Although by the 1970s the booking hall had been let out for commercial rent the Southern Railway sign above remained. The sign went on below, where the blue business centre sign is seen here, stating "Through Expresses to Salisbury, London, Portsmouth, Brighton, Plymouth, North Devon and North Cornwall".

photograph by Paul Martin

Exeter Queen Street station was opened to public traffic on the 19th July 1860. It was constructed originally as the terminus of a single-track line built by the London & South Western Railway (L&SWR), which formed a westwards extension of the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway (opened on the 1st June the same year), but it was destined in due course to become a major through station on the L&SWR main line to the West Country.

It is reputed that Queen Street station was built in the moat of Rougemont Castle, which is located south of the railway.  The railway approaches the station from the east through Black Boy Tunnel (263 yards long) then passes under the Well Street, Pennsylvania Road, Howell Road and New North Road bridges before entering the station itself. On 1st February 1862 a westwards extension of the line was opened to join with the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Exeter St Davids station - this passes under Queen Street itself (which bridges the line immediately west of the platforms) and then descends a steep descent of 1 in 37 through the 184 yards of St Davids Tunnel. This extension gave the L&SWR access across GWR lines to Cowley Bridge Junction and thence onwards via Crediton to Barnstaple and Bideford. The station became an interchange in 1861 with the opening of a branch to Exmouth, which left the main line about half a mile to the east at a new Exmouth Junction just east of Black Boy tunnel.  To the east the line was doubled as far as Broad Clyst in 1864 and throughout to Salisbury by July 1870.

At first the station had only a single main platform and a bay road, both on the down side and covered by a two-road train shed, but in 1874 an up platform and up bay were added together with two through roads. The train shed was extended to cover the new lines and became renowned for being smoke-filled, due to the practice of changing locomotives on services in both directions there which resulted in a considerable amount of engine standing and movements under the canopy. At opening the pedestrian entrances to the station were from the north and south sides and not from the road bridges to the west and east as later. As was common practice at major stations at that time there was a ticket collecting platform on the station approaches and this was situated on the down side just east of the Howell Road over-bridge.

Initially Queen Street Station had its own locomotive shed, a three road brick building on the down side between the Howell Road and New North Road bridges, together with a coal stage and 42ft turntable. The growth in traffic to the west, as well as various new branch lines being built in East Devon, placed increasing demands upon this depot. The shed was extended by 64ft in 1872 and more facilities added in 1877, but the yard became ever-more congested. A new locomotive depot was opened at Exmouth Junction on 3 November 1887 and thereafter Queen Street shed was used for stabling and servicing. It retained its turntable, the 42ft original being replaced by a 50ft version in 1888.

In the early 1900s the L&SWR opened a number of new halts in the Exeter area, in conjunction with the introduction of rail motor services on the Exmouth Branch. These included the delightfully named Lion's Holt Halt, situated on the main line just to the west of Well Street bridge and Black Boy Tunnel (virtually within sight of Queen Street station) and opened on 26th January 1906 as a simple two platform affair with a small basic shelter. This halt was conveniently sited for the grounds of Exeter City Football Club, located just behind the down platform, and it was renamed St James' Park Halt on 7th October 1946. The halt remains in use today (2001) but served only by Exmouth branch trains.

The L&SWR station at Queen Street was/is(!) considerably better sited for the centre of the town than its rival at St Davids, but it soon became unsuitable for its status as a major station with growing traffic. In April 1925 the Southern Railway (SR) announced a programme of re-building, which began later that year and culminated in an official opening on 1st July 1933 by the Lord Mayor of Exeter, when the station was re-named as 'Exeter Central'. The first stage of this work was the extension of the up platform to a massive 1,210 feet, which allowed it to accommodate two trains simultaneously, whilst the provision midway of a scissors crossover between the platform road and the adjacent through line permitted the easy combining of North Devon and Plymouth trains along with the inclusion of a restaurant car portion added in the centre for the journey up to London.

