IN last week's Rail Trail, I mentioned at the end of the day which prematurely closed the Plymouth to Launceston branch (December 29, 1962), I didn't get home until 1.55am.

Thereby hangs a tale, showing how snow, coming up from the west, was affecting the railway. Falling snow is always difficult to deal with, and in those days, when there were not many points fitted with heaters, it was doubly difficult.

That evening I came back from Exeter on the 6.30pm from Paddington, which was 'on time' through Exeter, leaving at 9.42pm. All went well until we arrived on the outskirts of Newton Abbot, where we were held at Hackney signalbox from 10.10pm to 11.30pm.

At least we were in a nice warm train, insulated from the blizzard raging outside, and even if we were now getting on for an hour and a half late, we wouldn't have to change, as we were in one of the through coaches to Paignton.

In those days, the last up passenger service, before the 1.00am up night sleeper to London, was the 8.40pm diesel multiple unit (DMU) from Kingswear to Exeter St David's. This crossed us while we were waiting out at Hackney, having left Newton at about 10.30pm, exactly an hour late.

Now we were on the move into Newton, we thought our troubles were over. No! They were just beginning.

The front portion of the 6.30pm departed for Plymouth at 11.55pm, after another 20 minutes delay, headed by D1039 Western King, which had brought the train down from London. Goodness knows what time they got to Plymouth. But I do know the 4.50pm Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly, due out of Plymouth at 8pm, had not yet arrived into Newton Abbot.

Once the main train had gone, even without the services of a station pilot engine, it should not be long before we would be on our way, hauled by one of Newton's stud of D63XX locomotives. Wrong again!

At 12.20am, with our now engine-less coaches getting cold, we were given the news by the guard that the engine for our train down to Paignton had come off the road in the shed yard! By 12.45am they had evidently given up on finding an engine for our train, and we were all turfed out on to the platform, with the sensible ones making for the waiting room.

It must have been at around this time that I took this photo of a deserted Newton Abbot station, the platforms covered in virgin blizzard snow, which is encroaching on to the track in some places. Both down platform roads were now blocked with empty rolling stock, a lifeless DMU in No.3, and our coaches in No.1, just off picture to the right. Consequently, the following local service from Exeter to Newton Abbot was probably trapped out at Hackney, while the last train of the day, with coaches from Manchester and Glasgow, was probably back at Teignmouth.

Nothing stirred until 1.05am, when the 8pm from Plymouth arrived, fresh from chewing its way through the snowdrifts in the Ivybridge and Bittaford area, where the line skirts the very edge of Dartmoor.

At 1.15am a single diesel railcar was produced for passengers still waiting to go down to Paignton, and this departed at 1.20am.