I know I was going through the Plymouth to Launceston Line, but I found an old post from Princeton Railway. Originally opened in 1883, it was the terminus for the single track, 10.5 mile line across Dartmoor. The station was the highest in England at 1,375ft above sea level.
Where was the Station?
Princetown was rather dull, after the steep climb from Yelverton, across the stunning moors. It had a single platform, a passing loop, goods yard, good shed, single box, an engine shed for two locomotives, a 180ft long carriage shed and a turntable.
The History of Princetown Station
The Princetown Railway owned the station until 1 January 1922, when the company merged with the Great Western Railway (GWR). The line passed to British Railways (Western Region) in 1948, and British Railways closed it on 3 March 1956. The station was also host to a GWR camp coach in 1934 and 1938.
This was just on the outskirts of Princetown. No 4410 enters the with the 2.51 p.m. ex Yelverton train in the early 1950s. In the foreground can be seen Leeden Tor above the coach and Sharpitor, with its R.A.F. mast against the skyline. – Image credit: Western Morning News
The same No 4410 heads the 12.8 p.m. train out of Princetown on a crisp, but sunny winter’s day, during the early 1950s. Image credit: Western Morning News
From R C Riley
Here is a series of photos by R. C. Riley, showing a sequence of operations at Princetown station between the arrival of the 2.28 p.m., mixed train from Yelverton, to the departure of the 4.0 p.m. passenger train from Princetown. The day was Tuesday, 5th July 1955, during the final summer of the branch; the loco was 2-6-2T No 4410.
Arrival at 3.10 p.m. on the approaches to Princetown Station.
Pulling into the platform. View of the station and goods yard from the bridge at the west end.
Running around the train.
Shunting duties taking place at Princetown Station, showing a general view of the engine shed and goods yard.
By the water crane for filling up.
By the coaling stage for refuelling.
The 4:00pm passenger train to Yelverton departing.
More from Princetown Station
An old L&GRP photograph taken at the turn of the 19th century, showing a busy scene at Princetown. Note the construction of the houses at the end of the Station Road, just behind the station building, which incidentally has 3 chimney stacks. Image by Real Photographs Ltd.
A general view of Princetown station and goods yard and 1900. Image by Anthony Kingdom.
A 2-6-2T of the ‘3101’ class, heads out for the moor, bunker first, during a day in 1908. Image by Anthony Kingdom.
A fine overview of Princetown station in it’s earlier days. A 2-6-2T, No 4403, runs around its train during a day in June 1926. The second truck from the front of the engine is from the SE&CRly. Image by H. C. Casserley.
The eastern end of the station goods yard. In the foreground stands Princetown R.U. ‘toad’, No W56766.
A 45XX class, No 4524 arriving with the train. This side of the signal box can be seen the motor trolley’s garage, next to the lampman’s hut. Image by OPC/BR.
The front of the goods shed with its accompanying handcrane. No 4542 waits the next train to Yelverton. Image by OPC/BR.
Next up
There is more to come from Princetown Station, but I will hold off on them for now.
As always, thank you to Anthony Kingdom for the use of the images from his book, The Princetown Branch, which you can find online.
I will be going back to the Plymouth to Tavistock to Launceston railway in the next post, but missing a few stations. I’m hoping to get permission to use more images, hence the hold up.
