South Devon Railway, Devon, England
Here in picturesque South Devon we have an authentic yesteryear train line that used to serve the old industries around here, and was also the early tourist transport down to the Devon countryside and coast before highways and international travel.
Once upon a looong-time-ago, South Devon or "The English Riviera" was the top UK destination for glamorous holidays, when going abroad was a rare and adventurous thing to do. Steam was the way to go. Today, trains and carriages have been preserved or restored, and what used to be the mundane infrastructure that transported tourists, was reopened and restored 50 years ago as a tourism attraction. It also serves a purpose in getting to or from Buckfastleigh to Totnes (and on to the coast at Torbay). At the same time, you can be transported on your own imagination to being one of those early tourists as they headed to the seaside for a holiday.
So even though I live here, I hadn't been on a steam train since I was too small to know what was happening. It was time to fix this! I needed a ride to pick up my car in Totnes, so figured I might have a little adventure by using the steam train. Because it's there!
Do I need an excuse? To ride a steam train, not climb Everest ...
Previously closed due to the whole "situation", a big relief to see the railroad back in action as they really do need the tickets to keep it all going. UK government could provide more funding and in return, SDR would host a lot of very educational school trips. Sadly (very, IMO) I'm informed the education ministers don't currently pass the age of steam as having enough educational significance. So it has to work and operate from tourist funds and donations alone. Even more important we support them then, by buying a ticket and taking a ride!
Watch the vid
So you can absorb some of the experience for yourself and know what to expect, I put this short video together. Forgive the production skills, first attempts! Pretty please, hit the like and subscribe buttons, so I can get better and better at this :)
For the just curious, or to see all locations timetables and book tickets for your own ride, visit the SDR WEBSITE. Truly an incredible attraction and available for all the family rain or shine. Well worth considering on your visit to South Devon!
A few highlights
(See more pics in the YouTube post above also).
Arriving, you see all the old out-buildings and engineering workshops, along with the platform entrances and ticket house. Model shop is on the left below, to be covered in a future post. Classic cars passing through merely add to the historic atmosphere, as do the surrounding views of Devon countryside and farmlands.
An old MG car sets the scene!
The carriages are stunning, and very comfortable! Well cushioned and supportive seats with solid fixtures all around. The time they've lasted (over 100 years) is testament to the quality they were constructed with back in the day.
Comfortable interior, even though it's very old.
Despite of rain on my journey, it actually adds to the fun of passing along the river and through the trees as it created an almost rain-forest like atmosphere. The line goes through mostly dense countryside to historic Totnes, with many protected ancient woodlands along the River Dart. In places the dense canopy envelopes your carriage in a marvelous tunnel of green. The sound of rain only making it more sensual. You don't get these views from the main road!
Approaching on foot to SDR at Buckfastleigh can be very scenic ...
Old rolling stock when these lines were also used to transport Granite from the mines
Loved the dilapidation on this
I had an entire carriage to myself. Notice the great woodwork! Additional screens recently added.
Plenty of lovely period details have been setup on the stations along the line. Here from the carriage window.
What a beauty
The engine that pulled us today (will turn around to return)
Driver stops for tea ...
Probably my favorite sign that day! Land Rover, a British icon.
From the platform waiting for the train to arrive
Looking down the tracks from the platform
The Wrap
That concludes the sights and sounds I captured on this day at South Devon Railway, England! Hope it gives you a good idea of the experience and you can appreciate even more from the pictures what a historically important and beautiful artifact this whole train line at South Devon Railway represents. There's enough at this railway to fill a website and write a blog about full time. However, I just wanted to show my appreciation of it with this one short story, and hope it will contribute in some small way to SDR welcoming visitors for many years to come. This article was also a thank-you letter to the lovely town of Buckfastleigh, for treating me so well both as a community and natural old settlement has been the best place I could have asked to be holed up through the pandemic. I grew up in very nearby towns so of course it also feels like home.
More content to follow though, as I have yet to tell you about the Model Shop, Cafe, Classic Car Show (annual event), Otter and Butterfly park, also all on-site! Plus other stuff I did 2020-2021 back in my Devonshire homelands ... more soon!!!
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