Night nostalgia
The station at Exeter Central has long held a fascination ever since I bought the Peco booklet "Track Plans" by CJ Freezer published in the 1960s, price 2s 6d.
The station layout was featured* and, in addition to the two centre roads, there was also a scissor crossover between at least one of the platforms to the adjacent through line. Of course, for a young lad from the East Midlands, anything that was Southern Region was highly exotic - especially when it was so far west and not part of the 3rd rail electrification scheme.
On the few days I spent down in Devon recently I decided to pay another visit, only this time with the camera. For a variety of reasons I could only manage a trip in the dark although in some ways that enhanced the mystique of the place which, for me, has never really gone away. Sadly the Peco publication has long gone from my bookshelf, offloaded at a time when I couldn't foresee the potential nostalgic value it might now have - well, let's face it, most folk in their 20s never imagine they're going to reach their 60s at some point.
For this shot, I did snap the train on the left much earlier as it was pulling in to the platform, but somehow this more distant offering appeals more. For anyone who hasn't yet fallen asleep it features Pacer 143611 at left and nearest the camera working the 9.11pm Exmouth - Exeter St Davids (2E56) and, on the right, Sprinter 150265 nearest the camera, which has just arrived with the 8.24pm from Barnstaple (2R98).
9.39pm, 14th October 2019
*I'm pretty sure it was this book, but I did own another similar title, so it may have been in that one.
Night nostalgia
The station at Exeter Central has long held a fascination ever since I bought the Peco booklet "Track Plans" by CJ Freezer published in the 1960s, price 2s 6d.
The station layout was featured* and, in addition to the two centre roads, there was also a scissor crossover between at least one of the platforms to the adjacent through line. Of course, for a young lad from the East Midlands, anything that was Southern Region was highly exotic - especially when it was so far west and not part of the 3rd rail electrification scheme.
On the few days I spent down in Devon recently I decided to pay another visit, only this time with the camera. For a variety of reasons I could only manage a trip in the dark although in some ways that enhanced the mystique of the place which, for me, has never really gone away. Sadly the Peco publication has long gone from my bookshelf, offloaded at a time when I couldn't foresee the potential nostalgic value it might now have - well, let's face it, most folk in their 20s never imagine they're going to reach their 60s at some point.
For this shot, I did snap the train on the left much earlier as it was pulling in to the platform, but somehow this more distant offering appeals more. For anyone who hasn't yet fallen asleep it features Pacer 143611 at left and nearest the camera working the 9.11pm Exmouth - Exeter St Davids (2E56) and, on the right, Sprinter 150265 nearest the camera, which has just arrived with the 8.24pm from Barnstaple (2R98).
9.39pm, 14th October 2019
*I'm pretty sure it was this book, but I did own another similar title, so it may have been in that one.