The orginal Lynton & Barnstaple Railway opened in May 1898 and ran for around 19 miles. It was a narrow gauge railway and at this time ran independantly. But, in 1922, it was taken over by the Southern Railway. Finally, following a life in which it mostly made a loss rather than a profit, the railway closed in September 1935, never to be seen again. However, in 1979 a preservation society was formed and, today, I visited the beautifully restored first phase of the 'new' Lynton & Barnstaple Railway! The base of the "reborn railway" is Woodby Bay Station, around 10 minutes drive from Lynton on the A39, which was purchased in 1995. Since 1995, the station has been restored and a section of the track has been relaid. Since 2006, the line has been operating a 1 mile long section of 2ft gauge track between Woodby Bay & Killington Lane. Another milestone was reached in 2008 when the L & B's first steam loco (since 1935!), "Axe", returned to service. Today, after telephoning ahead, I arrived at Woody Bay and was greeted by the lovely sight of "Axe" herself. (I had phoned to make sure that she would be in steam today and sure enough, she was!). After purchasing my ticket (which allowed travel all day) I began photographing and filming both "Axe" and the site. 
"Axe" was built by the Kerr Stuart locomotive company of Stoke-on-Trent to a French Design in 1915. She was one of the "Joffre" class engines which were ordered by the French Government for service on the Western Front during the conflict of World War I. In 1956, "Axe" was discovered lying derelict, alongside 4 sister engines. The 5 locomotives were located around 12 miles from Calais. In 1974, all 5 engines were repatriated to the UK and were subsequently stored. In 1983, the "L & B" society purchased "Axe", then unnamed. However, she wasn't to remain nameless for the long. She was soon Christened "Axe", following the L & B's tradition of naming engine's after three-lettered Devon rivers. Volunteer restoration soon began but, it was completed professionally away from Woody Bay at the Gartell Light Railway. "Axe" finally hauled her first passenger services in March 2009. Since then, she has operated many services on the L & B between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. For a 2ft gauge engine, she is also very powerful with two 8.5" x 11" cylinders and six 1' 11" wheels. These combined give her a tractive effort of around 3862lb's.
After the 12pm round trip, "Axe"s crew had their lunch-break, leaving the 0-6-0 on shed (as seen below). During this time she was also watered and coaled ready for the next trip at 1:15pm. (I was to be aboard this train). At 1:15pm, the train left Woody Bay and began the descent towards Killington Lane. The views, I must admit, were spectacular. You can see breathtaking hills, rolling fields and, in the distance, the unmistakable Bristol Channel. Once at Killington Lane, "Axe" ran round and recoupled to the other end of the train. I was then invited onto the relatively large (for a narrow gauge engine!) footplate. After chatting to the driver I reboarded the train but, for the return, the Guard had told me that I could sit in 1st Class. It is well worth it! The two first class compartments have been restored to an impeccable standard and, so I'm told, resemble the type of compartments which 1920s L & B passengers would have ridden in! After climbing the hill back to Woody Bay, "Axe" ran round again ready for another prompt departure. This gave me a chance to film & photograph the engine a little bit more. 
After another chat I was told that, if I wanted, I could ride the return run of the next train on the footplate..."Yes Please!", was the reply. For the outward (& downhill!) run I rode in the coaches and again admired the fantastic views. Once back at Killington Lane I watched "Axe" run round before boarding the footplate again following an invitation from the driver. With the "Right Away" from the Guard "Axe" departed and began climbing the bank (1 in 50 in places) back towards Woody Bay. It was a very pleasant run and, as with some other places, I can say that I've done the line on the footplate! Thanks very much to the crew and "Axe" herself for a great journey!
The image below shows the Firebox Door's open and the firing shovel...
Below can be seen a view of the relatively large footplate of "Axe"...
All in all, I immensely enjoyed my visit to this very friendly little railway in Devon. I would very much recommend a visit to anyone, especially when steam is running! The scenary is, I would say, almost unbeatable(!) and the staff are very friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have about the railway and its history. And, with a prosporous future ahead, it looks like the L & B will be getting better & better over the coming years! Also, the potential of the railway seems endless with extensions planned in both directions and many special events in the pipeline. A growing new feature is a 7.25" gauge railway at Woody Bay Station which was being extended on the day of my visit. The video below documents my visit:-
So, if you're ever passing by Woody Bay, why not pop in and visit the 'brand new' Lynton & Barnstaple Railway! I certainly had a fantastic visit and was made very welcome. A great day out in the company of the only Joffre locomotive currently operating in the UK! Thanks for reading. Good Evening...
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