Table of Contents

Editorial

Chairman's Report

AGM - Our Speaker

The King is Dead; Long Live

the King?

What’s Hungarian for ‘Dr

Beeching’?

Or, for that matter, for

‘Ernest Marples’?

Partnership-funded Tarka Line

Station Improvements

One for £100 or a Hundred for

£1?

Fortress Barnstaple?

Station Gardens Competition

Today Swanage; Tomorrow

Barnstaple

The Market and Coastal Town

Initiative

News Update

At Home...

...and Abroad

A Reunion with the Master

It Doesn't Always Have to Be

Expensive

And How Did the Journeys

Go?

Readers Write

Membership Matters

New Members

Committee Meetings

(Members Welcome)

Issue 12, October 2002

EditorialThe refurbished 2-car units have started to return from the shops; this one was recently spotted

at Exeter St David's. The lilac doors are - well, interesting. Many seem to dislike the colours but

approve of the internal changes; not perfect, but a distinct improvement.

Picture: Babs Stutchbury

A sentiment was

expressed, in a letter

recently received, that we

must be careful to guard

against taking on too

much work in order to

prevent an enjoyable

hobby becoming a

burden. I subsequently

thought of all the work

undertaken by many

individuals, without

remuneration, on behalf

of many

community-based

organisations throughout the country - including NDRUG - and wondered whether I was doing all

this because it was a hobby.

Why do we do it? Do we ever get anywhere? Most of the time, it is very difficult to evaluate the

impact we have on the organisations - governmental or corporate - we seek to influence.

Usually, if we infect at all, we infect unseen. But history relates how wholesale changes in

attitude - and often, indeed, in the law - do come about from very small beginnings. The trick is,

I take it, always to maintain pressure; if you do not achieve your aims, then someone else,

taking over the reins, may do it for you, in time. Thus slavery was ended, for example; and the

incipient trade union movement of the nineteenth century, smashed by the force of law from its

infancy, survived to grow, perpetually reminding deaf, unbending authorities, defending interests

of their own, that the poor deserved better. Eventually, not only did physical matters improve,

but attitudes changed. And so with the present day. What is lawful, should not necessarily

remain lawful, if subsequent reflection shows it up to be immoral or just plain stupid - and there

are plenty of examples of that around. Similarly, what is current practice should not necessarily

remain current practice, if other examples point to a better way.

The socially inclusive nature of the rural railway is becoming accepted, but its acceptance is by no means universal. The ludicrous

spectacle of thousands of stationary vehicles cramming to go where there is no room, and destroying a valuable earth in getting

there, is dawning on some of us as being, perhaps, somewhat less than over-rewarding! But universal realisation will be a long time

coming, if ever it does come; some have yet even to renounce slavery, such is the penetration of centuries of custom and a

misguided inculcation that what is right is what I want, and to hell with everyone else. The obsession with the private car is deeply-

rooted and bathed in commercial self-interest, while the vanity of possession, and the insecure need to impress, guarantee sales.

The West has long since swallowed the pill, and the Third World has already been shown the medicine bottle.

It's difficult to get some to understand the transport needs of those unable to drive, to get them even to think of others, to reduce

their selfishness and the effect that selfishness will have on the ultimate quality of our lives. All this sounds very grand, doesn't it? But

it really can't be just a hobby, can it?

David Gosling

Chairman's Report

AGM - Our Speaker

The Association of Community–Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) acts as a conference arranging, information disseminating, rail partnership

co-ordinating, advisory, and rail-based promotional organisation. Earlier this year, I reported on the workings of the organisation (see

issue 9, January 2002) and spoke to Neil Buxton, ACoRP’s Development Officer who offered, subject to availability, to have ACoRP

address the Group. As a result, ACoRP's General Manager, Dr Paul Salveson, has kindly agreed to speak at this year's AGM. It is

through the rail partnerships - like our own Devon and Cornwall - that much funding may be drawn to our part of the world. The

impact of their work can be significant (see Richard Burningham's article elsewhere in this issue) and a lot may be learned from Dr

Salveson as to what we might be able to do to forward the fortunes of the North Devon line. Do come along if you possibly can; there

is much to learn and much that individuals and local communities are able to do.

The King is Dead; Long Live the King?

At the time of writing, 3rd October, no news had reached me regarding the picture to be painted by the new franchise arrangements.

There are three main possibilities - and, you will not be surprised to learn, three rumours to match! Other news did reach me on that

day, of course. Railtrack was declared dead; killed off largely by its own inadequacy and the need to pay shareholders' premiums.

