Well, it was hardly possible to get anything worse….
Anyway, in the spring of 1969 I just happened to be looking through my aunt’s Kays catalogue, when I noticed that a selection of cameras were available on the ‘never-never’.
Only one or two were within my ‘pay weekly’ price range. One was a Halina make; Simplette I think it was called. I decided this was the one for me.
The advantage with this camera was that it took Kodak 126 Instamatic cartridges, which were readily available in most shops which sold film. The other advantage was that I could be the owner of the camera in the time it took for the order to be delivered, with no need to save up.
Fortunately, my parents were impressed enough with South Devon in 1968, to go back again in 1969; not in a chalet this time, but in a Paignton bungalow. No sea-wall trainspotting this year – but I had other ideas…..
After arriving on the Saturday, spending Sunday on the beach in Paignton, going to a Torquay model shop on the Monday; on the Tuesday morning I announced that I was going on the train to Exeter; I was going to spend the entire day there and not be back until evening. I don’t think my idea was quite how the family holiday had been planned, but there it was.
So, on Tuesday 19th August 1969 I walked to the station, bought a day return ticket to Exeter costing 8 shillings (40p) and off I went.
As you might be able to tell, the results from the Halina were an improvement on the earlier camera. Blue syp Western at Exeter in Aug 1969. 1C51 is probably the down Cornish Riviera Express.
My notes for the day (19/8/69) show the following sightings –
NEWTON ABBOT
D810 D815 D820 D821 D852 D856
D1009 D1039 D1042 D1049 D1051 D1058
D1600 D1904
D4015 D4160
D6308 D6334 D6339
EXETER ST DAVIDS
D811 D812 D813 D815 D818 D822 D823 D824 D826 D827 D832 D828 D847 D864 D869
D1008 D1012 D1017 D1022 D1023 D1025 D1028 D1034 D1035 D1037 D1040 D1043 D1049 D1050 D1051
D1652 D1680 D1923 D1933 D1938
D6338
D6581
D7037 D7043
This was a regular view across to the stabling point in Aug 1969. I used to have loco details for these photos but cannot find them anywhere.
While on the station I saw an advert for a “runabout ticket” priced at £2 which allowed unlimited travel for a week around most of Devon and Somerset. This was cheaper than spending 8/- everyday; so on the Wednesday morning I bought one. My trains of choice became The Devonian,up; and The Golden Hind, down.
As I was not now restricted to Exeter, I decided that I would stay on the train until Taunton, mainly because I had never been there before. However, after an hour there I decided it was quieter than Exeter, so I headed back.
My day’s notes show the following numbers seen:-
20/8/69
NEWTON ABBOT
D810 D814 D816 D824 D834 D842 D856 D864
D1008 D1009 D1025 D1034 D1037 D1039 D1050
D1660 D1904
D4015 D4017 D4160
DAWLISH
D0280
EXETER
D805 D812 D813 D816 D820 D821 D823 D824 D826 D831 D868
D1004 D1009 D1018 D1019 D1022 D1030 D1035 D1036 D1039 D1040 D1046 D1047
D1652 D1660 D1680 D1938 D1966
D4130
D6334 D6338
D6569
D7016 D7019
TAUNTON
PWM650
D807 D814 D866 D868
D1005 D1034 D1049
D1733
D4129 D4165
D7020 D7043
A freightliner train heads east through Exeter in August 1969 behind a uid Brush 4.
After discussing the Taunton visit with a couple of spotters on the Wednesday afternoon, the suggestion was that I should have carried on to Bristol. However, my ticket was not valid for quite that far. I spent the next few hours deciding if I had the nerve to chance it… Of course I did.
Thursday dawned and it was Temple Meads or bust.
D1672 seems to be testing its steam heat boiler to the limit. Bath Road 21/8/69.
Thursday 21/8/69 –
PAIGNTON
D810 D861
NEWTON ABBOT
D809 D820 D852
D1009
D6308
DAWLISH
D0820
EXETER
D805 D812 D818 D826 D847 D861 D862 D868
D1009 D1012 D1017 D1034 D1038 D1051
D4015 D4016 D4017 D4130
D6333 D6337 D6338
D7014
W55034
TAUNTON
PWM650
D1019
D4018 D4166
BRIDGWATER
D2133
WESTON SUPER MARE
D859
TEMPLE MEADS/BATH ROAD
D14 D23 D28 D117 D141 D146 D150 D154 D155 D156 D171 D192
D825 D861 D867
D1002 D1005 D1008 D1023 D1037 D1049 D1050 D1072
D1600 D1606 D1608 D1649 D1668 D1672 D1673 D1809 D1815 D1926 D1933 D1935
D2128
D3002 D3303 D4005 D4019 D4022 D4023 D4122 D4161
D6320 D6354
D7003 D7007 D7008 D7013 D7017 D7020 D7031 D7032 D7037 D7053 D7055 D7057 D7060 D7076 D7078 D7080 D7083 D7090 D7096
M50108 W50659 W50693 W50700 W50738 W51055 W51056 W51067 W51075 W51078 W51083 W51084 W51095 W51103 W51106 M51130 W55028 W55033 W59282 W59299 M59400 W59415 W59417 W59426 W59434 W59436
Trainspotting data from 1947 until 1980 