THE DARTMOUTH-TORBAY RAILWAY A history by Phil Scoble


T


he railway to Kingswear is one of the area’s most attractive day’s out for many visitors. More than a million people use it every year, perhaps because of the dramatic and beautiful views that greet travellers as they chug from Churston to Kinsgwear. but this rugged beauty made the job of building the line an attritional and costly enterprise – which almost bankrupted those who paid for it but brought a new age of prosperity to Dartmouth and Kingswear. with the end of the newfoundland trade – which had made the fortunes of a number of the area’s families – and the depression following the napoleonic wars, things did not look good at the beginning of the 19th Century for the area. Poor communication and transport links made Dartmouth and Kinsgwear seem isolated and parochial in the extreme. but then, suddenly, the industrial revolution started to have an affect – quite late when you consider the man who started it, thomas newcomen, had been born in Dartmouth.


Coaling bunkers arrived in the harbour in 1850, making it an attractive stop off for the growing number of steam ships sailing in british waters.


The railway & Britannia


Southampton had a rail link direct to lon- don –and traders were concerned that the lack of connection would harm business. However a gentleman called isambard Kingdom brunel had not put Dartmouth and Kingswear into his plans for his “great western” line – and was not going to. So the branch line was opened to torquay in 1848 and was not going to come any further.


Isambard Kingdom Brunel had not put Dartmouth and Kingswear into his plans for his “Great Western” line – and was not going to.


as he worked to gain the approval having taken on the whole financial responsibility for the company. but in 1857 an Act of Parliament gave approval to the project and allowed work to begin. the extension of the branch line would first be built from torquay to Paignton, then to Churston and finally on to Kingswear. the cost to Seale Hayne was projected at £90,000 – more than £3million today. but as anyone who has travelled between Paignton and Kingswear will tell you, there is some tricky terrain to overcome and build on. there are lots of different gradients and other geological problems – not least the need for a tunnel, which can be hellishly


Dartmouth’s own Charles Seale Hayne, supported by his Uncle Sir Henry Seale, formed the Dartmouth and torbay railway company and campaigned to have the line ex- tended from torquay to Kingswear. it must have been a worrying time for Seale Hayne


expensive to do. the work went slowly, much more slowly than hoped – and the cost began to mount. two years after work began, Paignton Station opened. in the same year Seale Hayne found himself mixed up


Photo by Nick Shepherd - www.southdevonphotos.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144