Exeter Central
| The up sidings at the west end were taken out of use in
September 1969, along with the crossover between the main lines on the incline,
and the down sidings in February 1970 - all these connections had been worked
from the 'B' signal-box. The up through road was taken out of use on 9
November 1969. The 'B' signal-box was closed on 23rd February 1970 and
its few remaining signals were taken over by the 'A' box (now renamed
just plain 'Exeter Central'), with the points at the western exit from
the down through line being converted to motor working. The layout at the
eastern end of the station was rationalised and the lever-frame in the old
'A' box was reduced to just 50 levers. Subsequently the down through
road was taken out of use on 13th October 1984 and by 1990 large plant tubs had
filled the yawning gap between the platforms. The 1933 Queen Street booking
hall was let out for commercial use and the entrance to the station then became
little more than a corridor - indeed, the fact that a railway even existed
behind that grand frontage became almost a local secret and this once great
station had been reduced to little more than a giant halt.
With the advent of a new Exeter power signal-box at St Davids colour-light signalling came to the Central station area in 1984. Initially this was worked from a temporary panel in the old 'A' box, but eventually control passed to the new power-box and Exeter Central box was closed on 6th May 1985. For a while it was used by the Western Region as a training school for their signal technicians - having first replaced the Tyer's lever-frame by one of a BR(WR) pattern more familiar to them! - but eventually it was closed and demolished in the 1990s. The revised layout comprises simply the up and down platform lines, the down bay, a single crossover at the eastern, and a trailing connection from the up line into the remaining two sidings (apparently now disused). However one interesting feature is that the down line from Central to St Davids has been signalled for reversible working, which provides some extra flexibility. One remnant of the 'old days' is the runaway catch siding situated on the up line at the top of the incline. |
| The Blue Circle cement terminal which occupied the goods yard
after closure to general goods traffic. This picture also provides a rare
view of the rear of the up side platform buildings.
photograph by Paul Martin |
 |
 |
The former goods shed in the late 1970s/early 1980s.
photograph by Paul Martin |
| .....and probably not for much longer in July 2000. (See page 11 of this section). The rails in the goods yard
have long since gone.
photograph by Colin Duff |
 |
 |
The rear of the goods shed pictured on 26th December 2000.
photograph by Chris Osment |
All photographs are copyright
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This page was last updated 3 December 2002
