Dartmouth Steam Railway

Over het museum

The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs on the former Great Western Railway branch line between Paignton and Kingswear in Devon, which opened to traffic on 16 August 1864 under the South Devon Railway. After British Railways threatened the line with closure, the Dart Valley Railway, a company founded in the 1960s to run the Totnes to Buckfastleigh branch, took over the Paignton to Kingswear section and began running trains in 1973. The line is built to main-line standard and can carry the largest and heaviest locomotives in Britain.

The seven-mile route follows the Torbay coast and the wooded Dart estuary to Kingswear, where a short passenger ferry crosses to Dartmouth. The group also owned the boat operator Dart Pleasure Craft, bought a second river fleet, the Red Cruisers, in 1999, and in 2010 the two businesses merged as the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company. In 2013 the paddle steamer Kingswear Castle, built in 1924 on the Dart and the last coal-fired paddle steamer in the UK carrying passengers, returned to the river after 47 years away.

The railway owns several steam and diesel locomotives, among them the 'Manor' class locomotive 7827 Lydham Manor, built at Swindon in 1950, and carriages including the Devon Belle Observation Car, built in 1917 as an ambulance coach. Services combine trains, ferries, river cruises and a connecting bus, and in winter the line runs the Christmas Train of Lights.

Hoogtepunten

• Steam trains on the Paignton to Kingswear coastal line
• Ferry crossing from Kingswear to Dartmouth included with the train ticket
• Paddle steamer Kingswear Castle, built in 1924
• Historic locomotives such as 7827 Lydham Manor
• Devon Belle Observation Car of 1917

Vaste collectie

• Steam locomotives and carriages – Working steam locomotives such as 7827 Lydham Manor and historic carriages including the Devon Belle Observation Car, used on the line each season.
• Paddle steamer Kingswear Castle – A coal-fired paddle steamer of 1924 that carries passengers on river cruises.

Beheerder

Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are for the Steam Train ticket (Paignton–Kingswear return, with the Kingswear–Dartmouth ferry included). Round Robin, Steam & Cruise, river cruises and the Footplate Experience have separate prices, and a season pass is sold. Children under 3 travel free. Dogs pay £3 on most services. Concession passes are not accepted on the buses. Christmas Train of Lights tickets cost more, for example £31.50 for an adult.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Paignton and Kingswear stations have level access to the platforms, and ramps lead into the guard's van and the wheelchair area of each train, which normally takes up to four wheelchairs. Maximum size is 600 mm wide, 1000 mm long and 300 kg in total, and train staff cannot assist unaccompanied passengers. Accessible toilets are at Paignton and Kingswear stations only. On the river boats, wheelchair users must be able to walk a few steps and crews cannot lift occupied wheelchairs; motorised wheelchairs and scooters are not allowed, except on the Kingswear–Dartmouth ferries, which have ramps. E-scooters are not permitted on any services. Dogs are welcome.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops

Family tickets cover two adults and up to three children aged 3–15, and children under 3 travel free. A Christmas Train of Lights with Santa runs in winter.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Queen's Park Station is in the centre of Paignton, about 400 yards from the seafront, next to the mainline level crossing on Torbay Road. Follow the yellow directional signs. The what3words address is having.reach.agree for Paignton and convert.denim.outs for Kingswear.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

The Head of Steam Café is at Paignton and the Belle Bistro at Kingswear. A gift shop sells souvenirs, and toilets are at the stations.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten

Trains, boats (including the paddle steamer) and the Devon Belle Observation Car can be chartered privately.

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