Exmouth Station post 1986

[Dr Caine]

RMwebbers

 

I'm in the process of planning a new layout, which hopes to be a fairly faithful reproduction of Exmouth station. I've always been facinated by single line termini and I've made the decision to go ahead with this project. However, being halfway around the world it can be quite hard to obtain prototype information. I've scoured the web pretty throughly for photos but I was looking for some specific details.

 

In particular, I'd be interest in information/photos of:

- Non-DMU workings at Exmouth, particularly if steam specials have ever visited exmouth

- And if Non-DMU workings have visited there, how are they worked? Do they run engine first into exmouth, do they top-and-tail, etc.

- Information of the types of trains that regularly ran to exmouth in the 1986-1995 period, and what liveries they carried. (I know that now its mostly Pacers, 150s, 156s and 158s)

- Any good shots of the station building, side on, from a distance. (perhaps from the mound on the other side of the road to the station?)

- I remember a comment somewhere that Exmouth may have even seen an HST at some point. Please confirm if possible and provide details.

 

Obviously if you just have some great photos of the station, I'd love to see them too.

 

If I could get some help with this, It would be very helpful for sorting out something to run on the line apart from some Class 150s and also to get a good model of the station building.

 

Thanks all in advance.

[Kris]

Any non DMU trains will have to be topped and tailed into Exmouth. As for the units used down to there, Pacers and 150's and 153's cover it. Later livery would have been regional railways. For the start of your time frame you would also have been seeing 1st generation DMU's, I can't tell you which ones.

[Glorious NSE]

Definately no 156s. I think your closest ones would have been based in Birmingham! You *might* conceivably have had a 155 during their short existence in the south west or a 158 later on in your period but neither would have been "normal".

[R A Watson]

One of the lads in the Exeter club (sorry I dont know his name) is building a very good version of this in 4mm.

 

Maybe if you contact them through their website you can obtain assistance there.

 

Wally

[kintbury jon]

DMU units would have been the Plymouth 'Pxxx' units. Seem to think that there were 3 car 101's and 2 car 108's. Certainly Bachmann produced a Plynouth 108 (P956?) which could be used.

 

You could also make use of a choc/cream 142 as they were used around there until they were sent up north.

 

My 1989 train book shows the following Plymouth sets:

 

P825, P826 and P827 (look like 3 car 101's), P463 (3 car 118)

P860- P874 and P954 - P957 are two car units (101/108 + hybrids)

Also there are the bubble cars (7 of them)

 

All units were in blue/grey livery but a lot (maybe all ?) had black painted around the drivers windows.

 

I can give you individual running numbers if required.

[Rivercider]

Hi there,

I am looking at my copy of 'The Exeter & Exmouth Railway' by Colin Maggs, Oakwood Press 1997

its a great book and gives a lot of your answers.

 

20.8.1996, HST set 43071 / 43080 was at Exmouth for lifeboat naming ceremony, 43071 'Forward Birmingham'

 

1st may 1994 Exeter Rail fair standard class 4 80080 & 80079 top and tail

 

18th july 1993 Atlantic Coast Express railtour 50050 & 50033 top and tail

 

Many DMU pictures including

 

15th april 1986 142 016 & 142 074

21st july 1989 class 101 set 871 53256 & 53639

3rd april 1991 52053 meets set 828

22nd july 1989 class 108 set 957 51940 & 52057

6th april 1991 155 329

11th march 1997 153 380

11th march 1997 150 261

21st july 1989 class 101 set P825 51246 / 59118 / 53165

 

The chapter on traction gives details

 

142 units from 15th october 1985 until 30th november 1987

replaced by mixture of 101 108 & 121

158 first trialled on 13th september 1990

155 units from summer 1990

153 units appeared 1992

heritage units lingered until mid 1993.

 

Also pics of the new station building.

 

Well worth getting hold of this book if you can

 

cheers

[Rivercider]

 

 

My 1989 train book shows the following Plymouth sets:

 

P825, P826 and P827 (look like 3 car 101's), P463 (3 car 118)

P860- P874 and P954 - P957 are two car units (101/108 + hybrids)

Also there are the bubble cars (7 of them)

 

All units were in blue/grey livery but a lot (maybe all ?) had black painted around the drivers windows.

 

I can give you individual running numbers if required.

 

I have found pictures of 825 828 831 871 & 954 all with black drivers window surrounds.

 

Also, outside your timescale, 'Branchlines to Exmouth' by Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, by Middleton Press

has picture of weedspray train 1st may 1983, 47205 & 33042 top and tail, so that is worth bearing in mind.

 

cheers

[Dr Caine]

Dear all,

 

Thanks so much for your replies, they are very helpful and enlightening.

 

Particular thanks to Rivercider for his recommendation of the book, definately going to go and look out for that one.

 

I've gotta run, so I'll keep the rest short. The one piece of information I thought of later but was not answered (Except for the weed killer train, thank Rivercider):

 

Does anyone have any idea how the track was maintained? What were any engineers trains comprised of?

 

Cheers to all.

[Rivercider]

 

 

Does anyone have any idea how the track was maintained? What were any engineers trains comprised of?

 

Cheers to all.

 

I have had a look through my books, but found no engineers train pictures.

 

Obviously anything required to work beyond Topsham would have been top and tailed, but I assume

would only need to proceed to the site of work, so if working at, say, Lympstone, the train would return straight back from site.

 

In the absence of, photographic evidence, I would suggest a short ballast train would look right,

perhaps 4 or 5 dogfish hoppers with a shark ploughvan for 1980s era.

Or for 1990s 3 sealion (YGH) hoppers and a plough.

Top and tailed with 37s or 47s would be most likely.

 

cheers

[brushman47544]

I have had a look through my books, but found no engineers train pictures.

 

Obviously anything required to work beyond Topsham would have been top and tailed, but I assume

would only need to proceed to the site of work, so if working at, say, Lympstone, the train would return straight back from site.

 

In the absence of, photographic evidence, I would suggest a short ballast train would look right,

perhaps 4 or 5 dogfish hoppers with a shark ploughvan for 1980s era.

Or for 1990s 3 sealion (YGH) hoppers and a plough.

Top and tailed with 37s or 47s would be most likely.

 

cheers

Engineers trains in the general area were also hauled by the engineers sector Class 50s (e.g. 50046) until withdrawal. No idea if they made it to Exmouth though.