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Fantastic Facts from Devon and Cornwall's railways

To celebrate Railway 200 we’ve raided the archives to bring you our top historical true stories from stations across Devon and Cornwall. Enjoy!

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PAR

CHEW CHOO

How a Cornish estate, a scout group and the railway teamed up to provide bamboo for London Zoo's pandas.

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PENZANCE

YEE HAW!

In 1904, Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show visited Penzance by train.

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ST AUSTELL

MOTOR ON

Starting in the 1950s, holidaymakers could bring their car with them on the train.

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NEWQUAY

ROLL UP

When the circus came to Newquay the whole show arrived by train - elephants and all!

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NEWTON ABBOT

BEATLE MANIA

In 1964, 500 fans flocked to Newton Abbot station to see the Fab Four.

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Join host Sally Crabtree for bite-size audio adventures exploring unexpected and wonderful stories from Devon and Cornwall's railway history.

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TOPSHAM

BIRD POO EXPRESS

Guano (bird droppings) was big business on Topsham Quay's lost branch line.

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BERE ALSTON

DAFFODIL CENTRAL

The railway opened up whole new markets for Tamar Valley produce.

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PLYMOUTH

SHORT HOP

For more than 60 years, one of the shortest train journeys in the country was Plymouth to Mutley.

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TRURO

RAILWAY TIME

The coming of the railway meant towns across Cornwall had to change their clocks to match London time.

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CARBIS BAY

THE NAMING OF CARBIS BAY

When the St Ives Bay Line opened in 1877, GWR decided the attractive cove needed a better name - and it stuck!

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ST ERTH

"BROCCOLI"

"Cornish broccoli" was a booming trade thanks to the railway - but it was actually cauliflower!

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FALMOUTH TOWN

COAsT TO COAST

Falmouth Town's platform began its life on the Atlantic coast at Perranporth Beach Halt before being moved and reused.

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Project funded by GWR's Customer and Community Improvement Fund and CrossCountry Trains' Community Engagement Fund

About the project