Sunrise at Creech St Michael

An early start from the Midlands in the Old Faithful Morris Minor, LNP 154, off down the A38, and by sunrise we were well past Bridgewater. Where shall we start, father asked?. Somewhere between Cogload Junction and Taunton, I replied.

And so it was at Creech St Michael that we began our Easter 1955 tour of South Devon. We arrived at 7.10am, parked the car close to the station, and in the early morning sunshine, awaited some action on the four track main line.

Above: a scan of the Taunton area map drawn in 1955.

We remained at Creech St Michael until 8.40am, when we headed west. And in the 90 minutes we saw the following:

WESTBOUND TRAINS:

5060 Earl of Berkeley on down West of England Mail: 7.35am

5503 on Yeovil to Taunton stopper: 8.11am

4088 Dartmouth Castle on a Manchester-Penzance: 8.18am

2881 on Empty Ocean Liner Express stock: 8.20am

6995 Benthall Hall on down Parcels/Newspapers: 8.26am

6938 Corndean Hall on Bristol to Taunton stopper: 8.39am

EASTBOUND TRAINS:

6875 Hindford Grange on Taunton to Bristol stopper: 7.10am

4664 on up freight: 7.15am

1362 up Light engine: 7.17am

6864 Dymock Grange on Taunton to Bristol/Paddington: 8.00am

9311 on up freight: 8.28am

Our next call was at Norton Fitzwarren, then Tiverton Junction, before calling at Cowley Bridge Junction. Here, my father talked us into a two hour spell in Cowley Bridge Signal box, before we headed on to Exeter St Davids. Then on to Starcross, before continuing to Newton Abbot. A shed and works visit ensued, before we returned back to Exeter for another spell in Cowley Bridge box. At 7.30pm we headed into Exeter to find a meal and a B & B.

And that was just day one of a four day tour.