SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY is proud to present its annual Military Weekend and this year it is combined with our Real Ale festival.

There will be plenty to see and enjoy during the weekend of 12th & 13th July as the South Devon Railway hosts its annual Military Vehicle display.

Organised by the Devon Branch of the Military Vehicle Trust, the Buckfastleigh Military Vehicle Show will feature some 50 military vehicles and uniformed soldiers, many from the 1939-45 wartime era.

It is hoped that local veterans will be on hand to discuss their wartime experiences, and various ‘Road Runs’ will be undertaken by the military vehicles over the weekend.

Offering a feast of 20th Century military nostalgia, and with the South Devon Railway’s steam trains acting as a fitting backdrop to complete the period atmosphere, the area around Buckfastleigh station will take on the appearance of a large military camp in the West Country prior to D-Day. Men, women and children turning up in 1940’s period clothing will be made especially welcome.

Period vehicles will be parked around the site and staff will be wearing WWII uniforms and clothing. There’ll even be a wartime vegetable allotment following the Government’s wartime slogan: “Dig For Victory”

The two-day show will be an all steam train event and will feature former Great Western Railway (GWR) built locomotives 1369, 5786, 5526 and 3803.

Three different types of passenger train will be in use on both days, and operating to a special timetable. In addition to the normal five-coach passenger services, which makes four round trips over the full line and will be hauled by former GWR 2-8-0 No. 3803, a small three-coach branch line set, formed of coaches once belonging to the GWR and painted in traditional chocolate and cream livery, will operate a number of additional passenger services. These will be hauled at various times by either of the former Great Western Railway “pannier tank” locomotives now based on the line – Nos. 1369 and 5786. Also in operation throughout both days will be the two-car “auto train”. This train, which features two former British Railways (Western Region) Carmine & Cream liveried trailer cars, will be worked by British Railways plain black “small prairie” No. 5526. During both days the auto train will make several runs between Buckfastleigh and Staverton, whilst on the Saturday, a couple of extra runs are made in the early evening to and from Totnes. These services will also call on request at Nappers Halt, passengers wishing to alight at the ground level halt doing so by means by means of the retractable steps fitted to the coaches. On each day a demonstration goods train will operate from Staverton to Buckfastleigh in the morning, with the return run being in the late afternoon.

Throughout both days shunting demonstrations will take place at Buckfastleigh using either No. 1369 or 5786. The locomotive will be coupled to the former Great Western shunters truck (known as a “chariot”) and will be kept busy between trains reforming the wagons as required.

The weekend also sees another of the Devon Diesel Society’s popular Real Ale festivals take place at Staverton Station. The main bar will be located in the former Goods Shed, with plenty of seating provided on both the platforms and in a coach parked in the bay platform. There will be around 20 different ales on sale, together with a selection of traditional Cider. The ales will come from a variety of national and local breweries and a wide selection of flavours and strengths will be available.

On the Saturday evening a special bus service, using the Railway's former London Transport “Routemaster” 'bus, will operate from Paignton, Torquay, Newton Abbot and Ashburton, to the festival. Departure times are still to be confirmed, however the return working will depart from Staverton at 22.00, with drop offs along the same route. Further details of the service, and the festival can be obtained from Jon Morton on 07799 068450.

There will also be an on train bar located on the main train set. All profits from the festival are helping the restoration to working order of D402, the Society’s 117 ton Class 50 diesel locomotive that is slowly being returned to full working order. In its heyday the locomotive hauled express services over both the West Coast mainline between Crewe and Scotland, and later on the Western Region between Paddington and the South West, before finally ending its mainline days working on the old Southern Railway route between London Waterloo and Exeter.

Opening times for the Real Ale Festival are as follows:

Other attractions at Buckfastleigh will include:
• An extensive museum, including Brunel’s only surviving ‘broad gauge’ engine,
• Expressway model and gift shop,
• Riverside walks, a maze and children’s play area,
• Newly refurbished ‘Refreshment Rooms’,
• Picnic area and wooded parkland.

There is a large free car park at Buckfastleigh, and with the station situated just off the A38 Devon Expressway, it is just 25 minutes from Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay. There are several public car parks and also connections with the mainline rail network at Totnes. First Great Western offer Buckfastleigh and Staverton as upgrades to the normal mainline train fare; details.