Network Rail was born; a new, not-for-profit company. Not all Railtrack's failure was due to the siphoning of money into private

hands; the way in which it was run also had something to do with it. And note: the management is yet the same; the policies have yet

to be changed. Will the internal structure of the company be reorganised in a productive way? Let us hope that, in the ensuing

months, a more reliable, stable railway infrastructure is developed, able to drag this discredited child of politics from the hole into

which it fell; an inevitable result of political dogma and ineptness. Whatever changes were needed at the end of the last century, they

certainly weren't the ones with which our national railway has since been inflicted. I hope that this latest policy proves to be a move in

the right direction.

David Gosling

What’s Hungarian for ‘Dr Beeching’?

Or, for that matter, for ‘Ernest Marples’?

The following passage appears in the English-language version of a recently published official history of the railways of Hungary (with

slight amendments to make it more English-like!):

To implement the national transport policy [agreed in 1968], about 30% of lightly used lines and stations were closed and their traffic

transferred to roads. These measures did much to harm domestic transport. The proportion of secondary lines shut was higher than

elsewhere in Europe where similar strategies were adopted. Roads were not developed as extensively as had been intended. The

mechanism of freight handling equipment and other development projects were left incomplete. In consequence, the success of the

whole concept was undermined. The Transport Ministry wanted to fund the project from the profits expected from the transfer of

traffic to the roads, but it turned out that no such profits ensued. Deprived of its secondary lines, the railway could not become the

driving force in transport development. Its capacity decreased. In some areas, the publicly supported road network took over the role

of transporting freight, even though it was not economical. Closing the goods yards led to a reduction in traffic, since freight, once put

on lorries, was transported in most cases all the way to its destination by road, even though the distances involved made this more

expensive overall.

The History of the Hungarian Railways, 1846-2000.

Published by Hungarian State Railways Co Ltd., Budapest: p. 145.

We sometimes think that line and station closures and the withdrawal of rail freight facilities in the 1960s were uniquely British

phenomena. We associate the names of Beeching and Marples with them, and vilify them accordingly. As the above passage shows,

however, closures were happening elsewhere in Europe, and, in this case at least, in a country run on political principles quite

different from our own. Hungary had its Marples and its Beeching, too, and without doubt other places did as well.

What is refreshing about the passage, however, is the Hungarians’ acknowledgement that they may have got some things wrong. The

measures, they see, did much harm, not least because some of the things they intended to do to develop transport as an integrated

system — the mechanised loading facilities, for example — were not done. The passage focuses mainly on freight, but the rest of the

text suggests that passengers lost out too. And perhaps one or two who read this piece may be asking themselves what happened

to all those replacement bus services that were promised when lines closed over here.

It would be naïve to believe that railways can do everything that roads can do, or that every branch line, every station, every freight

facility should be kept forever open. It is far better that we should look at each mode of transport and consider what it can do well.

But we should not do this through economic lenses alone. Rather should we consider what effects each has on our landscape and the

air we breathe, how well each contributes to meeting the transport needs of the young, the elderly and the disabled, or of those who

may never have the capital to purchase their own, private means of transport, or of all who want or need to travel quickly in the

safest possible way.

Rail, of course, will come well out of such an assessment. But it will do better still when we attend properly to all those points where

it links with other ways of getting about, be they cars, buses, bikes or even good old walking. I’m not sure that Mr Marples ever

understood this, although I suspect that Dr Beeching did. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of the Hungarians’ book and humbly admit

that we may have got some things wrong in the past. We could begin to put some of them right. Right here on the North Devon line,

for instance, what about having more bus services coming to the railway station, rather than keeping their distance over at Belle

Meadow?

John Gulliver

Partnership-funded Tarka Line Station Improvements

The recent very welcome Railtrack investment in Tarka Line stations has led to a further spin-off. The Devon and Cornwall Rail

Partnership has been able to use this money as match-funding to obtain cash for additional work on the line's stations, to take place

over the next few months. Devon County Council is contributing £10,000 to add to £34,000 being provided from the Strategic Rail

Authority's Rail Passenger Partnership fund, £1,000 from the Tarka Line Working Party and a further £5,000 from Wessex trains.

This cash, totalling £50,300, will see work at all ten rural Tarka Line stations; re-signing the line; refurbishing benches, fencing and

light columns; providing new posterboards where needed; and generally finishing off the work done to date.

