In August 1963 I was on a cycling trainspotting trip from Towcester to Plymouth and back with my mate. I got a puncture in Bridport and I repaired the puncture on the curve of Bridport station and was helped by the Driver of the single Railcar and I was invited to sit behind him on the trip up to Maiden Newton. I wish I could remember the cost of the ticket for myself and my bicycle.
@@adrianwild2094A lot of Irish lines were closed though thankfully Limerick to Foynes is being reopened but Wexford to Waterford’s reopening is being heavily pushed back against by the Greenway lobby and no hope if Cobh or Dungarvan ever being reconnected. Getting rid of guards on most routes in Ireland was a folly. Shocking that after it had helped the villages to survive in a snow storm it was recommended for closure
I lived, as a child, in Toller just a few years before this video. The closure had been long discussed and of course when it did come the promised bus service lasted only a short time. The local roads really are unsuitable for larger vehicles. I’ve been back to the village a few times over the years. School gone, pub gone and the village seems a lot quieter these days. While people focus on the economics of the branch lines closing stations like had huge economic impacts on places like Toller and Powerstock. I took the train many times, my first steps to independence being a trip to Bridport to the local cinema on Saturdays.
Probably one of the best videos I've seen. The camera locations were so well planned before filming the results are excellent. This would've taken some considerable time and effort back in the day and it was well worth it. Thank you everyone involved.
We, the population, have chosen this collective path. We chose the freedom of the car over the tyranny of the timetable. Businesses chose the roads to delivery their goods from door to door instead of taking them to the local railway goods depot. We threw these lines away.
@@neiloflongbeck5705The line was recommended for closure in 1963 and the local residents had 12 years to patronise the service which they failed to do resulting in its closure. There were cost cutting measures over the years but the line must have remained uneconomic. At the end of the day getting motorists to take a train or a bus is very difficult. Had the line continued BR would have had to spend more money on the automating the railway crossing, replacing the DMU and presumably maintaining or replacing the stations. Today Councils would have got involved with providing subsidy or marketing the line but even Councils are not flush with money. At the end of the day you cannot run a Victorian railway in competition with the motor car without subsidy.
I wish films of this quality existed for all of the branch lines we've lost... I have no connection with the area, but found the history, and stories very informative and entertaining - thank you for uploading this wonderful slice of history.
Thank you so much for posting this video it actually moved me to tears. This line has fascinated me for over 25 years. I’ve walked it (where possible), modelled it, read about it, often passed it on the train to Dorchester and wondered what might have been if it had lasted a few more years. Despite searching I’ve never found any cine footage remotely close to this quality. Thank you so much this has literally made my week.
Beautiful film tinged with sadness. My father and grandfather came from Bridport, and the latter worked on the branchline his entire working life. So many stories and anecdotes I can remember. The last time I visited the area, the station had gone and it was as though the line had never existed. Very sad, this mindless rush for progress.
Just discovered this film. Amazingly clear colour. I am from Bridport and lived there until my 20s. My happiest childhood memories are of this line, which closed when I was 6.
As a former Bournemouth BR Guard, SWT driver and Salisbury SWT & SWR driver this is heartbreaking. I would have loved to drive over that route in a bubble car.
What struck me was the reference to WW2. When this made, WW2 finished 30 years earlier. We are now viewing this nearly 50 years later! Nostalgic and moving. Thank you.
Beautiful county is Dorset. All those jobs gone and people losing the convenience of a train service. As mentioned previously the vandalism of destroying what was appreciated by many has been replicated through E&W. Thank you for your video.
A splendid film. Had the line still been open today imagine how overgrown those cuttings and embankments would have been. Nice to see the trackside still maintained right up to the end. I was involved in rebuilding Toller station building on the SDR.
I lived as a child of 4 years old in 1953/4 in Bradpole, and the train passed at the bottom of our garden. Being a typical naughty boy, I put pennies on the rails, which fortunately did not cause a major derailment!! Happy days, enjoying the steam engines going by. Raymond Peto
Fantastic quality from 8mm cine, truly a wonderful look back in time. The sharpness and colour is outstanding, thank you so much for putting this here for our enjoyment. Dad was a driver all his working life, there was some wonderful rivalry between Salisbury and Fratton drivers. I had wondered what depot covered the route. I have some of my dad's old 8mm cine which l am now tempted to try and transfer to video. Once again many thanks.
Thanks for you comments and sharing your stories . It took a professional transfer with colour grading and steadying of the image to get the most from the ageing film .
Phenomenal! How prescient to make this film. What an absolute gem of historical significance, let alone an insight into English rural beauty. Thannk you so much to all involved.
What a sad loss. I traveled on it in the closing days just for the sake of taking the ride. Thanks for posting it and a massive thanks to the film-maker.
What a lovely, well made film which really captures the character of these local branch lines, now sadly lost. My aunt and uncle owned Snow’s babywear shop in West Street, Bridport and we used the branch a few times in the 1960s to visit them, although to be honest I was too young to remember all the details of the journeys. I do however recall walking the trackbed from Bridport to West Bay in 1967, which was still clear at the time. One pedantic point at 1:52 - the handle the driver is putting into the brake valve is not the Deadman’s Handle (or Drivers Safety Device as it’s properly known) but the brake handle. The DSD was connected through the power controller which the driver held down with his left hand - if released this automatically applied the brakes.
