The Devonian

THE "DEVONIAN," a daily express operating between Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Torquay, Paignton, and Kingswear (Devon). The 206 miles between Leeds and Bristol are covered in four hours forty minutes. The above illustration shows the train near Breadsall (Derby), hauled by a four-cylinder L.M.S. locomotive of the "Claughton" class, formerly of the London and North Western Railway.

Between Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, and Bristol the "Devonian" is the fastest train of the day. It begins its journey in Forster Square Station at Bradford at 10.25, makes the short run into the Wellington Station at Leeds, and is there reversed. Notwithstanding some severe gradients, especially between Sheffield and Chesterfield, Birmingham and Bromsgrove, and Gloucester and Bristol, and stops at Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Cheltenham, and Gloucester, the "Devonian" covers the 206 miles from Leeds to Bristol in the excellent time of four hours forty minutes, arriving in Temple Meads Station at 3.32 p.m. At Bristol the Great Western Railway takes charge, and some leisurely progress follows over the remainder of the course to Exeter, Torquay, Paignton, and Kingswear, which is reached at 7.19 p.m. The entire journey of 330 miles from— Bradford to Kingswear has thus occupied six minutes under nine hours.
In the reverse direction the "Devonian" starts its daily journey at Paignton at 9.15 a.m., reaching Bristol, 104 miles away, at 12.11 p.m. Again the running over the L.M.S. line is, for a cross-country journey, very fast, and includes a mile-a-minute booking, the thirty-one miles from Cheltenham to Bromsgrove (where a service stop is made to attach the "banker" for the ascent of the Lickey Incline) being allowed only thirty-one minutes start-to-stop.
Leeds is reached at 5.24 p.m., after a run of four hours forty-nine minutes from Bristol, and Bradford at 5.56 p.m., eight hours forty-one minutes after leaving Paignton. A distinction of the "Devonian," other than speed, is that of connecting five such important centres of population as Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, and Bristol with one through service.