Dartmoor Railway

Dartmoor Railway
Okehampton railway station, on the Dartmoor Railway
Locale	Devon, England
Commercial operations
Name	British Rail
Built by	London and South Western Railway
Original gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Owned by	Aggregate Industries Ltd
Operated by	Dartmoor Railway CIC
Length
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Opened	1865/1879
Closed	1968 (West of Meldon to all traffic) 1972 (to regular passenger services from Okehampton to Exeter)
Preservation history
1997	Regular passenger services restarted by Dartmoor Railway
Headquarters	Okehampton

Dartmoor Railway
Legend
miles Tarka Line to Exeter 0     Crediton through services on summer Sundays Salmon Pool Level Crossing 3¾  Yeoford served by Tarka Line trains only Coleford Junction Tarka Line to Barnstaple 8½  Bow 11¾  North Tawton 14½  Sampford Courtenay 18¼  Okehampton 20¼  Meldon Viaduct/ Meldon Quarry Meldon Viaduct London & South Western Rly to Padstow and Bude to Plymouth via Bere Alston

Meldon Viaduct

The Dartmoor Railway is a long railway line in Devon, England. From Crediton the line parallels the Tarka Line to the site of the former Coleford Junction. Heading west it then serves Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton and Meldon Quarry. The route is owned from Coleford to Meldon by Aggregate Industries whilst the Coleford to Crediton section is owned by Network Rail. In the past freight trains served the ballast quarry at Meldon. The line is leased to and maintained by the Dartmoor Railway CIC, who operate some services and facilitate access to the line by other operators.

A public service between Exeter and Okehampton is run on summer Sundays operated by Great Western Railway. Ballast and stone trains were formerly operated by one of the national freight operating companies. In 2011 the quarry was mothballed leading to the suspension of ballast and stone trains. The line is also used occasionally by other operators for training purposes. The railway is also visited from time to time by main line charter services. These can be easily facilitated via the connection to the national network at Crediton.

The route was originally part of the London and South Western Railway West of England Main Line (Exeter to Plymouth railway of the LSWR) from Exeter to Plymouth, which opened between 1865 and 1879. In 1968, British Rail closed the line beyond Meldon as part of the Beeching cuts. The Exeter to Okehampton passenger service was withdrawn by British Rail in 1972.

Between 1972 and 1997 the line was used for railway ballast traffic from Meldon Quarry and occasional freight traffic to the remaining goods yard at Okehampton before its closure. Occasional charter and special trains were operated to Okehampton and Meldon Quarry during the passenger closure period. The railway reopened to regular passenger services in 1997 with the formation of Dartmoor Railway. A summer Sunday passenger service was introduced from Exeter to Okehampton as part of the Dartmoor Rover network.

British American Railway Services Ltd, a company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway CIC on 4 September 2008. The company announced its intention to develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.

Volunteer support for the railway is provided by the Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association (DRSA). They currently operate heritage services on the line via their related company - Granite Line Ltd. Volunteers assist the railway operation in many of its activities.

The Dartmoor Railway currently runs at a total of in length making the line the eighth longest preserved Standard Gauge railway in Great Britain.

A proposal was made in 2009 to restore and reopen the disused down platform at Yeoford and extend Dartmoor Railway services to terminate there. At the time it was not possible to agree arrangements with Network Rail who own Yeoford Station and the section of line from near the site of the former Coleford Junction towards Yeoford and Crediton. If this proposal were eventually achieved it could allow the extension of Dartmoor Railway passenger services and provide the possibility of interchange with Exeter - Barnstaple "Tarka line" trains.

Passenger Volume

Station usage
Station Name	2002–03	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10	2010–11	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Crediton	21,607	22,478	22,550	24,021	27,422	32,344	36,784	44,074	48,978	43,016	50,342
Sampford Courtenay							0	76	136	150	146
Okehampton							0	3,622	3,526	3,438	3,208
Meldon Quarry
The annual passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve month periods that start in April. Please note that methodology may vary year on year.

Passenger usage statistics relate only to the limited Summer Sunday only National Rail services operated by Great Western Railway. They do not include the Heritage or Polar Express trains operated on the railway.

Heritage Activities

Heritage services are operated between Meldon Quarry and Okehampton with extension to Sampford Courtenay, Bow or the DR/Network Railway boundary on special event days. The former stations at North Tawton and Bow remain closed to passengers. Both stations are in private ownership and have no public access. The heritage services are now operated by Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association and Granite Line Ltd under an access arrangement.

The heritage services use a variety of rolling stock which includes a Class 205 "Thumper" unit restored to its original livery and number. Services are also operated using restored diesel locomotives in push-pull trains and top and tail mode with a variety of coaching and ex-EMU stock. Steam hauled services have also operated from time to time.

