Paignton and Dartmouth photo guide

Well, my CVR photoguide seems to have been well received, so I thought I’d attempt one for the Paignton & Dartmouth, a line I have great affection for as I’ve known it well since I was a lad, in its last years of operation by BR Western Region. There are some wonderful photo opportunities here, all accessed rom public areas, so here goes…
There aren’t many good spots at Paignton itself, the first opportunities are at Goodrington station, where down trains can be photographed approaching from Paignton -
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr053.html
and up trains from Churston –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr109.html.
Next is Goodrington beach where some excellent “seaside” shots can be taken, with the beach huts below the train –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr040.html, and
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr107.html.
This location is best in the morning when the sun will be behind you, and if the tide is in you may have to get your feet wet!
Further along the beach there is a rocky area where this type of shot may be taken –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr084.html.
From here, follow the coastal footpath under the railway bridge and up the hill where you will come to this spot –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr092.html.
Last time I was there the lineside vegetation was getting dangerously high, if it isn’t cut you might need a pair of steps to see over it. This spot is best in the afternoon.
Following the footpath you will come to an overbridge wher this shot of up trains coasting down the hill can be taken –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr106.html.
then after a steep climb you will come to a steep flight of steps going down again, about halfway down you can get this shot of an up train passing Saltern Cove –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr015.html.
Still following the path, the next spot is by the underbridge where the path to Saltern Cove turns off, these shots are from the landward side of the line.
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr024.html, and
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr091.html.
and this from the seaward side –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr087.html.
Follow the path under the bridge and you can get to the rocks at the southern end of Saltern Cove, from where you can get this shot –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr042.html.
Back on the coastal path, the next location is by Waterside caravan park, where from another flight of steps this shot is possible –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr111.html.
Climb the steps and follow the path over the hill and you will come to Broadsands viaduct, the shorter of the two viaducts on this section of line. –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr027.html.
Go under the viaduct towards the beach, squeeze through a gap in the fence on the right and go up the field, you will come to this spot –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr088.html, and
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr089.html.
I believe this field is also accessible from the Broadsands road, but I have never got in that way myself. From the car park at Broadsands beach, trains crossing Hookhills viaduct can be photographed, -
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr028.html, this is best in the morning, while in the afternoon the viaduct can be photographed from the other side. From Broadsands, turn left onto the A3022 towards Brixham, then left just past the traffic lights into Bascombe Road where there is a free parking area on the grass. From here you can get a shot of the viaduct with Torquay in the background –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr061.html.
The next spot is the road bridge at Churston station, particularly on days when a main line special is running, as the engine is turned here –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr068.html.
From Churston station, if you follow Greenway Road through Galmpton then turn left you will come to a bridge where this shot of down trains leaving Churston can be taken –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr062a.html.
Further along Greenway Road is this spot, where the line is approaching Greenway tunnel. –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr115.html.
At Noss [ turn right for Noss Marina off the A379 Dartmouth Higher Ferry road] there is a shot from the bridge at the entrance to the marina –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr113.html.
The next location is the slipway at the Higher Ferry [Britannia Crossing] from where these shots can be taken, in the up direction -
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr078.html
and in the down -
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr102.html
If you go across on the higher ferry it is also possible to photograph trains from the other side of the river-
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr103.html.
There is a footpath all the way to Kingswear station from here, this shot was taken from it –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr081.html ,
and this one from the crossing at Kingswear marina –
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr005.html
Finally, Kingswear station itself -
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr059.html,
http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr036.html.

Again, I hope this will be useful to my fellow photographers, and if anyone has more to add please do.

Tim.

 

Wow! =D> Thanks for the effort Tim. Useful stuff there!

Trevor

 

Nice locations highlighted there- thanks.

Can I just add that at Britannia Ferry, the best place to get shots is from further down the sliproad to get the train filling more of the picture, as in here in this July 2006 shot I took.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=35624172&noresize=1

and also the footbridge over Kingswear station can provide good shots of arriving trains, as seen here again in July 2006

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=35624170&noresize=1

The road bridge at Churston station also provides a good overview of the station.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=35624174&noresize=1

Simple locations- but not to be overlooked!

 

And I stood between the pair of you \/

http://images3.fotopic.net/?iid=yk3fy0& ... &nostamp=1

Nice job Tim....I will certainly get one of the Torbay Expresses from here next summer

http://www.steampics.com/html/pdr015.html

 

looks like a good guide mate. Well Done

 

Nice one Tim, some great pics.

I spent a week at Waterside Park a year or so agom I found the line most photogenic.

There's a viaduct (something like "Greenways"??) on the approach to kingswear. It looks like there is private land either side, any ideas how to get to it?

 

Thanks for all your comments folks! Matt, regarding Greenway viaduct I dont know how to get to it but it does look as if there are are some good spots on the hill there. Perhaps someone on here has been and can let us in on the secret.

 

I did find this spot when down there:

http://www.mattallenphoto.co.uk/forweblogo65.GIF

It was taken from a boat yard, just after the viaduct.

In anyone does know of how to get anywhere near the viaduct please let us know.

 

The boat yard is Noss Marina. When I went there were just too many masts in the way for a decent shot!

 

its not really relevant to this topic par see, but what about putting all these Photo guides on a seperate website, with a link from this forum? I'd be happy to set this up if contributors were happy

 

Mods are discussing setting up some sort of seperate thing for the photoguides at the moment, as the Photography section is getting a bit crowded