingram licensed under Wikimedia Commons.

THERE ARE BUBBLE CARS

AND THEN THERE ARE BUBBLECARS

THE 1950'S WAS A PRODUCTIVE DECADE WHEN BUBBLE CARS BECAME A CHEAP FORM OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP FOR THE MAN IN THE STREET; AND BUBBLECARS BECAME BRITISH RAILWAY'S ANSWER TO STEAM HAULED TRAINS ON UNDER USED BRANCH LINES.

SARAH ANNE HARVEY LOOKS AT BOTH TYPES OF THIS STRANGELY NAMED TRANSPORT.

A short time after two nations had been beating the hell out of each other it seemed inconceivable that a motor vehicle called a Messerschmitt, or another built by Heinkel would be selling on the streets of Britain. And yet, as anyone who lived through the 50's or those who have studied that decade since will tell you, it was a period of vast sociological change in Britain and Europe alike. Bubble cars became popular in Europe in the 1950’s as a demand for cheap personal motorised transport emerged and when fuel prices were high due in part to the 1956 Suez Crisis. Most of them were three-wheelers, which in many places qualified them for inexpensive taxes and licensing as motorcycles.

The Messerschmitt KR175 and KR200 had aircraft-style bubble canopies, giving rise to the term bubble car to refer to all these post-war micro cars. Isettas and others also had a bubble-like appearance. Most bubble cars were manufactured in Germany, including those by the former German military aircraft manufacturers, Messerschmitt and Heinkel. Automobile and motorcycle manufacturer BMW manufactured the Italian Iso Rivolta Isetta under licence, using an engine from one of their own motorcycles.

The United Kingdom had licence-built right-hand drive versions of the Heinkel Kabine and the Isetta. There were also indigenous British three wheeled micro cars, including the larger Regal and Robin from the Reliant Motor Company in Staffordshire and the smaller P50 and Trident from the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. And then in 1959 along came a British built four wheel car, which although it cost a little more and was small in size, had hugely more functionality. It was of course the BMC Mini.

AND THEN THERE WERE BUBBLECARS

Single unit diesel railcars were British Railway's answer to aging steam locomotives and equally aging autocoaches on quiet country branch lines during the demise of steam. I'm quite sure that outraged G.W.R. pedants will write in to tell me that the 48xx class (later 14xx) being built between 1932 - 36 were not that old; but although credited to Collett they were of an 1868 design. Our own railcar W55000 was first of the Class 122 railcars to be built in 1958 and along with other railcar designs became known as Bubblecars, although unlike the Messerschmitt bubble car did not have the appearance of an aircraft cockpit at the front end. However 'Bubblecar' was not the first nickname given to railcars, indeed in the first instance they were somewhat disparagingly called 'coffin nails'.

Many of the routes on which they were used became victims of the "Beeching Axe" with closure usually occuring soon after their introduction. Lines such as Barry to Bridgend, Penarth to Barry, Snow Hill to Wolverhampton (LL), Worcester to Bromyard, Bewdley to Hartlebury and Didcot to Newbury all suffered closure. As these lines closed the railcars were concentrated in the Bristol, Cornwall and Plymouth areas. However our 'Bubblecar' W55000 has escaped the cutters torch or the ignomy of becoming a Departmental vehicle. It is one of a handful of Class 122 in preservation and the only one to have been returned to its original livery with re-instated reporting code panels. Yet another first for the South Devon Railway!

Photograph - W55000 leaving Totnes on Saturday 20th February with the 16.30 departure for Buckfastleigh. The white tent on the platform is the Totnes volunteers portable workshop for use in the winter.

Bubble car photographs

Messerschmitt Kabinenroller under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2, by Stefan Kuhn

BMW Isetta at Yate Car Show, Yate, Bristol, England.
Taken by Adrian Pingstone in June 2004 and released to the public domain.

