Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

All that says about the previous history is a reference to "Barnstaple RGB", which a search engine tells me is a builder's merchant. What were they using the loco and wagons for?

 

This should help... https://www.buildersmerchantsnews.co.uk/RGB-makes-rail-truck-donation-to-local-railway/42368
Mind you, I don't recall hearing about this in 2015.

 

Thank you. I had wondered why a timber merchant would have 2 foot gauge rolling stock.

But I am still a little confused, because Rolle's Quay is on the north-west bank of the Yeo, and https://maps.nls.uk/view/101442772 shows a tramway along it connected to the standard gauge line towards Ilfracombe, while the L&B line was on the other side of the river.

 

Yes, that confused me as well. But when they say "Having occupied the former site, which until 1935 was the headquarters of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, RGB utilised the bogies to move timber from the yard into the sawmill on the existing rail track. Timber was then loaded onto another truck and pushed by hand along the track to the timber storage area ready for sale." did they perhaps expand into the Pilton Yard site and actually use some of the old L&BR track? Intriguing - I don't recall anything like that being mentioned anywhere else.

 

The line at Rolles Quay was standard gauge, reached via trailing connection from the mainline to Ilfracombe.

The linked article notes that the builders merchant was originally on the site of the L&BR station in Barnstaple, but subsequently moved to Rolles Quay in 2005. But I think that is a red herring in any case - the reference to 2ft gauge stock is when they were still on the L&BR site.

Tom