At Barnstaple, work will be very much 'Phase One' of what is aimed for. The clock will be repaired and refurbished and, if possible, a

self-winding mechanism installed. New trolleys will be provided and signing and posterboards will be renewed and gaps filled.

Additional signs will be put up to direct passengers to buses and the walking route to the town centre. In addition, new 'Bus

Connections' semi-blank posters will be provided - the staff at Barnstaple have improvised over recent years and this is intended to

help them. A new leaflet will be produced publicising rail/bus connections and through ticketing via Barnstaple. Funds are also

included for door-to-door distribution throughout North Devon.

There is still an opportunity to add minor items to the work programme, particularly in terms of signing, and I shall be discussing this

with the NDRUG Committee, so please feed your ideas in.

As for 'Phase Two', the plan here is for a much bigger scheme to refurbish Barnstaple Station, provide toilet facilities for the Tarka

Trail as well as rail passengers and, hopefully, a tea room, or similar. The County Council is leading the plan, which is still at an early

stage. Once options have been drawn up, a working party of local authorities and other relevant bodies will be convened, in

conjunction with the Tarka Line Working Party, to take it forward. NDRUG will certainly be invited to join this working party. The aim

is to take the scheme forward over the winter months. The current project is the second investment in the line by the Strategic Rail

Authority under their Rail Passenger Partnership fund - the first being the two additional weekday services that began running in June.

We are hopeful that it will not be the last.

Richard Burningham

One for £100 or a Hundred for £1?

One passenger for a £100 fare or a hundred for £1 each: which would offer a better measure of the North Devon line’s success? It’s

unlikely that our friends at Wessex Trains will ever have to consider so stark a choice. For the moment, though, I want to run with this

harmless fantasy to raise some issues about fares on our line.

Let’s begin with our solitary passenger forking out £100 for a journey from Barnstaple to Exeter. Commercially, this might be

regarded as a good thing, better, even, than the one hundred at £1 each. There’d be less wear on the cushions. The soap and towel

supply in the toilets would last almost for ever. Sue, of our splendid station staff at Barnstaple, would have time to offer our traveller

a freshly filtered coffee before his — or her — departure. Rodney would have a free newspaper (The Daily Telegraph, if First Great

Western has it right). Wessex would pocket its £100. And, once word got around, there might be a second person willing to pay for

such cosseting.

But would this evident commercial success justify the £100 fare? In trying to answer this, we need to take a further little matter into

account. Wessex Trains is a heavily subsidised organisation. About £52 million went into it from the public purse in 2001-2002 [See

the Rail Passenger Council’s Starting from here, Annex B]. This was not granted to enable it to maximise its revenue, but rather to

enable it to do things not in the strictest commercial terms viable. I want to look at two especially.

The first is environmental. Suppose that those one hundred people who might take the train, but not at the £100 fare, must,

nevertheless, get to Exeter. Instead, they travel by car. At an average occupancy rate of 1.3 passengers per vehicle (I believe this is

about the figure these days), that’s about 75 cars on the A377 or the Link Road. Now a diesel train, even one so short as one of our

local multiple units, is not pollution free. It churns out noxious gases and it’s noisy. I’d be surprised, however, if it causes anything like

as much air and sound pollution as those 75 cars. Moreover, it doesn’t add to congestion and it’s much less likely to be involved in an

accident. We all pay for pollution, congestion and accidents, whether directly through ill-health, injury or worse, or indirectly through

transport and insurance costs, taxation for health services, and so on. Viewed in this light, that subsidy looks like a bargain. It’s only a

bargain, however, if you get those one hundred people out of their cars and into the train. Or, better still, two hundred, or four. Low

fares, almost certainly lower than those currently in operation, will be one of the enticements.

The other matter relates to what is now referred to as ‘social inclusion’, the principle that nobody should be cut off from the

necessities of a good life by lack of spending power or other personal circumstances. Transport is one of those necessities. There’s

ample evidence that many people are excluded from important things in life because they cannot pay to reach them. I mean by this

access to jobs, hospitals and education, as well as to cinemas, relatives, friends, and so on. The problems are even greater in rural

areas like central and north Devon than in the bigger towns.

Here we have a further problem. Of all forms of public transport apart from taxis, rail probably has the highest fares. Moreover, rural

fares are commonly higher than urban (see, for example, ‘Northern Spirit’ by Linda Rogers in Issue 3 of our magazine). Far from

contributing to increasing social inclusion, current rail fares exclude many from the benefits of travel rather than draw them in. The

stronger the commercial incentive to raise fares still further, the greater their exclusion becomes.