STOCK MOVEMENTS AT BUCKFASTLEIGH

FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY

On the first day of the railcar W55000 running in our "From Autos to Railcar" event an extra coach had to be added due to the number of passengers wanting to travel on the 10.45am service. Seen here from Paper Mill Bridge W55000 leaves Buckfastleigh for Totnes LH
Buckfastleigh platform get a 'royal' visit from Victorian coaches No's 249 and 7 during the second day of the 'mega' shunt. Coach No 249 was used in the Royal Train and is likely to have been the Prince's or Princess's saloon. It was also used as the G.W.R. Directors Saloon. With the exception of Queen Victoria's saloon the remaining five coaches were built new for the Royal Train in 1897. Her saloon was rebuilt and lengthened by some 10'6" from the previous carriage she had used for 20 years. The Royal Train appears to have been hauled by a Gooch Single named 'The Queen'. Coach No.7 was a Dynamometer Carriage, now used as a saloon.
Ex G.W.R coach no. 4872 arrived on Thursday and today was taken through the platform road to temporary storage in the yard. Built in the 1930's it will be the subject of a long term rebuild.
Sapper - seen on Antell's low loader about to depart Buckfastleigh for pastures new. 7802 Bradley Manor was also returned to the Seven Valley Railway.

THE SOUTH DEVON HELPS CELEBRATE

A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

Ruth Fletcher from Hayes in Middlesex celebrated a very special birthday when, on Tuesday 16th February, she became 85 years young. I caught up with Ruth, her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and family members when they travelled on the 12.15 Buckfastleigh to Totnes auto train service.

Ruth's family had travelled from Polperro in Cornwall, Bristol, Gloucester and Liverpool to Torquay, where they were to spend a week's holiday and to celebrate Ruth's birthday with her. On Tuesday morning our birthday girl knew she was going to be taken out somewhere, but the exact details had been kept a secret by her family. Ruth told me she'd been on the SDR once before, "It's wonderful, I said I'd have to come again because I loved it so much. Last time I came I sat in a compartment in a corridor coach and it reminded me of all those Agatha Christie films."

And so the family had made that dream come true, half term in schools and the SDR's half term 'From Autos to Railcars' event making it all possible. At Totnes Littlehempston a quick word with Driver Giles Gilbert and Ruth was invited to experience the footplate of prairie no.5526. With a little help from family she clambered on board and well...........the rest is history. We wish her well and hope she will enjoy her week in Torquay with her family - come and see us again Ruth, there will always be a welcome!

	Above - How did Ruth know it was "National Grab a Fireman Week"? Left - Ruth, Fireman Russell McKee and Driver Giles Gilbert
Enjoying the moment	Ruth and her family

My thanks to Giles and Russ for making it happen

"PHENOMENAL"

- WAS THE VERDICT OF DAVE COURT -

WHEN HE DROVE THE SDR AUTO TRAIN

Few of our passengers returning from Totnes to Buckfastleigh on Tuesday 17th February would have realised that the man driving the Auto Trailer service had driven the Royal Train on a number of occasions. Or that he also test drove the three million pound new build LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado before its public fare paying passenger runs on the mainline.

But for a man with 48 years of railway service to his credit; a man who was the fireman of 4472 'Flying Scotsman' on the 1969 British Trade Mission to the USA, from Boston on the East Coast to Houston in Texas, Dave Court is a remarkably unassuming character. At the invitation of Colin Kerswill, who had arranged for Dave to travel down from Doncaster, I spent the evening with him and Mike Notley the well known Locomotive Performance Recorder and 'Top Link' Editor of Steam Railway Magazine, at their hotel in Buckfastleigh.

I asked Dave what had prompted him to travel half the length of the country to visit a seven mile long country branch line which, in keeping with all Heritage railways has a maximum speed limit of 25 mph. It is, after all, vastly different to driving a steam locomotive at up to 75 mph on the main lines.

"I was fascinated to find out how an auto train works - I've never driven one before - and today I found out. It's so basic in a way but such a phenomenal idea; you have to see it and work it to realise its values. I'm really impressed with it and the concept of it is so simple but the actual working of it is brilliant. You expect something more complex and it surprises you when you find it's all a mechanical linkage."

Then I asked Dave if he had enjoyed the experience; again the relative peace and quiet of a vestibule end driving position is very different to the pitching and swaying and cacophony of noise that is the footplate of a large steam locomotive.

"It was phenomenal, it really was because it's something I've never ever done. I've driven most things as regards railways, steam, diesel multiple units and diesels but I've never done that, so now I've got another nick in my belt. It's been a memorable day, if you flew half way round the world it would be worth it to see this."

"And what's made it better is that everyone we've come across is so friendly. Colin told me beforehand that everyone at the SDR was friendly - well that's a bit of an understatement, they really are treble friendly and everybody has time for you. Whether it's the guy on the platform, the guard, the footplate crew and particularly the workshop; they bent over backwards for us today."

