A large number of 'Laira Liaisoners' caught the 14.00 Plymouth to Paddington HST which was having problems and left late. However, thanks to the FGW conductor and 'Control', the connection at Newton Abbot for Paignton was made, facilitated by the HST unusually running into P1 over the west end facing crossover for a speedy cross platform interchange to the Pacer units! The 'normal' HST passengers should be grateful for the London end trailing crossover on departure too!

At Paignton 95 passengers departed at 15.20 in two Tourist Open Second Class coaches on this 'track and traction' tour in conjunction with PLEG, using ex-BR Class 03 D2192 and Class 08 D3014. The tour was a breakthrough and thought to be the first detailed track tour of the Dartmouth Steam Railway (DSR). Even though it did not run far beyond Churston, 9¼ miles were covered in total! It began by propelling back to the end of line at Paignton Queens Park station, and then through the run round loop. The DSR then uses NR infrastructure (with running powers from 222m 21ch to 27ch) over their side of NR's Paignton South Level Crossing. The train then ran behind the now rarely used Goodrington P2 to the buffer stops of Cliff Park Siding, the furthest south (or should that be west as it was GWR territory?) extremity of the various still extensive carriage sidings. Also covered in this area was the adjacent first and third of the 'Happy Valley Sidings' (as the name might suggest at a lower level than the main line) into their respective headshunts, including the (Kingswear) end of line at 223m 06ch and the 'Tanners Road Headshunt' (222m 60ch) at the Paignton end. The manoeuvers included 3 of the 4 routes over the double slip that end. The passengers were certainly very happy with all this. The layout is significantly different from that shown in TRACKmaps 3 p7C (August 2010). A set down was made at Goodrington Sands P2, covering the bidirectional loop here, for those who had just wanted the rare haulage and an earlier finish.

D2192 at P2 at Churston.
[© Craig Kinsey 2015]

Then it was off to Churston P1 (where in 1972 BR left just a single track through line on closure of the branch) to cross the service train. Next was a reversal on the single line beyond the loop back through P2 and onto the stub of the former Brixham branch. This is the Churston Yard Access Line, then over the turntable to the buffers of its middle run-off line, followed by the single slip to the Long Siding up to stabled stock. The single-track off the Up side was next, through the door inside the Maintenance Depot to parked stock but this was not the finale! This superb railtour ended in Paignton Queens Park south side shed road with alighting onto the adjacent platform.

It is pleasing to report that £1,355 was donated to the railway as a result of the fixture. See http://goo.gl/yWCGnv for an up to date trackplan, some pictures and more information. Thanks are due to the DSR for all the excellent arrangements.