Topsham

The Quay Branch

At the southern end of the station a branch 32 chains in length led down to the quay. The formation of this line is now a road called 'Holman Way' the footbridge spanning it formerly crossed the railway. When the E&E was under construction, some of the earth excavated from the cuttings was used to construct a new wharf, the Town Quay being extended 80 feet into the estuary and connected with the Steamer Quay, purchased by the LSWR, the intermediate space containing three small quays being filled in. The LSWR made this considerable outlay at Topsham because of the difficulty of establishing docks at Exmouth. The quay line was opened to traffic on 23rd September 1861. A notice from the LSWR traffic manager's office said that the water alongside the quay had been deepened and ships lying alongside the quay could discharge cargoes of coal, timber, stone, slates and other merchandise direct into rail trucks which could then be conveyed to Queen Street station where ample accommodation was provided for storing coal and other traffic. The freight charge from the quay to Exeter was 1s. 6d. a ton for a minimum consignment of four tons, loaded and unloaded at owner's expense.

The Quay line connected with the up sidings at Topsham station by means of hand points which were required to be kept normally set for the up siding and padlocked when not in use, the key being kept in the signal box. The gradients of the line falling in the direction of the Quay, were as follows: 1 in 300 for 1 chain; 1 in 38 for a distance of 4 3/4 chains; 1 in 44 for 11 chains; 1 in 150 for a distance of 4 1/2 chains the remainder of the line being level. Catch points were provided about 10 1/2 chains from the points in the up siding and were operated by a hand lever, secured to lie normally for the catch. These points faced trains proceeding in the direction of the Quay. As an additional safety measure, sprags were kept at intervals of 50 yards for use in case of emergency.

The Quay line was worked as a siding, only one engine in steam being allowed on it at one time. All movements to and from the Quay were required to be carried out during daylight. At the foot of the incline, the line crossed a public road on the level before entering tine quay. Double gates were provided on either side of the road and were normally closed across tine railway and padlocked. As the gates did not fence the road when open for the passage of railway vehicles, portable trestles and chains were provided for placing across the public road and when not in use, were secured to posts and padlocked, the key being kept in the signal box at Topsham.

Trains were restricted to the equivalent of eight loaded goods wagons, but in wet weather, four was the usual limit. Perhaps introduced after the 1925 runaway (see below), a special light brake van was always required to be at the Quay end of the train. It had a short van body containing a seat for two men, while single plank sides around the open platform prevented the large supply of sprags from being vibrated off. The clasp brakes were operated by a handwheel located centrally on the transverse axis, but longitudinally slightly nearer the shelter end. Two men rode one the van, the senior of whom was responsible for working the handbrake. A good supply of sprags was kept in the brake van for use in case of emergency. Before reaching the catch points on the incline, the train had to be brought to a stand to enable the second man travelling with the train to alight and hold the catch points in the correct position for the safe passage of the train. Before this special brake van was used, two porters were required to walk beside the trucks ready to thrust in sprags should this prove necessary. Even when the brake van was used, the Topsham porter threw grit from the ballast on the rails to give the wheels more grip. In 1925 five trucks ran away down the gradient. As it happened, part of the quay had previously slipped and the wagons derailed into the pit made by the subsidence. The wagons were hauled back by a steam crane.

When new in 1892, 'B4' class 0-4-0Ts Nos. 88, 91/2 were shedded at Exmouth Junction for working the siding. The 'O2' class 0-4-4 tank engines were the largest locomotives permitted to work the line and in consequence of the very sharp curves leading to the Quay sidings, a locomotive was not in any circumstances allowed to proceed beyond the public road in the direction of the Quay. On returning, an engine driver was required to give one long whistle when near the top of the incline to warn people passing over the public foot crossing south of the station.

One of the important commodities unloaded at Topsham was guano which was lifted out of ships' holds in baskets. An engine went down to the Quay in the morning to collect wagons which were then worked from Topsham goods yard to Odam's siding by the afternoon goods. Barrels came by rail to the quay from Peterhead for sprats to be packed in and were then loaded into the Tuborg lager boats to form a cargo for their return journey. Bundles of half-pound boxes of smoked sprats were sent off by rail from the quay. Latterly the Quay branch was worked three times a week until its closure in 1957, rails and sleepers being lifted in August the following year.