Photograph top right shows Dave Court - nearest camera, Giles Gilbert driving and Mike Notley

Photograph bottom left shows two retyred drivers and Colin Kerswill left, Dave Court right.

Colin and Dave have 106 years of railway experience between them - pheeenomenal!

TO BE CONTINUED when our report may go round in circles!

QUICK BYTES	NEWS IN BRIEF
Sunday 14th February and the motion goes back into Collett 0-6-0 3205. The boiler is undergoing a hydraulic and steam test at Crewe this week and it's return to Buckfastleigh is imminent. Most of the new smokebox has been fabricated in-house by South Devon Railway Engineering.
In a surprise move 57xx pannier 5786 has been turned and is now smokebox first Ashburton, having spent the 2009 season facing Totnes. We photographed her on 17th February restarting in heavy rain, after a signal check at the inner home at Buckfastleigh, due to entering an occupied platform.
A rarely seen view. Later on the same day 5786, on shunting duties, pulls 3205 and Bradley Manor out of the workshops in what was a mega shunt at Buckfastleigh whilst preparing for several arrivals and departures this week. Reports and Photographs Copyright © Sarah Anne Harvey

ROYAL TRAIN AND TORNADO

TEST DRIVER

VISITS THE SOUTH DEVON

ANOTHER SDRONLINE EXCLUSIVE

More used to driving the likes of Tornado, Union of South Africa, Duke of Gloucester

and the Flying Scotsman, Driver Dave Court from Doncaster, visited the SDR

and tried his hand at our slightly more sedate auto train.

Full story and more pictures on Thursday 18th February.

Report and Photograph © Sarah Anne Harvey

FOUR FILM CREWS IN SEVEN DAYS!

IS THIS A NEW RECORD FOR THE SDR?

ADAM HART-DAVIS FILMS A REPORT FOR BBC 1's INSIDE OUT

- AN EARLY MORNING START BEFORE THE FIRST

PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE DAY

The railway's busy week in front of the lens began on Monday 8th when both ITN and BBC covered our purchase of the freehold title to the line for just £1 for their respective news programmes. On Wednesday 10th Pangaea tv created a pop video for Teignmouth group 'The Quails' - using two coaches placed in the main Buckfastleigh platform.

And on the first day of our 2010 running season - Sunday 14th - Adam Hart-Davis came along with a BBC crew to record a piece for 'Inside Out'.

Time was of the essence since the first public train had a departure time of 10.45am, giving Mr Hart-Davis and the crew a little over two hours to complete just part of an eight minute section of the programme. Possession of the line was under control of Andy Matthews who attached a brake van to the front of praire tank 5526 to give the cameraman a platform for filming inserts to the piece.

Footage was shot on the footplate between Buckfastleigh and Nursery Pool Bridge and then further down the line towards Hood (Riverford) Bridge Neil Tugwell, the cameraman, boarded the brake van. Clever use of a radio lapel mike then enabled Adam Hart-Davis to lean out of the cab of the loco to speak to camera on the brake van as the train moved down the line - shown in our photograph on the right.

At Hood the real fun began when Director Andrew Brown asked for the brake van to be uncoupled and with the camera on board to be pushed forward by the loco which would then slow down so that the van could roll away creating an ever increasing distance from 5526. There were three takes of this and on the word cut Andy could be seen furiously screwing down the brake of the van to bring us to a gentle halt. Exciting stuff for this photographer where the only excitement in a previous photographic life was the slow collapse of a wedding cake at precisely the right moment.

Footplate crew for the day were Howard Webster driving and Amanda Hancock firing.

Photograph shows Adam Hart-Davis and Driver Howard Webster

on the footplate of 5526.

My special thanks to Adam, Andrew and Neil for their tolerance,

and to Andy Matthews for his help.

The programme Inside Out will be broadcast on BBC 1

Monday 22nd February at 7.30pm.

To view complete range of photographs of scenes from the

filming click here or go direct to the Photocall Page

PASSENGERS WELCOMED BACK

AFTER SIX WEEKS CLOSURE FOR WINTER MAINTENANCE

And come back they did to board the first four trains of our Half Term gala week "From Auto's to Railcars." Prairie Tank no.5526 and two autocoaches - all resplendent in B.R. livery - the loco in unlined black and the coaches in carmine and cream (blood and custard), formed the train with the loco hauling the service to Totnes. On the return journey the coaches are pushed from the rear by the engine and the driver controls the train from a special compartment in the leading coach.

