A Che ning Ad nture
VE
In Devon: Teignmouth and Shaldon
VE
Chapter 1
Sarah and James couldn’t wait to see Andrew again. It had been 5 long years since he had moved to the South West with his parents, due to the demands of the family business.
The date had stuck in their minds as he had left on the 75th anniversary of VE day. Now it was the 80th year and the twins had finally been granted permission to visit Andrew in Teignmouth, for a brief holiday - unchaperoned!
The excitement was palpable. Being an Easter Saturday in April, no-one could predict what the British weather would be like – heatwave, snowstorm, who knew? Today, it was driving rain, nearly horizontal at times; but this did nothing to dampen their spirits as they boarded the GWR train.
Sarah’s love for railways had not diminished one jot; and she had planned the route meticulously to include as much of the amazing coastal railway-line as possible. James meanwhile, guarding his guides against the weather, was busy studying the history of Teignmouth and Shaldon. He was particularly looking forward to seeing what the town had in store for VE-80; but little did they know of the treacherous tasks that lay in wait.
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Stormy, and misty with spray; the view to the South was severely limited, as the train sped on. Even within the insulated carriage, it rocked from side to side as a banshee wind whistled and mocked the travellers. Salty water washed down the windows while the loco did its best to race along the coast, looking for cuttings and tunnels to give moments of respite.
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Suddenly the train lurched; and with brakes screaming, came to a juddering halt inside a dark tunnel. The lights flicked for a moment, as if too nervous to illuminate what was in front; then everything went black!
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“Slightly late for the 10 year anniversary; but spectacular nonetheless,” mussed Sarah. She stood up and pressed her nose against the cold glass, peering fruitlessly into the gloom. “Do you remember reading about the storm that battered the South in 2014?”
“Do I?” replied James. “Destroyed and washed away a good number of houses, not to mention the very earth beneath the Dawlish railway track. It left rails hanging in mid air. Thanks for bringing that up right now! But I’ve got an even better one for you – have you heard the story of the disappearing Plymouth Postal Train?”
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Never one to shirk a challenge, Sarah sat back down opposite Andrew, keen to hear more.
“Go on then!” she said impatiently. The lights flickered again and glowed dimly, as if listening; but feigning indifference.
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“Well, during a heavy WW2 air-raid on Teignmouth, the 16:25 Plymouth Parcels Train was about to be fearfully exposed to attack along the sea wall track. Since it was carrying important correspondence and packages, Railway Control commanded the train to switch to the Teign Valley Line, to Exeter, in order to protect it.
​​But Exter said it never arrived. Chistow and Heathfield stationmasters hadn’t sighted it either! The 16:25 had vanished into thin air! There were no reports of train wreckage at all – it had simply disappeared. So, what do you think happened?” James paused, his eyes gently teasing Sarah as she searched for an answer. “Well?”
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“Er…”
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Another pause. “It was as though a blackout blanket had been thrown over the terrorised train for comfort,” continued James.
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Can you solve the riddle before moving on to the next page?
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