Bideford Railway Heritage Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bideford Railway Heritage Centre |
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A replica of the original signal box at Bideford Railway Station
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| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | London and South Western Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Stations | 1 |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 2 November 1855 |
| Closed | 6 November 1982 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1988 | Society formed |
| Headquarters | Bideford, Devon |
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre CIC is a special group in Devon, England. It used to be called the Bideford and Instow Railway Group. This group is a community interest company, which means it's a type of non-profit organization. Its main job is to look after the old Bideford railway station site.
The group also takes care of the Instow signal box. This signal box is open to visitors on some Sundays and bank holidays. You can usually visit it from Easter until October.
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History of the Railway Line
The railway line first opened in 1848. It ran from Barnstaple to Fremington. Passenger trains started running all the way from Barnstaple railway station to Bideford on November 2, 1855. This part of the line was known as the Bideford Extension Railway. The line was later made even longer, reaching Torrington in 1872. That's when the current Bideford railway station was built.
Passenger train services stopped on October 2, 1965. However, trains carrying ball clay (a type of clay used in pottery) continued to run until 1982. The railway tracks were removed in 1985. This happened even though British Rail had shown some interest in bringing back passenger trains to Bideford. After the tracks were gone, the old railway path was turned into the Tarka Trail. This is a popular walking and cycling path that follows the old railway route.
James May's Model Train Challenge
In 2009, TV presenter James May tried a fun challenge. He wanted to reconnect the old Bideford station with Barnstaple Junction. He used an OO scale model train for this project, which was part of his show James May's Toy Stories. Sadly, the last model train, a Hornby Class 395 "Javelin", broke down at Instow.
James May returned in 2011 to finish his challenge. This time, he got help from a famous German model railway attraction called Miniatur Wonderland. They raced several model trains over the 9.89 miles (15.92 km) distance from Barnstaple to Bideford. The first train to arrive at Bideford was a Hornby Intercity 125. A hydrogen-powered train came next. Finally, May's own model of the famous LNER 'Pacific' 4472 Flying Scotsman arrived.
Visiting the Heritage Centre
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre has been working on the old Bideford station site since 1989. Their goal is to keep the railway history alive there. In 1992, they built a copy of the original signal box. Later, they added signal levers inside it.
In 2019, an interactive learning center opened inside a green PMV (which stands for Parcels and Miscellaneous Van). On certain dates, you can even take short passenger rides at Bideford. These rides use the Planet diesel locomotive. The center is open from Easter until the end of October on weekends and during school holidays. There is also a cafe inside a Mark 1 coach. This cafe is great for walkers and cyclists using the Tarka Trail. You can reach the site from the Tarka Trail even when the station itself is not open.
Railway Vehicles
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre has several railway vehicles, also known as rolling stock:
- A Hibberd Planet diesel locomotive named No.3832. This locomotive is currently working.
- A BR Mk1 TSO coach, number 4489. This coach is used as the cafe and is painted in BR Green.
- A SR PMV (Parcels and Miscellaneous Van), number 2142. This is where the Interactive Interpretation Centre is located.
- A BR Toadfit brake van. This vehicle is currently being repaired and restored.
Other Local Railway Places