As the photographs show I caught up with the train alongside the River Dart at Hood (Riverford) Bridge and a little later at Bishops Bridge loop.

Heading towards Hood Bridge the train runs alongside a very calm River Dart	Although not in passenger service until Friday 19th, Railcar W55000 returns from Staverton to Buckfastleigh after a test run.
OUR HALF TERM GALA "FROM AUTOS TO RAILCARS" RUNS FROM SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY UNTIL SUNDAY 21ST FEBRUARY Photographs Copyright © Sarah Anne Harvey	With the driver in the leading coach the auto train leaves Bishops Bridge loop for Buckfastleigh

PANNIER TANK 5786 TO VISIT THE SEVERN VALLEY

During March 5^th, 6^{th &} 7^th, one of the South Devon Railway’s stalwart performers – 57xx class pannier tank no. 5786 - will be attending the Severn Valley Railway's Spring Reunion gala. To celebrate their 40th year of preservation they are trying to attract as many former SVR based working locos back to the line for the event, of which 5786 will be one of several visiting locos.

The return coincides with the Worcester Locomotive Society, who preserved and own 5786, celebrating their own 50th Anniversary in 2010. The Society was formed from a small band of teenage enthusiasts as many preservation groups did back in the 1960's, with the intention of organising shed visits and trips to working steam areas (and countries) and keeping steam alive.

The opportunity arose for the purchase of a steam locomotive and subsequently Kitson, 5474 'Carnarvon' from the Stewarts & Lloyds Quarries was purchased for preservation, it being the first loco from that manufacturer to be preserved and is currently in store on the SDR with a full overhaul in the planning stages for the near future. Shortly afterwards the decision was made to try to purchase a locomotive from one of the Big 4 companies, whereupon the opportunity was taken to purchase London Transport L.92 (EX GWR 5786) in working order from LT, and it was delivered to Bridgenorth on the fledgling Severn Valley Railway.

Preservation efforts were later centred closer to home with a move to the Bulmer Railway centre in Hereford, where the two tank engines rubbed shoulders with the likes of King George V, and Clan Line to name but a few. When the Centre closed in the 90's a new home was sought and the newly formed South Devon Railway made the society feel welcome in heart of Devon. 5786 has been a mainstay of the SDR fleet, providing stirling service with very few problems since its major overhaul nearly 10 years ago and is now reaching the last few years on the boiler ticket.

With 50 years already under their belt, let’s see what the Worcester Locomotive Society can achieve in the future!

This report supplied by Ben Greening of the Worcester Locomotive Society

Photograph show 5786 entering Bishops Bridge loop on a very wet Monday 6th April 2009

UNSUNG HEROES

- THOSE FOLK WHO WORK IN THE BACKGROUND -

There are many groups, teams of volunteers, who work in the 'backrooms' of the railway throughout the year. They are rarely seen in public, but the work they do and the hours they put in will be seen as the railway opens its doors to our passengers and the new 2010 season. There is the Permanent Way gang - out in all weathers during the closed season - carrying out maintenance work on our track. The station groups, maintaining the fabric of the buildings, with repairs to do and painting and decorating. The new Museum group, beavering away to refurbish the building with new displays, cabinets and audio visual aids.

And featured in the following photographs - the Cutting Back team, responsible for trimming, tidying and the general upkeep of our seven mile long back garden. Without this annual work our passengers would lose the stunning views of the River Dart and our beautiful Devon countryside as nature's undergrowth takes over. The group members and numbers out on the track varies from week to week, but when I discovered them working at Hood (Riverford) Bridge on Wednesday 10th February the team was made up of Dennis Taylor, Tony Kerswell, John Harris, Phil Parratt and Chris Bowden.

The cut down undergrowth is disposed of as they go.	Strimming the tops of the banks, tedious but necessary.
Each member of the team brings their own skills.	They've been robbin' Hood of the under and top growth.
The approach to Hood from Bishops Bridge.	Compare it with last year's growth.
The view towards Bishops - short back and sides - propurr job!	As the last vestiges of the winter sun receeds it's time to go home.

HATCHING AN EXCITING FUTURE

THE QUAILS FLY INTO BUCKFASTLEIGH TO MAKE A POP VIDEO

Maureen Douglas-Green reports on the making of a pop video at Buckfastleigh Station

What better place could there possibly be than the South Devon Railway to promote a very talented group by the name of ‘The Quails’? Dan Steer, lead singer, Chris Prentice, drummer, Sam Banks, bass and Max Armstrong, lead guitar make up this quartet from Teignmouth who certainly did not quail at the prospect of producing their video to accompany the release of their first single ‘Argentina’ in May of this year.