Thank you so very much for this beautiful presentation of what was probably the last Beeching era branch line, doomed for the axe, although given a stay of execution. What a gem and loss to the preservation world. Again, thank you.
Haltwhistle to Alston in Northumberland was the final branch closure earmarked by Beeching it lasted until May 1976. I suspect this was the penultimate one.
What an absolute gem of a film! Thank you so much for posting. I have ridden my motorcycle around the lanes to follow the route of this old line, and it is a lovely part of my home county.
We are indebted to Adrian Wild for making this excellent film, David Shepherd the wild life artist wanted to save the line to provide a home for his steam locomotives but sadly he received little support. The branch was operated by Weymouth and Westbury train crews and the “ Bubble car” was returned to Westbury at night for servicing after the last trip. The first Westbury crew worked a down a afternoon Weymouth service as far as Maiden Newton and the swopped over with the morning Weymouth men on the branch, after two trips the first Wy crew changed over with a second Wy crew at Maiden Newton who then worked the remaining trips to Bridport, the first crew then worked down to Weymouth and then after a break worked the same train back up, there was a lot of mail on this service plus a lot of channel island traffic, Dorchester West was a booked stop of about ten minutes, again for Mail, so the second man’s job was to leg it down to the chip shop and fetch the order of fish and chips which would be shared out with the branch crew on arrival at Maiden Newton, whilst we waited for the next down Weymouth service to arrive and clear the single line. The first Wy crew guard on the way down collected two green hurricane oil lamps from the signalman at Castle Cary and placed them on the edge of the platforms at Thornford and Chetnole halts, the second Wy branch crew driver when returning to Wy with the empty bubble car, would slow down and the Secondman or guard would grab the Hurricane lamps as we passed through and returned to Castle Cary! Happy Days. Note 1.57 the DSD is in the the power control handle, what is shown is the drivers vacuum brake handle.
Seeing how many preservation lines now exist around the country, what a shame Mr Shepherd wasn't successful. Such an attractive part of the country too.
I have lived in this area for most of my life, I've walked along a lot of this old line, seeing the old stations and bridges .... I've always had a strong interest in this railway and its importance to the local communities it served. This video was just remarkable, and if this wasn't filmed it would have been very hard to see what the railway was like. Thank you for uploading this so we can see what life was like when the railway ran, it was one of the most interesting videos I've seen in a while. It's funny, because I think now in 2023 the railway would be profitable, Bridport as a town has grown considerably since the 70s, West Bay and local villages have become very popular for summer holidays, and the public transport links to larger towns such as Yeovil, Dorchester or Weymouth are very poor with the buses, I think now this could be a pretty busy line.
Thank you. That brought back some absolutely wonderful memories of the eighteen years I lived in Poole on the east end of the quay. I moved there in 1979 so after this film was made but while Poole and Dorset were still relatively quiet. I 'emigrated' to a small village in Ireland in 1997; the last time I went back to Poole was ten years ago. The whole area between Poole and Bridport was utterly unrecognisable; a dual carriageway now occupies the the quiet main road and the traffic is nose-to-tail anywhere you go. I couldn't live there now even if I wanted to - it's not 'my' Dorset any more.
A brilliant find! Like the Alston branch that closed 12 months after, Bridport is an interesting late closure. Ostensibly this was because of difficulty arranging acceptable 'bustitution' over narrow and winding local roads to Toller and Powerstock, but I recall there was a cut in Ministry grant aid for 'socially necessary' passenger services which Dorset CC initially agreed to fund instead then for some reason voted to discontinue. In its last ten or so years Westbury-based men crewed the DMU; threading the scenery at 40mph must have made a lovely day out for those rostered! Good to see the LC gates operation at Bradpole; that and Manorbier (Pembroke Dock branch) were Western Region's last traincrew-operated crossing gates on passenger lines. I don't know the area well enough, but if it's like many similar in England I'll bet that ever-encroaching housing developments and year-round road traffic misery has changed Bridport to the extent that today no one would seriously consider axing its branch line - indeed by now they'd probably have turned the connecting pointwork at Maiden Newton back round for through Weymouth-Dorchester-Bridport train running! Still, we are where we are and I can't imagine a case ever being made to reopen.
Absolutely loved everything about this video; the music, the superb film quality, the information. Combined, it showed us a glimpse back to days long gone.
Just stumbled across this. My dad used to work for the G.P.O as a jointer. He was in Bridport dealing with faults when the snow of '63 arrived. He could not get his lorry and trailer out, so caught the train, to head back home to Weymouth. There was a long wait at Maiden Newton for a connection. He said that he asked the guard if the train would stop at Upwey, one stop short of Weymouth. This would enable him to have a 2 mile walk down Littlemoor road to get home. The driver said he would not stop, but would slow down so dad could jump off!! (Shades of Jethro here). Apparently this is what happened and he eventually got home very wet and cold, having had to struggle through 6 foot snow drifts....
The station you refer to is actually' West Bay' station which was an extension of the Bridport line and about 3 miles from the town . . The station was derelict for along time till it became a cafe in 2015 .
