FEBRUARY 1963 began with a further fall of fresh snow to augment the January snowfall, much of which was still on the ground.

So, with the aim of capturing a few snow scenes, I set off on Saturday, February 2, aboard the 9.11am from Torre, which was the branch portion of the up 'Mayflower' express, hauled from Newton Abbot to Exeter by diesel-hydraulic Type 4 B-B No.D817 Foxhound.

With the Exe Valley services still steam worked, and due for closure later in 1963, this was the obvious choice.

I joined the 10.25am from Exeter St David's, travelling in auto coach 'THRUSH', one of what had been intended to be a series of bird names, the first of which had been 'WREN'. But only these two were ever named.

Our engine was 0-4-2T No.1450, which would take the train through to Dulverton, although I left it at Tiverton.

In 1963 the Exe Valley service consisted of nine trains each way, plus an additional two trains on Saturdays, while the connecting shuttle service from Tiverton to Tiverton Junction had a regular service of 13 daily trains plus another one on Tuesdays, probably market day in Tiverton.

I had already decided that Halbeton Halt, midway along the route of the Tiverton to Tiverton Junction shuttle, would be a suitably isolated spot for some snow shots, with the added attraction of the aqueduct carrying the Grand Western canal over the railway, close by.

Accordingly, I joined the 11.40am from Tiverton, travelling all the way to Tiverton Junction, before alighting at Halberton Halt on the way back.

From here I was able to photo the next service out of Tiverton at 12.25pm, before re-boarding the train on its next journey to Tiverton at 12.47pm.

By this time I was in need of a 'warm up' in the temperate atmosphere of the steam-heated auto coach, which was also the opportunity to consume my sandwiches in relative comfort, before returning to Halberton Halt for a second session in the snow.

This also lasted about an hour, while 0-4-2T No.1421 made two return trips of what was universally known both to local children and grown-ups as the 'Tivvy Bumper'.

Many people in the Culm Valley remember using the 'Tivvy Bumper' to go to school.

Back into Tiverton at 2.34pm, I was in time to see 0-4-2T No.1466 arriving on the 2.08pm Exeter St David's to Bampton (Devon) service, which I then boarded for the run up the Exe alley through Bolham and Cove Halts to Bampton.

Although scheduled to terminate at Bampton, the empty train proceeded onwards, presumably to Dulverton, and probably to take water, as the 14XX class tanks only held 800 gallons.

Or it may have been a mercy mission to deliver fresh drinking water to the isolated crossing keeper at Lower Lodfin Crossing.

The empty train eventually re-appeared, a few minutes late, and I returned on it to Exeter as the sun began to light the snow-covered fields for the first time that day.