Sarah Woodward, their manager, told me of the group’s impressive and busy start to their career. Having already supported ‘Muse ‘ on the first night of their world tour, they have also supported ‘Coots’ at Eden and are booked for the Reading and Glastonbury festivals, as well as supporting ‘Newton Faulkner’ at the Altitude festival in March and Will Young at the South Devon Festival in June.

In addition to the regular and very important work on the Railway that carried on throughout the day’s filming, the platform and coaches proved perfect for the filming. ‘Pangaea tv’ showed their skills in the production and filming, and the use of local extras drawn by an Internet advertisement involved the local communities to an even greater extent. The Refreshment Room played host to Torquay based hairdresser Angelo Barbara, crafting the hair of many of the extras as well as leading lady, actress Alexis Caley. The waiting room saw mountains of costumes as it fulfilled the role of wardrobe, but I am really not too certain how our two ‘used car salesmen’ managed to escape onto the platform! I get the feeling they also escaped the attentions of the hairdresser!

As ever, I landed up wandering around the parts not often seen. Have you ever wondered how the smoke could be produced without a loco? Sorry now I've given the game away! I did miss the smell of a steam engine though as the sweet smelling oil based 'smoke' puffed on queue!

	To see the gallery of more photographs taken during the filming click here Words and Photographs Copyright © Maureen Douglas-Green

THE SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY

ACHIEVES EXCELLENT MEDIA COVERAGE

FOR ITS 'TWO FOR ONE' EVENT

Media coverage of the acquisition of the SDR’s own Transport and Works Order (TWO) from the Secretary of State for Transport and its purchase of the freehold title of the line for just £1.00 from the previous owners could be seen on last night's ITN local news at 6.00pm, followed by the BBC's report on Spotlight at 6.30.

Coverage continued on Tuesday in the Herald Express and Western Morning News, whilst it is hoped local coverage by other Devon based newspapers will carry reports throughout the week. The story, and photographs, has also been circulated to the railway press, but with their current issues only just appearing on newstands we may have to wait a little while before seeing any in print.

A Press Call at the South Devon is always a major event and sdronline - first with the news - is pleased to bring you some of the stories 'behind the news' that we captured yesterday with our cameras.

Following an earlier incident in the running shed with a loco lamp bracket whilst cleaning 1369, Brian Cocks assiduously hides a rip in his trousers whilst being interviewed by the ITN crew!	Alan Taylor proudly shows the assembled crowd the white disc - from the front of a Southern loco - he has just bought on Ebay.
Ahh now it's the right way round and the ITN crew call for Take 2	and Take 3
Despite Alan Taylor offering the DVR the opportunity to toss - best out of three - for the one pound coin, the offer was not taken up.	In one of those moments of nervous madness Alan Taylor mistook the BBC's microphone for a hairy rat and made a grab for it. Should have gone to Specsavers! Words and photographs Copyright © Sarah Anne Harvey

TWO for One

MONDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2010 HAS BEEN A REAL ‘RED LETTER’ DAY FOR THE STEAM OPERATED

SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY (SDR) AS IT FINALLY BOUGHT THE FREEHOLD TITLE OF THE LINE

FOR JUST £1.00 FROM CURRENT OWNERS THE DART VALLEY RAILWAY.

The day also saw formal confirmation of the acquisition of the SDR’s own Transport and Works Order (TWO) from the Secretary of State for Transport. The ‘TWO’ is effectively a railway operating license which now allows the SDR to run trains in its own right independently of the Dart Valley Railway which, as owners, held the previous operating license for the line.

A ceremonial handover of an extra large £1.00 coin -- as well as the real thing—was made by SDR Trust Chairman Alan Taylor to Paignton & Dartmouth Railway General Manager Andrew Pooley in front of working GWR steam loco No. 1369.

Other volunteers and staff, some of whom have been involved with the railway over the last 40 years, were there to witness the handover, including former long- serving SDR General Manager Richard Elliott and current GM Dick Wood.

Having celebrated its 40th Ruby anniversary in style last year with a record breaking season, the South Devon Railway is the oldest heritage railway line in the West Country. It was made famous as the line that the infamous railway axe wielding Dr Beeching re-opened in 1969 and was operated then by the Dart Valley Railway.

