A new station on the outskirts of Devizes will soon offer people the chance to revisit what was once an integral part of the market town.
Devizes railway station – on the branch line between Holt Junction to Patney & Chirton Junction - operated between 1857 and 1966.
The Reading-Hungerford line was quickly extended in 1862 westward via Pewsey to Devizes, reaching the station through a tunnel under Devizes Castle, in what proved to be the busiest period for the Devizes station.
The line was entirely closed in 1966, and now there is little trace of what once was a bustling rail community.
Tracks were pulled up, station buildings demolished and the line's tunnel beneath Devizes Castle bricked up at one end.
But now, the chance to experience the railway of Devizes in its heyday is possible thanks to Caleb Jenkins over in Adelaide, Australia.
The modeller has painstakingly pieced together a detailed layout of what used to be a bustling and lively set of rails in the market town.
His YouTube videos, which include a return eye view of the journey between Pans Lane Halt via Devizes to Bromham and Rowde Halt, Yard, have reached thousands across the globe.
He said: “The layout was originally built about 25 years ago here in Adelaide by my good friend, a British Railway Modeller like myself, Peter Lucas, born and raised in Devizes before moving to Australia in the 1970s.
“The school featured on the layout is where he attended, the church and cemetery are where his parents were married and laid to rest, respectively.
“In 2017, I purchased the layout from Peter and introduced it to my social media platforms which further enhanced its reach globally with tens of thousands of views across my videos.”
Caleb’s railway videos , available to watch on the Caleb’s Rail Films Youtube channel, were even showcased in an ITV report on the Devizes Gateway last year.
His series of films reflect the multiple journeys made by passengers and of produce alike throughout the years.
Small characters in his videos also add to the retelling of history.
As locomotives and railcars chug past on screen, keep an eye out for Tom Sheppard the market town farmer, Cescil the “humble Wiltshire postman” and Jon McMillian as PC Constable of the Devizes Constabulary.
Caleb hopes to one day visit the town that his set has taken inspiration for. He hopes to visit in five years, just in time for when the new station is poised to open.
He added: “The dream has always been to come to the UK and the rest Europe since I was very little.
"We are planning for 2025 as that will be my 30th birthday.”
Visit Caleb's YouTube channel or the Facebook page for the Devizes railway layout
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