Puffing Billy Railway

 Diesel engine 

 As it was 

 The long building has gone & now a car park!

 Only one building left here now 

 Station still the same today

 How it would have looked in it's heyday

Our local village had a thriving steam railway and station before the Beeching Axe was swung into axing 4,000 route miles in 1966 and a further 2,000 miles by the end of the 1960's. Our station used to employ 25 railway men who would be shunting engines around unloading the milk wagons and loading up the trains with fresh strawberries for London. It was excellent transportation around the South West. The ex track is now called the Tarka Trail & used by bikes & walkers. Tarka Trail

Tarka Valley Railway Group had an open day as they are hoping to extend the track from the station down to the first railway bridge, just recently the owner of the station has sold his business and thankfully a local charity has purchased the site and will be working with the railway group to move forward to complete their dream of getting the station & line working again even if on a small scale to what it was.

I was thrilled to see a full scale model of  what the station would like in it's heyday because being a newbie to the area (6 years) I have not seen it as it was. I love to see the skill & workmanship put into model railways the scenery was stunning. It took the guy three years to complete the set up it was so nice asking him questions about his work and seeing the station with buildings and what they were used for.