After a good initial start, the heritage line then struggled to maintain the numbers of visitors seen in the 1970’s. By 1990, the Dart Valley Railway plc finally pulled out to concentrate instead on its Paignton to Kingswear rail operation and then offered the Buckfastleigh line on a 25-year lease back to the volunteers who promptly set about saving the branch once again!

Top West Country Visitor Attraction

Since 1991, the South Devon Railway line has been run as a charitable trust. It has grown steadily from having virtually no locos or rolling stock to become one of the West Country’s top visitor attractions. It now carries over 100,000 passengers a year and a massive 1,543,954 visitors have travelled over the line over the last 18 years of Trust operations.

Ten years ago, the South Devon Railway began negotiations with the Dart Valley Railway (DVR) to buy the freehold of the line and, after the sale price was agreed at £1.15 million, the money was raised and paid over by the SDR via a combination of a share issue, loans and donations, plus operating revenues.

In 2002, the line was then leased by the DVR to the South Devon Railway for 199 years upon condition of a new Transport & Works Order (TWO) being subsequently granted to the SDR which would then release the final transfer of the freehold title by the DVR for a nominal £1.00 payment.

A Long Legal Haul

But both railways knew that the legal niceties of obtaining a Transport Works Order through Parliament would take a considerable time along with the detailed searches of archives, plans and records, plus planning consents and environmental surveys.

Furthermore, the new TWO would not only need to provide the South Devon Railway with statutory authority to cover future development plans for extra sidings at Totnes and Buckfastleigh, plus new carriage and loco restoration facilities and installing a loco turntable, but also to regularise some of the changes carried out in the Dart Valley Railway’s ownership.

Specialist London based lawyers Winckworth Sherwood were brought in to manage the TWO process and the draft South Devon Railway Order went for public consultation in 2008 with the Order finally being made effective on 30th December 2009.

As a result, Monday 8^th February has been a very special day for all of the people involved with the SDR who have worked incredibly hard in the background to complete the transfer of the line’s ownership and achieve the granting of the Transport & Works Order. It has certainly been one of the highlights of the railway’s 138-year history from when it was first opened in May 1872.

“The SDR has much to look forward to.” Alan Taylor SDR Trust Chairman

Commenting on the freehold transfer and granting of the TWO to the South Devon Railway, SDR Trust Chairman Alan Taylor said: “The granting of the Transport & Works Order and the associated conversion of our current lease so that we now own the freehold of the railway is one which gives me much personal satisfaction.

“It’s been a long and involved legal process at times but we can now move forward with our ambitious plans to further develop the railway’s facilities, such as covered accommodation for our coaches, more siding space at stations on the line and the installation of a loco turntable at Buckfastleigh. The SDR has much to look forward to.”

In response, Paignton & Dartmouth Railway (Dart Valley Railway) General Manager Andrew Pooley commented: “This is a significant day for both of the two major steam railways in Devon whose combined histories over the last 40 years are quite remarkable success stories. In accepting the £1.00 final payment from the South Devon Railway today, they have become the freehold owners of the line and so I wish them all the very best for the future.”

South Devon staff and volunteers attended a special staff meeting on Monday

morning 8th February where they were told of the successful outcome

of years of work and negotiations by Alan Taylor, SDR Trust Chairman.

A commemorative inscription and a one pound

coin of the realm were specially framed as

a permanent memento of the event.

We have many more photographs of the day's celebrations and will create a special gallery

during the next few days.

You can now listen to Alan Taylor's address to staff and volunteers

which may take a few moments to load

LITTLE AND LARGE

EXTREMES ON THE SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY

Class 20 leaves Staverton with two loaded Dogfish for Bulkamore.

My thanks to Andy Mathews and Jon Morton for making it happen.

A CLASS 20, TWO DOGFISH AND A SHARK

I've often wondered whose job it was, during the construction of a new type of wagon, to come up with their names. I suppose "24 ton big metal truck on four wheels to carry ballast" would have taken up far too much space and time to paint on the sides. No doubt someone will write in and enlighten me!

However on Tuesday 2nd February Class 20 No.8110 was enlisted to move the ballast, which was being delivered at Staverton, up the line to Bulkamore. I cadged a lift from Driver Jon Morton and stood in awe as the 8 cylinder English Electric power unit purred away somewhere behind me as we pushed about 40 tons of limestone ballast up the line. On arrival at Bulkamore the '20' was uncoupled as the Yorkie and the Shark coupled up to the dogfish to commence dropping and spreading the ballast on the newly relaid track.

