Unlocking Devon’s rich railway heritage as project gets £25,000 boost from Great Western Railway

The Folklore Library and Archive successfully applied for a grant from the train operator’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, which was launched to support local communities and address areas of social need.

As part of GWR’s National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport, the train operator is committed to supporting schools, colleges, councils, community and other not-for-profit organisations by aiding a number of initiatives.

The Folklore Library and Archive is a registered charity committed to making social history and heritage materials freely accessible for future generations to learn from, share and enjoy. The Devon Railway Heritage project is keen to unlock people’s personal stories through their own private collections and reminiscences.

Tracey Norman, Project Manager on the Devon Railway Heritage project, said:

“We’re extremely grateful for this funding from Great Western Railway, which will help to unlock valuable heritage from people’s personal collections for everyone to benefit from in the future.

“Through recording the memories of those who worked on, used and interacted with Devon’s branch lines, we hope to build a valuable archive of stories which would otherwise be lost, or at best told within people’s own families or social circles. We have already heard some absolute gems from people about their past experiences.

“We are also hoping to build valuable links with rail enthusiast groups and other organisations who may be able to offer valuable material to this archive.”

Between now and the end of February 2025, members of the Folklore Library and Archive project team will be looking to interview people about their memories of branch line railways in Devon. These interviews will be recorded and archived along with accessible transcripts.

The project would also like to receive copies of people’s historic photos and film of branch lines in Devon. Where these have not been converted already, the project team can digitise this material and return the originals safely to their owners, as well as giving them electronic copies to share.

Anyone wishing to help by loaning material, offering stories, or who would like to speak to the project team can email folklorelibrary@gmail.com for more information. There is a project page and blog which will be continually added to on the Folklore Library and Archive website at www.folklorelibrary.com

GWR West Regional Development Manager, David Whiteway, said:

“The Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities in projects that make a difference at a local level.

“We’re delighted to support this particular initiative, which will help to unearth hidden stories and other heritage related to the social history of our rail network in Devon, building a valuable archive for the future and giving people a chance to share their memories.”