This coming May Bank Holiday weekend, the scenic South Devon Railway will be recreating the bygone busy railway scenes of yesteryear once common on other long gone West Country branch lines.

The South Devon Railway’s West Country Branch Line weekend hopes to stir memories of the way the region’s railways once looked by running a mixture of unusual trains ranging from one and two coach passenger trains to four and five vehicle sets in authentic liveries, plus milk wagons and goods traffic.

This year’s event is likely to feature the following:

• Running of demonstration brake van specials using no fewer than six brake vans (including four ‘Toad’s) and with no fewer than five loco’s having a turn on such services (1369, 5526, 3205, D2246 and D7612)
• The increased use of the auto train - more so on Saturday (AGM day) as members like to see the auto running
• 1369 appears on a two-coach GWR branch line train on Saturday afternoon
• W55000 in use representing the early diesel era – makes both full line trips and shorter journeys to/from Staverton. Also operates the late trains on Sunday (these being timed to give good connections with both up and down services on the mainline)
• Cider Festival at Staverton Station – No fewer than 40 ciders (plus a few Real Ales) on offer at the very attractive price of just £2.50 per pint
• Possible brake van rides between trains at Staverton on Sunday and Monday (using D2246 morning, and 1369 afternoon) – tbc once the shunt moves have all been worked out & subject to sufficient Guards being availabile

And, with the engines, coaches and wagons painted in the authentic liveries of the era, we expect this will bring back fond memories for many people of the West Country railway scene from 1947 to 1963.

The main museum will be open throughout the event and features a variety of interesting objects, together with the last remaining locomotive that ran on Brunel's famous Broad Gauge system, the 0-4-0 vertical boilered “Tiny” that is part of the National Railway Museum Collection and on loan to the S.D.R.

Refreshments will be available at both Buckfastleigh, from the main refreshment rooms, and at Totnes, from the Rare Breeds Centre, whilst the main train services will also feature an on train buffet serving a range of lighter refreshments, snacks and souvenirs.

Further souvenirs, together with an extensive range of model railway items and equipment, can also be purchased from Expressway Models at Buckfastleigh.

There will also be a providing a gentle tour around the locale with stops at Buckfast Abbey and Buckfastleigh Town. On a clear day there is a good view over the local countryside to Dartmoor from the upper deck.

Trains services start from (Buckfastleigh) and from (Totnes) each day. The South Devon Railway will be running trains EVERY day until the end of October. The Expressway model railway shop has gifts for children of all ages and is open for business on most days.

Working Timetables for downloading and local printing.

• Saturday
• Sunday
• Monday

• Ciders & Real Ales