Under construction - photos to be added
TOTNES
RIVERSIDE
A
STATION 50 YEARS IN
THE MAKING
1969 First
decision to install loop line at Totnes. Initially
all services were run as auto-trains (push-pull)
1970 The
loop opens.
1975 There
are discussions about 'Totnes Project' for station and bridge. 3
stages considered
– 1) Platform and halt. 2) Bridge. 3) proper station. Excavator
arrived on Sept 4th.
1976 Trains
do not run to Totnes while the layout
is revised.
1977 Totnes
loop is commissioned.
Platform
1 now under
construction. 'Bridge
the Dart Appeal' launched
for a footbridge to connect to Totnes.
1981 The
London Group set up the 'Totnes Project' to build up the station
including purchasing
a building from British Rail. Application
for planning permission for Totnes Footbridge is submitted
1982 Toller
Station purchased from British Rail for
£500. It is dismantled on site and
then transported to Staverton by
early February.
1983 Plans
for the bridge are put on hold due to financing.
1985 Trains
begin to run direct into Totnes mainline. At
the same time the first bricks are laid for Totnes
Riverside station.
1986 Foundations
are laid for Bovey Hut.
1987 The
station is renamed Littlehempston Platform, then
changed to Littlehempston (Riverside).
1988 The
station building is 'topped out'. Platform
bricks recovered from Ivybridge
are laid on Platform 1. Plans
are made to bring Athelney signal
box to Totnes. (It came to the SDR but used at Bsihop's Bridge. Running into Totnes
BR stops at the end of the
season
for financial reasons. The
London Group find the canopy for
the platform at Axbridge.
1991 The
line is taken over by the volunteers as the
South Devon Railway Trust.
1992 The
Bovey Hut is completed. The
station wins its first award–
the Worth Valley Railway Award for
the best new project.
1993 Work
on the bridge over the Dart
starts in May, and contracts are
put out for the toilet block and bay
platform. The
Bridge (named
'Bulliver')
opens
on 23rd
July and Totnes station is manned from
now on.
1994 A
Totnes station group is formed. Work
begins to landscape the area behind
the station. Work on the toilet block and canopy is completed by the
end of the season. Station
is now renamed Totnes
(Littlehempston).
1995 6th
May. Totnes is formally handed over to the Trust by the London Group and
the Totnes group – led by Mark Ireland - begins running the
station.
1996 Work
continues on Platform 2 and laying of platform bricks along Platform
1 continues.
1997 3rd
May. Virgin Class 47 47814 was named Totnes Castle on the completed
platform 2 as part of the SDR 125 celebrations.
1998 Mess
Van acquired from Crewe is
in Platform 2 and work starts to
get it looking smart and usable.

Saturday
Volunteers start getting lunch
provided. The
water crane gets a coat of paint.
1999 The
Monster arrives at Totnes.
2000 The
path from the bridge to the station gets a proper tarmac surface. We
acquire 2 crossing gates – one to go across the main line link.
2002 Platform
bricks for the Totnes end of the platform (3000) arrive and are
laid on summer Wednesday evenings.
2003 Work
starts on bringing the Cradley Heath
Signal Box from Tyseley to Totnes. The
footings have been dug in advance
and
bricks for the base arrive.
2004 The
main part of the box arrives at Buckfastleigh
by road, ready to be dismantled
and taken up the line to Totnes.
By the Autumn the bulk of the box
is on its base.
2005 Totnes
moves into the present with
the installation of electric lighting in
the buildings and on the station. The
CCT arrives as a new workshop. The
signal box – as a building – is complete.
2006 Laying
platform bricks over the whole platform
is now complete.
2007 Station
wins its second main award – GNER
volunteers award from Heritage Rail Association.
The award includes £1000
which
we used to replace the plastic sheets on
the
toilet
roof and station canopy with
toughened glass.
2009 Phone
box arrives – hauled all the way from car park.
2010 Crossing
gate across Network Rail connection finally fitted and fully painted.
(It was removed in 2018 as no longer adequate for Network Rail
standards). Phone box complete and in situ with working light and a
faux A&B telephone.
2011 The
TMD (Formerly a Trolley Maintenance Depot) is transported from
Staverton and erection is nearly complete. Now TMD stands for Totnes
Maintenance Depot.
2012
Water tower completed by the
fitting of
its lid. The wagons under repair are now
covered by the huge tent to provide
cover while work goes on.
2013 Second
lamp hut from Bridgwater arrives
and is our garden machinery store.
The first of 2 GWR 5-plank
wagons is restored
2014 The
log store is completed. We
start work on refurbishing our CCT, (Car
Carrying Transport) removing umpteen
layers of paint.
It will be painted in
brown and new lettering applied as in the British
Railways era. The
MICA becomes our magazine store.
2015 Second
5-plank restoration complete. Installation of the bike rack begins.
The 'new' spear fencing begins to arrive.
2016 Another
award – probably the best! The
Heritage Railway National Interpretation Award was given to us for recreating
an authentic GWR station from nothing, using buildings etc from other
parts of the region, together with new buildings where required. The
presence of the Rare Breeds Farm was also a contribution as giving visitors
another option.
2017 The
name reverts to Totnes Riverside.
AFTER
50 YEARS THE WORK GOES ON............