On both grounds, then, environmental and social, the case for the £1 fare — or at least fares substantially lower than those available

at the moment — to bring in those one hundred passengers is overwhelming. Commercial concerns will continue to matter, but other

issues matter more. This is why subsidy is justified. Whether the person willing to pay £100 would still want to travel en masse with

the likes of me with my £1 ticket, I don’t know. But I’d settle for the ninety-nine, rather than just the one, even if this brought in £1 less

through the fare box. In short, judge the success of the line by its contribution to our environmental and social well-being, not just by

commercial considerations.

John Gulliver

Fortress Barnstaple?

Below are some excerpts from notices currently displayed at Barnstaple station:

Parking Charges

WHEEL CLAMPING IS IN OPERATION AT THIS STATION

Up to 1 day: £1.50...

We regret that due to the current security situation this

station does not have any facilities for left luggage.

For the same reasons, there are no litter bins at the station...

We have a commitment to our passengers...and a duty to our staff.

If any of our staff are assaulted in the course of their

duty it is our policy to give them support and assistance

in prosecuting their assailants.

In the interest of public safety, it is forbidden to cycle, ride a

scooter or skateboard on Railway property or station platforms...

Do not trespass on the Railway

Penalty £200

It is not unreasonable to charge for car parking (although a station needs a short-stay facility). Even a single assault on a member of

staff is one too many. Cycling and riding scooters or skateboards on the platform is totally unacceptable. Trespassers are a danger

to themselves and cause train crews nightmares. And nobody wants litter.

Except for the one about the ‘current security situation’ (does anyone really believe that someone might put a bomb in a bin at

Barnstaple?), it’s easy to see why each of the above notices might be regarded as necessary. But does anybody stop to think about

the cumulative effect of so many warnings, prohibitions and promises of dire penalty? It gives an impression of a place under siege,

open to attack from every quarter, able to keep going only by plugging every gap in its defences with paper. One that sees people as

threats, not potential passengers needing to be welcomed and cosseted. In short, as Fortress Barnstaple.

I exaggerate, of course, but the point stands. Sue and Rodney, our regular station staff, and Grace, expected to have returned in

September, go out of their way to be friendly and helpful. How could their efforts be backed up by changes in the way the station

presents itself, without recourse, that is, to those token greetings one sees up the line (‘Welcome to Basingstoke’, and so on)? Below

are just three ideas. Perhaps our readers will be able to supply more.

Scrap some of the threatening posters. Replace them with really bright ones that promote rail travel in the area. The Devon &

Cornwall Rail Partnership has some beautiful examples available;

Get rid of the ‘security situation’ notice (and the stand on which it is mounted). Install good litter bins, perhaps even ‘green’

ones inviting users to separate out their recyclable throwaways;

Take a leaf out of the Austrian Railway’s book. The following appears – in English! - on a prominent sign on the approach road

to Salzburg’s main station: ‘Kiss & Ride – Free parking 10 minutes’.

Perhaps 20 minutes would be more suitable for Barnstaple, where people may need help on and off trains. I haven’t had time to think

about whether the kissing should be made compulsory.

John Gulliver

Station Gardens Competition

Flowers Everywhere - The North Devon Line in Summer

Picture: Wendy Hillier

The reintroduction of the Station Gardens Competition this

year has seen six stations take part, despite the fact that, due

to awaiting confirmation from Wessex Trains regarding certain

safety precautions, some gardeners had already started work,

paying for seeds, plants and compost out of their own

pockets. This attitude is particularly heartening, since it

indicates a willingness by some to look after a community

asset without expectation of reward. The stations involved are:

Newton St. Cyres, Crediton, Yeoford, Morchard Road, King's

Nympton and Chapleton. Without denigrating the efforts made

by all concerned, special mention might be made of Sue and

Mike Lewry who, fairly new to the idea, work down at King's

Nympton even though they live at the village - two or three

miles away, whilst at Crediton, the beds have been worked on

this year by Mike and Jean Hodge, residents of Bridgwater!

The judging was carried out at the beginning of August by Mr

Robert Constantine, the proprietor of Crediton Garden Centre,

but nothing is being revealed until Saturday 26th October when

Wessex Trains Business Manager for Devon and Cornwall,

Andrew Griffiths, will hand over the new trophy to this year's

winner at a special presentation function to be held at the Tea

Rooms at Crediton. The reinstatement of the competition is

being jointly funded by the Group and the Devon and Cornwall

Rail Partnership, with prizes being awarded by Wessex Trains.

An article giving full details of the presentation of prizes will be

printed in the January issue.

