North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway: 1982 - 1985

[jhluxton]

Another instalment in my exploration of the former Southern Railway routes in the West Country.
The railway was opened in 1925 and operated by the Southern Railway and latterly British Railways Southern Region before passing to British Railways Western Region in the early 1960s. The ND&CLR ran between Torrington and Halwill Junction. The section between Torrington and Meeth was retained for clay traffic into the 1980s. Occasional passenger excursion trains also used continued to use the route up to closure.
I visited locations on the line in 1982 just before closure and in 1984 and 1985.
Yarde Halt looking north - 1983


View from the level crossing at Yarde looking south


Petrockstowe Station looking south 1982


View north from the level crossing at Perockstowe - 1982


Pertockstowe station looking north 1982


Watergate Halt - looking north towards Torrington - September 1982


Watergate Level Crossing - September 1982


Watergate - View south from Level Crossing September 1982


Petrockstowe Station May 1984 Track lifting contractors at work


Petrockstowe Station view north to Torrington during track lifting - May 1984. Track has been recovered to a point just north of the level crossing.


Petrockstowe Station - May 1985 a year after the above two scenes


View north from Petrockstowe Level Crossing - compare to 1982 view above.


Watergate Halt - May 1985



Watergate Level Crossing - May 1985


Watergate Level Crossing - May 1985 - view south, only some timber from the sleepers remain.


Hope the before and after pictures are of interest.

John

 

[Foxylady]

Great location and very interesting seeing the before and after photos. I know it sounds obvious, but it's very odd seeing first a rail line then what looks like an ordinary country lane once the track has been removed.
Love your pics...gorgeous colours.

 

[tonyque2]

Just loving these Devon branch line reports. Very nice to see these old photos. Thanks for sharing.

 

[hydealfred]

Excellent - always good to see the remains of the Withered Arm. More please

 

[jhluxton]

Excellent - always good to see the remains of the Withered Arm. More please

More to follow including including Okehampton between 1978 and 1985.

Now happily restored!

 

[Munchh]

Echo Foxy and the other posters. And she would know, being a gifted film photographer herself.

Check out her Seaton Branch set if you haven't already mate. [ame]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?p=167711#post167711[/ame]


I still use my film kit sometimes for my personal collection but carting it around is a bit of a drag. Tend to stick to a battered digital compact for anything other than a walking explore these days although it does look a bit daft sat on top of my tripod.

 

[jhluxton]

Thanks I did see Foxy's report been on the tramway quite a few times prior to the mid 90s but never really photographed the remains of the railway except for a few slides of Seaton Junction early 80s which I'll scan and add in due course.

I have just completed scanning slides of the Weymouth Quay tramway - which when I photographed it in the early 1980s was still in the land of the living, so perhaps the photos are not suitable as a report in their own right on Derelict Places - but anyone caring to take a look can do so at:

http://jhlphotography.smugmug.com/R...Railway-Archives/Weymouth-Quay-Tramway-1980s/

John

 

[jhluxton]

Just adding an extra photograph to this thread of the ND&CJLR at Meeth - one of the two Class 25 25248 diesels is seen on the "Atlantic Coast Express" railtour which operated from Chester October 27, 1979.