When Brunel took the decision to build the South Devon Railway along the beach between Dawlish Warren, Dawlish and Teignmouth, little did he realise this Was to become one of the most scenic and instantly recognisable sections of line in Great Britain. Brunel had previously favoured an inland route, avoiding the coastal section completely, but this would have required extensive earthworks and several lengthy tunnels. The coast route, on the other hand, was Cheaper to construct and also directly served the towns of Dawlish and Teignmouth.
It appears Brunel did not anticipate that placing a railway next to the sea would result in any major problems, although in this, of course, time has shown even him to be mistaken! Not only has the line always been particularly expensive to maintain, but throughout its existence there have been a number of serious breaches of the sea wall defences which have resulted in the line being blocked, sometimes for days or even weeks.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is likely that an inland route, despite the higher initial cost, would have been a cheaper and more sustainable option in the long term. This, however, would have denied us the railway that has become so familiar as it passes along the sea wall and below the red sandstone cliffs; without doubt a magnificent location at which to observe and photograph trains. Unfortunately for the steam enthusiast the Western Region, When implementing the 1955 Modernisation Plan, decided that Devon and Cornwall would become the first part of its area to be dieselised. The intention Was to completely eliminate steam by the end of 1960 (a target that in the event proved impossible). Initially this plan related to all WR lines west of Newton Abbot, but it was later extended to include the whole of Devon. The
