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Notes: The station nameboard originally showed Combpyne
for Landslip. The nameboard was removed during WW2 and
when it was replaced it just showed Combpyne.
The station had a single platform (originally an island)
without any buildings. The waiting room, ticket office
and ladies and gents toilets were at right angles to
the platform, adjoining the station house. Access to
the platform was by crossing the loop (originally 2
loops) line which had two short sidings, one serving
a cattle dock and pens. The good service was withdrawn
from 5th December 1960.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AXMINSTER & LYME REGIS RAILWAY
The first proposal for a branch to Lyme Regis came in
1845 but this came to nothing. During the 1860's the
London & South Western Railway and Great Western
Railway jointly proposed a branch to the resort but
this too failed to materialise. In the 1870's the LSWR
was ready to support further plans for a branch but
this time only to put a stop to any proposed competition
from the Great Western. The Lyme Regis Railway Company
obtained an Act of Parliament in 1871 for a line to
Lyme Regis from a junction with the LSWR at Axminster
and the LSWR agreed to work the line. Further proposals
were lodged with parliament for a later extension of
the line to Bridport.
The LSWR's support for the line was only luke warm
and although construction started on 29th September
1874 it soon stopped again and eventually the powers
lapsed.
There was renewed local pressure in 1898 in an attempt
to force the LSWR to support the line and under the
Axminster and Lyme Regis Light Railway Order of 15th
June 1899 powers were once again granted for a line
from the station at Axminster to a site three quarters
of a mile from the town centre at Lyme with one intermediate
station at Combpyne.
Construction started in June 1900, but was more difficult
than anticipated and an extension of the Light Railway
Order was required. The main engineering feature on
the line was the viaduct across the Cannington valley;
this was 600 feet in length and had a maximum height
of 92 feet.
A special train ran on 22nd January 1903, following
which opening was delayed due to movement in some of
the earthworks but the line was finally passed a Board
of Trade inspection on 21st August opening three days
later on 24th August 1903.
The initial euphoria was sadly unwarranted and the traffic
was disappointing, though sufficient to put the local
horse-drawn bus and coastal carriers out of business,
Financial difficulties dogged the light railway and
on 1st January 1907 the company was entirely absorbed
by the LSWR which rapidly brought improvements, especially
with the carriage of agricultural goods. Excursions
proved popular and through trains to the resort increased
steadily. This traffic was severely curtailed by the
First World War but resumed in 1919.
With competition from busses and in the early 1950's
increasing numbers of private cars passenger traffic
began to decline. Excursions continued to sustain the
line in summer but during the winter it was uneconomic.
It wasn't helped by the inconvenient siting of the terminus,
250 feet above and its distance from the town centre
and it came as no surprise when closure was proposed
under the Beeching cuts. Freight services were withdrawn
in early 1964 and, despite the usual protests, the line
finally closed on 29th November 1965. The track was
lifted in the latter half of 1967.
In 1976 there was an ambitious scheme by Minirail to
reopen the line from Lyme Regis to Axminster using 15
inch gauge stock. The Axe & Lyme Valley railway
established its operating base at Combpyne and track
was laid for about a half mile and second hand rolling
stock was delivered from other lines; they had at least
one loco. The scheme was abandoned in 1877/8 through
monetary problems and various land issues.
Further reading: Branch Lines of the Southern Railway
Volume 2 by George Reeve & Chris Hawkins - Wild
Swan 1983 ISBN 906867 14 2
See also Lyme
Regis Station
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