Discover The Scenic Route From Plymouth To Launceston Through Charming Tavistock South

On 29th December 1962, the old Plymouth to Launceston steam train service ceased in very dramatic style during one of the worst blizzards to hit the West Country in years. Amateur cinematographer Reg Blackett was there with his 16mm camera to record the journey.

He also filmed many of the old stations on the active line complete with their familiar engines, mainly Pannier & Prairie tanks in the 1960s. The images have a great nostalgic content and coupled with the beautiful camera work of best selling cameraman Roger Underwood, this film gives the viewer a now and then view of the old line that used to run on the fringes of the great national park of Dartmoor and through some of the most beautiful countryside in Devon.

Featured too is the Launceston Steam Railway and some unique footage of the Plym Valley Railway with their No.3 engine in full steam.

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[Music] [Music] in the beautiful Woods of plym bridge just outside of Plymouth in Devon there are Majestic trees considered to be over 200 years old towering into the sky above these trees lie in the vicinity of the track bed of the old Plymouth to Lanson Railway line and like we humans these almost ageless living things would have been around to see the beginning and the end of the Plymouth Lanson steam [Music] Railway whilst the Plymouth to Tavo section of line opened under the name of South Devon and Tavo Railway on the 21st of June 1859 the full 34 mile Journey from Plymouth to Lanson followed some six years later in 1865 on July the 1st a special train hauled by South Devon Railway Hawk class engine departed from old mbay station in Plymouth Devon on a maiden voyage to Lanson in Cornwall picking up another coach at Tavo the Pioneer train hauled its way into Lanson where it arrived in the pouring rain to enthusiastic celebrations thus the Lanson and South Devon Railway was forly launched at a time when steam Transportation was of a modern age and every boy’s dream was to become an engine driver from its Beginnings in 1865 to its demise in 196 62 this Branch line served the Devon area for 103 years linking Plymouth tavestock and Lanson as busy West country towns transporting passengers and Freight through some of the most beautiful countryside in Morland in England during its 103-year existence the station served by this greatly missed aligned assisted towns and villages with much needed transportation and Freight conveyance from yelon it was even possible to travel into the very heart of dartmore by steam train after climbing the hills and tours to reach one of the highest stations in England namely Princetown there are many stories and tales to tell of the line since its Beginnings in 1865 stories rich with characters and events that have become legendary books have been written and locals and Enthusiast still remember with great affection the locomotives and the stations and halts served during its 103 year history sad though the demise of the line proved to be there are today in 1995 Rumblings of revivals of steam the lansen steam Railway is already in existence and as we shall see later the plim valley section of line is undergoing a welcome Resurrection an exciting prospect for the future [Music] now [Music] today in 1995 the thought of the gentle Journey on a steam Hall train from Plymouth to Lanson on the fringes of the great National Park of dartmore invokes many nostalgic memories particularly of those who remember the line with great affection some five miles of the old track bed are preserved today with walkways and cycle tracks where Ramblers and cyclists regularly take in the clear country air in the quiet settings of these country walkways it seems hard to imagine the regular sound of the Pistons and smell of the smoke as the 310 p.m. from Plymouth thundered by in all its [Applause] magnificence the modern history of this line is indeed fascinating on the 1st of January 1948 all Railways in the UK were nationalized by the ruling labor government although many felt that this had already been accomplished during 1944 when the big four Railway networks worked together effectively to enhance the movement of troops for D-Day the Motorcar gained popularity and the availability of Road fuel increased and coupled with the nationalization program this spouted the death nail for the Plymouth to lansen line on the 5th of March 1956 the branch line from yelverton to Princetown was closed to all traffic and whilst this was not due to the authorative acts of the famous Dr beaching who came in power in 1962 the closure of the Plymouth Del Lanson line nevertheless Drew ever closer despite protests and pleas from the supporters of the line the British transport commission issued a statement in January of 1962 the commission have no alternative but to submit to the South West transport users consultative committee for their consideration a proposal to withdraw the passion train service between Plymouth Tavo South and lansen withdraw parcel facilities from Mars Mills Tavo South and lifton withdraw Freight facilities from caran siding and close the line for all purposes between Marsh Mills Tabo South and Lon the story of the closure of the line became a legend as some of the last scheduled trains failed to reach their destinations due to a severe blizzard in the dartmore area a rescue plan had to be actioned to recover trains and passengers at Bley and tavestock South so 103 years after its jubilant launch and in dramatic style the Plymouth to Lanson service ceased leaving only track bed and walkways on the path to remind us of how things used to be fortunately however it’s not just the walkways that hold nostalgic memories of steam days on the line cloth amateur cinematographer Reginal blackit took 16mm film in the 1960s capturing images of many parts of