Thankyou for this, I live in Bridport and often see reminders of the line, the bridges etc. The steep cutting suffering frequent slips is part of Powerstock Common nature reserve now with a footpath (I can attest to its long steepness). A regular train to Maiden then onto Dorch would be a great benefit to Bridders today, it seems a somewhat short-sighted, premature decision like so many of the other closures…
I worked in Bridport for over twenty years as a paramedic and some of the older guys often spoke about the railway. It had long vanished by then but the old station remained standing at the Travis Perkins site for a number of years. Sadly, that has since disappeared. The narrator is clearly knowledgeable about the local history; it was fascinating to listen to. One interesting piece of information, told to me many years ago, was about the name of the hamlet Powerstock. It was, apparently, once called Poorstck but the railway company changed its name less it reflects on their rolling stock. I'm sure there is someone who could verify or dispel that? What a gem of a video. Many many thanks for uploading it. I have shared the link with a few of the old boys.
Yes 'it is an interesting comment about Powerstock station and one I was considering to include but did not have at the space .. What we do know is when the railway was opened in 1857 the station was named "Poorstock' after the village nearby . However in 1860 the station was renamed 'Powerstock ' by the railway ,probably for the reason mentioned . After period of time the village also began to be referred to as 'Powerstock' particularly on travel maps . However Dorset County Council did not accept the name change . In the early 20th c census reports were still referring the village as ' Poorstock ' and rate demands continued to use the original name .for many years after This changed in the 1950's when Dorset Count Council officially changed the village name to 'Powerstock 'against the wishes of the parish council ,
Thank you so much to the you tube algorithm for recommending this video. I used to live in Maiden Newton and one day, with the help of a large stick to bash my way through the undergrowth on the closed sections along with my trusty mountain bike, explored the line all the way to Loders! Fascinating to see it as it was. What a fantastic heritage line it could have been.
I believe that the artist and railway enthusiast 'David Shepherd ' was interested in buying the line for preservation ( he owns a few steam locos ) but he did not get enough support ..
Although I lived about 20 miles from Brdport, I never actually travelled on this line. Our local station, Martock, on the Taunton-Yeovil branch, lost its trains in 1964, and it too was heavily used in the snowy conditions at the end of 1962 and the first 3 months of 1963. The replacement bus service lasted about 3 years and as only one vehicle was used, the first bus from Taunton terminated 4 miles short of Yeovil, at Montacute, before returning to Taunton, and a 20 minute wait was necessary for the connecting bus to Yeovil. I doubt whether the Taunton bus managed to keep to its timetable, as it was smartly timed for the journey to Taunton. In winter its route between Martock and Langport was regularly submerged, as this stretch formed part of the Somerset Levels.
An utterly superb film... not an area I'm familiar with but looks beautiful. Very atmospheric and evocative film of gentler, slower and more carefree days, the music complements it very well. Many thanks for posting, such an enjoyable, if melancholic, watch.
Thank you for the comments which accurately describes the film I was trying to convey .There has been many favourable comments from the older generation who had travelled the line and lamented it's closure .
A wonderful look back to an area I love. As a child I remember watching the goods train [steam] loading timber at West Bay, that had come by coaster to the harbour. We holidayed in West Bay for many years and as a family now own a well loved holiday cottage nearby. Favourite café of ours in Bridport is the Green Yard, a welcome break after strolling through the street market on a Saturday.
Wonderful film, and one I've never seen before, despite an almost lifelong interest in Bridport and it's railway. And I'm still sad I just missed out on a trip over the line.
What an exceptional piece of filming and narration, fantastic quality showing every aspect of the line.I went there myself with my Dad who loved trains just before it shut , and took some photos but nothing like this quality. Well done indeed
A wonderful film, particularly as I used to travel on the branch from my home near Manchester to stay at my beloved grandparents' home in West Milton (nearest station Powerstock) in the 60s. The trip took four trains and a substantial walk, from memory, but I was a teenager then and could manage it with ease.From my current home in Australia, I couldn't believe the line would ever close, especially considering its vital role in the 62-63 winter. These old railways always seemed to blend so much better into the rural landscape than roads and traffic.
I live in the US, but I'm nostalgic for this line and the loss of community along it. There is a general movement to cities leaving small communities diminished. Like the UK, train lines have been removed The US is full of small towns with shuttered store fronts. Thousands of functional buildings are abandoned and going to ruin. I wonder what's to come.
Great nostalgic video, with a lot of good quality historic content, a real pleasure to listen to. Just to correct you, the line was in receipt of a grant under the 1968 Transport Act as it was an remunerative line of a social need. BR funded the first 3 years and then Bridport Local authority took over the payment of the grant. The cause of the closure in 1975 as the local authority ceased to pay the grant, and BR were unable to find another way of funding the line. As to why the Local Authority did this, speculating it may have been that BR increased the grant, but grants were time limited to 3 years in accordance with the 1968 Act. However, a research project for someone would be to consult the local authority records or minutes to identify why they ceased payment.
Thank you for the comment .Unfortunately due to the length of the video I decided not to include too much detail in the reasons for closure of the branch . However , your post does explain all the interesting which I am sure readers will appreciate . However I do disagree Bout who actually closed the line .It was BR who initially wanted to close the branch in 1965 after the Beeching report citing huge losses and lack of patronage . In 1974 Dorset Council , after subsidising the line since 1971 , looked into the feasibility of a replacement bus service and decided it was possible , despite the narrow lanes around Bridport .One must presume that.the decision to favour a bus service over paying the grant was a financial one . It was BR , who ultimately closed the line , as it intended to do 10 years previously .
My goodness, what a wonderful video. I am sure I am not the only one to feel a deep nostalgia and melancholy for what we have lost. We must be so grateful to the people who went to the trouble to make these old railway films. What a priceless record of vanished times.
