I K Brunel

Born in Portsmouth in 1806 - died 1859. Although Brunel never lived in Exeter, he had a profound influence on the city when he engineered the Great Western Railway from Paddington. He built the line from Paddington to Bristol, Temple Meads with many innovative engineering features, including the Maidenhead Bridge and the Box Tunnel. He was then commissioned to build the line from Bristol down to Exeter and then Plymouth and beyond. However, a difference with the Bristol and Exeter Company, building the line, meant that he resigned as engineer when the line had reached Taunton, although he had surveyed the route.

However, he was the engineer for the innovative and brave failure, the atmospheric railway from Exeter to Plymouth. Built in 1846 as far as Newton Abbot, some fair paying trains were run as far as Teignmouth. Unfortunately, the vacuum in the tube could not be maintained because, the vacuum seal proved to be unreliable. In August 1848, the system was abandoned. One pumping station has survived, at Starcross, 7 miles from Exeter.

The legacy of broad gauge along the route, can be seen when looking at the distance between the platforms at St David's, and the generous tunnel and bridge dimensions to accommodate the 7ft gauge, along the line. Street names in Exeter with Brunel links include Isambard Terrace, Kingdom Mews, and Brunel Close.