David Gosling

Today Swanage; Tomorrow Barnstaple

The branch line to Swanage from Wareham was closed in 1972. Within a year the track had been removed except for a short section

serving the Furzebrook Oil Terminal. A society was formed to reopen the line and last January the last piece of track linking the

Swanage Railway to the national network was laid.

On 28th September, Virgin Trains ran one of their new Voyager trains over the branch line to Swanage. It was named Dorset

Voyager and it spent the rest of the day running between Swanage and Corfe Castle. Virgin are very keen to see their summer

Saturday services running down West Country branch lines and so in a few years time I expect to see at least one train running into

Swanage from the North of England on summer Saturdays. If Swanage, why not Barnstaple? There is growing evidence that fewer

holidaymakers are choosing to travel to North Devon by train. One reason must be because they have to change at Exeter. There are

problems; one of these is preparing the train for the return journey. Newquay, which has five long distance trains on a Saturday, has

been able to provide cleaning facilities, and Barnstaple should be able to do the same.

When the new franchisee for our line has been appointed (and how weary we are of waiting) we should combine with the local

authorities and the Rail Passenger Committee to push hard for as many through trains as possible. How encouraging it would be if

we had even one train arriving from either Manchester or Liverpool, or Leeds or Newcastle.

Hugh Butterworth

The Market and Coastal Town Initiative

The following details the work of the Transport and Access Interest Working Group; Market and Coastal Town Initiative; Crediton

Area.

Providing an effective and integrated public transport system both locally and nationally is an important goal for many communities. In

the Crediton area readers may be aware that an amount of money could be available under the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative

to develop local transport projects.

Transport and access problems faced by many people in the Crediton area have been recognised by 14 parish councils who have

joined together to conduct a transport needs survey. Led by the Town Council and financed by the Countryside Agency, results

should be available by the end of the year. It is hoped that its findings can be used as part of any future feasibility study for local

Transport and Access schemes.

The MCTI Transport Group has already submitted an 'Early Win' project to enable the Crediton and District Ring and Ride bus

organisation to provide a weekend service. This service is aimed at people who have difficulty using conventional train and bus

services. Other, possibly larger, projects are now being considered including a second town bus and community 'feeder' buses linking

the town and villages with local railway stations and bus services.

There are, of course, many practical problems facing this particular project, including timetabling. Trying to link buses to the local rail

network and offering passengers the best possible seamless journey will not be easy. The two train services recently reinstated on

the Exeter-Barnstaple line, bringing services back to the level of a few years ago, will help. The MCTI Transport Group, along with

other organisations, will also be pressing for the quick implementation of the expected hourly clock-face service along the line. If you

are interested I helping with the transport survey in your area, or would like to attend the meetings of the MCTI Transport Group,

please telephone Nick Way on 01363 777903 for information.

Cllr Nick Way

Chair of the Transport and Access Interest Working Group - MCTI

Crediton Area

News Update

At Home...

We've long called for better waiting shelters at the

line's smaller stations. Now three new ones have been

installed. Here, in late July, is the one at Umberleigh.

Picture: John Gulliver

From the introduction of the winter timetable we are very

pleased to report that it is now hoped that Barnstaple station

will be staffed from 07.00 to 19.00 each day Monday to

Saturday, thereby enabling passengers to be able to purchase

tickets, make train enquiries, purchase cold drinks and use the

waiting room after the previous closure of about 16.00. I

understand that Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay, Paignton, and

some main line stations in Cornwall have similarly benefited

from an extension to their manned hours.

The winter North Devon line timetable sees the pattern of

Monday to Friday as in the summer although some trains have

been retimed by a few minutes. The 10.14 from Barnstaple

now again has a good connection at Exeter St. David's to

Paddington - something that was destroyed in the summer

timetable. However, the cross-country connection off the 07.09 from Barnstaple now leaves St. David's at 09.11 instead of 08.22,

although there is a local train at 08.23 that arrives at Bristol Temple Meads at 10.00. Generally, connections in to and out of cross-

country trains have improved for North Devon line passengers with the introduction of Virgin's new, more frequent and almost

clock-face service.

Work to obviate flood damage to the line's bridges along

the Taw continues. At Kingford Viaduct in mid-August,

contractors were strengthening the river banks and

preparing the bed for anti-scour measures.

