South Devon announces comeback loco roster
THE South Devon Railway (SDR) has announced details of its first services for 14 months, made possible by a marathon lockdown fundraising effort.
As reported last issue, the Buckfastleigh site was scheduled to reopen the 12-acre grounds on April 12, with trains on course to operate from May 17.
Following a similar format to those successfully staged last summer and autumn, the site’s open days will be held every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until May 16.
Attractions include gardens, a workshop viewing area, riverside picnic spot, children’s playground, the Lee Moor Tramway museum, north signal box, and a gift and model shop. Take away food and drink will be available from the volunteer-run kiosk in Buckfastleigh car park.
Many of the SDR’s steam and diesel locomotives and historic coaches will be on display, while the miniature and garden railways will open on weekends from April 12 until May 17.
However, it is hoped some midweek running may also be possible. Wouldbe visitors are advised to check www. southdevonrailway.co.uk and social media feeds in case this happens.
While entry to the site is free, the SDR will ask for a donation at the gate, which can be gift-aided – and there is plenty of free car parking.
Operations
When trains restart from May 17, a timetable of four daily trips will operate, leaving Buckfastleigh at 10.30am, 12.10pm, 2.15pm and 4pm, and returning about 1¼ hours later. Tickets, which must be pre-booked, will be available online from April 12.
The line’s passenger train diagrams are due to be handled by GWR prairie No. 5542 and 0-6-0PT No. 1369.
Furthermore, three members of the resident steam will be out on hire to other heritage lines this year.
GWR 2-6-2T No. 5526 will attend the Mid-Hants Railway’s April 30-May 3 spring steam gala, where it will head to Paignton to spend the season on the Dartmouth Steam Railway (DSR) as standby loco.
As reported, London Transportliveried GWR 0-6-0PT No. L92 (5786) will spend the season at the Gwili Railway, and pannier No. 6412 is running on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway during the year.
Meanwhile, class sister privatelyowned No. 6430, a former Buckfastleigh resident, is to receive contract repairs. More recently based at the Llangollen Railway, No. 6430 was bought by the Dart Valley Railway for spares for Nos. 6412 and 6435 (now resident at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway) – and never ran at Buckfastleigh. Sold to current owner Hugh Shipton as a kit of parts in 1989, it underwent a substantial rebuild and returned to action in 2003.
In a separate development, the SDR has agreed a carriage exchange with the 1957-built DSRs. Mk.1 SO No. W4802 will leave for Paignton, to be replaced by 1958-built CK No. W16071.
SDR marketing director Peter Treglown said: “This is excellent news for both lines as the DSR was looking to strip out the CK, while a new compartment vehicle is an ideal addition to our fleet. The carriage, which hasn’t run for some years, is currently in BR blue and grey and is in good all-round condition, and we very much hope that it will be seen in service this season.”
With the last SDR steam trains having run on March 17, 2020, it is the longest period that the quintessential former GWR branch line has been closed in its 52-year history, after reopening as a heritage line in 1969 following closure by BR in 1962. Cnsiderable necessary planned maintenance and improvement works have been carried out along the line.
The railway has raised about £1.2 million to safeguard its future. This includes its SOS appeal for donations, which now stands at £311,069.58, and sizeable grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage, Teignbridge Borough Council, 2020 site open days donations and income, an insurance rebate, and the sale of an asset in GWR 4-6-0 No. 4920 Dumbleton Hall for an undisclosed six-figure sum.
All money raised to date is needed for survival, but the appeal continues to bring in weekly donations, even after running for a year.
Funding
The next funding target is £1.5 million, though the railway still has an eye on the anticipated share issue launch of its planned move to become a Charitable Community Benefit Society this year, delayed by Covid-19, but which will give the SDR a new structure .
The financial hit is evident by figures showing 1750 passengers travelled last year compared to 83,527 in 2019 – a drop of 98% with an overall £2 million revenue loss.
It is hoped 2021 will allow the return of two of the line’s hugely popular Days Out With Thomas events on July 2-4 and September 24-26. At Christmas, the inaugural Polar Express is set to operate, having been cancelled in 2020.
Peter said: “The whole SDR team is excited to welcome people back – it’s the news we have been waiting for. We are now on the rails to recovery.
“We have much for visitors to discover and we are making use of the whole 12-acre site to ensure there is plenty of room for them to relax and enjoy a gentle stroll as they explore.
“We’ll have the steam trains running again soon in May, which will be a real red letter day for the whole railway!”