the line with its engines and Rolling Stock he even filmed part of the last journey on that legendary day in December of 1962 whilst the images are not consecutive on our journey into the past and feature different trains at different times they nevertheless capture the magic days of Steam on the Plymouth to lansen line and yelon to Princetown in the 1960s from Plymouth northroad Station the train headed towards Tavo Junction passing Lara engine sheds by this time Mutley lips and Veil and L halt stations had been closed to passengers as the train left the main line at Tavo Junction the first of the stations on the branch line was Marsh Mills where had passed under two Limestone Bridges still in existence today carrying road traffic from the Marshall’s roundabout into Plimpton a suburb of Plymouth the old station is still visible and is used today as a public walkway and Cycle Way China clay Goods traffic still passes through and since the closure of the branch line in 1962 a level crossing has been added to the north of the station this can still be seen today a little way up the line is the plim valley Railway company who have recently acquired a CH Charter to reopen the line between Marsh Mills and plymbridge with future sites on Bickley as will be seen later on in the film steam is already poised to make a welcome comeback on this stretch of line old marshill station although a branch line had the distinction of having a 32 frame lever signal box to control the traffic from tavestock Junction and in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II a new government complex was opened nearby necessitating the construction of a new siding to koool as the train moved down through the valley in Woodford wood it approached plymbridge platform opened in May of 19006 named after the old narrow Granite Bridge spanning the river immediately below the embankment and like many of the constructions on the line the plymbridge platform was considered by some to be one of the least attractive lacking character with its huge concrete slabs laid upon pre-stress concrete members today the the area is a popular Beauty Spot and often busy in the summer months but in the days of the steam train it was considered to be busier and packed with visitors and locals running almost parallel to the old track bed is the leemore Tramway crossing the road by way of a wooden bridge this old privately owned mineral Railway employed horse STW drawn traction plus gravity and steam from 1899 to 1947 and until the closure of the line in 1960 horses were used exclusively as the means of transportation of China Clay and other minerals from pits and works on the southern slopes of dartmore to the keys in the port of Plymouth but it excites the imagination to contemplate the imminent laying of track again to this Beauty Spot and The anticipated return of steam to plymbridge in the near future on into the plim forest in winter and summer the train served the area Faithfully following much of the river plim as it headed toward great Shore Wood via a series of viu from the woods The View changed to that of the lower slopes of dartmore and Bickley station [Laughter] built to Southwestern Railway design and the epitome of a devonian station Bickley opened in June of 1859 and was a passing place with its two platforms wide apart to accommodate broad gauge track until 1892 it was used by locals and visitors to the area and in later years the establishment of the HM Ro Marine bases in the area signaled increased business for the branch Personnel stores and Equipment were regularly encountered from this station and when the Marines went on leave special trains were laid on from Bley often with eight or nine coaches hauled occasionally by larger locomotives such as granges or castles [Music] [Applause] the station site today is privately owned and the surrounding buildings have maintained their distinctive Lin side character and appearance an exciting prospect is the possibility of a future line to Bley although the forces of nature and vegetation of a obscured much of the original looks viewing the remaining platforms today however there is that haunting feeling that at any moment a train will Thunder into the station and grind to a hall with a screeching of brakes in a diminishing cloud of steam leaving Bley station the train headed toward ham green and the vi UCT of the same name Still Standing today and spanning a tributary of the river plim as a public walkway views of the surrounding areas from the viaduct are breathtaking and give some idea of the Encounters of passengers as they traveled on through some of the most beautiful Terrain in the days when the branch line was opened Shaw Bridge platform opened in August of 197 and was the stop for visitors to the lovely picnic spot of shawbridge just a half a mile away mention of the Woolworth trip to more mature citizens of Plymouth and surrounding areas will undoubtedly conjure up memories of a return train trip from Plymouth for just six pence on a holiday or summer Sunday before the war in the 1950s for just nine old Shillings return you could travel from Plymouth to shore Bridge of an evening returning at Sunset with the aroma of steam to accompany you on your journey and end your day the single platform was on a long curve adequate to take longer Branch trains and had a fully staffed t- room until [Applause] 1939 today the platform is still intact and a further half a mile down the line you can still walk through the 308 yard Long Shore tunnel that is if the thought of almost complete darkness of rumors of gruesome murders in the dark tunnel toward the turn of the century don’t deter you before the train entered the tunnel from the shore Bridge platform end it passed under the iron Aqueduct which used to carry the wheel Lopez leit over the railway on its journey to H Bridge Clearbrook halt opened later in the life for the branch