DEVONSHIRE RAILWAYS - COLIN G. MAGGS - HALSGROVE

Devon's first railway was opened as long ago as 16
September 1820. This was the Haytor Tramway
constructed by George Templar. Sections of the
tramway are still extant and scheduled as an Ancient
Monument.
The later railway map of Devon appears complicated,
but is easier to comprehend when the history of the
lines is understood. Basically two competing main lines
thrust westwards to Plymouth - the GreatWestern
Railway (GWR) and the London & SouthWestern
Railway (LSWR). As far as Exeter the GWR ran to the
north of the LSWR, but west of that city the positions
were reversed. South-east Devon, generally known as
`East Devon', was LSWR territory, South-west Devon,
known as `South Devon' was mostly GWR territory,
while most of North Devon came under the LSWR's
sphere.After reorganisation, the LSWR lines fell to the
Southern Railway.
Partly due to its topography, Devon had an unusually
large number of branch lines.Although many were
closed either immediately following, or before the 1963
Beeching Report on Railways, some have reopened as
preserved lines:Totnes to Buckfast; Paignton to
Kingswear and the PlymValley Railway. Much of the
Seaton branch was relaid as a 2ft 9in gauge electric
tramway. Some stations too have been reopened:
Sidmouth Junction has opened as Feniton; Ivybridge,
closed to passengers 2 March 1959, reopened 15 July
1994 as a park and ride station to reduce traffic to and
from Plymouth, while Tiverton Junction moved to
Tiverton Parkway to give improved road access.
Colin Maggs, the renowned expert on railway history,
tells the fascinating tale of the railways and the impact
they had on the lives of everyone in the county.The
nostalgic branch lines with their small local trains and
the main lines with their thundering expresses, are all
part of a rich heritage which is explored in an expert
text and in more than two hundred evocative images
to present an absorbing view of Devon's recent past