Geograph - photograph every grid square

This is the trackbed of the former Yelverton to Princetown railway that opened in 1883 and closed in 1956. The image was taken near Swelltor Quarries looking in the direction of Yelverton.

The train service, as worked by British Railways in its last year of operation, had six trains per day, Monday to Saturday. The engine and the train were stabled at Princetown and the first departure from there was at 7.35am with the last departure from Yelverton back up to Princetown at 7.00pm. The train, which was invariably powered by a former GWR 2-6-2 44xx or 45xx tank engine, and was usually comprised of a single coach, took a scheduled 35 minutes for the descent to Yelverton from Princetown, and only 6 minutes longer for the return ascent from Yelverton. Princetown station was about 265 metres or about 870 feet higher than Yelverton station.

The trackbed here now forms a section of the long distance footpath of the Dartmoor Way.

On the horizon to the right is Leeden Tor in SX5671.