This new book from The Fifty Fund focusses on the trains hauled by Class 50s in and around the Taunton and Exeter from 1973 to the present day. The book covers their work on all the main routes, branch lines and freight only routes with many pictures from both before and after the major refurbishment of the class.
For the purposes of this book the area considered to be Taunton and Exeter is the area inside the following locations:
To the North: Somerton and Cogload Junction, To the East: Chard Junction, To the South: Kingswear and Exmouth. To the West: Barnstaple and Totnes.
John Heaton, BR's Area Manager at Exeter in the 1980s when the 50 was a regular performer in the area, has generously provided the Foreword and contributed to book to provide an operators view on the locomotives and their performance.
Chapters:
Foreword by John Heaton
Introduction
Class 50 Performance: Bristol, Taunton and Exeter
Somerton to Exeter St Davids
The West Somerset Railway
Cowley Junction to Barnstaple and Torrington
The Okehampton and Meldon Branch
Exeter St Davids to Chard Junction
The Exmouth Branch
Exeter St Davids to Totnes
Aller Junction to Paignton
Bristol Temple Meads to Cogload Junction
The Paignton and Dartmouth Railway
The Heathfield Branch
The South Devon Railway
Exeter St Davids Stabling Point
Newton Abbot Depot