Of course it's all got to be tamped yet - even with our tamper a very physically demanding job - but more news on that when it happens.

My thanks to Brenda and Terry for allowing me access to the model railway

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

Safely back at Buckfastleigh, well climbing into the cab of a Class 20 is, for me, like scaling the north wall of the Eiger, I began to get withdrawal symptoms to photograph something with a steam outline. At this time of the year nothing is in steam so I visited Expressway Models - the South Devon's model shop. There my camera, acting a bit like a divining rod, took me to their large model railway - a huge favourite with visitors. Casting my eyes across acres of track and scenery a cameo took my attention. As a lifelong wedding photographer the draw of a church and wedding cars was too much an opportunity to miss, especially with a train in the forground.

The M7, two coaches and utility van are by Hornby, as is the repainted footbridge. Buildings are a mixture of Superquick and Metcalfe card kits. The model shop carries a huge range of Bachman, Hornby, Peco, Ratio/Wills, scatter materials trees and much, much more. All the staff in this Alladin's Cave for modellers are extremely knowledgeable and can be contacted on 01364 643113

VISITOR FIGURES MORE THAN DOUBLED

AS SDRONLINE FORGES AHEAD

WE LAST REPORTED ON THE PROGRESS OF SDRONLINE AT THE BEGINING OF DECEMBER WHEN WE STATED WE HAD SET A NEW RECORD OF 2271 VISITS TO OUR WEBSITE IN NOVEMBER. WE ARE THRILLED TO PUBLISH OUR RESULTS FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2010 WHICH HAVE TOTALLED 5419 VISITS. THIS MORE THAN DOUBLES OUR FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER.

The January figures have astonished Maureen and myself in that the number of visits in January represents just under 50% of the total number of visits for the whole of 2009. The number of hits in January at 457.863 represents well over 50% of the total hits for 2009. It doesn't quite compare with Steve Edge's unofficial website for the West Somerset Railway of over 74.000 January visits but then that site has been in existence for 11 years and ours for just seven and a half months.

January is traditionally a time on Heritage Railways when much 'behind the scenes' work is undertaken in the period when public trains are not running. This year on the South Devon is no exception. What is exceptional however, are the serious delays to essential track maintenance, for example, caused by the constraints of the weather in Devon. This has prevented us in turn from bringing you the normal flow of news and yet you have continued to support us. And in an unsolicited compliment we picked up from the National Preservation.com website it would seem that sdronline may be setting new standards - “I see that the South Devon Railway have appointed a photographer in residence, who with an assistant is producing exceptional things on a new unofficial website. Perhaps you could use your good offices to suggest that this is the way to go! MHRonline anyone?”

And finally, in a tribute to the Eurovision Song Contest, we publish a list of countries in the order they appear (by visitor numbers) from a table of where visitors come from. This shows the South Devon Railway's apparent popularity with countries in the so called 'Eastern Bloc'. Russian Federation - 4th; Ukraine - 15th; Hungary - 16th; Romania - 17th; Lithuania 23rd and bringing up the rear in 25th place Bosnia-Herzegovina. In his message on our Home Page, General Manager Dick Wood, comments “So, our embryonic steam line embarked upon a remarkable journey into the unknown – one that no one could really know how long it might last or whether the line might even survive its first season." And in 1969 it may well have been only a few hundred people in South Devon who knew of the existence of a reborn steam railway and the unremitting hard work that went into running that first train. In 2010 the railway is truly international with our visitors coming from all over the world - some in person, many by visiting our websites. Now that is remarkable progress for what, 41 years ago, was a 'journey into the unknown'.

Photograph - Heavy Freight 2-8-0 No.3803 Forging Ahead at Hood Bridge

NEWS ITEMS FROM JUNE 2009 - EARLY NOVEMBER 2009

HAVE BEEN MOVED TO ARCHIVED NEWS (1)

NEWS ITEMS FROM NOVEMBER 2009 - 31st DECEMBER 2009

HAVE BEEN MOVED TO ARCHIVED NEWS (2)

NEWS ITEMS FROM JANUARY 1st 2010 - 31st JANUARY

HAVE BEEN MOVED TO ARCHIVED NEWS (3)

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