The joining of two trains with insertion of the restaurant car portion proceeded as follows - the first train would arrive from the west and stop at the west end of the up platform and its engine would be released over the scissors to the through road. The engine which would take the service eastwards would be waiting at the other end of the platform and it would then reverse onto these coaches and haul them forward to the up end. Another engine standing with the restaurant cars on the western part of the up through line would then propel them through the scissors onto the rear of the front portion and this engine would then withdraw back over the scissors to the through line. The next train for the west would then arrive in the rear half of the up platform and its engine released over the scissors. The front train portion would then reverse to couple up to complete the train formation. This applied to most up expresses except the Atlantic Coast Express and 19 minutes was allowed for the operation.

The down platform was extended at the eastern end to a total of 950 feet, whilst the remnants of the old loco depot were cleared away and replaced by a 3-road carriage shed. The work then concentrated on construction of the new station buildings, which were built at road level on Queen Street and at right angles to the railway in the prevailing SR 1930s brick and reinforced concrete style. The building was designed as a two-storey crescent, 259 feet long, with a central three-storey section 77 feet wide and surmounted by a small tower. The ground floor wings were let for shops or offices, whilst the railway retained the central entrance and also all the upper floor space for its own staff. Access from the booking hall was via a footbridge to the up and down main platforms. The site fell steeply to the rear and further office space was provided in the basement. At the east end of the station the original footbridge was replaced by a new 120 feet long concrete structure - manufactured at the SR's own concrete works at nearby Exmouth Junction - and a new entrance opened onto New North Road, where a second booking hall was provided.

Even before the re-building there had been an extensive goods yard behind the up platform, together with a large brick goods shed. There were also a few sidings on the up side at the head of the incline from St David's which served various traders' stores, and a feature of this location was a number of wagon turntables which were kept in service at least until the late 1950s. A notice at the entrance to these sidings read "Only tank engines of the 0-4-4, 0-6-0 and 0-6-2 types may pass over the turntables onNº2 siding. Speed not to exceed 5 MPH". On the opposite side of the incline the down sidings were rebuilt to provide eight roads for coach berthing sidings - in fact various sidings in the station vicinity could hold up to 73 coaches.

The L&SWR had provided three signal-boxes to control Queen Street station. The 'A' box was situated on the up side immediately to the west of the Pennsylvania Road bridge, whilst the 'B' box was located on the down side immediately west of New North Road bridge near to the eastern end of the down platform. The 'C' box had been sited on the down side at the head of the incline to St David's, but this was replaced (possibly as early as 1875, but certainly by 1888) by a new box positioned - rather curiously - at the end of the down through line, which then became a dead-end siding. All three boxes were replaced by the SR by two new boxes, which became known after 1933 as Exeter Central 'A' and 'B'. The new 'A' box was situated on the up side a short distance west of the Howell Road bridge (opposite the site of the earlier engine shed) and was opened on 15th June 1927 - it contained a 90-lever frame, making it the largest SR signal-box west of Salisbury. The new 'B' box had been opened two years previously on 13th September 1925 - it was sited just off the western end of the up platform and contained a 35-lever frame. Both new signal-boxes were built to the Type 4A style and contained lever-frames manufactured by Tyer to the older Stevens pattern favoured by the L&SWR/SR, but with the frames positioned at the rear of the boxes.

Although much of the signalling was renewed in subsequent years it remained in essence very much as the SR had installed it well into the 1960s, complete with a few idiosyncratic features. The starting signal for the down platform line ('B' box number 35) was located on the platform itself under the canopy, where the restricted clearance meant that this signal retained a lower-quadrant (LQ) arm long after almost all the others around the station had been replaced as upper-quadrants - indeed this arm survived as one of the last few LQ arms remaining on the entire ex-L&SWR system until it was swept away by colour-light signalling in 1984. Another LQ survivor was the arm of the signal controlling the exit from the up sidings at the head of the incline ('B' box number 8), which had a large 'S' fixed to its face - this signal survived until the sidings were taken out of use in 1969. At the east end of the up platform departing trains had a choice of two routes onto the up main line and the starting signal therefore carried two arms ('A' box numbers 2 and 3), but positioned one above the other rather than on a bracket (probably because of restricted clearance), and this hang-over from an earlier practice lasted until trackwork rationalisation in 1969 eliminated one of the routes.

