The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs seven miles from Paignton to Kingswear, along the spectacular Torbay coast before crossing the peninsula to follow the River Dart to Kingswear.
The line was built by the Dartmouth to Torbay Railway and opened in 1864 serving the holiday resorts of Goodrington Sands and Churston. There was a short branch line from Churston Junction to Brixham. It later became amalgamated into the Great Western Railway and stations are still painted in GWR colours of chocolate and cream.
At Kingswear, it was connected to Dartmouth by a passenger ferry, as the logistics of a building a bridge were too challenging and expensive. Dartmouth Station with its floating landing stage, was the only station on the rail network not to have a railway line.
The Brixham branch was closed as part of the Beeching cuts in 1964 as it was mainly seasonal holiday traffic. The line to Kingswear struggled on with the Ministry of Transport proposing closure in 1967. The Dart Valley Light Railway Company, a private heritage company, who run the South Devon Railway between Totnes and Buckfastleigh succeeded in buying the line in 1972. An independent station was built adjacent to the main line station, on the site of the old sidings. The company ran their first trains the following year.
The railway is now run by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company and now run a service from mid February to the end of October with Christmas services from the end of November and December. Unusual for heritage railways, it is a commercial operation and doesn’t rely on volunteer labour, being run entirely by paid staff. As well as owning locos and railway stock, the company also owns a fleet of vessels, including the paddle steamer, Kingswear Castle, that run regular ferry services on the River Dart as well as a regular foot passenger service between Kinsgswear and Dartmouth.
As well as the return ticket between Paignton and Kinsgswear they offer a variety of steam and cruise options.
Cont....
The line was built by the Dartmouth to Torbay Railway and opened in 1864 serving the holiday resorts of Goodrington Sands and Churston. There was a short branch line from Churston Junction to Brixham. It later became amalgamated into the Great Western Railway and stations are still painted in GWR colours of chocolate and cream.
At Kingswear, it was connected to Dartmouth by a passenger ferry, as the logistics of a building a bridge were too challenging and expensive. Dartmouth Station with its floating landing stage, was the only station on the rail network not to have a railway line.
The Brixham branch was closed as part of the Beeching cuts in 1964 as it was mainly seasonal holiday traffic. The line to Kingswear struggled on with the Ministry of Transport proposing closure in 1967. The Dart Valley Light Railway Company, a private heritage company, who run the South Devon Railway between Totnes and Buckfastleigh succeeded in buying the line in 1972. An independent station was built adjacent to the main line station, on the site of the old sidings. The company ran their first trains the following year.
The railway is now run by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company and now run a service from mid February to the end of October with Christmas services from the end of November and December. Unusual for heritage railways, it is a commercial operation and doesn’t rely on volunteer labour, being run entirely by paid staff. As well as owning locos and railway stock, the company also owns a fleet of vessels, including the paddle steamer, Kingswear Castle, that run regular ferry services on the River Dart as well as a regular foot passenger service between Kinsgswear and Dartmouth.
As well as the return ticket between Paignton and Kinsgswear they offer a variety of steam and cruise options.
Cont....
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