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This was our second trip on UK Railtours, their charter train was due to
leave Waterloo early on Saturday 29th October 2011.
It was an early start to get to Waterloo on time and safely aboard the
8.02am, the very long train comprising of mainly dining cars and double
headed by diesel left on time.
It is a long journey of almost 200 miles to Okehampton, via Exeter with
two stop-offs at Salisbury and Yeovil Junction, where we were able to
alight. Charter trains have to fit in with scheduled trains and with a
track ahead our train had to wait for 20 minutes until a through train
had passed.
Yeovil Junction is an interesting station and has a preserved side with
turntable which is open most Sundays for enthusiasts.
Photo: Dana Wiffen
Then it was on through Axminster and Honiton with another short stay at
Exeter-St-Davids before passing Crediton and finally changing from
network rail to The Dartmoor Railways line stopping at Sampford
Courtenay Station for those that were travelling on to Castle Drogo.
We continued to Okehampton and the wonderfully preserved station.
Photo: Dana Wiffen
From here you could travel onto Meldon Station to catch the wonderful
views from Meldon Viaduct and walk along the now closed line that heads
towards Tavistock over Dartmoor, passing under many railway bridges and
closed remnants of railway halts.
Up to this point the weather had been wonderful warm and sunny giving
the additional treat of the autumn colours from the train windows.
Photo: Dana Wiffen
As we had visited this section back in September we decided to take the
optional trip into North Devon and visit The Launceston Steam Railway,
but Dartmoor and North Devon are a law to themselves with weather, and
it soon became cloudy at Okehampton and misty and wet as the coaches
drove towards Launceston.
A narrow gauge railway has been built on a section of what used to be
part of the North Devon Railway, the three coaches all received a warm
welcome from the volunteers of the Launceston railway and they had
opened especially for our visit.
There was plenty of steam on view for everyone and two trips to cater
for the coach load of visitors, with time for coffee and cake and buying
gifts from the souvenir shop before returning to Okehampton and home.
It was a long journey of nearly six hours each way but the carriages are
very comfortable and there is a superb buffet. And with a normally
pretty good crowd of people, it’s not like being stuck on a commuter
train those hours, but maybe it's not for everyone.
We eventually arrived home after 11pm so it was a long day but both The
Dartmoor and Launceston Railways are great to visit.
Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast
News 2011©
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