Barnstaple Tarka North Devon Railway Line

The North Devon Line

Barnstaple, North Devon, England

 

another "content over style" heritage web page from Steve Johnson`s "Cyberheritage"

 

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION 

BARNSTAPLE JUNCTION GOODS & FREIGHT YARD -in 1985 to 1987

"the Cement Train"

 

 

click above to enlarge

The daily Exeter Riverside goods train!!! Ah!! What with all the shunting and the creaks and groans of trucks and wagons on well greased axles - it was surely "Thomas the Tank Engine" along with "the Fat Controller" come to life. Much of the access was due to the kind nature of life long and time served North Devon railwaymen, quite unlike the customer friendly and above all "fully trained" rail staff of today! These men had railways in their blood and were the product of long service and dedication to the railway.

If my memory serves me correct, the man who really helped the most was called "George" - I suspect by now he will have retired, but without him, none of you would be looking at this!

On other pages of this site you will see photographs of this goods train as it travels along the "Tarka Line."

Cement I feel was the main load, followed by resin or something along this line, then timber and fertilizer would be put down and picked up at Lapford. Due to their being no run around loop at Lapford, the whole lot had to be hauled back up to Barnstaple to finally get the engine in front!

July 7 1985 31430 in the yard

31401 in the yard

a class 33 with timber from Lapford

33015  with a timber load from Lapford

33015  with a timber load from Lapford

33015  with a timber load from Lapford

31144 in the yard

31403 coming out of Barnstaple Station

33040 in the yard

33060 in the yard

33060 leaving Barnstaple Station

33060 waits for the road at Barnstaple Junction Station

31406 in the yard

31110 in the yard

31425 in the yard

31406 in the yard

a class 33 in the yard

early 1986 sees 31110 in the yard

31402 is in the yard with an Inspection Saloon

31402 is in the yard with an Inspection Saloon

31168 is in the yard

31143 is in the yard in early 1986

31143 is in the yard

31110 is in the yard

31152 heads a rake of fertilizer vans from Lapford  in the yard in August 1986

31405 heads a timber load from Lapford in August 1986

31403 is in the yard in August 1986

31144 is in the yard in June 1986

33040 is in the yard

July 7 1986 sees 31430 in the yard

31401 is in the yard in 1986

31107 is in the yard in 1986

a class 31 in Railfreight Grey livery is in the yard

33003 on a timber load from Lapford

31107 is in the yard

a class 31 awaits the road in the station

31183 is in the yard in 1986

33010 is in the yard in 1985

31238

31238

a class 31

a class 31 and a DMU in Barnstaple Station

31117 is light engine

a class 33 awaits the road out of Barnstaple Yard

a "Trolley"

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