Railway Herald
From the Information Board: ‘These 22 inch diameter cast iron pipes are a relic of I K Brunel’s flirtation with atmospheric traction on the South Devon Railway.’ Stationary pumping engines created a partial vacuum in large slotted pipes that were laid between the rails, that would operate against a piston fitted to a carriage. Operated in 1847, the inefficient system was unable to lift heavy trains over the South Devon banks. Seen here at the Didcot Railway Centre on 8th May 2010.
Kev Gregory