The steep 1 in 37 climb for trains leaving St Davids became a significant feature of working at this station.  As early as 1862 this location was chosen for the initial trial installation of the 'block instruments' designed by the L&SWR Telegraph Superintendent W H Preece, which later became a standard feature of L&SWR signalling.  Throughout steam traction days extensive use was made of banking locomotives to assist services up this incline.  Many loco classes have been associated with this work but in latter years classes assigned were the E1/R 0-6-2T, Z class 0-8-0T from 1959 , W class 2-6-4T from 1962 and the final indignity of WR 0-6-0PTs from 1963. In order to avoid up trains having to re-start from a stand on the incline the signalman at the GWR West box at St Davids was not permitted to clear his starting signal until he had obtained 'Line Clear' from the signalman at Exeter Central 'B' box, whilst the latter was not allowed to give that permission without first getting 'Line Clear' from his colleague at 'A' box. This meant that, once the starting signal was pulled 'off' at St Davids station, the driver of an Up train there would know that he had a clear route right through to at least the midway crossover on the up lines at Central.

Along with the rest of Southern Region property west of Salisbury the station was handed over to the Western Region on the 1st January 1963. The service on the Southern main line was downgraded in favour of the Western route through St Davids and the most central station in the city became of lesser importance to the railway though not necessarily to the passengers. The eastern entrance from New North Road was closed in 1966 to save manpower and its footbridge fell into decay. The main line was rationalised to single track eastwards from Pinhoe by 11th June 1967 and the station's operations became relegated to local and secondary services. The goods yard was closed to general traffic on 4th December 1967, but the sidings were used as a Blue Circle cement terminal until January 1990. (The large goods shed was still standing in December 2000, but there are plans to re-develop this large valuable tract of town centre land.)

The up sidings at the west end were taken out of use in September 1969, along with the crossover between the main lines on the incline, and the down sidings in February 1970 - all these connections had been worked from the 'B' signal-box. The up through road was taken out of use on 9th November 1969. The 'B' signal-box was closed on 23rd February 1970 and its few remaining signals were taken over by the 'A' box (now renamed just plain 'Exeter Central'), with the points at the western exit from the down through line being converted to motor working. The layout at the eastern end of the station was rationalised and the lever-frame in the old 'A' box was reduced to just 50 levers. Subsequently the down through road was taken out of use on 13th October 1984 and by 1990 large plant tubs had filled the yawning gap between the platforms. The 1933 Queen Street booking hall was let out for commercial use and the entrance to the station then became little more than a corridor - indeed, the fact that a railway even existed behind that grand frontage became almost a local secret and this once great station had been reduced to little more than a giant halt.

With the advent of a new Exeter power signal-box at St Davids colour-light signalling came to the Central station area in 1984. Initially this was worked from a temporary panel in the old 'A' box, but eventually control passed to the new power-box and Exeter Central box was closed on 6th May 1985. For a while it was used by the Western Region as a training school for their signal technicians - having first replaced the Tyer's lever-frame by one of a BR(WR) pattern more familiar to them! - but eventually it was closed and demolished in the 1990s. The revised layout comprises simply the up and down platform lines, the down bay, a single crossover at the eastern, and a trailing connection from the up line into the remaining two sidings (apparently now disused). However one interesting feature is that the down line from Central to St Davids has been signalled for reversible working, which provides some extra flexibility.  One remnant of the 'old days' is the runaway catch siding situated on the up line at the top of the incline.

Despite the attentions of the Western Region both the station and the Southern route refused to die. Even with lack-lustre and unreliable services to and from Waterloo for most of the 1960s and 70s patronage on the line remained steadfast (emphasising that the Southern route serves more places of substance on its way to London than the favoured Western route) and with the introduction of new class 159 DMUs by Network SouthEast in 1992 patronage grew. In 1984 Central became an 'open' station and later that year the New North Road entrance was re-opened and re-furbished, whilst in the last few years the old concrete footbridge and steps have been replaced by a modern steel structure with long ramps down to the platforms. The frontage of the main station buildings has been tidied-up in recent years and some of the offices at the rear remain in use by railway-related contractors.