It's not the dead man's handle (that is incorporated into the throttle l. It is actually the brake handle, one of two 'tools' that are transferred between cabs when changing ends. The other tool is known as the 'spoon' and allows you to select forward and reverse directions. It is interesting to see the driver lock the cab door when changing ends at Maiden Newton.
Even more amazingly, 'blue square' DMU 121034, which enters the bay at the end of the film, was the last first generation DMU I ever drove, on the 1st March 2017, 42 years later!
What a change, the late 70s had the lowest passenger figures on the railways of all times. And now we have the highest. Far more than at the peak of the early 1920s. They should have just mothballed all of these lines.
Thank you so much for going to the trouble of Telecining the film and uploading it. A wonderful history of the Dorset villages and a celebration of the bygone days of rural railways.
One of the finest rail videos. I'm a rail basher with no professional connection to rail. I have almost completed all lines now but one of my earliest distant routes was Weymouth to Bath whilst on holiday at the former in 1984. So Maiden Newton is nostalgiac to me.
I seem to recall David Shepherd, the wildlife artist, wanted to save it for his steam engines but there was no real support for it. It would be a great tourist attraction if it had survived.
A delightful, informative and ultimately sad return to what has gone...and a reminder of the value of this scenic stretch of railway to otherwise isolated small communities in that beautiful county. This is a most welcome valuable addition to RUclips - thank you,
Brilliant! Very well made video, now an important historical document. I was lucky enough to travel on the line in the last few weeks of operation in April '75.. In 1977 I walked the line from Maiden Newton to Bridport on the track bed.
The film was had deteriorated quite bit after forty years in the loft space . The colour had faded and the film was warped and dirty . It took two goes and some post production work- such as contrast , colour saturation and stabilisation to achieve a satisfactory result . Expensive but worth it !
@@adrianwild2094 since you’ve gone to all that trouble I’m even more impressed. Picking up on what you say the loft may have temp extremes, but my Kodachrome from the 50s is still rich in colour on 9.5mm and its base stable. Kodachrome was unique because the magenta, cyan and yellow dyes were imbibed and that stopped them fading (usually). Thanks again for yr trouble.
@@raymondwalker2752 I suspect the damage was done since my move to NZ ten years ago where the temperatures in the loft space , during the hot summer months , can get quite extreme .
This popped up for me and what a memory. We would holiday as a family around Bridport and West Bay , then in 75, my mate and I camped near Burton Bradstock with our Honda CB250/K4s. I am pretty sure that is a Puch moped they are loading onto the 121. 1975 & 76 were the hottest summers on record for several years, 76 for 9 weeks and 75 not far behind in duration.
1975 and 1976 were my GCE ''A'' Level years! Yes, 1975 was a pleasant, dry, warm and sunny summer, low rainfall which then led to a a quite dry winter. This continued into Spring 1976 but then getting very hot around May, temperatures frequently reaching 90* degrees plus. This lasted for fully three months, June, July and August still incredibly hot and barely a drop of rain as we suffered a very severe drought.
I enjoyed this very much, especially as we have just returned home from a week spent just outside Bridport. A reminder of what has been lost... Subbed. 😊
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beautiful work!! bravoo once again! and thank you for choosing my songs for this wonderful documentary!
Fabulous Memories of Almost 50 Years Ago...in Reality Without the Foresight of The Railway Enthusiasts in Recording Such Iconic Footage We Would Not have This Wonderful Piece of Heritage... Alan Spiljak Accompanying Music Along With the Excellent Narration......First Class
Thank you John for your kind comments . I became interested in film making during the branch closures in Dorset during the 70's .Later in life I had a career as a cameraman - so must thank the Bridport Branch for that .
You can visit the Toller station building as it was moved and has been beautifully restored on the South Devon Railway at Totnes Riverside. Fabulous video.
Greetings from an American railroader. This is an absolutely beautiful homage and tribute to the branchlines of the UK that used to service the rural communities that needed the train as a lifeline to the rest of the world. Excellent footage. Perfect narration. Somber yet well placed music. This is perfection. ❤️❤️ Deepest sympathies and love from your neighbors across the pond who have been equally heartbroken by abandoned rail lines.
Hi American Railroader - thank you for wonderful critique . Sorry to hear that your country has also lost so much of it's heritage in the name of progress .
Happy memories of riding this line about a year before it shut. It was a delightful run on a Summer's day. I do remember the rather sad boarded-up station at Bridport being lit by gas lamps with chains. The death knell notices of line closure used to provide details of replacement bus services, which usually lasted a year or so after closure until they were terminated as well due to lack of use. Though I'm guessing nothing was provided here, there being regular buses to Dorchester from Bridport.
Great informative video my parents have juts found this .. Roger Poole the crossing keeper at bradpole village was my late grandfather on my mums side .
How nice is it to see something from the past. We have traveled a Lott by train in Britain during our holiday visits. Unfortunately this line was already closed before we could travel it. Cheers Jef
Excellent video of a line I know little about which no doubt is sadly missed like so many others throughout the country. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative, captured my attention when I saw it in my list of videos. Many thanks for this, superb 👌🏼 I will look on line for more about the line.
I remember being on a steam hauled rail tour on the branch in the mid 60's. In spite of having a loco at each end the train got stuck on the gradient on its way to Maiden Newton and a diesel was sent to rescue us. It was a lovely place to be stuck, though!
