Delabole railway station

Delabole Slate Quarry lay nearby and therefore the station had a large number of sidings. The station had a passing loop, two platforms and a single siding was provided behind the up platform, where the signal box was sited.[2] The station building was on the down side and a short loading dock with the goods shed on a further siding running behind the platform. A single road through engine shed with a turntable beyond sat between the goods shed and a line running to the quarry.[3]

The old goods shed, re-used as Delabole Fire Station

Map of the line

The station was in the village itself and was therefore convenient, also the quarry meant that freight receipts were significant.[3] The loading dock was removed when goods services were withdrawn; the siding on the down side was also removed.

North Cornwall Railway
Okehampton to Bude Line to Bude Nth Devon & Cornwall Jn Lt Rly to Torrington Halwill Junction Okehampton to Bude Line to Okehampton Ashwater Tower Hill River Tamar South Devon & Tavistock Rly to Plymouth Launceston (original site) Launceston (heritage) River Kensey Launceston Steam Railway Newmills Egloskerry Tresmeer Otterham Camelford Old Delabole Slate Quarry Delabole Betty & Toms' siding Port Isaac Road Trelill Tunnel St Kew Highway River Allen River Camel Bodmin & Wadebridge Rly Wadebridge Wadebridge Town level crossing Little Petherick Creek Padstow

The station was absorbed by the Southern Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The station passed to the Southern Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948, and was subsequently closed by the British Railways Board.

The station building is now in use as a private residence, and houses have been built on the site of the up platform.[4]

One story is told of the guard who left it too late to board the train going to Padstow. Not being able to board the train, the guard outside the train, hanging grimly onto the carriage door, in imminent danger of being crushed on the side of the Railway Bridge as it passed under it. The train was stopped in time and the guard was not injured. During WW2 a plane crashed onto the railway line close to the station and the train coming from Camelford had to be stopped before a collision took place.[5]

Notes

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
• Gammell, C. J. (1976). Southern Branch Lines 1955-1965. Oxford : Oxford Publishing Co. SBN 902888-76-5.

• Delabole station in 1975
• Delabole station site prior to re-development
• North Cornwall Railway
• Delabole station