Public Train Services

Devon County Council continue to sponsor the Sunday Rover trains between Exeter and Okehampton. These have run since the 1997 reopening and operate again in 2015 with services running from mid May to early-September.
The service consists of four return trips between St James Park station in Exeter and Okehampton. These trains connect with bus services and heritage railway services at Okehampton, Tarka line rail services at Crediton and other national rail services at Exeter.

Devon & Cornwall Railways Ltd (a subsidiary of British American Railway Services Ltd) announced its intention to operate through services from Okehampton to Exeter in 2010, having made a track access application to Network Rail on 18 March 2010 to operate four return services each weekday between Okehampton and St James Park and a further two (plus one on Sundays) as far as Exeter St Davids. This service would run under an "open access" licence. It was initially hoped that services could start as early as May 2010. In the event, this date was not realised and the project is currently not being pursued.

At Christmas 2012 the railway ran the "Polar Express" based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg and Warner Brothers film of the same name. Further Polar Express events have run in 2013 and 2014 with another due for Christmas 2015.

Rolling Stock

Diesel Locomotives

Number and name	Origin	Wheel arrangement	Class	Notes	Photograph
08937	BR	0-6-0	Class 08	-	-

Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)

Number and name	Origin	Class	Notes	Photograph
BR	59520 DTCL	British Rail Class 117	Awaiting Restoration	-

Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU)

Number and name	Origin	Class	Notes	Photograph
BR	Unit 60146, 60673 and 60827 Set No 205028 (1128)	British Rail Class 205	Awaiting Restoration	-
BR	Unit 60150, 60677 and 60831 Set No 205031 (1132)	British Rail Class 205	Awaiting Restoration	-

Electric Multiple Unit (EMU)

Number and name	Origin	Class	Notes	Photograph
BR	Unit 61742 and 61743 Set No 1198	British Rail Class 411 4-Cep	Awaiting Restoration, Only DMBS present,	-
BR	Unit 70273 Set No 1392	British Rail Class 411 4-Cep	Stored, Only Trailer Second,	-
BR	Unit 76747, 62385, 70508 and 76818 Set No 1399	British Rail Class 421 4-Cig	Under Restoration, 76818 at Eastleigh	-
BR	Unit 69332 Set No 2203	British Rail Class 421 4-Bep	Used as catering facility	-
BR	Unit 69310 Set No 7040	British Rail Class 421 4-Bep	Used as catering facility	-
BR	Unit 76397, 70904 and 76398 Set No 3905	British Rail Class 423 4-Vop	Under Restoration	-
BR	Unit 76277 Set No 8005	British Rail Class 438 4-Tc	Operational	-

Carriages

Origin	Number	Type	Notes	Photograph
British Railways	34249	MK.I Brake Corridor Second	Operational,
British Railways	35327	MK.I Brake Corridor Second	Operational,
British Railways	13436	MK.II Corridor First	Operational,
British Railways	3411	MK.II Open First	Stored,
British Railways	3419	MK.II Open First	Stored,
British Railways	9501	MK.II Brake Open Second	Stored,
British Railways	6181	MK.II Open Second	Stored,
British Railways	5920	MK.II Tourist Second Open	Stored,
British Railways	3387	MK.II Open First	Stored,
British Railways	3353	MK.II Open First	Stored,
British Railways	6002	MK.II Tourist Second Open	Stored,
British Railways	10595	MK.III Convertible Sleeper	Used as overnight sleeper
British Railways	10611	MK.III Convertible Sleeper	Used as overnight sleeper
British Railways	10518	MK.III Convertible Sleeper	Used as overnight sleeper

Wagons and other rolling stock

Origin	Number	Type	Notes	Photograph
British Railways	924848	4 wheel steel flatbed	Operational
British Railways	726277	4 wheel steel open Dace	Operational
British Railways	290133	4 wheel steel open Zander	Operational
PO	999045	4 wheel Class B Fuel Tank	Stored
British Railways	994xxx	Bogie 3-plank Open Sturgeon A	Operational
British Railways	992929	Dogfish 4w Steel Hopper	Operational
British Railways	9983187	Dogfish 4w Steel Hopper	Operational
British Railways	889022	Ferry Van	Operational
Southern Railway	55625	Pillbox 4w Brake Van	Operational
London, Midland and Scottish Railway	731411	4w Brake Van	Operational
British Railways	96212	Mk 1 GUV	Operational
British Railways	87554	Blue Spot Four wheel Fish Van	Body only
British Railways	94691	Four-wheel CCT	Operational

External links

• Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association website. - for information on Heritage and Dartmoor Sunday Rover Services and other detailed information about the railway and its heritage.
• Dartmoor Railway website. - for details of Polar Express.