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In August 1963 I was on a cycling trainspotting trip from Towcester to Plymouth and back with my mate. I got a puncture in Bridport and I repaired the puncture on the curve of Bridport station and was helped by the Driver of the single Railcar and I was invited to sit behind him on the trip up to Maiden Newton. I wish I could remember the cost of the ticket for myself and my bicycle.
Priceless reminder of what has been loss, replicated all over England and Wales.
Absolutely right
I’m in Chicago thinking the same thing.
And across Scotland too, like the Fife coastal route
What a gem this film is! Charming, informative and a historical record all in one. Many thanks to the Weymouthian for Sharing this.
Appreciate your comments - glad you enjoyed the video .
@@adrianwild2094A lot of Irish lines were closed though thankfully Limerick to Foynes is being reopened but Wexford to Waterford’s reopening is being heavily pushed back against by the Greenway lobby and no hope if Cobh or Dungarvan ever being reconnected.
Getting rid of guards on most routes in Ireland was a folly.
Shocking that after it had helped the villages to survive in a snow storm it was recommended for closure
I lived, as a child, in Toller just a few years before this video. The closure had been long discussed and of course when it did come the promised bus service lasted only a short time. The local roads really are unsuitable for larger vehicles. I’ve been back to the village a few times over the years. School gone, pub gone and the village seems a lot quieter these days. While people focus on the economics of the branch lines closing stations like had huge economic impacts on places like Toller and Powerstock. I took the train many times, my first steps to independence being a trip to Bridport to the local cinema on Saturdays.
Thankfully Limerick to Foynes is being reopened
Interesting to hear your comments .
@@adrianwild2094 You are welcome glad a closed line in Ireland is becoming a railway again and not a greenway
@@OscarOSullivan for freight only initially but hopefully more
@@Denis.Collins Thanks
Probably one of the best videos I've seen. The camera locations were so well planned before filming the results are excellent. This would've taken some considerable time and effort back in the day and it was well worth it. Thank you everyone involved.
It was important to to preserve the memories of this beautiful line- so the time spent was worth it .
I entirely agree. A map appended would be wrlcomed by me.
I thoroughly enjoyed this; the sad part is that it reminds us of what our country has lost over the last six decades in the name of progress.
Yes , the closure of the many branch lines during this time was tragic .
We, the population, have chosen this collective path. We chose the freedom of the car over the tyranny of the timetable. Businesses chose the roads to delivery their goods from door to door instead of taking them to the local railway goods depot. We threw these lines away.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Speak for yourself.
@@neiloflongbeck5705The line was recommended for closure in 1963 and the local residents had 12 years to patronise the service which they failed to do resulting in its closure. There were cost cutting measures over the years but the line must have remained uneconomic. At the end of the day getting motorists to take a train or a bus is very difficult. Had the line continued BR would have had to spend more money on the automating the railway crossing, replacing the DMU and presumably maintaining or replacing the stations. Today Councils would have got involved with providing subsidy or marketing the line but even Councils are not flush with money. At the end of the day you cannot run a Victorian railway in competition with the motor car without subsidy.
I wish films of this quality existed for all of the branch lines we've lost... I have no connection with the area, but found the history, and stories very informative and entertaining - thank you for uploading this wonderful slice of history.
I lived in the area and it was important to me that a record of the line survived .
Yes!
Great video. Brilliant record of the line.
i wish the railway still existed
Atmospheric and nostalgic. Great bit of film.
Thank you so much for posting this video it actually moved me to tears. This line has fascinated me for over 25 years. I’ve walked it (where possible), modelled it, read about it, often passed it on the train to Dorchester and wondered what might have been if it had lasted a few more years. Despite searching I’ve never found any cine footage remotely close to this quality. Thank you so much this has literally made my week.
So glad that you enjoyed the film as much as my time making it .
Beautiful film tinged with sadness. My father and grandfather came from Bridport, and the latter worked on the branchline his entire working life. So many stories and anecdotes I can remember.
The last time I visited the area, the station had gone and it was as though the line had never existed. Very sad, this mindless rush for progress.
Glad you enjoyed the film with the family connections .
Just discovered this film. Amazingly clear colour. I am from Bridport and lived there until my 20s. My happiest childhood memories are of this line, which closed when I was 6.
As a former Bournemouth BR Guard, SWT driver and Salisbury SWT & SWR driver this is heartbreaking. I would have loved to drive over that route in a bubble car.
Fortunately the kind driver allowed me fo film from the cab but it was great shame that I did not film the entire journey .
Who were the people deciding everyone's fait here?
What struck me was the reference to WW2. When this made, WW2 finished 30 years earlier. We are now viewing this nearly 50 years later! Nostalgic and moving. Thank you.
Beautiful county is Dorset. All those jobs gone and people losing the convenience of a train service. As mentioned previously the vandalism of destroying what was appreciated by many has been replicated through E&W. Thank you for your video.
A splendid film. Had the line still been open today imagine how overgrown those cuttings and embankments would have been. Nice to see the trackside still maintained right up to the end. I was involved in rebuilding Toller station building on the SDR.
Littlehempton Station ( formerly Toller ) where would preservation be without it's volunteers !
I lived as a child of 4 years old in 1953/4 in Bradpole, and the train passed at the bottom of our garden.
Being a typical naughty boy, I put pennies on the rails, which fortunately did not cause a major derailment!!
Happy days, enjoying the steam engines going by.