line in fact October of 1928 and was located and surrounded by the Morland Village of Clearbrook today one of the most unspoiled villages in dartmore until 1958 this small station constructed of wood with a small waiting shed was staffed by one of the young Porters from yelverton who had walked down the track with a little ticket box and return to yelverton on a later train today the old station site is in private hands although a distinct image of the track bed still haunts the bottom of a beautifully tended Garden overlooking the village of Clearbrook with its distinctive Viaduct now impassible by train or man and so on to yelverton which opened on the 1st of May of 1885 and was a popular place for day Trippers in the 193 30s and 40s visiting the southwestern edge of dartmore but these visitations declined during the second world war when an Airbase was constructed just west of the Railway Station but at this time also it was not uncommon to see trains with up to 12 coaches in transit from Plymouth to Tavo filled daily with passengers escaping from the devastation of the night Air Raids on Plymouth particularly during the vicious attacks of 1941 the following morning the trains would restore travelers to their home destinations thus making yelberton a very busy station on the branch line at that time today like many other station sites yelon is in private hands although horror Bridge first served as the junction station for the princ line yelberton later took over that role for the trip to princetone in the very heart of dartmore and enabled travelers to view the breathtaking beauty of the Morland whilst on a 10 and 1 half mile track from yalberton leaving on this Branch line the train encompassed a steep curve before heading for the pictur station of dowland from there it ran on a high embankment to buror and sheep tore overlooking the great lake that serves as a reservoir for the Plymouth and Southern MO area after negotiating a steep gradient to over a th000 ft above sea level the train enters ingor halt followed by King’s tour [Applause] and finally into Princetown station 1,373 ft above sea level the highest station in England the film Shadows on the mo produced by archive films explains in more detail the history and workings of the yton to princetone Branch line but our journey to lansen continued on the main line from yton and as the train left the station it entered a long tunnel passing under the village of yelverton and the Moore and emerged towards the next stop after crossing a bridge on the Main Plymouth to Tavo Road Harbridge station opened in June of 1859 was one of the busiest on the branch line and even today is supposedly haunted by the ghosts of railwaymen shunting Phantom wagons on the site horor Bridge was a classic example of a country station with a steady flow of passengers and busy goodyard with what seemed like an endless activity of shunting in the early days the station not only served as the junction for the prin toown Branch but gave lifeblood to horridge Village which grew to meet it on its elevated site [Music] so some of the old station buildings and a granery are still evident today although not converted to private dwellings and the station is not without its historical tales for instance it was reported that just before D-Day during the turmoil of World War II Montgomery Eisenhower and Churchill aboard a special train from Plymouth were apparently shunted into a siding at this station to make final preparations for The Invasion that changed the course of the war other famous characters of modern history appear to have visited horridge including even princes and kings the days of the train whilst physically almost without Trace now are still immortalized by some of the local residents who have given appropriate names to their homes now built upon the old station site leaving harridge the train headed toward Harwood Plantation and across magp Viaduct and further down the line the walkom viaduct considered to be one of the most spectacular of all of Devon’s many viaducts towering 132 ft above the river walkom as it approached grenen whilst there was no station at this point it was at grenen that one of the last down passenger trains ran into a snow drift and was almost derailed on the 29th of December 1962 one of the busiest halts on the branch was just outside of Tavo at Church down with an average of 50 passengers a day using the platform in its Heyday opened in September of 196 the local Village had been ignored by gwr since the branch opened and W Church down now became a favorite station for hikers and provided local commuters a convenient way to travel to Tavo thus swelling the income of the gwr who recognized the profitability of this Venture and were opening stopping places all over its system until 1956 the station was staffed by one Porter who collected and issued tickets and kept the platform clean wi Church down was just 3 minutes away from Tavo South Station so named in 1949 to distinguish it from the southern region station to the north of the town and was the busiest station on the line it also possessed the most complex section of over 1 and a half miles of track layout for a rural station of its size situated in the middle of a town divided by the river Tavy the roof linking the two platforms together with a very busy Freight Depot made Tavo South one of the most distinctive stations and it had a charm and atmosphere all of its own it was the focal point for the opening celebrations of the South Devon and tavestock Railway back in the 19 19 century [Music] today the appearance of the station area has changed dramatically with industrial factories and office is now standing considering how busy the station was before the demise of the branch line hardly anything now remains to remind visitors of those wonderful days of the gwr at Tavo south from Tavo South the line headed towards lford