Bank Holiday Rails and Ales - South Devon Railway

The ever-popular Rails and Ales gala takes place over four days of the August Bank Holiday weekend, starting on Friday 24 August. An intensive train service will operate, continuing late into the evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the Devon Diesel Society will be operating their new bar at Staverton station. They will offer a wide range of real ales and ciders, with pasties, pies and sausage rolls also available. This is a great family day out.

The South Devon Railway Museum at Buckfastleigh will be open every day of the gala. Current exhibitions include the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with a wide range of objects from sixty years ago. The model of Ashburton station will be in operation, showing the terminus of the branch line from Totnes as it used to be. This model has been exhibited all over the country and has won many awards for its painstaking detail and authenticity. The museum is also keen to cater for all ages, and has a number of attractions for very young children, including a wooden train table and colouring. Children of all ages can enjoy going on the footplate of our small blue engine, Ashley, and seeing what it was like to drive a steam locomotive. The star of the show, as always, is Tiny, the only surviving locomotive from Brunel’s famous broad gauge.

Visitors can board trains at any of the South Devon’s stations: Totnes Littlehempston, Staverton and Buckfastleigh, and it is easy to reach by bus and main line train. Normal train fares apply, and once bought, a ticket allows the holder to travel on the line all day. Totnes Rare Breeds Farm and Dartmoor Otters & Buckfast Butterflies will also be open, and good-value joint tickets are available. It is a good day out whatever the weather!