Buckfastleigh Headshunt/Ex Ashburton alignment

Hi Guys

While visiting the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh a few weeks ago, i took a walk around the site and along the bank of the River Dart to the point where the Headshunt bufferstops are just infront of the river next to the A38.

My question is, has the original alignment been slewed here to allow as longa headshunt as possible, or was there another crossing of the River Dart on the way to Ashburton ?, i always thought it was the A38 which cut the line off at Buckfastleigh, but the current alignment suggests a missing river bridge is also a part of it, unless as i say that alignment is a post preservation thing.

 

There was a bridge across the Dart. There is a picture in "Western Steam in Devon and Cornwall" by Michael Welch taken from the other side of the bridge across the Dart ( from a road bridge over the line) looking towards the station.

 

Although I have no connection with the SDR, I have just read the excellent book covering the history of the Ashburton branch by Anthony Kingdom. From the plans etc. in this book, the original alignment continued straight on from the platforms, under the new A38 and then crossed the River Dart over a bridge similar to the remaining one south of Buckfastleigh. I believe the alignment then gets lost under the A38 for much of the way to Ashburton.

Therefore I would believe the headshunt is slewed to give as much storage as possible within the limitations of space presented by the A38 cutting across.

 

If you visit old-maps.co.uk and enter Buckfastleigh in the search box, you will find maps showing the old alignment.

 

3rd pic down on the SDR website shows the location http://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/history/full-history