Guest 34008Padstow Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Morning all. I found a couple of vids on youtube showing the DVR in the 70s. Theyre both silent but have some superb footage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 5, 2012 Excellent stuff. Well found. I wish Buckfastleigh still looked like that....Ashburton etc... I particularly like the slow movement over Nursery Pool Bridge. IIRC that speed restriction lasted for some time. I think that it was during the strengthening of it for heavier loco use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R A Watson Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 The first clip I would date as 1970 as the A38 road building started in '71, probably taken during the last train working weekend. Points to note are the auto working of the first train and then the top and tail operation of the second one using non auto fitted larger locos, this is due the fact there were no round facilities at Totnes at this time. One other point which I was reminded of (if you look closely) some of the coaches have the emergency gear rodding and gongs painted black. The ones we did have the black paint but the ones painted by Blight & Scobell (a local firm of builders brought in by the D V R company) were incorrectly finished in main body colour cream! beware if you're looking for confirmation pictures for modelling purposes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 6, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 6, 2012 Blight & Scobell (a local firm of builders brought in by the D V R company) I've always thought that this was a dreadful name for a company that you would have liked to have had confidence in, had you engaged them for some job or other!... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R A Watson Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Just to reinforce your doubts, when they went to put the lining on, the first attempt was to stick a long piece (just longer than the vehicle) of one inch masking tape to the head of a rail then painted parallel half inch wide black and gold lines along it. The folly of this became apparent when the two painters tried to remove the tape from the rail and place it on the vehicle side! The foreman then proceeded to instruct them how to use masking tape correctly, but not for some time as he had to stop laughing first. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 6, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 6, 2012 The bit where they terminated (in 1976) at Staverton Bridge was fascinating, using the diesel shunter to move the coaching stock. I hadn't realised they terminated there for a while, presumably there was track work going on at Totnes that prevented them running the whole distance? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Good find. I looked carefully at the 1970 cine, but didn't see me in it, the Dart Valley was the second preserved line I travelled on. I was there at that time. Such a disappointment seeing Buckfastleigh these days. I was down at Chudleigh last week, the noise from the expressway ruining what was once a peaceful valley. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R A Watson Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 C K, I believe the Totnes loop was in by then (this is after i stopped working on the line) but could be around the time that the bridge at Nappers Crossing was being rebuilt Tim, It's a good job you did not try to visit the station, the platform is now under the Exeter bound carriageway! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Tim, It's a good job you did not try to visit the station, the platform is now under the Exeter bound carriageway! Yes the junction of the A38 is called "Chudleigh Station"! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted September 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 8, 2012 Just watched the second one properly and saw a lot of sorely missed things that have disappeared into the mists of time. I gave up life 'in the fast lane' in the Smoke to a more rural life and became one of the five paid PW staff on both railways, working under Ashley Burgess the resident retired PW inspector and the tobacco-chewing ganger Jack Whitefoot taken on when the Paignton > Kingswear line was bought. I wonder what ever happened to 'Liza' the DVRA four wheeled Dean coach that was used for sleeping accommodation and kept in the bay at Staverton and also to think of it, the Toplight(?) that replaced it. I believe that 'Liza' went to a group in Bristol, but not sure. It was a shame that Britannia Halt was ever demolished, one of the questionable decisions taken at the time also like taking down the rail-connected crab/fish shed at Kingswear Seeing the BR coaches stored in Happy Valley brought back memories before it was lifted, though at least some of it has been re-instated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I was talking to someone else about that coach and I can't for the life of me remember what they said. DVR company did many questionable things (and still do depending on your point of view!) Where was happy valley? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 8, 2012 Where was happy valley? 'Happy Valley' was the colloquial name given by railway staff to the southern portion of Goodrington Yard. It was to the south of the current Yard, really a seperate yard in it's own right. Last used circa 10 - 12 years ago in connection with a contract to lay cables in Torbay, it was subsequently declared redundant and the land sold to the P&DSR, who have now started to use it for railway purposes again, as John says. In it's heyday, it was busy stabling ECS trains that terminated/started from Paignton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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