Picture: John Gulliver

It is noted that a large proportion of the wooden sleepers in

the platform lines at Crediton and Copplestone are to be

changed due to their poor condition. Indeed, we understand

that some 11,000 wood sleepers are to be replaced. The last

two North Devon line trains each way on Monday to Thursday

nights in the winter service until Christmas are to be replaced

by road services so that track maintenance staff can have

longer night-time possessions of the line. Further problems are

caused by a 10 mph speed restriction, imposed at the end of

June and until further notice, for all trains on Pill Bridge which

crosses the Taw just south of Barnstaple.

First Great Western have at last reintroduced, from this

winter's timetable, the three-hour journey time between Paddington and Plymouth for the 10.35 from Paddington, The Cornish

Riviera. However, it is still slower than it was eight years ago!

A visit to Newquay on an almost full 8-coach cross-country high speed train on a Saturday in August found Richard Burningham of the

Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership in charge of a gang of five people he employs on behalf of train companies for the servicing of

the main line summer Saturday trains that serve Newquay.

Tony Hill

The go-ahead has been given by John Taylor, Properties Manager of Wessex Trains, to designs for flower beds, running-in boards

(7' signs denoting Crediton writ large!) and authentic lanterns to be installed at Crediton station. The improvements are just part of

plans designed by members of Friends of Crediton Station, and form what is hoped to be just the first phase in reinvigorating the

whole station, building upon its historic significance. The intention is to have this first phase in place by next spring - with a touch of

ceremony. Funding will come from the Countryside Agency via the offices of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and represents

a good example of what can be done by local community groups (like NDRUG), a point particularly relevant when we consider the

message to be brought to us by Dr Paul Salveson at the forthcoming AGM.

David Gosling

...and Abroad

A small group from NDRUG joined Cheshire Railtours' 07.30 Shrewsbury to Okehampton special train at Exeter St. David's on

Saturday 20th July. Formed of 13 coaches and hauled by royal train locomotive 47798 Prince William, the almost full train ran on time

from Exeter to Okehampton and was only a few minutes late back at St. David's having been held to cross a Barnstaple-bound train

at Crediton. Several photographers were noted along the line recording the now rare sight of a locomotive-hauled passenger train.

The locomotive was worked hard on the continuous long gradients from Coleford Jn. to Okehampton. This was the first loco-hauled

train over the line since the stone trains at the end of March. Indeed, the cloud of orange rust-dust seen at the rear of the train

reminded me of my journey on the last train to Torrington run from Bristol in November 1982 which was formed of two Class 31

locomotives and 15 coaches. A free shuttle bus service ran between the station and town at Okehampton, where most of the

passengers seemed to go in addition to travelling on the steam train to Meldon.

Meldon Quarry supplied several hundred tons of ballast by road to Woody Bay station during August for use in the exciting scheme to

relay part of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, which was opened in 1898 and closed in 1935.

Despite good intentions - and a temporary 5 mph speed restriction through the station which, unfortunately, still applies - Sampford

Courtenay station's re-opening has been delayed due to one of the several funders pulling out. It is now hoped that the station will

open in 2003.

Dartmoor Railway plan a Halloween Steam Special on 1st November, Steam Santa specials for three weekends before Christmas,

and diesel-hauled Pony Okehampton-Meldon trains each weekend throughout the winter. Full details are available from Okehampton

station on 01387 55637.

Tony Hill

Even though brake van rides could not be operated during the Bideford and Instow Group's 11th Annual Open Day, the event was

again proclaimed a success. BIRG's Planet diesel locomotive ran demonstration trips and numerous exhibits were on view whilst

visitors enjoyed trips around the area in an open-top bus. With around 2,000 visitors thought to have attended, a profit of

approximately £700 will have been made.

The last passenger train to Bideford and Torrington ran on 6th November 1982 and BIRG intends to commemorate this event later

this year.

Alan Wilkinson

A Reunion with the Master

I recently travelled from my home near Barnstaple to Waterloo. Enjoying the warmth of a balmy evening, I decided to stroll in a

leisurely fashion over Hungerford Bridge to my club in St. James' Square. Intending to round off a pleasant evening with a night-cap, I

made my way to the I. C. Gricer Bar. To my astonishment, my old friend, the great detective, was sitting comfortably in an armchair

wreathed in tobacco smoke.

'Ah, Watson,' he said, 'I perceive that you have journeyed from North Devon.'

'How did you know that?', I asked.

'Well, you still have a copy of that excellent publication, the North Devon Journal, under your arm, a newspaper unfortunately

unobtainable in the Capital. Did you enjoy travelling first class?'

'How did...?'

