As a train spotting maniac back in the late 1940s & earl 50s I never managed a trip on this line but a few years later I travelled from Templecombe to Blandford to begin National Service training. When that was completed I recall going on leave to Reading via Bournemouth West where I was able in picking up a service that called at Reading West but not at the main station. I completed my journey home by taxi., that was July 1960.
Gorgeous film Phillip, cheers for posting. Never went on the S&D - I wish! I was 5 when it closed, and lived in Manchester, so difficult circle to square that one. However, My Wife and I now ride all the rideable sections of this stunning railway on our ebikes. We actually just rode the two tunnels section from Wellow to Warmely and back at the end of September. I've also watched lots of yours, and everyone's footage of this legendary, dreamy railway line. Long live the S&D Cheers again Phillip
Many thanks for the comment - I do envy your ebikes. Mind you, we currently have a problem with kids and their (Christmas present?) escooters.... Spent the last working years of my life in Warmley, by the way. At least the station and signal box are still there. Best Wishes, Philip
If you ever see a dirty old yellow Reliant three wheeler parked near some of the line that would be me having a wander about the place with my favourite walk the long engine stilling climb from the valley bottom that only the 9F ever mastered but diesels just scampered up and down with little effort. I also use Train Simulator 2020 which has a fair if old go at the S&D Bournemouth to Bath plus some era upgrades and theming sets on UKTrainSim.
Some years back, if you drank in the Miller's Arms of Wincanton which was adjacent to the old line and station you could actually hear someone had set up a mock tannoy and on a sunday afternoon you could hear actual station announcements, I kid you not O.o I get my Reliant serviced at Bennett's Field Garage on the estate the line ran into, if you have a classic car down this way you could not find a finer garage and only the older chap knew the line used to run through lol Back when I was more full of mustard, I used to go to some of the meetings and I found them a solution to get round the building at Wincanton which required one single line underbridge and a strip of farmland between the A303 to where the line left Wincanton but they were never interested but even today if you pass the Wincanton slip road on the A303 a few hundred yards down the road on the left hand is an abandoned road which is straight as a pin and leads to the former line further back... quick under bridge under the 303 and as I said a strip of land other side to the old permanent way and you have bypassed one of the major impediments of running a train round the new build at Wincanton itself. And what a gift the Frome to Radstock line was but the property maggots had to build their rubbish houses. You could literally go through Radstock west, across the road with a clear run to Bath almost, a small tunnel under the roundabout and a clear run the other way at least to Wincanton.
Ah - station announcements! At least I managed to record some at Templecombe...diesel on the main line though. Can't win them all, though some, fortunately a tiny few, expect you to. I am really heartened by so many comments coming in which are very kind indeed. All the Best, Philip
Enjoyed the video. Much regret not exploring Templecombe & the S&D in steam days. I travelled on the ACE 3 times 1959,60,63 from London to Padstow, Bude & Ilfracombe but was to young to be allowed more than than a glimpse through the carriage window. I believe Templecoombe was closed in the 60,s and reopened c1990 without the S&D and extensive railway sheds and sidings..I last passed through the "station" in 2018.
Another secondary route whose closure had as much to do with internal BR politics as economic viability. How useful would these long closed secondary routes be today and perhaps if the GC mainline had been reduced or mothballed we would not need HS2 with all the controversy and capital expenditure that has generated.
Absolutely, Phil. When I grew up in Ashton Gate, the nearest railway line was, of course, to Portishead. There's a case in point. Mothballed, restored, but still no passenger service, and in Bristol "Metro" buses where trains once ran. Happy Christmas! Philip
Thanks Chris. As well as the sights; thanks to battery-powered reel to reel recording, we captured the actual sounds...like the simple but long gone sound of a milk churn being rolled across the track at Wincanton. I brought this back from the dead relatively recently, synched it up with the footage, long after making the original film. Really great to hear from marvellous folk like you courtesy of RUclips. Best Wishes, Philip
Thanks Christopher. I'm sure Ken would have appreciated that if he were still with us. He was a good filmmaker. Had escaped from Nazi-occupied France by rail with the help of a Bradshaw!!! What a claim to Fame. Took him a couple of weeks to get to the coast and then be picked up after coming under fire... Years later, laid down the three S& D voiceovers (3 400ft edited film reels) without a mistake. Very precise mind - cipher clerk during WW2. Timetables were a joy to him, which came in handy for our filming! Best Wishes, Philip
@@philipfowler5280 I am a steam train buff,and can remember them as a child on the WCML & SR. Never got to travel the SDJR unfortunately. I like many woukd have loved to spend a week on that and the GCR lines.
@@christopherbentley5216 Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, Christopher. Barnstaple to Ilfracombe would be a cherished memory for me... Best Wishes, Philip
@@christopherbentley5216 Thanks Christopher. I sure have recollections - and one sound recording (somewhere if I can find it now) - of GWR Taunton to Barnstaple. GWR was cheaper but considered slower than Bristol - Exeter - Barnstaple where one might get one's first glimpse of a Bulleid. My somewhat old website built before Broadband! has a couple of photographs taken during recording:- www.lanternfilms.ukphotographers.com/yetmogl3.htm Regards, Philip
Probably the most lamented of all lost railways. Thank you so much for this marvellous glimpse into the past.
That says it all I think, David. Many thanks for your comment,
Best Wishes,
Philip
As a train spotting maniac back in the late 1940s & earl 50s I never managed a trip on this line but a few years later I travelled from Templecombe to Blandford to begin National Service training. When that was completed I recall going on leave to Reading via Bournemouth West where I was able in picking up a service that called at Reading West but not at the main station. I completed my journey home by taxi., that was July 1960.
Gorgeous film Phillip, cheers for posting.
