Okehampton
with Mike Morant
with Mike Morant
LSWR Drummond T9 'Greyhound' 4-4-0 at Okehampton in the 1930's but after July 1932 when the number prefixes were removed. No. 280 was built at Nine Elms works in 1899 and was withdrawn in 1951 whilst allocated to Fratton Shed although she was stored there for three years and never wore a BR identity. Picture and caption many thanks to Mike Morant
Sabotaged & Defeated
The S & D Rly
The S & D Rly
The end of the S & D
The ‘Slow and Dirty’, the ‘Swift and Delightful’ or in the end the ‘Sabotaged and Defeated’
50 years ago by the date and day it was Saturday 5th March 1966 when the last public trains ran on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, a sad day indeed. That day was the day that I first became an enthusiast. Prior to that I was mildly interested in railways but television coverage of the line screened by Sir John Betjeman a couple of days before the final closure caused me to prise myself out of my seat and make an effort for that very last day. I lived at Calne in those days. Parking at Chippenham, for the Calne branch had already closed, I took the train to Bath Spa and walked to Green Park in time for the 08.15 to Templecombe. I bought a ticket to Bournemouth though the service was so sparse that I never got there. At the outset my camera failed with the excitement! I met and travelled with young Barry Lucas PRC – his tape recorder had failed.
We left on time and 8F 48760I with three green coaches clanked along the level to Bath Junction and then got stuck into the bank up to Devonshire tunnel. Once through the Devonshire and Coombe Down tunnels we called at all stations, places I had never heard of. Never before had I experienced such interest and excitement. There seemed to be people with cameras everywhere, up trees, even somebody wearing waders standing in a stream to get ‘that shot’.
Arrival at Templecombe was at 09.53, my train onwards to the south was at 12.30. It was, luckily, a pleasant day. I tried to join a party of school children being taken to look around the shed but was told to ‘buzz off’. However nobody seemed to mind wherever else we went so we joined others spread along the embankment of the connecting line to the station which overlooked the shed.
I got to Broadstones at 13.51, where I decided to turn back. I have memories of watching the shadow of the smoke dancing along the fields beside the train, sadly I thought, ‘never again’. Back at Templecombe another wait ensued – the temporary timetable was designed to discourage travellers.
Travelling on to Cole I de-trained and waited for the following service on to Evercreech. During this time I walked the line northwards to the overbridge crossing the WR main line. On arrival at Evercreech another wait of just over half an hour ensued before boarding the last ever service train to Highbridge. This journey was on board a packed train and was mostly in darkness. On board the locomotive were not only the crew but many others – drivers wives possibly. From Highbridge it was a journey back to Chippenham via Bristol an unforgettable day. Keith Jenkin
In addition to the following pictures you can visit our three S & D sections by means of a click :-
Bath to Evercreech, Evercreech to Bournemouth, Burnham to Evercreech and finally the Bridgwater and Wells branches
Firemans Tales - you'll find some of these by Ian Bunnett at the end of the Bath to Evercreech section
The ‘Slow and Dirty’, the ‘Swift and Delightful’ or in the end the ‘Sabotaged and Defeated’
50 years ago by the date and day it was Saturday 5th March 1966 when the last public trains ran on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, a sad day indeed. That day was the day that I first became an enthusiast. Prior to that I was mildly interested in railways but television coverage of the line screened by Sir John Betjeman a couple of days before the final closure caused me to prise myself out of my seat and make an effort for that very last day. I lived at Calne in those days. Parking at Chippenham, for the Calne branch had already closed, I took the train to Bath Spa and walked to Green Park in time for the 08.15 to Templecombe. I bought a ticket to Bournemouth though the service was so sparse that I never got there. At the outset my camera failed with the excitement! I met and travelled with young Barry Lucas PRC – his tape recorder had failed.
We left on time and 8F 48760I with three green coaches clanked along the level to Bath Junction and then got stuck into the bank up to Devonshire tunnel. Once through the Devonshire and Coombe Down tunnels we called at all stations, places I had never heard of. Never before had I experienced such interest and excitement. There seemed to be people with cameras everywhere, up trees, even somebody wearing waders standing in a stream to get ‘that shot’.
Arrival at Templecombe was at 09.53, my train onwards to the south was at 12.30. It was, luckily, a pleasant day. I tried to join a party of school children being taken to look around the shed but was told to ‘buzz off’. However nobody seemed to mind wherever else we went so we joined others spread along the embankment of the connecting line to the station which overlooked the shed.
I got to Broadstones at 13.51, where I decided to turn back. I have memories of watching the shadow of the smoke dancing along the fields beside the train, sadly I thought, ‘never again’. Back at Templecombe another wait ensued – the temporary timetable was designed to discourage travellers.
Travelling on to Cole I de-trained and waited for the following service on to Evercreech. During this time I walked the line northwards to the overbridge crossing the WR main line. On arrival at Evercreech another wait of just over half an hour ensued before boarding the last ever service train to Highbridge. This journey was on board a packed train and was mostly in darkness. On board the locomotive were not only the crew but many others – drivers wives possibly. From Highbridge it was a journey back to Chippenham via Bristol an unforgettable day. Keith Jenkin
In addition to the following pictures you can visit our three S & D sections by means of a click :-
Bath to Evercreech, Evercreech to Bournemouth, Burnham to Evercreech and finally the Bridgwater and Wells branches
Firemans Tales - you'll find some of these by Ian Bunnett at the end of the Bath to Evercreech section
Many thanks to Mike Roach for the following pictures and the reminder of the significance of today.
Bath Green Park - taken on the last summer for Green Park. 12th June 1965 Copyright Mike Roach
A mighty 9F 92238 stands at Evercreech Junction on Warwickshire Railway Society railtour to Eastleigh 12th June 1965 Copyright Mike Roach
The loco provision for the above railtour - courtesy Six Bells 44777 Birmingham Snow Hill - Gloucester - Bath Green Park
92238 Bath Green Park - Bournemouth Central
34097 Bournemouth Central - Eastleigh Works (1)
34097 Eastleigh Works (1) - Basingstoke - Oxford
6967 Oxford - Birmingham Snow Hill
92238 Bath Green Park - Bournemouth Central
34097 Bournemouth Central - Eastleigh Works (1)
34097 Eastleigh Works (1) - Basingstoke - Oxford
6967 Oxford - Birmingham Snow Hill
This picture taken on the very last day by my good friend Barry Lucas as we spend a couple of hours on the embankment alongside Templecombe shed. Here we see a GWS special headed by 48706 leaving the signalbox behind to dive down past us and head under the Southern line on route to Bournemouth. 5th March 1966, Copyright Barry Lucas
Reaching the top of Masbury Bank was the source of great relief to enginemen. Here 75021 & 92233 reach the summit on the 30th June 1962 Copyright Mike Roach
Here 9F 92245 tops Masbury Bank again on the 30th June 1962 Copyright Mike Roach
One 'the branch' - the line from Higbridge to Evercreech. With steam a plenty 41283 waits at Glastonbury with the 9.45am Highbridge to Evercreech Junction on 16th October 1965 Copyright Mike Roach. One wonders what the conversation on the platform might have been about?