Few railway locations are as recognisable as the famous sea wall at Dawlish in Devon, where for a hundred years trains have done battle with the elements, sometimes in spectacular style. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains why this railway was built and what the future may hold for it.
For those unfamiliar with the area, Dawlish is a small seaside town in South Devon around 12 miles from Exeter which began to be developed in the early years of the 19th century as a holiday destination for the well-off, having previously been a fishing village. One of its biggest attractions was an attractive valley with a stream running down from the old village to an extensive sandy beach. Amongst those who admired this natural beauty were the novelist Jane Austin and the poet John Keats, who both stayed and worked there.
The peace and tranquillity of this little seaside town was to change dramatically in 1846 when the South Devon Railway arrived, with its line being built effectively on raised land between the town and the beach, and with a station at the bottom of that attractive watery valley.
Above: Waves top the sea wall at Dawlish as South West Trains' Class 159 DMUs 159018+159017 pass with a Basingstoke to Paignton train on September 21 200…