Torbay and Brixham Railway

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Torbay and Brixham Railway
Locale England
Dates of operation 1868–1883
Successor line Great Western Railway
Track gauge 7 ft 0¼ in
Length 2.07 miles
Headquarters Brixham

The Torbay and Brixham Railway was a 7 ft 0¼ in broad gauge railway which linked the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway at Churston railway station, Devon with the important fishing port of Brixham. It was a little over two miles long.

The railway was largely built due to the work of Richard Walter Wolston, a local solicitor, and was sold to the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1883.

Contents

[edit] Chronology

[edit] Brixham station

The railway station had a single platform and a goods shed opposite. An engine shed and another small goods yard were situated at the Churston end of the station. It had to be constructed on the hill above the town in order that the gradients between Brixham and Churston were not too steep.

[edit] Locomotives

[edit] Queen

Queen
Power type Steam
Builder E. B. Wilson and Company
Configuration 0-4-0WT
Gauge 7 ft 0¼ in
Driver size 4 ft 0 in
Wheelbase 8 ft 0 in
Cylinder size 10½ in dia × 17 in stroke

Queen was built in 1852 by E. B. Wilson and Company and was used for several years at the Isle of Portland in the construction of a breakwater for the harbour there.

Although the railway was initially worked by the South Devon Railway, the Torbay and Brixham Railway purchased this little locomotive to haul the trains. The South Devon Railway were to pay £3 per day for the privilege, however the railway soon had to mortgage Queen to the South Devon for £350 to cover its debt to that company. In 1883 it passed to the Great Western Railway, which immediately withdrew it from service.

[edit] King

King
Power type Steam
Builder Avonside Engine Company
Configuration 2-4-0T
Gauge 7 ft 0¼ in
Leading wheel size 2 ft 6 in
Driver size 3 ft 0 in
Wheelbase 9 ft 6 in
Cylinder size 9 in dia × 16 in stroke

A second locomotive was ordered by the Torbay and Brixham Railway for the South Devon Railway but in the end the latter company paid for it and it worked in its fleet. See South Devon Railway 2-4-0 locomotives for further information.

[edit] Raven

Raven
Power type Steam
Builder Avonside Engine Company
Configuration 0-4-0ST
Gauge 7 ft 0¼ in
Driver size 3 ft 0 in
Wheelbase 7 ft 6 in
Cylinder size 14 in dia × 17 in stroke

Raven had been built for the South Devon Railway as part of their Raven class for shunting dockside lines at Plymouth . In 1877, now also carrying their number 2175, it was sold by the Great Western Railway to the Torbay and Brixham to assist Queen.

[edit] Great Western locomotives

After 1883 the Great Western Railway provided various small locomotives from its fleet to operate the Brixham branch. Up until 1892 broad gauge locomotives were provided such as ex-South Devon Railway 2-4-0 Prince and GWR Hawthorn Class 2-4-0Ts.

After the line was converted to standard gauge on 23 May 1892 a number of small tank locomotives found themselves spending time at Brixham, including the unique 4-4-0ST 13. In later years standard GWR 1400 Class 0-4-2Ts worked the autotrain. The final trains were worked by British Rail Class 122 single-car DMUs.

[edit] References