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Work in Progress: Sunday 6th November

posted by Martyn de Young on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 00:04

Autumnal scenes at Chelfham


This year the L&B Railways' "second" owned station at Chelfham continues to receive further garden maintenance and trackbed clearance by a few volunteers. Nigel Thompson went along to record a few autumnal scenes around the site including some of the original railway's surviving relics and views of the famous viaduct.


1. The station as seen from the approach drive with the magnificent colours of the autumn trees all around.
 

2. A morning view of Chelfham Viaduct from the station.
 

3. The rhododendron hedge has been neatly trimmed back over the years forming a boundary near the site of the original down side short siding.
 

4. Special thanks to member Bob Palmer, who has maintained and cut this hedge to shape again this year.
 

5. The down side platform concrete running-in board posts survive just waiting for a new replica sign to be made and installed. ... any takers?
 

6. The up side posts survive too, amongst some stored equipment looking north along the trackbed.
 

7. The concrete down starter signal post lies near its original site, having fallen there many years ago. Concrete fence posts survive at places along the original railway'boundary with the woodland.
 

8. The relocated original signal cabin is now amongst the storage sheds on the former up platform.
 

9. A footpath once lead up to the station from the road in the Loxhore direction.
 

10. This path angled up the steep bank giving access to the station for passengers walking from the Loxhore villages along the road from Bratton Fleming.
 

11. An afternoon view of the west side of the viaduct.
 

12. Looking through the railings onto the top of the viaduct restored 2000. (A high secure fence prevents any unauthorised access onto the viaduct)
 

13. Eleven years on the plaque still reminds us of the British Railways Board with engineers Carl Bro Group, the Railway Heritage Trust and the L&BR Trust's sponsorship of its restoration by contractor Stansells.
 
Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson

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