Raymond Peto
Fantastic quality from 8mm cine, truly a wonderful look back in time. The sharpness and colour is outstanding, thank you so much for putting this here for our enjoyment. Dad was a driver all his working life, there was some wonderful rivalry between Salisbury and Fratton drivers. I had wondered what depot covered the route. I have some of my dad's old 8mm cine which l am now tempted to try and transfer to video. Once again many thanks.
Thanks for you comments and sharing your stories . It took a professional transfer with colour grading and steadying of the image to get the most from the ageing film .
Phenomenal! How prescient to make this film. What an absolute gem of historical significance, let alone an insight into English rural beauty. Thannk you so much to all involved.
What a sad loss. I traveled on it in the closing days just for the sake of taking the ride. Thanks for posting it and a massive thanks to the film-maker.
I travelled on the line on the final day but did take my camera .
What a beautiful country we used to have. I'd give anything to be able to climb into this film and live back then.
Ditto, albeit I have to stop myself from falling into nostalgia. I have brother and his wife who lived in Crewkerne, and I've sent them this link.
What a lovely, well made film which really captures the character of these local branch lines, now sadly lost. My aunt and uncle owned Snow’s babywear shop in West Street, Bridport and we used the branch a few times in the 1960s to visit them, although to be honest I was too young to remember all the details of the journeys. I do however recall walking the trackbed from Bridport to West Bay in 1967, which was still clear at the time. One pedantic point at 1:52 - the handle the driver is putting into the brake valve is not the Deadman’s Handle (or Drivers Safety Device as it’s properly known) but the brake handle. The DSD was connected through the power controller which the driver held down with his left hand - if released this automatically applied the brakes.
Thank you sharing your memories . Appreciate the correction of the dead mans handle.
Thank you so very much for this beautiful presentation of what was probably the last Beeching era branch line, doomed for the axe, although given a stay of execution. What a gem and loss to the preservation world. Again, thank you.
Thank you for your kind words
Haltwhistle to Alston in Northumberland was the final branch closure earmarked by Beeching it lasted until May 1976. I suspect this was the penultimate one.
I can find no mention of the ‘preservation world’ stepping in to save it though.
What an absolute gem of a film! Thank you so much for posting. I have ridden my motorcycle around the lanes to follow the route of this old line, and it is a lovely part of my home county.
Thank you for your comments - it is certainly a wonderful part of Dorset .
We are indebted to Adrian Wild for making this excellent film, David Shepherd the wild life artist wanted to save the line to provide a home for his steam locomotives but sadly he received little support. The branch was operated by Weymouth and Westbury train crews and the “ Bubble car” was returned to Westbury at night for servicing after the last trip. The first Westbury crew worked a down a afternoon Weymouth service as far as Maiden Newton and the swopped over with the morning Weymouth men on the branch, after two trips the first Wy crew changed over with a second Wy crew at Maiden Newton who then worked the remaining trips to Bridport, the first crew then worked down to Weymouth and then after a break worked the same train back up, there was a lot of mail on this service plus a lot of channel island traffic, Dorchester West was a booked stop of about ten minutes, again for Mail, so the second man’s job was to leg it down to the chip shop and fetch the order of fish and chips which would be shared out with the branch crew on arrival at Maiden Newton, whilst we waited for the next down Weymouth service to arrive and clear the single line. The first Wy crew guard on the way down collected two green hurricane oil lamps from the signalman at Castle Cary and placed them on the edge of the platforms at Thornford and Chetnole halts, the second Wy branch crew driver when returning to Wy with the empty bubble car, would slow down and the Secondman or guard would grab the Hurricane lamps as we passed through and returned to Castle Cary! Happy Days. Note 1.57 the DSD is in the the power control handle, what is shown is the drivers vacuum brake handle.
Thanks for this additional information on the branch .Glad you enjoyed the film .
Brilliant comment. Say no more.🤓Eddie
@@edwardbarnes2702 yes!
Seeing how many preservation lines now exist around the country, what a shame Mr Shepherd
wasn't successful. Such an attractive part of the country too.
I have lived in this area for most of my life, I've walked along a lot of this old line, seeing the old stations and bridges .... I've always had a strong interest in this railway and its importance to the local communities it served. This video was just remarkable, and if this wasn't filmed it would have been very hard to see what the railway was like. Thank you for uploading this so we can see what life was like when the railway ran, it was one of the most interesting videos I've seen in a while. It's funny, because I think now in 2023 the railway would be profitable, Bridport as a town has grown considerably since the 70s, West Bay and local villages have become very popular for summer holidays, and the public transport links to larger towns such as Yeovil, Dorchester or Weymouth are very poor with the buses, I think now this could be a pretty busy line.
Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for sharing you comments .
So sad but a lovely branch line brilliant film thanks what an assett now in 2023
If it was reopened in 2024 !!
Thank you. That brought back some absolutely wonderful memories of the eighteen years I lived in Poole on the east end of the quay. I moved there in 1979 so after this film was made but while Poole and Dorset were still relatively quiet. I 'emigrated' to a small village in Ireland in 1997; the last time I went back to Poole was ten years ago. The whole area between Poole and Bridport was utterly unrecognisable; a dual carriageway now occupies the the quiet main road and the traffic is nose-to-tail anywhere you go. I couldn't live there now even if I wanted to - it's not 'my' Dorset any more.
Glad you enjoyed the video as so much has changed in Dorset for he worst .