after passing Kelly College a quarry and a Sugar Factory it then extended toward Mary Tavy and blackone station on its way to lford at this point the old southern region track bed ran parallel to the gwr from a point near Peter Tavy although on a higher bank but Mary Tavy and blackdown served only the gwr and have become one of the most derel and overgrown Stations of the entire Branch line today the site is in private hands with a very attractive private dwelling on the peak of brentor stands the famous Church of St Michael’s dupe some 1100 ft up and dating back to 1130 ad as one of Dart Moore’s most famous landmarks rentor attracts Visitors by the thousand the local Village of brentor for many years had its own Station built and operated by the southern region whilst the gwr Line Drew very close to the southern region station of brentor there was no stopping place on the line the next stopping Place being lford 700 ft above sea level and enjoying the surrounding views of open rural Morland this busy Junction was the highest station on the branch and in their day the staff served the interest of both the southern region and Great Western whilst the main passenger line from Plymouth to Lanson closed in December of 1962 the goods traffic remained on this line to Tavo South until 1964 at one time after the closure of this freight line over 2 miles of old decaying good stock could be seen on rusting rails awaiting removal to a scrapyard around the turn of the century it was rumored that rivalry between the two companies the lswr and the SR became Fierce at lford station staff from opposing engines were said to have slightly crossed the platform at night and dowed the fires of their competition’s engines with buckets of water in order to make the departure of their trains late and thus damage Goodwill apparently even fist fights often ensued talking to those who knew the line This rivalry even today in 1995 persist amongst those who work the line allbe it in a more jockular fashion after a few pints of beer in the pubs and clubs of the area leaving lford on the last leg of the journey into lansen the line tracks the river lid to liton and a hold opened in 1938 having the distinction of being the last to be built by the gwr in Devon and Cornwall its erection was the result of pressure and requests from the farming community in country folk and nearby hamlets of the lid Valley and long them down but after all the pressure to open the station by the locals it was apparently little used by them during its short lifetime the next station was coron opened with the Lanson extension in July of 1885 it was a busy stop and until the 1950s fully staffed with a Goods yard when standing on the platforms at coriton many remarks that it was like taking a trip back in time for the station seemed to have retained its 1920s character and refused to move with the times being a quiet country area agricultural traffic was one of the main sources of activity at this station for most of its active life cattle were loaded here and such was the volume of traffic at times that it was not unusual to see special Goods trains with up to 20 wagons leaving Caron hauled by any paner or Prairie tanks that Lara could provide the station site is today in private hands and the original platform is still clearly visible the old station building has formed the basis of extensive Renovations and the building of a superb private dwelling retaining much of the character of the old [Music] buildings lifon was the penultimate stop before Lanson and while the Plymouth to Lanson Branch line closed in December of 1962 lton survived the closure remaining as a Terminus for Freight and milk traffic serving the creary there the line was again reopened to Lanson in September of 1964 around this time there was the story of the two gwr Bridge inspectors who were commissioned to check all viaducts and bridges before the line officially allowed traffic to run again imagine their surprise when at the top of their ladders carefully examining a bridge they encountered an ivac 262 tank approaching them at quite to speed causing them to jump for their lives they survived but lytton’s fate was sealed and final closure took place in 1966 leaving lifton and just before reaching Lanson the line crossed the river Tamer into cormal and onto the site of the former Lanson southern region station the gwr station having been closed in 1952 and used used from then on for goods traffic only Lanson station known as Lanson North from 1951 was situated deep in the valley of kenil in the ancient Market town with its predominant Castle it remained opened until October 1966 to serve local trains including those from London water to padto on the southern region apart from being the Terminus for the branch line from Plymouth Lanson was prominent with Freight traffic and shunting activity up to 14 hours a day at its peak [Music] today an industrial estate together with this car park for the Lanson Narrow Gauge Railway Adorn part of the old station site this then was our journey today forgotten in a maze of high technology and congested roads but still remaining are the memories of a branch line that so many not only traveled on but fell in love with and still shed a tear at the reminder of its death [Applause] no matter how much the hand of government or progress has been instrumental in the demise of steam it has failed to put a complete end to a much loved form of transportation at Plymouth Inon for instance at the plym valley Railway there welcome sounds sights and smells of a great steam Revival as there is at the end of the line here at lansen Nigel Bowman of the Lanson steam Railway company heads an enthusiastic team of volunteers and workers on a Narrow Gauge Railway system that transports Travelers a few miles of the Old Atlantic Coastline that used to connect with padto but now terminates at New Mills opened in 1984 