Clearbrook Halt railway station explained

Clearbrook Halt
Status:Disused
Borough:Clearbrook, West Devon
Country:England
Platforms:1
Original:Great Western Railway
Postgroup:Great Western Railway
Events:Opened to passengers
Years1:31 December 1962
Events1:Closed

Clearbrook Halt was a railway station on the South Devon and Tavistock Railway serving the villages of Clearbrook and Meavy in South Devon, nine miles to the North of Plymouth, and a mile and a half from Yelverton.

Station

The station consisted of a short platform and sported a GWR pagoda-type waiting room and ticket office.

It was staffed by a part-time attendant, and closed in 1962.

History

The Plym Valley railway ran from Plymouth North Road station to Marsh Mills. From there it followed the course of the River Plym, along the edges of Dartmoor, until it reached Tavistock, an ancient Stannary town.[1]

In the 1950s, the line was fairly busy with both passenger and freight trains. Freight included cattle, milk, and general goods. One pick-up freight train per day, usually with a 52xx Class 2-6-2 Prairie tank locomotive in charge.

Passenger trains usually consisted of one or two coaches, often using older "Hawksworth" stock, and pulled by either a 0-6-0 ex GWR Pannier tank, or another 2-6-2 Prairie.

The Branch passenger service was withdrawn from 31 December 1962, the last train running in a heavy blizzard and the Marsh Mills to Tavistock was then closed completely.[2] It was demolished in the summer/autumn of 1964, and within two years the northern freight only sections were abandoned.

References

50.4714°N -4.0799°W

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20110514041915/http://www.btinternet.com/~plymvalleyrailway/history.html History of the line
  2. Passengers No More by G.Daniels and L.Dench