Never went on the S&D - I wish! I was 5 when it closed, and lived in Manchester, so difficult circle to square that one. However, My Wife and I now ride all the rideable sections of this stunning railway on our ebikes. We actually just rode the two tunnels section from Wellow to Warmely and back at the end of September. I've also watched lots of yours, and everyone's footage of this legendary, dreamy railway line. Long live the S&D
Cheers again Phillip
Many thanks for the comment - I do envy your ebikes. Mind you, we currently have a problem with kids and their (Christmas present?) escooters....
Spent the last working years of my life in Warmley, by the way. At least the station and signal box are still there.
Best Wishes,
Philip
If you ever see a dirty old yellow Reliant three wheeler parked near some of the line that would be me having a wander about the place with my favourite walk the long engine stilling climb from the valley bottom that only the 9F ever mastered but diesels just scampered up and down with little effort. I also use Train Simulator 2020 which has a fair if old go at the S&D Bournemouth to Bath plus some era upgrades and theming sets on UKTrainSim.
Yes, Cheers, Many Thanks,
Philip
Another excellent archive, such a shame to think the line was thrown away, many thanks for sharing Philip.
Absolutely. Many Thanks indeed for commenting. The Settle & Carlisle shows how things could have been different.
Best Wishes,
Philip
How i would have loved to ride on the S& D
Some years back, if you drank in the Miller's Arms of Wincanton which was adjacent to the old line and station you could actually hear someone had set up a mock tannoy and on a sunday afternoon you could hear actual station announcements, I kid you not O.o I get my Reliant serviced at Bennett's Field Garage on the estate the line ran into, if you have a classic car down this way you could not find a finer garage and only the older chap knew the line used to run through lol Back when I was more full of mustard, I used to go to some of the meetings and I found them a solution to get round the building at Wincanton which required one single line underbridge and a strip of farmland between the A303 to where the line left Wincanton but they were never interested but even today if you pass the Wincanton slip road on the A303 a few hundred yards down the road on the left hand is an abandoned road which is straight as a pin and leads to the former line further back... quick under bridge under the 303 and as I said a strip of land other side to the old permanent way and you have bypassed one of the major impediments of running a train round the new build at Wincanton itself. And what a gift the Frome to Radstock line was but the property maggots had to build their rubbish houses. You could literally go through Radstock west, across the road with a clear run to Bath almost, a small tunnel under the roundabout and a clear run the other way at least to Wincanton.
Ah - station announcements! At least I managed to record some at Templecombe...diesel on the main line though. Can't win them all, though some, fortunately a tiny few, expect you to. I am really heartened by so many comments coming in which are very kind indeed.
All the Best,
Philip
Enjoyed the video. Much regret not exploring Templecombe & the S&D in steam days. I travelled on the ACE 3 times 1959,60,63 from London to Padstow, Bude & Ilfracombe but was to young to be allowed more than than a glimpse through the carriage window. I believe Templecoombe was closed in the 60,s and reopened c1990 without the S&D and extensive railway sheds and sidings..I last passed through the "station" in 2018.
Thanks John.
Oh to be able to go by train to any of those destinations now!
Best Wishes,
Philip
Another secondary route whose closure had as much to do with internal BR politics as economic viability. How useful would these long closed secondary routes be today and perhaps if the GC mainline had been reduced or mothballed we would not need HS2 with all the controversy and capital expenditure that has generated.
Absolutely, Phil.
When I grew up in Ashton Gate, the nearest railway line was, of course, to Portishead. There's a case in point. Mothballed, restored, but still no passenger service, and in Bristol "Metro" buses where trains once ran.
Happy Christmas!
Philip
Proves the local transport model then was a half hearted shambles devised in a grotty London office.
Oh yes, Anne. Apparently projections of town growth were way out, for example.
Best Wishes,
Philip
fantastic nostalgia
Thanks Chris.
As well as the sights; thanks to battery-powered reel to reel recording, we captured the actual sounds...like the simple but long gone sound of a milk churn being rolled across the track at Wincanton. I brought this back from the dead relatively recently, synched it up with the footage, long after making the original film.
Really great to hear from marvellous folk like you courtesy of RUclips.
Best Wishes,
Philip
@@philipfowler5280 wow
@@a11csc
Yeah. Thanks Chris,
Philip
Wonderful.
Thanks Christopher. I'm sure Ken would have appreciated that if he were still with us. He was a good filmmaker. Had escaped from Nazi-occupied France by rail with the help of a Bradshaw!!! What a claim to Fame. Took him a couple of weeks to get to the coast and then be picked up after coming under fire...
Years later, laid down the three S& D voiceovers (3 400ft edited film reels) without a mistake. Very precise mind - cipher clerk during WW2. Timetables were a joy to him, which came in handy for our filming!
Best Wishes,
Philip
@@philipfowler5280 I am a steam train buff,and can remember them as a child on the WCML & SR. Never got to travel the SDJR unfortunately. I like many woukd have loved to spend a week on that and the GCR lines.
@@christopherbentley5216
Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, Christopher. Barnstaple to Ilfracombe would be a cherished memory for me...
Best Wishes,
Philip
@@philipfowler5280 And Taunton to Barnstaple and the Exe Valley Line from Dulverton to Exeter.
@@christopherbentley5216
Thanks Christopher. I sure have recollections - and one sound recording (somewhere if I can find it now) - of GWR Taunton to Barnstaple. GWR was cheaper but considered slower than Bristol - Exeter - Barnstaple where one might get one's first glimpse of a Bulleid.
My somewhat old website built before Broadband! has a couple of photographs taken during recording:- www.lanternfilms.ukphotographers.com/yetmogl3.htm
Regards,
Philip