East Devon Branch lines

In the Summer of 1955, my family holidayed at Dawlish Warren for 2 weeks in July. And it was a trainspotters heaven. Not only for the days spent watching the trains go by from the sea wall, but for the opportunities to travel over the South Devon banks, Dainton, Rattery, and Hemerdon. And to explore the Southern routes in the South West.

And so, on 13th July, I travelled down to Plymouth by the Western route, then back to Exeter by the Southern. And to conclude the day, I had a trip from Exeter Central to Exmouth on M7 0-4-4T no 30676, then to Tipton St Johns on the Otter Valley line with BR Standard 2-6-2T no 82019, and on to Sidmouth Junction with another M7, no 30023. I returned to Exeter Central on a stopping service from Honiton, with yet another M7, 30671. I was enchanted by the route from Exmouth, through Budleigh Salterton to Tipton St Johns, and it's continuation up to Sidmouth Junction. Later in the holiday, there was a family picnic by the roadside close to the railway line and the River near Newton Poppleford. We watched the occasional train go by, saw a Kingfisher feeding, and listened on the radio to the England v South Africa Test Match. An idyllic afternoon.

2 "Box Brownie" photos taken on 13th July 1955. Left..From the train at Budleigh Salterton. Right..From the footbridge at Tipton St Johns. Sidmouth line to the left, Exmouth line right.

Later in the holiday, on Sunday 24th July, I travelled from Dawlish Warren to Exeter St Davids on 6829 Burmington Grange, then from Exeter Central to Axminster on 35023 Holland Afrika Line. Then followed a trip on the Lyme Regis branch with Adams 4-4-2T no 30583. Back at Axminster, I travelled back to Exeter on 34027 Taw Valley. The following day I returned home to the Midlands, my holiday over.

My next visit to the East Devon lines was in September 1958, when the family holiday was at Churston. A similar itinerary to 1955 brought me back from Plymouth to Exeter via the Southern route on 34036 Westward Ho, then on to Sidmouth Junction on a stopping service with 34104 Bere Alston. M7 tank no 30676 took me from Sidmouth Junction to Tipton St Johns, Ivatt 2-6-2T on to Exmouth, and another Ivatt, no 41306 on to Exeter Central. I then travelled back to Plymouth on 34056 Croydon, and back to Totnes, whether I was met by my father, on 5062 Earl of Shaftesbury. The highlight of the day was the vigorous and noisy running of 41318 from Tipton St Johns to Exmouth.

On 2nd September 1962, I travelled down from Waterloo on the S.C.T.S South Western Limited Railtour. At Sidmouth Junction, 30861 Lord Anson was replaced by a pair of M7 tanks, numbers 30024 and 30025. The train reversed and was off down to Tipton St Johns before proceeding to Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth. Here the M7's ran round and the train proceeded back to Exeter Central. This was my M7 finale so far as the East Devon lines were concerned. 30861 took the train back from Exeter to Salisbury. The last BR passenger working for a Nelson.

But I still hadn't done the Seaton branch. My opportunity came on 28th February 1965, when I travelled down from Waterloo on the L.C.G.B East Devon railtour with Merchant Navy no 35022. There was an option of either the Lyme Regis branch or the Seaton branch, so I chose the latter. BR Standard 2-6-4T no 80041 took me from Seaton Junction to Seaton and back.

The train then proceeded to Sidmouth Junction, where GW Pannier tank no 4666 headed down to Sidmouth, ran round, then ran back to Tipton St Johns. Here the two portions joined, Ivatt 2-6-2T no 41206 came on as pilot, and the 10 coach train proceeded to Exmouth (reverse & run round) and on to Exeter.

Above photo shows 80041 running round at Seaton.

Of all of the East Devon branch lines, only the Exeter Central to Exmouth line survived the 1960's.