Absolutely outstanding film of a bygone era evocatively presented🙂
A brilliant find! Like the Alston branch that closed 12 months after, Bridport is an interesting late closure. Ostensibly this was because of difficulty arranging acceptable 'bustitution' over narrow and winding local roads to Toller and Powerstock, but I recall there was a cut in Ministry grant aid for 'socially necessary' passenger services which Dorset CC initially agreed to fund instead then for some reason voted to discontinue.
In its last ten or so years Westbury-based men crewed the DMU; threading the scenery at 40mph must have made a lovely day out for those rostered! Good to see the LC gates operation at Bradpole; that and Manorbier (Pembroke Dock branch) were Western Region's last traincrew-operated crossing gates on passenger lines.
I don't know the area well enough, but if it's like many similar in England I'll bet that ever-encroaching housing developments and year-round road traffic misery has changed Bridport to the extent that today no one would seriously consider axing its branch line - indeed by now they'd probably have turned the connecting pointwork at Maiden Newton back round for through Weymouth-Dorchester-Bridport train running! Still, we are where we are and I can't imagine a case ever being made to reopen.
Thanks for the interesting comments .
Absolutely loved everything about this video; the music, the superb film quality, the information. Combined, it showed us a glimpse back to days long gone.
Thank you for your comments - definitely my target audience .
Amazing film, really well made!!
Thanks daughter
Just stumbled across this. My dad used to work for the G.P.O as a jointer. He was in Bridport dealing with faults when the snow of '63 arrived. He could not get his lorry and trailer out, so caught the train, to head back home to Weymouth. There was a long wait at Maiden Newton for a connection. He said that he asked the guard if the train would stop at Upwey, one stop short of Weymouth. This would enable him to have a 2 mile walk down Littlemoor road to get home. The driver said he would not stop, but would slow down so dad could jump off!! (Shades of Jethro here). Apparently this is what happened and he eventually got home very wet and cold, having had to struggle through 6 foot snow drifts....
Great story .As a kid I spent many a day at Upwey transporting .
@@geoffwebber8272 Yes , I did , Number 52 and you ?
@@adrianwild2094 - Ha me too (now)
@@geoffwebber8272 Emigrated to NZ 12 years ago .
@@adrianwild2094 - I used to live at 23 Littlemoor road, ended up in this house (as you know)
What an evocative film. Really enjoyed watching. Bridport Station still has c50 metres of track and serves a decent cup of coffee.
The station you refer to is actually' West Bay' station which was an extension of the Bridport line and about 3 miles from the town . . The station was derelict for along time till it became a cafe in 2015 .
Thankyou for this, I live in Bridport and often see reminders of the line, the bridges etc. The steep cutting suffering frequent slips is part of Powerstock Common nature reserve now with a footpath (I can attest to its long steepness). A regular train to Maiden then onto Dorch would be a great benefit to Bridders today, it seems a somewhat short-sighted, premature decision like so many of the other closures…
Thanks for the comments .
I worked in Bridport for over twenty years as a paramedic and some of the older guys often spoke about the railway. It had long vanished by then but the old station remained standing at the Travis Perkins site for a number of years. Sadly, that has since disappeared. The narrator is clearly knowledgeable about the local history; it was fascinating to listen to. One interesting piece of information, told to me many years ago, was about the name of the hamlet Powerstock. It was, apparently, once called Poorstck but the railway company changed its name less it reflects on their rolling stock. I'm sure there is someone who could verify or dispel that?
What a gem of a video. Many many thanks for uploading it. I have shared the link with a few of the old boys.
Yes 'it is an interesting comment about Powerstock station and one I was considering to include but did not have at the space .. What we do know is when the railway was opened in 1857 the station was named "Poorstock' after the village nearby . However in 1860 the station was renamed 'Powerstock ' by the railway ,probably for the reason mentioned .
After period of time the village also began to be referred to as 'Powerstock' particularly on travel maps . However Dorset County Council did not accept the name change .
In the early 20th c census reports were still referring the village as ' Poorstock ' and rate demands continued to use the original name .for many years after
This changed in the 1950's when Dorset Count Council officially changed the village name to 'Powerstock 'against the wishes of the parish council ,
Thank you so much to the you tube algorithm for recommending this video. I used to live in Maiden Newton and one day, with the help of a large stick to bash my way through the undergrowth on the closed sections along with my trusty mountain bike, explored the line all the way to Loders! Fascinating to see it as it was. What a fantastic heritage line it could have been.
I believe that the artist and railway enthusiast 'David Shepherd ' was interested in buying the line for preservation ( he owns a few steam locos ) but he did not get enough support ..
As a kid at school we took one of the last journeys on the train before it was closed as a school outing great memories ❤
Absolutely amazing video. Could sit and watch railway history like this all the time. Great production, music and narration.
Although I lived about 20 miles from Brdport, I never actually travelled on this line. Our local station, Martock, on the Taunton-Yeovil branch, lost its trains in 1964, and it too was heavily used in the snowy conditions at the end of 1962 and the first 3 months of 1963. The replacement bus service lasted about 3 years and as only one vehicle was used, the first bus from Taunton terminated 4 miles short of Yeovil, at Montacute, before returning to Taunton, and a 20 minute wait was necessary for the connecting bus to Yeovil. I doubt whether the Taunton bus managed to keep to its timetable, as it was smartly timed for the journey to Taunton. In winter its route between Martock and Langport was regularly submerged, as this stretch formed part of the Somerset Levels.
