LISWORTH BAY - N
By John Spence
The London and South Western Railway forged its way south-west during the railway age of the 19th Century, sprouting branches to coastal towns on its way; Lisworth Bay was one of these. Although originally a terminus, during the Great War the line was extended to serve a nearby ordnance depot and the road access to the station was interrupted by the installation of the level crossing across this extension. Improvements in roads in the post-WWII years also saw a decline in its use and the extension was due to be lifted during the 1950’s. However, the increased tension of the Cold War years encouraged the government to retain it as a precautionary measure. The branch was “rationalised” shortly after nationalisation and became a single line, the track-plan simplified and part of the original down line retained only as a storage siding. Trains are typical of those seen on the region; portions of express passenger services, split at various stations en route, reach the terminus alongside local passenger workings, freight, parcels, newspaper and milk traffic. The whole branch to Lisworth Bay, was condemned to be closed as part of the Beeching Report and trains last ran in the early autumn of 1966. The trackbed has recently become a cycle route. The layout, which was Railway of the Month in Railway Modeller in July ’22, is modular with the main fiddle-yard at 90° to the scenic section and a later traverser added to the opposite end representing the Ordnance Depot. The original format featured only the station approach, terminus and main fiddle yard but has been extended by the addition of two more boards, the first featuring a farm and the second a 60’ high viaduct over the River Lis.
