South Devon Railway VS Dartmouth Steam Railway

[Marvelik]

Good evening,

Not quite sure which thread to put this in, but my family and I are planning on heading down to stay in the Torquay area for a bit in a few days time. I understand there are 2 heritage railways in the area - the South Devon Railway (SDR) operating from Totnes and up the River Dart, and the Dartmouth Steam Railway (DSR) running into Kingswear with a ferry connection to Dartmouth. Unfortunately, it is likely we may not have time to travel on both, therefore I was wondering if there may be any advice as to which of the two lines is better to visit, or if anyone could suggest the relative merits and shortcomings of the DSR and SDR?

In addition, any recommendations for indoor attractions in the area (such as national trust properties) would also be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[michael74]

For me the SDR, there is more to do at Buckfastliegh, as well as the railway stuff you could go to the Abbey, even if religion isn't your bag it's a lovely place. As well as a walk into Totnes at the other end if you have a few hours to spare.

The DSR is a pretty journey once you get past Churston, once you get to Kingsweare you have to get the ferry over to Dartmouth (nothing else to do) Dartmouth is nice but expensive....

 

[John Luxton]

For me the SDR, there is more to do at Buckfastliegh, as well as the railway stuff you could go to the Abbey, even if religion isn't your bag it's a lovely place. As well as a walk into Totnes at the other end if you have a few hours to spare.

The DSR is a pretty journey once you get past Churston, once you get to Kingsweare you have to get the ferry over to Dartmouth (nothing else to do) Dartmouth is nice but expensive....

The SDR have special experiences such as the goods train guards van ride where one can on selected dates ride in either a Toad or a Shark brake van. I did that in 2024 - it was very good. They are also running a Pullman Car with dining on selected dates - though not done that as when I was in the area in the autumn I wasn't there on the right days.

As for the DSR (Dart Vallery Railway Ltd) they are as much a boat operator as they are a rail operator. You can do harbour cruises - some on the steam powered PS KINGSWEAR CASTLE which is on long term charter to the company from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society who also own the PS WAVERLEY. You can also do a sailing up to Totnes and back or just do a "round robin" train boat and linking bus. They also run a bus from Totnes to Paignton!

My view is do both I am a regular visitor to the area, though in recent years I have tended to use the boats more than the trains from Dartmouth / Kingswear as I am not keen on Paignton or the Torbay area in general!

 

[Amlag]

Take a look at their websites .basically up til Christmas eve the Pgn/ Kwear line is running in the dark special trains of lights / Santa and SDR is running “Polar Express“ trains which are all advised as ‘sold out’.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The DSR is more interesting operationally with its stiff gradients and scenic approach into Kingswear - and you have an the option of a boat ride over to delightful Dartmouth. It is very much a commercial operation, however, and its rolling stock is a bit tatty and non-authentic in my view. SDR has the feel of a proper country railway and has delightful rolling stock but it is a tame meander along the banks of the River Dart for most of the way. Buckfastleigh is nothing to write home about; Totnes is very attractive but a bit of a step from the SDR station.

As to National Trust properties you could have visited Agatha Christie's home at Greenway by rail - but the DSR no longer stop at the halt! Compton Castle (near Marldon on the ring-road) is worth a look - there is also Torre Abbey (owned by the council) on Torquay's sea front.

 

[nanstallon]

The Round Robin ticket is worthy of consideration - Totnes by boat down the Dart to Dartmouth, ferry to Kingswear, steam train to Paignton, and bus back to Totnes. You can join the circle at any point, and in either direction, but times depend of the tide. I have had a ride on the Kingswear Castle paddle steamer, on the river Dart section, but you have to check for dates of operation.

 

[Trainlog]

So at this point, I have been fortunate to have travelled on the majority of the larger South-West heritage railways (except the Bodmin and Wenford).

South Devon railway:

Enthusiasts' perspective: If you are interested in what a quintessential GWR branch line heritage railway looks like, this to me was the best at recreating it in terms of GWR heritage railways. Plenty of classic GWR tank locomotives and GWR rolling stock around the line, and it has in recent years been practising its niche well as a majority tank engine line. The museums the line has are rather good and I found the volunteers and members of staff there very friendly.

From a non enthusiasts perspective: The line has plenty to offer scenery wise, the scenery on offer is great along the River Dart, the train journey is in what I like to describe as a nice distance of 7 miles, so the train journey for non enthusiasts doesn't outstay its welcome but isn't too short for them to go 'is that it?!'. More importantly, it's a heritage railway where you can definitely make a day out of it. If you buy a 3 one ticket, you can gain access to the Rare Breeds centre at Totnes and the Butterfly centre at Buckfastleigh. Totnes itself is a stunning medieval town to look around, with a good mix of independent and appropriate chain shops in the town centre.

Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway:

Enthusiast's perspective: The line is excellent from an enthusiast's perspective, there is a decent gradient from Kingswear up to Paignton and there is plenty in the way of infrastructure cameos from tunnels to viaducts along the course of the line. The locomotive fleet is fairly decent, a mix of GWR and BR Standard locomotives, with rolling stock mostly consisting of MK1s.

The Scenery is another standout of this line. The views of this line are perfect along the line, such as following the coastline from leaving Paignton to then following the River Dart towards Kingswear, which is another good approach. Going back to the gradient, if you want the best of locomotive chuff, you won't be disappointed. I was staying across the bay in Brixham, a good few miles away as the crow flies, and you could hear the locomotives from the end of the harbour as they approached the harbour front.

Non-enthusiast's perspective: The scenery will be the main selling point; it is stunning along the course of this line. I cannot comment much on Kingswear/Dartmouth, and I will explain further on why, but as for Paignton, you aren't short of things to do, there are plenty of shops and places to eat within the town, and the beachfront is decent as well.

My problems with the Paignton and Dartmouth: The Paignton and Dartmouth is, on paper, a really decent railway, but in execution, it is flawed by its operating model. This railway is not a conventional railway in the fact that it is more of a privately operated railway than a typical heritage railway. I am not a fan of its railtour style approach as opposed to a regular heritage railway model. I wasn't exactly happy to be pressured into having my ticket be for an allocated train and seat only as opposed to a heritage railway where I could explore the line at my own pace.

This would be understandable if it were a peak Saturday in August, but this was a Thursday afternoon in Early July, the train wasn't exactly busy on either journey and if I am confident that if I got a return a few hours later, I would find a seat fairly easily. So basically, I got a general round journey for the next train back, bought a latte (was pretty decent to be fair) and admired the scenery at the harbour wall at Kingswear, taking in the view of the Dart valley. I unfortunately didn't get to go round Kingswear proper, so I can't comment on the town, but it certainly looked scenic.

I wasn't overwild in how stripped back the line felt. Churston on any other heritage railway would have been decorated in historical adverts, maps and signage; instead, the station looked rather sterile, and you weren't allowed off the train to stretch your legs or to film the train pass on the other platform.

So, in conclusion, if you haven't done either and you want to do a heritage railway with your family, I would highly recommend the South Devon railway, it is my favourite heritage railway in the whole of the Southwest of England. However, if you decided to return to that area of Devon, I wouldn't write off the Paignton and Dartmouth entirely if you know what to expect, the gradient, loco collection and views are great, but I would recommend this line more to an enthusiast who would want to enjoy those aspects instead in one round train trip.