We
apologise for an unfortunate error that occurred on page
9 of this book.
The
caption that should have been printed here is :
Former
GWR ‘Moguls’ regularly worked along ‘foreign’ tracks
to Ilfracombe, both on stopping services from Taunton and
summer Saturday long-distance trains. Sometimes they could
be seen double-headed with SR motive power, one of the few
routes where this occurred. In this picture No.6345 is seen
pulling in to Wrafton, between Barnstaple and Braunton, with
an unidentified up working on a sunny day in August 1964.
Note the camping coaches in the goods yard on the left of
the shot. Construction of the 15 miles-long line to the resort
of Ilfracombe was proposed by the Barnstaple & Ilfracombe
Railway, a subsidiary of the LSWR, and received the Royal
Assent on 4th July 1870. Due to a severe economic depression
at the time and the substantial earthworks needed, construction
was slow and opening was delayed until 20th July 1874. The
line was originally single but doubled in stages, except
for the bridge over the river Taw at Barnstaple, between
1889–91. Alan Reeve