From The Neolithic To The Sea: A Journey From The Past To The Present
Meldon Quarry and Railway Station
Statistics
Category
County
Coordinates
Grid
Condition
Age
Admission
County
Coordinates
Grid
Condition
Age
Admission
Mine
Devon
50°42'53.3"N 4°01'55.2"W
SX 5674992772
Disused
1874
-
Devon
50°42'53.3"N 4°01'55.2"W
SX 5674992772
Disused
1874
-
Map
- History
- Gallery
- Gallery
Meldon Quarry and Railway Station is a granite quarry with a train halt, located on the northern edge of Dartmoor, about 2 miles SW of Okehampton, Devon, England. The quarry was developed from 1897 to supply track ballast and other stone products for the London and South Western Railway (LSWR).
A small quarry was started to supply the local railway in 1874, due to the opening of the LSWR's railway extension from Okehampton to Lydford, on which the quarry lies.
The quarry was considerably developed in 1897 to provide the majority of the track ballast requirements of the LSWR, of which was about 100,000 tons per annum. The geology is such that the ballast is harder and longer lasting, than stone available in the more easterly parts of the system. The quarry was further extended in 1902, eventually reaching 200 acres. By 1953 it was producing 340,000 tons annually. An internal tramway of short and movable 2-foot gauge tramways was used.
After nationalisation, the ballast quality was considered to be superior to the more conveniently available limestones, but the cost of haulage from the westerly location counted against it, in the 1980s it proved commercially viable to bring good quality stone from Scotland by coastal shipping to Tilbury, substituting some of the Meldon output.
As part of the process of privatising British Rail, the quarry operation was sold to ECC Quarries Ltd on 4 March 1994.
Because of the remote location, a staff passenger platform was provided. It is described at Meldon Quarry railway station. The station was originally constructed circa 1920 as Meldon Quarry Halt by the London and South Western Railway. This station had no public access and merely functioned as a staff halt for quarry workers, their families and other railway staff working at Meldon Quarry. The halt was not shown in the public railway timetable and local passenger services would only call by special arrangement.
The Beeching Report in 1963 recommended that the Exeter to Plymouth Line be cut back to Okehampton, when services ceased between there and Bere Alston in 1968, the Halt became disused. Some time later both platforms were demolished during modifications to the rail layout and access at the western end of Meldon Quarry.
Freight traffic continued on the line because of the quarry. The quarry and railway are now owned by Aggregate Industries and is currently out of use and mothballed.
A new station at Meldon Quarry was opened during 2000 by Dartmoor Railway to act as the terminus of a passenger service from Okehampton. It has a single platform adjacent to the former up line but situated slightly nearer to Okehampton than the former Staff Halt.
British American Railway Services Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway on 4 September 2008 and train services were suspended after the last train on 29 September 2019.
A small quarry was started to supply the local railway in 1874, due to the opening of the LSWR's railway extension from Okehampton to Lydford, on which the quarry lies.
The quarry was considerably developed in 1897 to provide the majority of the track ballast requirements of the LSWR, of which was about 100,000 tons per annum. The geology is such that the ballast is harder and longer lasting, than stone available in the more easterly parts of the system. The quarry was further extended in 1902, eventually reaching 200 acres. By 1953 it was producing 340,000 tons annually. An internal tramway of short and movable 2-foot gauge tramways was used.
After nationalisation, the ballast quality was considered to be superior to the more conveniently available limestones, but the cost of haulage from the westerly location counted against it, in the 1980s it proved commercially viable to bring good quality stone from Scotland by coastal shipping to Tilbury, substituting some of the Meldon output.
As part of the process of privatising British Rail, the quarry operation was sold to ECC Quarries Ltd on 4 March 1994.
Because of the remote location, a staff passenger platform was provided. It is described at Meldon Quarry railway station. The station was originally constructed circa 1920 as Meldon Quarry Halt by the London and South Western Railway. This station had no public access and merely functioned as a staff halt for quarry workers, their families and other railway staff working at Meldon Quarry. The halt was not shown in the public railway timetable and local passenger services would only call by special arrangement.
The Beeching Report in 1963 recommended that the Exeter to Plymouth Line be cut back to Okehampton, when services ceased between there and Bere Alston in 1968, the Halt became disused. Some time later both platforms were demolished during modifications to the rail layout and access at the western end of Meldon Quarry.
Freight traffic continued on the line because of the quarry. The quarry and railway are now owned by Aggregate Industries and is currently out of use and mothballed.
A new station at Meldon Quarry was opened during 2000 by Dartmoor Railway to act as the terminus of a passenger service from Okehampton. It has a single platform adjacent to the former up line but situated slightly nearer to Okehampton than the former Staff Halt.
British American Railway Services Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway on 4 September 2008 and train services were suspended after the last train on 29 September 2019.