Exeter Central by day is now a relatively busy town centre station with healthy local services between Paignton in the west (whilst this is not a former Southern destination it makes good sense in a local transportation network), Barnstaple in the north, and Exmouth in the east in addition to those to and from London. In the current re-franchising round there are proposals to improve the capacity of the line to Salisbury by restoring some or all of the double track and increase the speed and frequency of London services. Hopefully Exeter Central may yet regain its rightful place as the city's prime station.

An undated photograph believed to have been taken between August 1959 and late 1962 of a double-headed train leaving Exeter Central and about to descend the 1 in 37 gradient down to Exeter St Davids. The train engine is Maunsell N Class mogulNº31842 and the pilot engine is Z Class 0-8-0T Nº30955. The Z wasn't required for assistance but merely there to save a path for returning to St Davids from where it was needed for banking trains up to Central. Note the wagon turntables on the right of the photo.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

The notice to loco drivers protecting the wagon turntables in the merchants' good yard to the north of the incline. Subsequent re-painting in the area has left it paint splattered.

photograph by Chris Osment

The 1930s New North Road footbridge in 1963, with S15 ClassNº30842 waiting in one of the through Roads.

photograph by John Bradbeer

In July 2000 the Southern Railway sign has long since gone but the station's existence is again being acknowledged, albeit its entrance (5th and 6th window bays from the left corner of the crescent) is not too conspicuous.

photograph by Colin Duff

The rarely noticed rear of the Queen Street station buildings on 26th December 2000 showing just how extensive the complex is. Access to the platforms is along the windowed concrete bridge seen above the flat roofed extension on the right.

photograph by Chris Osment

Seen again on 26th December 2000 this would have in the past been the final station approach and end of the very long up platform - looking west towards New North Road Bridge. The remains of the cattle dock on the right can just still be made out.

photograph by Chris Osment

These are the gates above the down platform in Northernhay Gardens. It is believed they originally gave access to a footbridge within the overall roof of the original station, and thus access to the station. Today if opened there would be a long vertical drop to the car park!.

photograph by Phil Harding

The new disabled-friendly New North Road footbridge and the remains of the goods yard on 26th December 2000

photograph by Chris Osment

The post Southern Region Exeter Central became a rather dowdy place with blacks, greys and dirty whites predominating. Here the dowdiness and peeling paint is exhibited on the down platform.

photograph by Paul Martin

The station has become brighter and better kept in recent years as exhibited in this photograph of the up platform running in board. The station is currently branded in Regional Railways Wales and West (now Alphaline Wales and West) colours though there remains evidence of former incongruous (given the City's prominent western location) Network SouthEast branding.

photograph by Colin Duff

The now closed 1925 'B' signal box still remains. Note the discarded Network SouthEast mechanical digital clocks underneath the balcony.

photograph by Colin Duff

The down bay starter and footbridge to the New North Road entrance in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Note the faded and peeling Southern Region green and buff paintwork still in existence..

photograph by Paul Martin

The down bay looking towards Queen Street in July 2000. The retaining wall here is said to be built from the remains of the castle.

photograph by Colin Duff

New North Road bridge in the late 1970s/early 1980s. The extremity of the down platform with the down bay can be seen on the right. The track to the immediate left of the interestingly mounted signal is the remaining down through road, that on whichNº30842 is standing in the above photograph having been lifted.

photograph by Paul Martin

The rear of the goods shed pictured on 26th December 2000.

photograph by Chris Osment

The weighbridge in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

photograph by Paul Martin

Another view of the incline and catch siding, this seen on 26th December 2000.

photograph by Chris Osment

Further down the 1 in 37 descent trains pass through the St Davids tunnel and then out over the Bonhay Road bridge. This is the location of many a steam era monochrome photograph of locomotives working hard up the steep incline. Today such scenes can only be imagined - and the vegetation surrounding the bridge has become prolific.

photograph by Colin Duff

Thriving local passenger activity on 27th July 2000. UnitNº150219 forms the 11:18am departure to Paignton. The unit will shortly descend the incline and reverse in St Davids station.

photograph by Colin Duff