Of all the stretches of railway line constructed to the designs of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, that between Exeter and Newton Abbot, built for the South Devon Railways, was perhaps the most unusual. Selecting a route that was effectively level, running along the foreshore through Starcross, Dawlish and Teignmouth, Brunel opted to operate the railway on the atmospheric principle rather than with conventional steam locomotives. Pumping houses were constructed alongside the line to contain the large stationery steam engines needed to create the vacuum in the pipe between the rails, which propelled the trains. Though atmospheric system was to prove a disastrous failure and the SDR was soon being worked by conventional steam locomotives, the pumping station at Starcross still survives The other legacy of Brunel’s maverick scheme is one of the finest and most picturesque stretches of railway in the British Isles. The line runs along the base of the Devonian cliffs on the seawall, providing passengers with their first glimpse of the sea on the southbound journey and providing holidaymakers with a thunderous backdrop to their days on the beach. For countless photographers, such as the late R. C. Riley, the line along the coast at Dawlish has been a magnet that has drawn them back regularly to record the changing railway scene.
In the past 50 years, the line through Dawlish has seen a considerable variety of locomotives and rolling stock; the only constants have been the superb scenery and the battle, on the part of generations of railway workers, to keep the line open in the face of the angry incursions of the sea. Steam was supplanted by the now revered classic diesel-hydraulic types in the early 1960s; these were themselves replaced by diesel-electrics and later HSTs worked the bulk of express passengers services. The most recent development has seen the arrival of the Virgin Voyagers on cross-country services, which have not always coped with the rigours of this section.
In The Railways at Dawlish Colin Marsden has gathered together a fascinating selection of colour images from the end of steam through to the modern age recalling the operation of railway services along the Dawlish seawall over the past five decades. The railway along through Dawlish is undoubtedly one of the finest railway routes in the country. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the line provides an essential – but threatened – link between the south west and Exeter. This colourful pictorial tribute to the line will be sought by all those who know and love the area, either as residents or a visitors to South Devon on holiday. It will also be of interest to the countless railway photographers who have spent their time recording the changing railway scene of the area.
Title: RAILWAYS AT DAWLISH
Author: Colin J Marsden
Format: HB 80 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: May 2007
ISBN 10: 071103253X
ISBN 13: 9780711032538
List Price: £14.99
