Dart Valley Railway
"Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway" is the trading name of The Dart Valley Light Railway Company plc.
Due to the location of this line – at the heart of the English Riviera – the railway is essentially run as a tourist carrier attracting summer tourists from the resorts of Torbay and transporting them to the historic town of Dartmouth. It is unlike most other, more traditional, heritage railways, which rely on a high proportion of volunteer labour. This railway is operated as a purely commercial tourist attraction and transport service, aiming to make a profit for its shareholders. The company is not in the business of 'preserving' old railway equipment, it simply uses it because it attracts customers. This commercial focus is often not appreciated by railway enthusiasts.
Steam and diesel gala weekends stopped in the late 1990s when the main organiser, the Devon Diesel Society, moved over to the South Devon Railway.
See Also
- [1] Web site