19:
305:
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198:
125:
259:
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333:
281:
230:
223:
191:
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601:, and many workers in essential industries wished to take lodgings in communities outside the city. To accommodate this need, unadvertised workmen's trains were introduced on the branch from 21 July 1941. The Millbay terminus in Plymouth had already suffered from bombing and it had been closed to passengers, so this service used Plymouth, North Road station (the present-day
570:
Cattewater
Junction loop, considered to be part of the Yealmpton line. The halt opened on 2 October 1905, and the line here was double track so there were two platforms; it was described by the Inspecting Officer as being "a new stopping place for motor cars" (i.e. the railmotors). However it proved less attractive than anticipated, and it was closed on 1 February 1918.
497:. Work on the line started in late December 1895; there was a ceremonial inauguration on 15 January 1898, and the public opening took place on 17 January 1898. As well as the branch line from Plymstock Junction LSWR to Yealmpton, a short spur was built connecting Mount Gould Junction to Cattewater Junction; the trains travelled over the LSWR
458:(LSWR) had long had ambitions to reach the city, and its trains first entered Plymouth in 1876. However this was not entirely satisfactory, as the trains had to run over the South Devon Railway's Tavistock line for the final approach to Plymouth, and work started on an independent line in 1887, through the medium of a friendly company, the
561:
The line was now simply a GWR branch line; passenger trains ran from the GWR Plymouth terminus at
Millbay. In 1898 the working timetable showed four return passenger trains on the branch, the first into Plymouth arriving at Millbay at 08:35. Trains called at Elburton only "if required". By 1913 there
573:
The line between
Plymstock and Yealmpton was at first worked as a single section by electric train staff. Plymstock was a LSWR signalbox. Brixton Road later had a signal box, from 1905, breaking the branch into two sections, but it was closed in 1924 or 1925. When the passenger service was withdrawn
569:
trains operated the passenger service, providing a relatively frequent service at convenient stopping points as residential development took place on the periphery of the city. By 1905 it was decided to open a new stopping place, Mount Gould and
Tothill Halt, located on the Mount Gould Junction to
581:
By the 1920s competition from motor buses had substantially reduced passenger numbers. The decline was so severe that passenger services were withdrawn from 7 July 1930, with goods traffic only continuing. Steer Point and
Elburton Cross stations were demolished, and the remaining stations were
536:
The branch, which was 6 miles 38 chains (10.42 km) in length, was single track between
Plymstock and Yealmpton. Its direction ran broadly east with a southward swoop at Brixton Road, with stations at Billacombe, Elburton Cross, Brixton Road, Steer Point, and the terminus at
622:
Restoration of the passenger service in 1941 led to provision of electric train token signalling; an intermediate instrument was provided at
Brixton Road to recess goods trains there, and a two lever ground frame was provided at Yealmpton. After the second closure, the signalling reverted to
481:(GWR), and these competing developments were alarming to it. Now a South Hams Railway, branching from the Turnchapel branch and running through Yealmpton to Modbury, was authorised by Act of 22 June 1888. The GWR feared its extension to Torbay and Exeter, areas it considered to be its own.
528:
to cross the Laira by Laira Bridge. At
Plymstock the Yealmpton branch diverged east from the Turnchapel line, the passenger station being in the fork of the junction. The short section from Mount Gould Junction to Cattewater Junction was built specially for the Yealmpton service; it was
562:
were nine return passenger journeys as well as a late
Saturday train, and three Sunday trips; all were worked by railmotor. The first GWR-operated motor bus service in the area was instituted from Yealmpton to Modbury, the originally projected terminus, from 2 May 1904.
537:
Yealmpton. The line climbed steeply from
Plymstock to Billacombe, with a ruling gradient of 1 in 68; from Billacombe it fell again at 1 in 60 for a mile and a half. Then the line was broadly level, with a short climb at 1 in 60 on the approach to Yealmpton. Passengers at
484:
However aggressive rivalry was modified to collaboration, and by Act of 1894 the South Hams line was modified, the rights for the portion as far as Yealmpton being transferred to the GWR, the LSWR retaining the section beyond, and mutual running powers being applied.
548:
There was an important quarry and stone crushing plant at Billacombe, which despatched stone by rail. Although it was the terminus of the line, Yealmpton station was still configured as a through station because the proposal had been to build a railway to
465:
Seeing that it was now in sight of establishing itself in the city, the LSWR planned a large Plymouth terminal, which became Plymouth Friary station and goods depot, and it acquired a moribund mineral line, the
689:
John Barwell, engine driver, in the employ of Lucas and Aird, who are constructing the railway to Yealmpton...Deceased had been in the employ of Lucas and Aird for about five months.
459:
605:
station) as its terminus. However, there were problems with congestion at that station, and from 3 November 1941 the service was transferred to operate from the LSWR (by now the
916:
53:
During heavy air raids in 1941 many Plymouth workers preferred to find accommodation outside the city, and in 1941 the passenger service was reinstated, transferring to
85:
825:
765:
524:
turned at Lipson Junction to Mount Gould Junction, diverging there to Cattewater Junction, where the trains joined the LSWR (nominally P&DR)
868:
635:
The passenger services ceased on 6 October 1947, from which date goods trains only ran on the line; it closed completely on 29 February 1960.
