Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station

Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station was the terminus of the Devon and Somerset Railway line from Taunton railway station. It served the town of Barnstaple in Devon, England and was opened when the Devon and Somerset line was extended from Wiveliscombe to Barnstaple on 1 November 1873.

History

The Devon and Somerset was a RailGauge|84 broad gauge line that was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway. It was taken into the ownership of the Great Western Railway with the B&E. It was converted to RailGauge|ussg standard gauge in 1881.

In 1887, a link line was provided from Victoria Road station to connect to the London and South Western Railway's Barnstaple Junction railway station, enabling trains from Taunton to run through to Ilfracombe. At this stage, through-running still entailed a reversal at Victoria Road, but in 1905 a second loop line was built that made a triangular junction, enabling direct running from the Devon and Somerset line into Barnstaple Junction. This direct running appears to have been used more for excursion trains than for the normal traffic: in April 1910, four of the five trains a day on the Devon and Somerset Railway went on to Barnstaple Junction and Ilfracombe, but all called at and reversed out of Barnstaple Victoria Road.

The Victoria Road name was acquired when all the Barnstaple stations came together under nationalisation in the late 1940s. Passenger traffic to Barnstaple was, though, increasingly concentrated on the former L&SWR line from Exeter, and Victoria Road was closed to passengers in 1960, after which the Devon and Somerset line trains ran directly to Barnstaple Junction.

Goods traffic remained at Victoria Road, however, with all parcels business for Barnstaple concentrated there. In 1966, the Devon and Somerset Railway link to Taunton closed to passenger services, but Victoria Road remained open for goods as the end of the spur from Barnstaple Junction for a further four years, finally closing in March 1970.

Description

Victoria Road had a very long single platform which was used for the arrivals, plus a bay at the eastern end that was used for departures. The building was wooden and was provided with a large canopy that extended to the platform edge. There was a signalbox at the eastern end of the platform. Extensive goods facilities were provided on lines that ran parallel to the tracks leading into the station, and a large goods shed had good road connections. There was a small engine shed and turntable at the terminus end of the goods yard.

The station buildings have now been demolished and the site is part of an industrial estate. But the goods shed survives and is used as a church.

ervices

###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

* Devon Railway stations, Mike Oakley, Dovecote Press, Wimborne, 2007. ISBN 1 904349 55 6
* Bradshaw's April 1910 Railway Guide, 1968 reprint, David and Charles, Newton Abbot. ISBN 7153 4864 7