BR in the 1980s - The Alan Harrison Collection Part 18 Totnes & Newton Abbot (British Rail Trains)

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Classic diesels abound, and an HST too. These iconic trains are fast approaching the half-century. What a testimony to BR for making them....

[@kartwheelkarl]

Absolutely Bib. Have you seen the two films I’ve made on the XPTs? They’re the HSTs slightly shorter cousins that operate over here in Australia, hauling Budd coaches.

[@kartwheelkarl]

Absolutely Bib. Have you seen the two films I’ve made on the XPTs? They’re the HSTs slightly shorter cousins that operate over here in Australia hauling Budd coaches.

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

@@kartwheelkarl No, but I will soon....thanks for the heads up

[@SpoonyMcSpoonface]

Some wonderful footage of Totnes,Aller and N Abbot. Takes me right back to my spotting/bashing days.

[@kartwheelkarl]

Really glad we could bring back more happy memories SMcS, and thank you for another great comment.

[@ThePanzer6]

SDR Pannier 1636 running round atTotnes BR station fascinating to watch

[@kartwheelkarl]

Agreed Daniel. Wasn’t this one of the first times a preserved railway had had regular access to a working BR platform (as opposed to a dedicated separate platform)? Am I right in thinking that the SDR now terminates short of Totnes BR? Thanks for the comment and glad you’re enjoying the collection.

[@ThePanzer6]

@@kartwheelkarl Yes had a trip on the SDR back in 1997, terminates at Totnes Riverside.

[@totnestrainspotter8536]

@@kartwheelkarl It ran into Totnes for a few years as there was no public access from the town to the Totnes Riverside station on their own line. I am unsure if the reason they stopped it was due to the costs (they had to have a British Rail guard on board from the short run over the BR tracks) or the timetabling issues with having to fit the platform occupation in between the British Rail services, but they initially stopped running into the mainline station at weekends and then withdrew all services from from the mainline station. I think the arrangement only lasted around 5 years (just checked wikipedia and that says 3 years). A few years later a bridge was built over the river to allow access from the mainline station

[@kartwheelkarl]

@@totnestrainspotter8536 I always thought that running into the BR platform was a slightly risky operation TT. Not from a H&S point of view but rather from the view of operational liability. Strict timetabling would need to adhered to and if a train on the heritage line had any problems whilst in the platform, it could have massive implications on mainline operations. Given todays climate, I’d hate to think how much would need to be forked out in public liability insurance for this arrangement. Thanks as always for your brilliant comment, and really glad you’re enjoying the collection.

[@totnestrainspotter8536]

@@kartwheelkarl The layout of Totnes still allows non stopping trains through while there is a train in the platform which providing any incident with the heritage service was confined to the platform line would mean disruption could be limited to not stopping mainline trains in up direction at Totnes. There often used to be a parcels service that would run through while the steam train was in the platform. I do once recall one of the heritage trains having to wait outside of the station (on the heritage branch) when there was a failed British Rail service in the platform. Ended up arriving at the time of the next scheduled heritage service

[@cameronpatterson1045]

Good stuff keep them coming

[@kartwheelkarl]

Really glad you’re enjoying the collection Cameron. The entire series now runs to 53 episodes but, sadly, that’s all the footage Alan filmed. Still, there’s many hours of excellent material and fabulous nostalgia in there to enjoy.

[@cameronpatterson1045]

Can you not transfer the VSH TO D.VD for public sale

[@kartwheelkarl]

@@cameronpatterson1045 Not something we’ve ever really considered Cameron. Initially, Alan didn’t think anyone would be too interested in his collection, but he’s been delighted by the reaction it’s received. I’m not sure there’d be enough demand for a dvd version though, given that the entire collection is now freely available on KZbin. Really glad you’re enjoying the films though.

[@warwickroad4111]

Terrific, thanks for sharing! Happy memories of great days, long gone. Newton Abbot with the gantry,signalbox,through lines,the yard and Depot,David & Charles Publishers on the corner!

