East Devon’s Southern main line workings
IN his article (‘The Famous Five’, July issue) John Heaton states “After the traversing 1345yd Honiton Tunnel, eastbound trains pitch down the Umborne Brook Valley for five miles to the former Seaton Junction, where the famous down ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ used to discard one of its many portions.”
During my time working for British Railways, the ‘ACE’ ran nonstop from Salisbury to Sidmouth Junction. The train ran through the station and stopped past the level crossing. The Sidmouth branch locomotive would then couple on the rear of the train to remove the through coaches for Sidmouth and Exmouth.
The ‘ACE’ left Salisbury at 12.25 and, on arrival at Sidmouth Junction, only two minutes was allowed to detach the Sidmouth and Exmouth portions. Arrival at Exeter (Central) was 14.05.
My 1960 timetable shows a coach would be detached at Salisbury and attached to the rear of the 12.36 down service for intermediate stations to Honiton (including Seaton Junction).
D J Tozer By email
John Heaton responds: This is correct. What I should have said was “…Seaton Jct, served by a discarded portion of the Atlantic Coast Express.”
‘C13s’ in Cheshire
BIT late I’m afraid, but the picture of the ex-GCR ‘C13’ in the July issue was, for me, a treat because as a youngster in 1947, I regularly saw this and other class members on the Manchester Central to Chester North Gate service. I travelled many times behind them, but saw them displaced by the ‘D9s’, ‘D10s’, and ‘D11s’.
At an earlier date in August 1942 – three days before my sixth birthday – while passing over the West Coast Main Line near Warrington, I remember seeing the full ‘Coronation Scot’ train with a streamlined ‘Coronation’ at the head in blue passing beneath heading north. Great to read the letters in a great magazine!
Julian Wontner By email
Moments not quite in time
PAGE 18, July issue: Are you sure the Stockton and Darlington railway opened in 1925? That said, always a pleasure to read the magazine. Keep up the good work.
Nick Gillett, By email
Indeed, the S&D opened in 1825, apologies for the typo - Ed
IN his interesting article ‘A new Golden Age?’ in the 125th Anniversary Issue (July), Mike Jones has placed the publication of the Beeching Report a year too early.
