Exeter was established because it was the furthest navigable point inland of the River Exe. The railway gravitated there for goods transshipment and because it was a large centre of population – that eventually became the County Town of Devon. All passenger services that I ever took stopped there, and it was often non-stop from there to Reading – my journey from Penzance being two hours to Plymouth, one to Exeter, and two more to London. The station building is impressive to match the location’s importance, and it had a depot and extensive sidings for stock.
6012 ‘KING EDWARD VI’ slowly chuffs into life while leaving Exeter with a westbound express passenger service on 19th May 1956. The old goods sheds and riverside trees are behind, and a railway worker strides the duckboards oblivious to the familiar sight. 560519A01-EXD-s6012-PAS_U
I’d often wondered what Exeter St David’s Engine Shed looked like before semi-demolition, and this picture shows the structure with other buildings still in situ. Although the signal posts are still wooden, the running in board shows this to be post nationalisation. 5####BL01-EXD-E_SHD-VI__N
A couple of ‘Hall’ class locomotives and a pannier tank engine front the coaling stage beside Exeter St David’s station. A train of 5-plank wagons are in view, as well as metal bodied mineral wagons for loco coal on the embankment beside a tank at the stop block. 620526A01-EXD-s57##-STORE
5555 is pictured at Exeter St. Davids on 24th June 1963 parked up with its chimney incomplete and covered, and a sister loco without a safety valve cover – both not yet withdrawn, but out of use and awaiting disposal. They are hidden away from public view behind the Water Tower and a breakdown vehicle, making a rusty contrast with the new signal. 630624A01-EXD-s5555-PARKD
Exeter Middle Signal Box at the north end of the station is pictured with the broad gauge-dimensioned goods sheds behind. Before it is ‘Red Cow Crossing’, whose gates are always busy opening and closing as this is one of few river crossings in the area. 6####BE01-EXD-S_YRD-VI_N
The grand façade of Exeter St David’s Station, the sandstone blocks a little weather-stained, with a queue of taxis waiting to ply their trade. The signage dates it later than the era I am interested in, but it is still essentially the same as when I first saw it. 6####BF01-EXD-S_BLG-BLDNG
A ‘Battle of Britain’ Class Locomotive 34080 ’74 Squadron’ and a ‘Warship’ have arrived at Exeter St Davids Station, the steam loco with a train from Waterloo and the diesel, in pristine original livery with spotless headcode discs, heading up the GW main line. 6####EE01-EXD-34080-PAS_D
In April 1963 34106 “LYDFORD’ runs down the slope from Central into Exeter St David’s over the foot crossing at the south end of the station. Close to it is a D63XX diesel in the carriage sidings, and Exeter West Signal Box is on the other side of the train. 63###AB01-EXD-34105-PAS_D
One of the North British built Class 43 ‘Warship’ locomotives has arrived with a “down” passenger service at Exeter St David’s station – it’s buffer beam free of the encumbrance of multiple working connectors. Parcel sorting goes on behind on both platforms. 6####AQ01-EXD-D8##–PAS_D
A Swindon-built ‘Warship’ in original green livery is coupled with a break van and string of hoppers, apparently at Exeter. The buildings nearby have local stone foundations, but have been mainly rebuilt with brick, and a sound metal roof now caps the nearest. 6####GQ01-EXD–D8##-PARKD
As the new image of the latest in rail travel, a Western Class loco waits as passengers board at Exeter St David’s station. The steam loco to the left, water column to the right and maroon enamel signs show this to be the early 1960s. 6208#AC01-EXD-D10##-PAS_U
In about 1966 D870 “ZULU” runs out of Exeter St David’s Station towards the railway bridge across the River Exe before returning by the lines on the right to the depot. Exeter West Box is behind the locomotive, and buildings, with the curve to Central, on the left. 66###AA01-EXD–D870-LIGHT
The driver of D6310 looks back along his train as it rumbles over the creaking points to guide it onto the main line south from Exeter St Davids. The first part of the consist is a tank and GUV, and echoing the loco, their general appearance is shabby. Behind is the open space caused by removal of the former steam depot, and now nere peripheral parking for staff. 7####HB01-EXE-D6310-GDS_D
Rain streams off D824 ‘HIGHFLYER’ and D805 “BENBOW” at Exeter Stabling Point, coupled together and parked up. Puddles are created on the greasy ballast, and as well as rivulets down D824’s sides, the dome of its front end gleams with the added lustre. 6####AI01-EXD-D824-PARKD
About 1969, D839 “RELENTLESS” pulls into Platform 5 at Exeter St David’s Station with an “up” service – a sight sufficient to create interest in a bystander. The coaching stock behind is in matching maroon; there is a DMU in the next platform. 6908#AF01-EXD-D839–PAS_U
A 1969 sight – a “down” passenger service led by maroon-liveried D1038 “WESTERN SOVEREIGN” at the end of Platform 5 of Exeter St David’s Station. The grand frieze of white arched windows above it contrasts strongly with the exhaust blackened awning. 69###AL02-EXD-D1038-PAS_D
D809 “CHAMPION’ heads through Exeter St David’s towards Bristol with “the Bradford” in September 1971 – still in bleached and battered maroon livery, double-heading the service with a shiny new ‘Peak’ not long out of the paintshops. Behind is the familiar GWR Goods Shed that sadly burned down some years afterwards, preventing preservation. 7109#AD01-EXD–D809-PAS_U
