TWO railway enthusiasts are planning to re-open Ashbury Station as a tourist attraction.
Alan and Tracy Lear have laid 100 metres of railway track, refurbished the old freight yard and are expecting a railway carriage to arrive on a transporter any day now.
The couple, who bought the station 18 months ago after instantly falling in love with it and live on site in the converted old goods shed, have spent £16,000 on the property which they hope will attract people to the area.
'In the longer term we would love to be able to open other parts of the line — if we could get the okay from the landowners to bring it back towards Meldon Viaduct it would be wonderful,' said Mrs Lear.
Trains are the Lears great love and they own two diesel locomotives on the main network, one of which is used by Virgin Trains.
In the 1950s the trains used to go from Exeter to Okehampton and then through Ashbury towards Halwill and on to Holsworthy, Bude and Launceston.
Mrs Lear said although there was a revival in train travel, she had doubts whether this whole line would ever be reinstated.
'We would need a EU grant to put in a bridge to cross the A30 for starters but I would dearly love to see this happen,' she said.
West Devon Borough Council granted permission a year ago for a railway carriage and small locomotive to be sited at Ashbury Station.
Mrs Lear said there were currently foot and mouth restrictions in the area but she hoped the station would be open to tourists next year.