At the bottom of the first steep bank westwards in Devon, from miles of track at little more than sea level, Newton Abbot was developed into a railway town as a combination of port access and staging post for piloting trains. The station was built on a large scale to handle the crowds of holiday makers who would change onto trains for Paignton and Torbay, and a large main maintenance facility was established there that eventually ended up servicing the ‘Warship’ fleet. This diminished as Laira’s new depot came on stream, where the ‘Western’ fleet was concentrated, so superseding the need for any other Devon workshops somewhat, as the ‘Warships’ were phased out.
D63XXs awaiting duty are parked beside Newton Abbot depot in their early days, A loco from the prototype batch, D6303 is on the left with central louvres on its bodyside and D6306 of the production series has a mesh grating, improving engine room ventilation. It’s days now numbered, a ‘Castle’ class engine blows off steam in the background. 6####HO04-NTA-D63XX-PARKD
It is 25th January 1960, and new D813 “DIADEM” has arrived at Newton Abbot amid an environment of steam locos. Not yet “run in”, it has still to receive destination blinds, and has a red buffer beam and white builder’s plate – both colours fairly-soon abandoned. 600125A01-NTA-D813–PRK_D
D6337 pilots ex-GWR 4964 at Newton Abbot station in1962, the diesel added to help haul the van train over the South Devon Banks westwards. Luggage waits on the platform; new lighting superstructure protrudes above the train; and railway workers housing is to the right. 62###AH01-NTA-LOCOS- GDS_D
A large prairie tank simmers on the down line as D813 “DIADEM” enters Newton Abbot on the up with The Cornish Riviera Express – displaying a mere ‘A’ in the headcode boxes. Beside the train are many signal wires, indicating that quite strong pulls on the leavers in the Signal Box were necessary. 5####BZ01-NTA–D813-PAS_U
Warship D864 “ZAMBEZI” in May 1967 is parked with a pair of D63XXs towards the east end of Newton Abbot depot overlooked by the chimneys and cooling tower of the coal-fired power station. “ZAMBEZI” is in fine external condition with two logos per side. 6705##A01-NTA-D864–PARKD
D823 “HERMES” is parked with a permanent way train against Platform 1 of Newton Abbot Station. The engine is in maroon livery and carries multiple working equipment on its front end. Behind it the sidings are empty, overlooked by a terrace of railway dwellings. 690723A01-NTA–D823-HOP_E
In high Summer of 1969, Warships wait next to the fueling bay on Newton Abbot shed. The simple elegance of the architecture blends well with the remaining walls of the old steam shed in local stone, and everything is commendably clean and tidy. 690723A01-NTA–D8XX-PARKD
D861 “VIGILANT” runs across the pointwork at the west end of Newton Abbot Station. The engine has had the worst of its poor paintwork touched up, but still seems a presentable sight – even though its roofline and nose are caked with exhaust residues. Photo: Colin Caddy. 680928A01-NTA—D861-LIGHT
83A – home of the Warships! From left to right, 810 “COCKADE” in single logo blue livery; D819 “GOLIATH” in dual logo blue; and with exhaust drifting forward, finally D809 “CHAMPION” in maroon. Crossing boards are dusted from the recent ballasting. 7106##A01-NTA-D8XX–PARKD
The driver of a ‘Warship’ on a local “down” passenger service looks back for the all-clear before pulling away from Newton Abbot in the early 1970s. The platforms still have maroon enamel signs, and their surface and edging show maintenance neglect typical of this period. 7####FB01-NTA—D8##-PAS_D
A ‘Warship’ class diesel pulls away eastwards from Newton Abbot with a passenger service of Mk1 stock, viewed from under the awning of the main down platform. The station still has its maroon and cream signage including the GWR wooden running-in board. Taken in the early 1970s, partially visible is the soon-to-be-demolished coal-fired power station. 7####GT02-NTA-PLTFM-VI_NE
As a Western heads a train destined to climb the bank westward in a platform behind, D822 “HERCULES” and D827 “KELLY” double-head the ‘Cornish Riviera’ through Newton Abbot to Paddington in June 1969. It passes a fine gantry of semaphore signals, all set at “danger”; “NEWTON ABBOT WEST SIGNAL BOX”; and the carriage repair shop. 6906##B01-NTA-D8XX-PAS_U
