Work in Progress: 1st April - Chelfham Station

posted by Martyn de Young on Sun, 08/04/2012 - 22:14

A small work party today continued various work around the L&BR Trust's second station after the recent working weekend of trackbed tree clearances.

1. A few weeks ago John Edmonds undertook a trial excavation to locate the foundation of the edge of the down platform. John found the platform edge and cleaned off his 'archaeological' dig using some traditional tools.

2. Today John has continued the 'dig', working carefully in the direction of the viaduct where he hopes soon to pick up the curve where the original railway siding was located.

The edge of the down platform has until now been completely obliterated, and as far as we can tell is completely devoid of the capping bricks. There is in store nearby a pallet load of 'Blue Imperial Engineering Bricks' but we'll need considerably more to complete the eventual reinstatement of the entire platform. If anyone can help with obtaining more bricks we would be immensely grateful.

3. The up platform however, retains much of its brickwork intact including this section surviving at the viaduct end (The post war extension was built upon the platform edge).

4. Another project now underway at Chelfham is to restore the original signal cabin. This cabin although not on its original site has been cleared inside of stored items to enable an assessment of the work to be done.

5. An internal view of the signal cabin.

6. The signal cabin is similar to the one at Woody Bay and requires renovation both inside and out.

7. An external view of the signal cabin currently stored alongside the sheds on the up platform at Chelfham.

The 'Friends of Chelfham Station' group are carrying out these limited restoration projects and preservation of the site at Chelfham as part of safeguarding the L&BR route for the future. If anyone is new to the L&BR project and would like to help out at all then please contact Nigel Thompson.

Words and pictures: Nigel Thompson and John Edmonds