this Narrow Gauge Railway system is now a major tourist attraction in Lanson demonstrating that at least in this area steam is very much alive [Music] farmouth docs in 1986 and a 60-year-old working industrial engine is about to move to pastur New known as number three it is the West country’s last working industrial steam locomotive it was due to cross the Tamer Bridge from cormal to the plim valley Railway for a refit brush and trim and a new lease of [Music] life now in 1995 number three has pride of place at plim Valley and is poised to pull the first carriages from Marsh Mills to plymbridge in the near future when the track has been fully laid despite many setbacks since its Inauguration in February of 1981 a determined group of volunteers cheered by Bernard Mills enthusiastically awake further legal developments to complete the track to plymbridge and thus bring a working steamline to Plymouth in Deon known as The Impossible line because it started life in a field and wooded Hillside with what seemed like little prospects to Pioneer a line through the woods today the impossible has become a reality as can be seen from these images apart from number three the flagship engine of the plim valley Railway will be a class 4 number 75079 and will be named the city of Plymouth after its Restoration in honor of the people of Plymouth who helped to acquire the locomotive from the Barry scrapyard with work progressing on the marshill station site the old bilicam station house once removed from its site on the yton line just a few miles away awaits reconstruction to enforce the authenticity of steam days even an old wooden bar from mbay station is in storage where passengers from the ship stocking at mbay in days gone by enjoyed a drink whilst waiting at the station Rolling Stock includes a metropolitan wagon and a number of old vans originating from devonport dockyard some of which apparently appeared in the feature film Force 10 from Nao but sadly there have been many problems and setbacks not to mention the constant fight forward of its red tape and legal jargon that not only cost the Earth but takes so long to effect regular vandalism plagues the association and almost weekly volunteers paint and repaint wagons and carriages to cover the graffiti that is regularly applied but despite all the setbacks the line is working and only a few more unresolved legal matters appear to hold the final laying of tractor p bridge in OB bance once again steam has returned to the old line and there is an expectation of great things for the Future these images tell their own story [Applause] [Music] [Applause] sh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] m in between okay d m in between [Applause] oh hold right [Applause] w [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] he [Laughter] w oh [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the date is December mber the 29th 1962 the place is Plymouth northroad Station the event is the last journey of 5564 the 1040 Plymouth to lansen Via Tavo South one of The Travelers was Colin Baston at that time a 16-year-old with a great love for the branch line that he had known and traveled for most of his young life now 33 years later Colin recalls events of that last journey on a cold Winter’s day in December when a heavy blizzard hit dartmore and the surrounding area on the last day there was a light fall of snow and snow was lying on the ground but no one expected what was to come for in the early afternoon a blizzard the worst in the west country for many years in fact almost the worst this Century started and this blizzard was to cause chaos on the branch line trains carried on running despite the snow and in fact as far as the row authorities were concerned they were going to operate the F service that day and celebrations were to be had at Tavo station with frock coats morning people with coffins and various other celebrations to take place at the station and so the 29th of December 1962 has left its mark on history as a legendary day the demise of the Plymouth to lansen line a day that so many remember with cautious enthusiasm [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] he [Music] oh a [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] in Kim was a dockyard halt and a station at Mutley where you could bolt to do your shopping on the plane and catch the same train back again lines to Plimpton and ptock through to bilicam Alberton and yton too you could even detrain quite near Marsh Mills or go up to Lam through the hills to pbridge and prin down on the dartmore line and nobody cared if they were not on time in Coral too although it’s true there’s a line still running down to L most of the others have been axed and there’s not much left of those winding tracks which meandered from hon to Gia Road and Wade bridge to bodman when it was the mode that if passengers were a few minutes late train and driver stopped to wait so draw up a puffer train petition Lobby your MP for better conditions we’re living in an age of Rush depending on a car or bus remember poor old Alfie Hosk who was bogged down in town at congested Crossings a man called bizik who couldn’t visit his sister Kay an old Alice mole who wanted a return to mil Bay the answer is the local track why can’t we have our Branch Lin back [Applause] [Applause] just outside of Plymouth is lra Depo which still serves the western region of British Rail it is still a busy Center for modern locomotives and Rolling Stock in a forthcoming production with the aid of some unique archive movie footage we will take a journey into the past and remember the days of steam at what was affectionately known by the locals as Lara engine sheds [Music] for [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] please visit our website for news about new productions that are on the way and you can support my work on my patreon page thank you [Music]