Geof Sheppard

Spreading the knowledge about the South West of England, its railways and history.

		The Original Barnstar
		for consistent hard work on railways in the West Country DuncanHill 13:53, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Areas of interest

Broad gauge railways

Broad gauge railway locomotives

Other
- Railway lines and stations in Cornwall, Devon (including Plymouth) and Somerset.
- RNLI and independent lifeboats in south west England
- Cornwall, Devon and Somerset bus operators

Did you know

... that Taunton bus station, built in the 1950s, was described as "a rare survivor" just five years before it was closed?
16 May 2020
... that the crew of Plymouth Lifeboat Station saved a flying boat during World War II?
10 September 2019
... that the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramway was the only one of three independent tramways in Plymouth to be built to the British standard gauge?
9 May 2012
... that a horse was killed by the novel electrification system of the Torquay Tramways before it had even opened to the public?
12 September 2011
... that Sea Dogs were first seen running around Torbay in 1961?
26 July 2011
... that some criminals were seen on television riding around Weston-super-Mare on an open-top bus?
16 May 2011
... that the Taunton Tramway in Somerset closed down when its power was cut off during a dispute over the cost of electricity?
23 February 2011
... that the busiest route of the Weston-super-Mare Tramways ran from an Old Pier to a Sanatorium?
25 February 2011
... that the Waveney was the first class of lifeboats built for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution capable of speeds in excess of 10 knots (19 km/h)?
31 December 2010
... that a signal mortar used to be fired to summon the lifeboat crew to Poole Lifeboat Station but this was stopped in 1914 as people could mistake the sound for an explosion at the nearby gas works?
28 December 2010
... that the Salcombe Lifeboat capsized in 1916 with the loss of 13 lives, and again in 1983, with no loss of life?
27 December 2010
... that when Weymouth Lifeboat Station was sent a new lifeboat in 1930 it was too big to fit in the boathouse so it had to be kept moored in the harbour instead?
21 December 2010
... that on December 19, 1981, the entire crew of the Penlee Lifeboat were killed trying to rescue people from a ship in a storm, but sufficient volunteers came forward within a day to form a new lifeboat crew?
20 December 2010
... that the boathouse for the Burnham Area Rescue Boat was built in just three days as part of the Challenge Anneka television series?
13 December 2010
... that Burnham-on-Sea's lifeboat used to be pulled by horses along a railway line from its lifeboat station to the beach where it could be launched?
9 December 2010
... that in 1899 the Lynmouth Lifeboat was pulled over a 1,423-foot (434 m) hill by men and horses so that it could launch to the aid of a ship 15 miles (24 km) from Lynmouth?
3 December 2020
... that five of the seven men killed when the St Ives Lifeboat was wrecked in January 1939 were survivors of a previous lifeboat wreck in January 1938?
27 November 2010
... that in 1945 the first motor lifeboat at Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station was sold to the Netherlands because that country was short of lifeboats after World War II?
22 November 2010
... that despite operating from 1878 to 1896, Dartmouth Lifeboat was only required for one shipwreck?
14 November 2010
... that Fowey Lifeboat Station was opened in the nearby village of Polkerris in 1859, and was not moved into the town of Fowey itself until 1922?
14 November 2010
... that the volunteer Royal National Lifeboat Institution crews at Falmouth Lifeboat Station share their building with Her Majesty's Coastguard?
9 November 2010
... that the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway has been described as "the most successful of all railways in Southern England"?
25 February 2010
... that the 14.44-mile (23.2 km) Stert and Westbury Railway shortened the distance from London Paddington station to Weymouth by 14.24 miles (22.9 km)?
23 February 2010
... that 2,273 passengers booked travel from Templecombe railway station in 1982, despite it being closed from 1966 to 1983?
12 February 2010
... that the Great Western Railway operated ships in connection with their trains to provide services to Ireland, the Channel Islands and France?
27 January 2010
... that a new Chard Junction signal box was built in 1982 despite the station and junction being closed in the 1960s?
8 December 2009
... that the Great Western Railway built three different stations to serve the town of Wootton Bassett in just 63 years?
6 October 2009
... that the offices at Stogumber railway station are on the east side of the line, but the platform is on the west?
22 August 2009

