Devon Belle
The Devon Belle was the name given to an express passenger train in England which ran from Waterloo station, London to Ilfracombe, in North Devon, and Plymouth, in the south, between 1947 and 1954. Departing at mid-day on summer Saturdays, the journey to North Devon lasted just under five and a half hours.
The train was introduced by the Southern Railway on 20th June 1947. It set new standards for comfort and luxury, as it was comprised entirely of Pullman coaches. Two unusual features of the train were the ability to reserve seats (not a common facility at the time) and the observation car, attached at the rear for the benefit of passengers to Ilfracombe.
Even the nameboards were unusual. Most named trains on the Southern had boards with green backgrounds, matching the company colours, but for The Devon Belle the background was red. Three boards were used: one on the locomotive's buffer beam, and one on each side of its smokebox, mounted on the smoke deflectors. (The side name boards omitted the The from the name.)
Typically, the train would be hauled by a Merchant Navy class 'Bulleid Pacific' locomotive between Waterloo and Exeter Central, with 'Light Pacific' locomotives of the West Country and Battle of Britain classes taking the train on to its destinations. The normal formation was for four carriages to form the Plymouth portion, and eight to form the Ilfracombe portion, however, longer trains were sometimes needed. The use of a Light Pacific loco was essential on the Ilfracombe Branch, due to the fearsome gradients and sharp curves on that section of line. For the departure from Ilfracombe, it was usually necessary for assistance to be provided by a bank engine for the 1-in-36 climb from the terminus to Mortehoe & Woolacombe station.
Despite initial popularity, the train was not as much of a success as hoped, and the Plymouth portion was dropped in September 1949. Services were further reduced in 1952 and withdrawn entirely at the end of the 1954 summer season.
The Observation Cars
Two distinctive, beaver-tailed observation cars were used on the service. They were numbered 13 and 14, and both had started life as other vehicles. No. 14 was an LNWR ambulance coach of 1918 that was converted into a Pullman car in 1921. It was rebuilt as a Bar car in 1937, and remodelled as an observation car in 1948, especially for the Devon Belle service.
By their very nature, the observation cars were 'single-ended', due to the huge windows that allowed passengers to see out of the back of the train. Hence, the carriage had to be turned on the turntable at journey's end to be the right-way-round for the return to London. This could be a tricky operation, as the Ilfracombe station site was exposed to the winds off the Atlantic, and train crews had to be careful that the car did not take more than a single turn on the delicately-balanced table!
After use on the Devon Belle, the cars were transferred to the Scottish Region, and renumbered, to be used for trains through the Highlands.
Both observation cars have been preserved: No 13 is still in revenue-earning service, working on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway, in south Devon, England; No. 14 went to the USA in 1969 for a tour accompanying Flying Scotsman. Due to a lack of funds to pay for its return to the UK, the carriage remained in America after the tour and, for many years, was attached to an office building in San Francisco. It has recently been removed from this site for return to the UK and use on the Swanage Railway.[1]