He interrupted me. 'Only a man who has made the long and tedious journey from North Devon can arrive looking so relaxed and

contented as you if he has travelled in one of South West Trains' excellent first class carriages. In any case, the ticket stub is sticking

out of your breast pocket. I am pleased that you have at last received payment of your cousin's legacy.'

'How did...?'

'Elementary, my dear Watson. Living as you do on the tiny pension paid to you by an ungrateful government, you have always

purchased a second class Apex ticket from Barnstaple to London. What do you think of South West Trains' first class £39 Apex

return fare from Exeter to Waterloo? It would have been the Apex fare because you could never afford the iniquitous first class fares

which all companies seem to charge these days. You must have enjoyed the comfortable seat and, because of the lack of travelling

companions, you were able to spread your belongings all over the table.'

'But, Holmes, how on earth could you possibly know that?'

'My dear Watson, do you remember the short-sighted, elderly man in charge of the refreshment trolley, who spilt coffee over your

trousers? I am sorry about that. Send me the dry cleaning bill and I will charge it to my client. I had received intelligence that Dr

Moriarty's subordinate, the Master Forger, would be joining the train at some stage. As the train makes no less than thirteen stops

between Exeter and Waterloo it was a tiresome task. Let us hope that, one day, South West Trains will be given the opportunity to

introduce the proposed fast service, stopping only at Andover, Salisbury, Axminster and Honiton, thus reducing the journey time to

under two and a half hours. As you are only staying a few days, (oh, really, Watson, look at the tiny suitcase you are carrying) I trust

that you will allow me to travel with you on the return journey. I have received instructions from a member of the nobility in Devon -

you may know him, name of Baskerville. It is an intriguing enquiry, about a large dog. If it comes to anything, I do not doubt that you

will write a story in your usual, exaggerated style, and call it something like The Beast of Dartmoor.'

Hugh Butterworth

It Doesn't Always Have to Be Expensive

I recently went to London and took the opportunity of renewing old friendships. My various train journeys were as follows:

Return

Mileage Fare

(£)

Barnstaple—Waterloo 422 21.45

London—Sheringham (Norfolk) 290 21.90

London—Hampton Court 30 3.10

London—Coventry 192 9.90

===== ======

934 56.35

===== ======

Cost per mile: 6 pence.

There are two important qualifications; I hold a railcard which allows me a third reduction and, very importantly, I can travel when

fares are at their cheapest.

Barnstaple-Waterloo: My railcard was only marginally useful. The ordinary Apex return is £22.50, but it has to be booked seven days

in advance, whereas the £32 fare (£21.45 with railcard) can be purchased the day before.

London-Sheringham, London Hampton Court: I used the railcard for both journeys.

London-Coventry: This excellent fare was the result of booking at least 14 days in advance and using the railcard.

On both the Exeter and Coventry journeys I had to use a specific train for my four journeys.

And How Did the Journeys Go?

Barnstaple-Exeter. Wessex Trains was on time as to be expected.

Exeter-Waterloo. Consistently five minutes late until Andover where we lost twelve minutes or so. Because we were late we were

caught in the inevitable congestion around Waterloo and arrived 30 minutes late.

London-Norwich. One minute early on the outward journey and on time on the return. One nice touch; although I was not committed

to any particular train, a seat had been reserved on the 10.30. The reservation ticket, besides recording the usual details, also

carried my name - pleasantly reassuring for the occasional or nervous traveller. One knows that one is definitely in the right seat on

the right train.

Norwich-Sheringham. On time both ways, the line is promoted as the Bittern Line by Ian Dinmore, whom many will remember as a

very efficient booking clerk at Barnstaple.

London-Hampton Court. Both journeys passed uneventfully.

London-Coventry. Trains coming into Euston were arriving on time, however, when we reached Berkhampstead and the start of the

present upgrading work on the West Coast Main Line, we reduced speed. Near Bletchley we were switched from the fast to the slow

line because of a broken rail and arrived 20 minutes late. the return was uneventful.

Waterloo-Exeter. I decided to catch the 11.35 and this provided a good example of the increasing congestion at Waterloo. Just after

11.20 we were directed to platform 8 for our 3-coach train. As I arrived, so did a local train which stopped in front of the Exeter train.

This second train left at 11.32 and our train was left locked until then, presumably to avoid any last-minute passengers diving into

ours by mistake. As a result we were late leaving and, due to very slow running to Clapham Junction, we were 15 minutes late.