... that special Great Western Railway wagons were designed to carry goods as diverse as boilers, fish, kaolin, motor cars, sheets of glass and gunpowder (wagon pictured)?
2 August 2009
... that Judy and Alfred were two 90-inch (2.3 m) tall steam locomotives specially designed to fit under a bridge at Par that was only 96 inches (2.4 m) high?
24 July 2009
... that Isambard Kingdom Brunel used light rails and heavy timber baulks for the Great Western Railway's baulk road track because existing technology could not produce strong rails?
28 June 2009
... that the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway linking Plymouth and Princetown was almost twice as long as the distance between the two cities?
21 February 2009... 1,707 views
... that coaches of the Great Western Railway were built up to 13 feet (4 m) longer than most other British railway carriages of the time?
13 February 2009... 1,679 views
... that more than 900 different Great Western Railway telegraphic codes were in use to make the GWR's Electrical telegraph telegraph messages more efficient? 7 February 2009... 1,205 views
... that Redruth railway station was only moved to its present site when a viaduct was built 61 feet (19 m) above the streets of the town?
27 August 2008... 1,530 views
... that Bristol and South Wales Union Railway was actually two separate railway lines with a ferry crossing of the River Severn between?
21 June 2008... 935 views
... that the Tregenna Castle Hotel in St Ives, Cornwall was the Great Western Railway's first holiday destination hotel?
1 May 2008... 1,404 views
...that City of Truro was the first railway locomotive to exceed 100 mph (160 km/h) while hauling a train near Wellington station on the Reading to Plymouth Line in England?
8 April 2008... 681 views
...that a passenger train ran away backwards for over three miles (5 km) following a collision in Torquay railway station?
17 March 2008... 4,314 views
... that although the London and South Western Railway arrived in Plymouth, England in 1876, its Plymouth Friary railway station terminus was not opened until 1891?
20 February 2008... 740 views
... that trains to London ran eastwards from Devonport Kings Road railway station when it opened in 1876, but from 1890 they ran westwards?
17 February 2008... 699 views
...that the network of railways in Plymouth, England, once served 28 stations, but today just six stations remain in use?
6 February 2008... 2,822 views
...that the Castle Cary Cut-Off reduced the 325½ mile distance between London Paddington and Penzance railway stations by 20¼ miles?
28 January 2008... 4,309 views
...that the last ever train on the Plymouth to Launceston line failed to complete its journey on 29 December 1962 due to heavy snow?
21 January 2008... 2,409
...that only the shorter of the two Berks and Hants Railway lines actualy entered Hants, the longer was entirely in the county of Berks?
18 January 2008... 1,194 views
...that there are more than 40 Community Rail Partnerships supporting local rail lines in the United Kingdom?
27 November 2007
... that the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership has won £1,000,000 of grants to improve and promote six rural railways in south-west England?
19 November 2007
...that a lift attached to the side of the viaduct at Calstock railway station was used to lower railway trucks to the quays on the River Tamar 113 feet below?
9 November 2007
...that most trains stop before reaching the platform at Coombe railway station in Cornwall, UK, and then reverse away?
31 October 2007
...that in 2002, Devon and Cornwall set up a scheme where travellers on rural railways were rewarded for visiting pubs along the route?
29 October 2007
... that passengers for Lympstone Commando railway station have to pass an armed guard as the only access is through the adjacent Royal Marine Commando Training Centre?
21 October 2007
...that westbound trains can arrive unexpectedly on the eastbound track at Bedminster railway station to ease congestion at nearby Bristol Temple Meads?
8 September 2007

...that Weston-super-Mare's Birnbeck Pier has the longest lifeboat slipway (pictured) in England?
5 August 2007
...that horses hauled both passenger and goods trains to Weston-super-Mare railway station, England, from 1841, when the railway opened, until 1851?
26 July 2007
...that the architect Hans Price was responsible for the distinctive look of buildings in Weston-super-Mare, England, during the Victorian era?
16 July 2007
...that the GWR steam rail motors steam rail motors, introduced by the Great Western Railway in 1903 to stimulate traffic, were so successful that they had to be replaced by conventional trains?
2 July 2007

...that the Great Western Railway operated road motor (bus) services (pictured) in England and Wales from 1903 until 1933 as it was cheaper than building new railways?
29 May 2007
...that some of the disused railway stations between Plymouth in Devon and Penzance in Cornwall, England, were closed during the "Beeching Axe" in the 1960s?
19 May 2007
...that George Hennet built and operated depots on behalf of the South Devon Railway after it was short of money?
13 May 2007
...that there are eleven disused railway stations between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth Millbay, Devon, England, at eight of which there are visible remains?
7 May 2007
...that until 1861 Newton Abbot railway station had three separate train sheds for trains running on lines to and from Exeter, Plymouth, and Torquay?
16 April 2007
...that the names of broad gauge railway locomotives were drawn from areas such as Greek, Roman and other mythologies, famous people, literature, flora, fauna, towns, geographical features, speed and power?
6 March 2007

...that the Great Western Railway's Cornish Riviera Express (pictured) was named following a public competition in The Railway Magazine?
February 17 2007
...that only one of the 266 1076 Class steam locomotives built for the Great Western Railway was named, and the rest had only numbers?
January 17 2007
...that the six Charles Tayleur locomotives ordered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway were unsuccessful?
January 13 2007

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