Chelfham Station Autumn 2014 report and photos

More steady progress this year at the L&BR's second original station.

1. The 'down' running in board at Chelfham. Visitors are welcome at Chelfham every Sunday to view the restoration progress and enjoy a trackbed and woodland walk.

2. General view of Chelfham in the autumn sunshine.

3. The station and restored section of the down platform as viewed from a step ladder.

4. A close-up of the restored down platform edging bricks. John Mack Smith recently spent another week progressing this project.

5. Much of the missing foundations need to be built up before the bricks are laid on each section. We have a few more bricks in store but probably not enough to complete the whole project. So if anyone knows of a source of blue engineering bricks...

6. Bob Palmer has been trimming the hedge around the viaduct end and parking areas.

7. There's always something for Frank Daff to have a bonfire with.

8. Inside Jim Pounds and Tony Wright have been restoring the original partition between the booking office and waiting room.

9. Nigel usually works on restoring signalling equipment for the railway's extension plans. Today's project was this ground shunt disc signal. After dismantling, the signal sections were cleaned and repainted.

10. There's always plenty of wildlife about at picturesque Chelfham. This Blue Tit was momentarily stunned as it found itself landing on a visitors shoe recently.

Words and pictures: Nigel Thompson (1-9)  Tony Wright (10)