In 1844 the Bristol and Exeter Railway was completed and the South Devon Railway Company was formed with a view to extend the line to Plymouth. The Haldon Hills were a huge obstacle west of Exeter; two solutions were available, - North via Ashburton,
- South via Newton Abbot.
A survey of road traffic was carried out, the southern route was chosen. With the coming of the railway in 1846 and the construction of Queen Street, followed by the development of villas around the town, Newton Abbot began to take the shape that is has today. December 31st 1846, the first train arrives in Newton Abbot The first train to arrive in Newton Abbot was hauled by the 'Antelope', one of Daniel Gooch's engines borrowed from GWR (Great Western Railway). It was met with great pomp and ceremony, and the hearty cheering of the crowds that had gathered to witness this unusual event. The dignitaries processed through the town in coaches on the newly Macadamised road, which had been laid from the new station along Courteney Street to the Globe Hotel (now part of Austin's) especially for the occasion. |
 | | A Working signal box and a section of I.K Brunel's South Devon Atmospheric Railway are two of the items awaiting your visit, along with many other fascinating objects. | | 
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The Railway Simulator in the GWR Room is now open to the public. Come in and have a go on driving the route between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids. from a variety of Steam to Diesel locomotives. theres a lot you can do on the Simulator! A Model of the South Devon Railways atmospheric system based on the engineering watercolours of William Dawson Newtons atmospheric puming house. Dated 1848. As part of the Brunel 200 celebrations the museum commissioned local model engineer Peter Parks to build a model of an atmospheric carriage of the South Devon Railway. This model was based on the drawings from The Broad Gauge Society. To complement the model, The South Devon Model Railway Society have created a representation of "Newton Station" c. 1848. This model was created using the watercolours of the area by William Dawson. These watercolours are held in the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. The watercolours have been copied by the Devon Record Office, Exeter. | |  |
Brunel 200 | | During 2006 Bristol and the South West celebrated I.K Brunel's 200th birthday with events, exhibitions, publications,etc. The Heritage Lottery Fund Arts Council and many other sponsors, helped to fund the Newton Abbot Brunel 200 event. It was held in Old Forde House (Owned by Teignbridge District Council). |
Section of the original atmospheric pipe. An atmospheric pipe section from I.K. Brunel's South Devon Railway, has been officially donated to the museum by Bristol Museum. They had previously lent the section to the museum for the Brunel 200 celebrations. The museum is very pleased to accept the gift, as it enables the interpretation of the atmospheric system to be told with clarity.
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GWR Room
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