926:
805:
785:
78:
159:
585:
However, during the two summers following closure to passengers, the GWR experimented with a Saturday train service, in 1931 and 1932.
323:
921:
521:
455:
407:
371:
47:
615:
terminus. The rolling stock was GWR. The services consisted of eight return railmotor trips, the first inward train arriving at
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54:
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103:
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451:
137:
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39:
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18:
607:
478:
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46:, but the scheme was cut back to Yealmpton; it opened in 1898, and the passenger train service ran from
31:
876:
644:
504:
The line was inspected by Lieutenant Colonel Sir Horatio Arthur Yorke, Chief Inspector of Railways,
684:
57:
as the terminal. This service ceased in 1947 and the goods service on the line finished in 1960.
50:, but road competition led to declining usage and the passenger service was withdrawn in 1930.
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672:
A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain – Volume I – the West Country
901:
726:, vol II, published by the Great Western Railway, London, 1931, page 421 and 608
443:
565:
The route was initially popular, particularly in the Plymouth urban area when
315:
566:
64:
470:(P&DR), and through it obtained an Act of Parliament authorising the
550:
450:, had early on established main line primacy in the Plymouth area, the
43:
597:
Plymouth suffered an exceptional volume of bombing attacks during the
391:
366:
477:
The Associated Companies had by this time amalgamated and become the
508:
who reported that everything was satisfactory on 7 December 1897
35:
17:
758:
The Plymouth to Yealmpton Railway (The South Hams Light Railway)
501:
line for a short distance, including the crossing of the Laira.
541:
could use steamers running between the quay at Steer Point and
836:
Letter from Col van Donops, 8 January 1906, reproduced in
460:
Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
529:
29 chains (580 m) in length and was called
760:, Ark Publications (Railways), Newton Abbot, 1998,
778:Atlas of the Great Western Railway as at 1947
79:
42:. The line was planned as part of a route to
8:
780:, Wild Swan Publications Ltd, Didcot, 1997,
857:Passengers No More by G.Daniels and L.Dench
454:having reached the city in 1849. The rival
917:Closed railway lines in South West England
111:
86:
72:
752:
750:
748:
746:
744:
687:. Western Morning News. 13 January 1896.
674:, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1966
574:in 1930, the signalling was converted to
666:
664:
662:
660:
656:
69:
38:, England, that ran from Plymstock to
873:The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History
7:
724:History of the Great Western Railway
34:single track branch railway line in
800:, Middleton Press, Midhurst, 1997,
553:, 4.5 mi (7.2 km) away.
820:, Dovecote Press, Wimborne, 2007,
304:
14:
578:and Yealmpton box was abolished.
456:London and South Western Railway
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167:
145:
123:
867:Moseley, Brian (1 April 2012).
446:group of companies, called the
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197:
124:
796:Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith,
258:
251:
1:
493:The contractor appointed was
468:Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway
332:
280:
229:
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168:
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927:Railway lines opened in 1898
798:Branch Lines Around Plymouth
28:Plymouth to Yealmpton Branch
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902:The station and line today
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922:Rail transport in Devon
818:Devon Railway Stations
670:David St John Thomas,
95:East of Plymouth Lines
23:
735:Letter reproduced in
479:Great Western Railway
32:Great Western Railway
21:
645:Railways in Plymouth
627:on 11 October 1952.
516:Passenger trains to
448:Associated Companies
22:Brixton Road station
756:Anthony R Kingdom,
625:one engine in steam
576:one engine in steam
531:Plymouth no. 2 Loop
452:South Devon Railway
932:Transport in Devon
869:"Yealmpton Branch"
702:"Yealmpton Branch"
324:Lucas Terrace Halt
24:
879:on 5 October 2013
826:978 1 904 34955 6
526:Turnchapel Branch
499:Turnchapel Branch
472:Turnchapel Branch
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875:. Archived from
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848:Kingdom, page 88
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608:Southern Railway
589:Second World War
522:Plymouth Millbay
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372:Plymouth Millbay
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48:Plymouth Millbay
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617:Plymouth Friary
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397:Plymouth Friary
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55:Plymouth Friary
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896:External links
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766:1 873 029 07 1
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881:. Retrieved
877:the original
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595:World War II
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489:Construction
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295:Laira Bridge
160:Brixton Road
52:
27:
25:
15:
883:13 February
776:R A Cooke,
708:30 November
539:Steer Point
444:broad gauge
390:
138:Steer Point
911:Categories
685:"Inquests"
651:References
619:at 08:32.
316:River Plym
214:Billacombe
207:Turnchapel
61:Background
567:railmotor
557:Operation
518:Yealmpton
272:Plymstock
116:Yealmpton
40:Yealmpton
639:See also
603:Plymouth
582:rented.
838:Kingdom
737:Kingdom
631:Closure
593:During
551:Modbury
239:Oreston
44:Modbury
824:
804:
784:
764:
415:
404:
379:
104:Legend
30:was a
520:from
512:Route
365:
314:over
36:Devon
885:2015
822:ISBN
802:ISBN
782:ISBN
762:ISBN
710:2019
442:The
408:LSWR
395:and
26:The
611:)
533:.
383:GWR
370:to
913::
871:.
743:^
659:^
545:.
474:.
462:.
887:.
712:.
410:)
406:(
385:)
381:(
87:e
80:t
73:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