[@kartwheelkarl]

Thanks WR. Really glad you're enjoying the collection. I'd forgotten about the publishers you refer to. Was it Ian Allan?

[@warwickroad4111]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_%26_Charles They were a railway books publisher independent of Ian Allan.

[@samstainer6322]

Brilliant

[@kartwheelkarl]

Thanks Sam. Glad you’re enjoying the collection.

[@TheSmittenman]

Great to see Newton Abbot as i remember it :)

[@kartwheelkarl]

Absolutely Phil. Even the seemingly timeless old GWR has now changed beyond belief hasn't it?

[@JohnPW22]

Another wonderful video! Loving them! Great classic diesel action at Aller Jct - can't beat it!

[@kartwheelkarl]

Thanks John. And thank goodness Alan had his trusty bicycle with him to cycle out to Aller Junction eh?

[@totnestrainspotter8536]

The footbridge at Totnes that was used to film this had stood there almost 100 years before an crane carrying out engineering works on the line crashed into it (probably not that long after this was filmed). Since then Totnes has had 3 replacement foot bridges - a temporary scaffold one while the permanent replacement was being built, then the permanent replacement in the same location as the original and in the last few years that has been replaced with an accessible footbridge nearer the middle of the platform (the original was at the Newton Abbot end of the platform)

[@kartwheelkarl]

Fabulous background info TT. Thank you.

[@SpoonyMcSpoonface]

I remember the footbridge being hit. I was called out 5 mins after it happened and advised to bring my camera. That day was my first ever 12 hr Sunday turn in 1987.

[@totnestrainspotter8536]

Newton Abbot has certainly changed a lot since this was filmed. No longer have the through lines and sidings to the right of the station (the industrial park side). The signal boxes are no more. The lines and platform to the left of the large signal box (the town side) have gone. There are now only 3 lines between the station and Aller and there is no longer separate junctions at the west end of the station and Aller (just Newton Abbot West Junction which is about half way between) David & Charles Publishers along with the yellow carriages have gone. The signal gantry at the station has also (not surprisingly gone), although one of the Newton Abbot gantries (I am not sure if it was this one) was preserved by David & Charles and still sits at the edge of the carpark of the Aldi store which is now on that land

[@kartwheelkarl]

Thanks for your brilliant comments TT. It’s been about thirty years since I was last in that area and, from your fabulously detailed information, I think I’d struggle to recognise the place now. I know that all of the changes you list are in the interest of progress, producing a more streamlined and reliable modern railway. But it is sad to see the infrastructure we knew and loved be replaced. Nice to hear that D&C Publishers are still there and that they’ve preserved a little bit of the history of the area.

[@totnestrainspotter8536]

@@kartwheelkarl The D&C publishers building has gone (I think the company have relocated to Exeter). A supermarket has been built on that land. Just the preserved Signal Gantry remains and can be seen from Torquay Road at the junction with the industrial estate

[@kartwheelkarl]

@@totnestrainspotter8536 That’s sad to hear TT, but thank you for the info. I uploaded a video of few places around that area this week using footage sent to me by a friend back in the UK. I used a couple of shots of NA, but they were taken from the middle of the station, so they didn’t show that much of the station approach. The rationalisation is still obvious though.

[@SpoonyMcSpoonface]

Colin (Honest) Harmes collecting the train staff at 5.07. Surprised he didn’t flog it 😁

[@AndreiTupolev]

Whatever is that cream & red Leyland National crossing the bridge at Totnes? Never seen that livery before

[@PJC50025]

I think the Leyland National is the Plymouth Citybus Mobility Bus, registration WDR 662M

[@kartwheelkarl]

PJC50025 I'm seriously impressed PJC.

[@Chris.stew68]

Good old British rail should never sold it off

[@kartwheelkarl]

Thanks for the comment Chris. Glad you enjoyed the video.