827 “KELLY” is withdrawn, stored, at the back of Newton Abbot depot, with its nameplate missing, and in the company of another Class 42 engine. “KELLY”, like a cluster of those numerically before and after it, was a frequent visitor to Penzance, and memorably to my recollection paired with “JUPITER” or “INTREPID” on various different occasions. 7####GT05-NTA-d827-PARKD
Before the line of railway workers dwellings, one of the few remaining Westerns, D1041 “WESTERN PRINCE” makes a foray westwards from Newton Abbot depot in very wet weather. A washing-plant is beside it on the right, and rakes of carriages behind in the yard. 7####GF01-NTA-D1041-LIGHT
‘David & Charles – Publishers’ reads the destination board on an ex-GWR coach standing on the raised area behind D1041 “WESTERN PRINCE” as it runs light engine. They printed one of my student day drawings in their ‘Diesel Hydraulic Locomotives of the Western Region’ book. 7####GF01-NTA-D1041-LIGHT
In poor condition, one of the few remaining Westerns, D1041 “WESTERN PRINCE” makes a run westwards with very smoky exhaust from Newton Abbot depot. One of the ex-GWR coaches from the raised area beside it has now gone, presumably into preservation. 7####ES01-NTA-D1041-LIGHT 7####ER01-NTA-D1041-LIGHT
With its ‘D’ prefix painted-out, and in very reasonable external condition, D7028 is parked with a brake van on a siding parallel to the station platforms of Newton Abbot station. Behind it are the GWR ‘Ocean’ coaches preserved by publishers ‘David & Charles”- ‘Centenary’ stock from the Cornish Riviera Express, that were a welcome landmark here for many years. 7####GS01-NTA-D7028-PARKD
Amid lamp standards, in the storage sidings between Newton Abbot Station and the Works, Class 45 45006 ‘Honourable Artillery Company’ is seen parked on 22nd January 1977. With the demise of the diesel hydraulics, these locos became even more common. 77###AC01-NTA-45006-PARKD
On the “down” 1B15 passenger service, D1016 pauses at a fairly deserted Newton Abbot on its way west. The huge awnings spread extensively across the platform areas, shading the loading of parcels from a BRUTE, while a DMU waits on the adjacent line. 750707A12-NTA-D1016-PAS_D
The train heating boiler of TDB986008 (ex-24054) is used for warming stock in its new role as a Carriage Heating Unit at Newton Abbot station in 1978. Buffered up to it is 08646, and it displays NTBM warning light and information boards. 7802#AA02-NTA-TDB24-HEATG
Newton Abbot diesel shed interior on 16th November 1984. It is in thoroughly neglected state and some attempts at recovery of useful materials has been made, but it is still basically intact with unbroken windows. The Signal Box can be seen in the distance. 841116A01-NTA-D_SHD-VIS_E
The western end of the depot showing sunken pits with rails removed and the roller doors raised high. Track panels lie stacked outside and low lighting poles are still profuse. The buildings in the distance are those of famous railway publishers ‘David & Charles’. 841116A02-NTA-D_SHD-VIS_W
The sunken inspection pits outside Newton Abbot depot are slowly deteriorating as buddleia, ivy and weeds claim the area in 1984 – years after closure. To the left are vacant offices, rail workers houses, and at the end former depot sheds now in private hands. 841116A02-NTA-S_SHD-VIS_W
Another view of the desolate scene beside the Newton Abbot “factory”, this time further west through the buildings to the David & Charles print works with the familiar pigeon van cum store next to it. Anything easily removable before demolition has been taken. 891227A01-NTA-DEPOT-VI__N
Newton Abbot Station is shown from the derelict shed area in 1989, with a pile of reclaimed metal for scrapping lying in the foreground and concrete staff block, lamp hut and store behind. A staff mess building and GWR lamp hut lie in the middle ground. 891227A02-NTA-DEPOT-VI__N
Newton Abbot Shed is shown pre-demolition on 16th March 1996 when the track beside Platform 1 was being relayed, the rest beside it having already been lifted. Undergrowth is profuse beside the buildings that still appear intact, and sleepers are neatly piled beside the track awaiting reclamation. Piles of ballast and lighting arrays for night work are also in sight. 960316A01-NTA-T_BED-VI_SE
Warship’ Class D861 “VIGILANT” leaves Paignton station on a 3-coach local passenger service towards Newton Abbot. The crossing gates divide an important road at the centre of the town, usually causing an interested audience on both sides of the gates. 6####BY01-PGN—D861-PAS_U
The Eric Curnow Collection 