However, the single track west of Salisbury came to our rescue. Our train was scheduled to wait for 12 minutes at Salisbury anyway,

pending arrival of an up train. We then had to wait nearly 10 minutes at Chard Junction for another up train. When, oh! when, will

someone start to double parts of the Exeter-Salisbury line?

One final thought on fares. Walk-on fares are expensive, and now that Virgin are running three trains every two hours to Birmingham,

we need reasonable fares to attract the turn-up-and-go traveller.

Hugh Butterworth

Readers Write

Nice Rolling Stock; Shame about the Posters

As a regular user of the North Devon line these last four years I

thought that what occurred on my journey a few days ago (8th

August) would be of interest. After an afternoon’s shopping in

Exeter, my son and I were waiting, together with numerous other

people, for the 16.42 departure from Exeter Central to Barnstaple.

The train arrived up the hill from St. David’s, destination boards

reading Barnstaple, and duly pulled into platform two. Once the

doors had opened we, together with the other passengers, went on

board and found seats. While waiting for the departure, I chanced

to overhear one of my fellow voyager’s conversation. Turning to

another passenger he said, ‘Do you know if this is the train to

Barnstaple?’ With reassurance that this was the correct train,

the passenger went on to say that the reason for asking was that

this train seemed far too good to be going to Barnstaple.

Furthermore, he had been concerned that it might be heading for

some other far-flung destination.

The train left Central on time and proceeded to St. David’s. Here,

numerous other passengers joined us, many with comments of

surprise. One comment in particular stands out in my memory. The

passenger, having taken his seat, said to his companion, ‘I’ve

never travelled home in such luxury.’

Having left St. David’s and heading down the line, the comments

continued: ‘It’s got a telephone on board.’ ‘You can see out of

the windows.’ One younger passenger, having occasion to use the

lavatory, returned to his friend and gushed forth: ‘You should see

the toilet; it’s fantastic.’

What was the cause of all these observations? Was this train some

ghostly apparition of the Plymouth boat trains of yore,

resplendent in all its Edwardian finery? Had the Venice-Simplon

Orient Express become lost or the late George Pullman woven his

magic on our usual, tired rolling stock? No; none of these. The

explanation was much simpler. Wessex Trains had used an Alphaline

Class 158 Diesel Multiple Unit on this service and the passengers

really appreciated the change from the usual rolling stock. Well

done, Wessex trains. You certainly captured the hearts and minds

of your passengers that day!

On another matter: on the way home from work last night, I saw a

new advertisement produced by Wessex Trains and English Heritage.

This poster caused me some concern, not for what it contained, but

its omissions.

The poster portrayed the rail network in the South West, together

with English Heritage sites of interest near various stations.

Lines included the main line from Bristol to Penzance, the Weston-

super-Mare loop, the Taunton to Westbury line, the Cornish

branches, plus others that I was unable to identify due to the

distance I was from the poster. What were missing in their

entirety were the North Devon line, the Exmouth line and the

Okehampton line (summer Sunday only).

A New Barnstaple Station?

Before it’s too late, could I indulge in a bit of ‘blue sky’

thinking? When I saw the plans for the new Barnstaple road bridge

and bypass I assumed that the proposed Sticklepath interchange was

such a dog’s dinner that it wouldn't happen. (To remind readers:

the original notion was probably dreamed up by a civil servant in

Whitehall 25 years ago, on the assumption that the railway would

be dead and gone. When it survived, they decided to cut into the

hillside and create a ‘spaghetti junction’ for new traffic jams,

obliterating the cycleway and any rail extension to Bideford, and

impeding car access to the station.)

Now that the development (heaven help us) of the Shapland site is

under discussion, is it not too much to hope that the planners

might revise their ideas? It occurs to me that they could slew the

rail track slightly under the existing bridge and, following the

old line towards the river, give us a nice new station close to

the river and town. (A pedestrian and cycle bridge to the Strand

would be the cherry on the cake!) It could be neatly incorporated

in any new development, I’m sure.

I still suspect that the road builders will be forced to think

again about the monstrosity proposed, and such realism would give

them elbow room to create something better and give Barnstaple a

decent, if modest, rail station. Or am I dreaming?

Dr R. H. Arnold

Membership Matters

New Members

We welcome:

Mike and Sue Lewry, King's Nympton

Mr A. K. Clark, Morchard Road

Committee Meetings (Members Welcome)

Wednesday 6th November; 17.15; Crediton Station Tea Rooms.

Wednesday 13th November; 18.30; Castle Centre, Barnstaple; AGM.

Tuesday 14th January; 18.45; Rising Sun Hotel, Umberleigh.