OLD DEVONPORT . UK
Plus parts of East Cornwall and West Devon
www.olddevonport.uk
 

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth
Webpage created: May 05, 2018
Webpage updated: December 14, 2022

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RAILWAYS IN OLD DEVONPORT  |  CALLINGTON BRANCH
BRANCH LINE, BERE ALSTON STATION TO CALLINGTON STATION

CALSTOCK STATION

Calstock Station on opening day.
© Lens of Sutton.

Calstock Station was opened by the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway Company on March 2nd 1908.

A view of Calstock Viaduct showing the wagon lift.

A view of Calstock Viaduct from the east, showing the wagon lift from the quayside up to Calstock Station.
From a postcard.

As this Station displaced the former Incline from the Quay on the river Tamar, the Company installed a wagon hoist alongside the western side of the Calstock Viaduct.  This lowered one full wagon with a 10-ton load down to the Quay, 113 feet below, for unloading.  The traffic in minerals declined and in April 1933 the wagon hoist and all the lines on the quayside were removed along with the access siding in the Station yard.  The lift was dismantled the following year and in September 1934 the parts were advertised for sale to engineers, contractors, builders, and others.  This included a steel-framed engine house; a Loco Boiler; a Winding Engines; three large main Bridge Girders; a quantity of Rolled Steel Joists, Channels, Angles of various lengths and dimensions, all described as in good  condition.  The sale also included Flat-bottomed Rails, Crossings and a Turntable; Wire Ropes, Water Piping, Seasoned Timber, and 'useful Sundries'.  The items could all be viewed by contacting the Station Master at Calstock Station, Mr J S  Barbour.

Calstock Station when the signalling was still intact.
From the author's collection

In 1914,under the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway Company, the Station Master at Calstock Station was 25-years-old Mr Wallace Spry, whose father, Mr Joseph Spry, was a Ganger at Beer Ferrers (sic).

From Monday May 5th 1941 until further notice passenger trains departed from Calstock Station for Bere Alston Station the following times: 7.52am; 10.21am Third Class only; 1.31pm; on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays there was an extra departure at 2.52pm Third Class only; 4.55pm Third Class only; 6.53pm; with an extra departure on Saturdays only at 9.40pm.  The journey to Bere Alston Station took between eight and eleven minutes minutes (the 6.20pm train managed it in 8 minutes).  Two of the trains, as indicated above, were Third Class only; the others conveyed First Class passengers as well.  On Sundays trains departed from Calstock Station for Bere Alston Station at 8.56am; 12.02pm; 7.02pm; and 9.43pm.  Passenger trains left Calstock Station for Callington Station at the following times: 8.26am Third Class only; 10.56am; 1.03pm Saturdays only; 2.20pm to Gunnislake Station only on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; 3.28pm Third Class only; 5.28pm; 7.16pm; with an extra service at 10.11pm on Saturdays only.  The journey took thirty-seven minutes minutes.  On Sundays passenger trains departed from Calstock Station for Callington Station at 9.32am; 12.28pm; 7.27pm; 10.26pm.  

Mr E S Tubb was the Station Master at Calstock Station in June 1948.  He was also temporarily responsible for Gunnislake Station and Chilsworthy Halt.

On Weekdays and Sundays, 'where train service permits', commencing on May 1st 1953, the following cheap day return tickets, first and third class, were available from Calstock Station to: Callington, 2 shillings (s) 9 pence (d), 1st, 1s 9d 3rd; Devonport King's Road, 4s 1st, 2s 9d 3rd; Plymouth Friary Station, 5s 3d 1st, 3s 6d 3rd; Plymouth North Road Station, 4s 6d 1st, 3s 3rd; and Tavistock North, 3s 1st, 2s 3rd.

Calstock Station.
© Locomotive and General Railway Photographs.

According to the "The Official Hand-book of Station 1956" Calstock Station dealt with goods traffic, passengers, parcels, miscellaneous traffic, furniture vans, carriages, motor cars, portable engines and machines on wheels, live stock, horse boxes, prize cattle vans, and carriages and motor cars by passenger or parcels trains.  It was not equipped with a crane.

Calstock Station was closed to goods traffic on or as from February 28th 1966 and the sidings were taken out of use on August 4th 1966.  The platform loop remained until it was removed on May 5th 1968.

The much depleted Station is still in use as an intermediate stop on the present Plymouth Station to Gunnislake Station branch line.