AN exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of the coming of the railway to Tavistock opened at the town's library on Saturday.

It was a phone call to the museum, asking what was being done to celebrate the anniversary, that set Graham Kirkpatrick thinking about ways to mark it.

The museum had its exhibition space fully booked for the year, but the library willingly agreed to stage the exhibition for five weeks.

The local studies section of Plymouth Library is also staging information on the anniversary indefinitely.

The research was conducted by Graham, with help from the Plym Valley Railway Association, and the final results were produced by Alison Sherrell and Steve Carreck.

Tavistock mayor Mandy Govier attended the official opening of the exhibition, together with former mayor and ex-railway employee Robin Pike, chairman of the Plym Valley Railway Association John Netherton, and Eddie White, a local member.

The great, great, great grandson of the chairman of the original rail company, Lord Morley, was invited but was unable to attend. The surveyor and engineer had been Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The railway line, operated by the South Devon and Tavistock Company, ran from Tavistock to Millbay Station, with initially only one intermediate station at Horrabridge. Others were subsequently added and the route took in Whitchurch, Yelverton, Marsh Mills and Mutley.

In 1867 the line was extended to Launceston, making it one of the longest rural branch lines in the country at the time. A timetable from 1859 shows five trains a day to and from Plymouth.

The Walkham Viaduct is now demolished but an artist's impression of a possible replacement for walkers and cyclists is included in the exhibition. Old photos of the viaduct are included, one featuring a push-me-pull-you train.

Nothing now remains either of Tavistock Junction, subsequently renamed Tavistock South to distinguish it from the other station run by the London and Southwestern Railway Company, later Southern Railway.

Other photos include Millbay Station and an illustration of the opening of the line taken from the Illustrated London News — a complete work of fiction, according to Graham, and done by a jobbing illustrator, even including the stars and stripes flag for no apparent reason.

Graham said for the railway to return to Tavistock would be a great way to celebrate the anniversary.