DART VALLEY’S FIRST TRAIN TO BE RE-ENACTED AT ‘SOUTH DEVON 50’ GALA
A four-coach autotrain will recreate the Dart Valley Railway’s reopening train for the South Devon Railway’s 50th anniversary gala on April 6-14.
Consisting of resident Hawksworth autocoach No. 233 and Collett No. 163, plus Hawksworth No. 232 from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and Collett No. 178 from the Severn Valley Railway, the ‘sandwich’ formation with the engine in the centre will replicate a common practice in the early days of the preserved DVR, but one which has not been seen for many years.
On the first weekend, it will recreate the line’s ‘Inaugural Special’ of April 1969 with the original locomotive – ‘64XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 6412 – and a replica headboard. For the second weekend, the official ‘Inaugural Special’ of May 1969 (hauled by ‘45XX’ 2-6-2T No. 4555) will be closely replicated using ‘4575’ No. 5526.
It is also hoped that for one day in the intervening week, four individual autotrains will operate simultaneously.
In addition to resident
Nos. 5526 and 6412, confirmed visiting engines are former DVR residents ‘14XX’ No. 1450 and ‘64XX’ No. 6430, plus ‘94XX’ No. 9466. The latter is visiting courtesy of Gwyneth Maude, sister of the locomotive’s late owner Dennis Howells MBE.
It is thought to be the first time a ‘94XX’ has hauled trains on the Buckfastleigh line, as No. 9466 did not work revenue-earning services during its previous visits.
SDR PR & Business Development Manager Dick Wood added: “There is a chance that No. 6435 may make an appearance from Bodmin – although this is very slim. This would be the first time the three remaining ‘64XXs’ have been together in steam in preservation.”
The SDR had also hoped to welcome back former DVR resident ‘16XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 1638 from the Kent & East Sussex Railway, but this also remains provisional.