GWR Torquay station

The station at Torquay had changed very little from

this early twentieth century photograph

 

Weston Super Mare poster

We always visited Weston on the steamer.

It was a good 45min trip across from Cardiff

 

 

Illfracombe was better though

Nearly two hours and out of sight of

 land for just a little bit

LMS Black Five

Black fives along with Jubilee's were the order of the day

 

 

The Devonian

Railway posters

My favourite places for Holidays as a child

 

 

We had family in Wales, just outside Cardiff and

many very happy holidays were spent down there

The highlights used to be the train ride down and

Steamer trips to places down the Bristol Channel

That was where I got my love of the sea and ships

 

Torquay meant the long run on the Devonian

LMS to Temple meads and GWR on to Devon

Ohh how the memories spring to life

LMS Jubilee class Locomotive

Undoubtedly my favourite of the LMS stable in my

childhood was the Jubilee. Many happy holidays began

behind one of this class of locomotives which pulled

the Devonian from Bradford to Bristol where the GWR

took over for the run to Torquay or Paignton

 

LMS Royal Scot Class.

The break with the Midland small engine policy

culminated in the Royal Scot Class. Designed to run

non stop between Euston and Crewe with heavy Scots

expresses.  

 

 

The for runner of this engine was the Patriots whose

genealogy has been discussed before

LMS Coronation class or 'Duchesses'

The ultimate steam locomotive by the LMS was od

course the Coronation class or 'Duchesses as they were

affectionately known