A closer view of D1038 “WESTERN SOVEREIGN” at Exeter St David’s shows a battered front corner, presumably from a side-swipe with something quite substantial. Its centre sides are coated with oil, and it appears to be running on only one engine. 69###AM01-EXD-D1038-PAS_D
D1046 “WESTERN MARQUIS” heads an up passenger train at Exeter St David’s Station on a sunny 16th February 1969, parked below a signal gantry with all the signals set at “on”. The loco is still in maroon livery that is now worn and exhaust-coated. 690216A01-EXD-D1046-PAS_U
The first of the production-batch of “Warship’ diesels, D803 “ALBION”, runs off Exeter Stabling Point to its next duty. Behind it is D817 “FOXHOUND”, and another maroon Warship is parked in the remains of the old steam shed at back right of the picture. 7004#AA01-EXD-d803–LIG_D
A sight I never saw myself – a ‘treble-header’ – where a Hymek is supplemented with a pair of Warships to ensure it gets over the South Devon banks. It is pictured passing Exeter West Signal Box with the bridge and signal gantry beyond. Photo: Peter Noonan 7008#AC01-EXD-LOCOS-PAS_D
Both engines pump exhaust freely as D835 “PEGASUS” halts enroute westwards with a passenger service at Exeter St Davids. It is in the mid corporate blue livery with rail alphabet numerals, but its paintwork is rather tired by now, and with the bodyside stripe of its former green livery shows through. 7####FI01-EXD–D835-PAS_D
814, shorn of its ‘DRAGON’ nameplates, is buffered up to 4185 in the sidings across from the platforms at Exeter St Davids. This loco’s days were definitely numbered by now! The empty tracks before it run to the Stabling Point, right, and main line, left. 720911A01-EXD-d814–PARKD
A ‘Western’ enters Exeter St David’s from the Plymouth direction on a winter’s day. The Water Tower – soon to be demolished and the new Power Signal Box erected on the site – dominates the scene, and a signed semaphore guards the storage sidings. 7304#AA04-EXD-D10##-PAS_U
Enhanced by the trees around the site, dusk has fallen as D1023 “WESTERN FUSILIER” with a ‘special’ enters Exeter St Davids from the west in 1975. Behind it is the shunters mess building, and on the extreme right, the walls of the water tower. The barrow crossing light warns staff to be careful of trains as they cross the complicated rail arrangement at this point. 75###AO01-EXD-D1023-PAS_U
The Second Man looks back as D7008 draws away from a train with a “Warship’ loco, that has presumably failed. Loaded BRUTEs on the adjacent platform await the arrival of an up parcels train and Platform 2 is signalled for a down, stopping, arrival. 700826A01-EXE-D7008-SHU_S
An elbow of a relaxed second man protrudes from a cab window as D1051 “WESTERN AMBASSADOR” awaits permission to proceed east from Exeter St David’s station. Beside it, a D8XX ‘Warship’ draws away from a rake of vans being loaded as the loading constraints are being checked. 7####FR01-EXD-D1051-PAS_U
Under the gantry at the north end of Exeter St David’s Station a ‘Western’ has arrived with a van train. The sun is strong and emphasises the bleached paintwork of the structure – with its rather strange circular metalwork – soon to be replaced by electric signalling. 75###AJ03-EXD-D10##-PAS_U
The parched grass and wide open cab and engine room windows indicate the long hot Summer of 1975 as D1041 ‘WESTERN PRINCE’ checks its stride over the Exe rail bridge and begins to cross the River Exe eastwards. St Michael’s church is on the skyline. 7507##A02-EXD-D1041-PAS_U
D1010 “WESTERN CAMPAIGNER” waits with a Class 46 in the remains of the old steam shed at Exeter St David’s stabling point. The walls largely remain although the roof has gone – retained because the ancillary offices are integral to the structure. 7508##A01-EXE-D1010-PARKD
47377 is parked up on Exeter depot beside the former site of the slope up to the Coaling Stage. The loco was an unusual visitor this far west. Before it are a couple of rotary shunting signals and beyond the trees behind is the River Exe, with staff car parking far right. 7####BQ01-EXD-47377-PARKD
Parked against impromptu stop blocks, 33011 waits for reuse. The scattering of sleepers, semaphore signal, point rods and signal wires all point to the MAS resignaling of the area. The engine displays the default block headcode panels, as no longer needed. 7####DE01-EXD-33011-LIGHT
With the paint on its cab handrails worn by countless ascents, Class 25 loco 7625 runs around it’s Barnstaple train before re-departure north, at Exeter St Davids Station. Puddles in the foreground show rain not many hours previously, and the backdrop, trees largely decimated by development now. 7####FG01-EXD-d7625-LIGHT
The dismal weather is not much improved by the appearance of the unkempt and pitted boyside of D1041 “WESTERN PRINCE”, although the throb and warmth of its engine and the exhaust gently blowing does partly recompense. Under the semaphores, D1048 waits to go eastward at Exeter St David’s, and Red Cow Crossing is clearly seen beyond. 7####GF03-EXD-D1041-PAS_U
The ‘Barrow Crossing light’ is on as D1051 “WESTERN AMBASSADOR” crosses the lines curving left to Exeter Central, and is about to pass ‘Exeter West Signal Box’ on its way west in the mid 70s – the building now happily preserved at Crewe Heritage Centre. The locomotive is in surprisingly reasonable external condition at this late stage in its service life. 7####GF04-EXD-D1051-PAS_D
The Eric Curnow Collection 