I live in Bradpole and have been interested about the history of the line. This video is excellent but it makes me sad that it's gone
Very! And the fact that the requested extra station was never allowed! Crazy!
Alot of locals fondly remember the line and lament it's closure .
An utterly superb film... not an area I'm familiar with but looks beautiful. Very atmospheric and evocative film of gentler, slower and more carefree days, the music complements it very well. Many thanks for posting, such an enjoyable, if melancholic, watch.
Thank you for the comments which accurately describes the film I was trying to convey .There has been many favourable comments from the older generation who had travelled the line and lamented it's closure .
A wonderful look back to an area I love. As a child I remember watching the goods train [steam] loading timber at West Bay, that had come by coaster to the harbour. We holidayed in West Bay for many years and as a family now own a well loved holiday cottage nearby. Favourite café of ours in Bridport is the Green Yard, a welcome break after strolling through the street market on a Saturday.
Happy Days .
Wonderful film, and one I've never seen before, despite an almost lifelong interest in Bridport and it's railway. And I'm still sad I just missed out on a trip over the line.
Thank you for your kind comment .
What an exceptional piece of filming and narration, fantastic quality showing every aspect of the line.I went there myself with my Dad who loved trains just before it shut , and took some photos but nothing like this quality. Well done indeed
Glad you enjoyed the film .
A wonderful film, particularly as I used to travel on the branch from my home near Manchester to stay at my beloved grandparents' home in West Milton (nearest station Powerstock) in the 60s. The trip took four trains and a substantial walk, from memory, but I was a teenager then and could manage it with ease.From my current home in Australia, I couldn't believe the line would ever close, especially considering its vital role in the 62-63 winter. These old railways always seemed to blend so much better into the rural landscape than roads and traffic.
Thanks for sharing your memories .
I live in the US, but I'm nostalgic for this line and the loss of community along it. There is a general movement to cities leaving small communities diminished. Like the UK, train lines have been removed The US is full of small towns with shuttered store fronts. Thousands of functional buildings are abandoned and going to ruin. I wonder what's to come.
Sad , but very interesting reading .
Tyranny
Stunning. All of these closures are a loss to this country.
Great nostalgic video, with a lot of good quality historic content, a real pleasure to listen to.
Just to correct you, the line was in receipt of a grant under the 1968 Transport Act as it was an remunerative line of a social need. BR funded the first 3 years and then Bridport Local authority took over the payment of the grant. The cause of the closure in 1975 as the local authority ceased to pay the grant, and BR were unable to find another way of funding the line. As to why the Local Authority did this, speculating it may have been that BR increased the grant, but grants were time limited to 3 years in accordance with the 1968 Act. However, a research project for someone would be to consult the local authority records or minutes to identify why they ceased payment.
Thank you for the comment .Unfortunately due to the length of the video I decided not to include too much detail in the reasons for closure of the branch . However , your post does explain all the interesting which I am sure readers will appreciate .
However I do disagree Bout who actually closed the line .It was BR who initially wanted to close the branch in 1965 after the Beeching report citing huge losses and lack of patronage . In 1974 Dorset Council , after subsidising the line since 1971 , looked into the feasibility of a replacement bus service and decided it was possible , despite the narrow lanes around Bridport .One must presume that.the decision to favour a bus service over paying the grant was a financial one .
It was BR , who ultimately closed the line , as it intended to do 10 years previously .
A sorry refflection of local politics not serving local people properly??
My goodness, what a wonderful video. I am sure I am not the only one to feel a deep nostalgia and melancholy for what we have lost. We must be so grateful to the people who went to the trouble to make these old railway films. What a priceless record of vanished times.
Thank you for you kind comment-
It's not the dead man's handle (that is incorporated into the throttle l. It is actually the brake handle, one of two 'tools' that are transferred between cabs when changing ends. The other tool is known as the 'spoon' and allows you to select forward and reverse directions. It is interesting to see the driver lock the cab door when changing ends at Maiden Newton.
Thank you pointing that out .
It's an amazing film,, thank you so much for recording the sad passing of the Bridport Branch.
Even more amazingly, 'blue square' DMU 121034, which enters the bay at the end of the film, was the last first generation DMU I ever drove, on the 1st March 2017, 42 years later!
An outstanding film
Thank to everyone involved in the making and restoration of this video😊😊😊😮
Beautiful film. Everything seems so much more on a human scale. I know the 1970s were not perfect, but I'd take them over the 2020s.
I am with you on that one .
Beautiful piano.
You can listen to all of Alan Spiljak's wonderfull music on RUclips ( just type in his name )
What a change, the late 70s had the lowest passenger figures on the railways of all times. And now we have the highest. Far more than at the peak of the early 1920s. They should have just mothballed all of these lines.
such little foresight for what now seems painfully obvious
Thank you so much for going to the trouble of Telecining the film and uploading it. A wonderful history of the Dorset villages and a celebration of the bygone days of rural railways.
The colour is remarkable.
Fabulous video, a real gem! Thanks for posting.
what a delightful little film this is.. thanks for sharing... just goes to show cost cutting has never changed
One of the finest rail videos. I'm a rail basher with no professional connection to rail. I have almost completed all lines now but one of my earliest distant routes was Weymouth to Bath whilst on holiday at the former in 1984. So Maiden Newton is nostalgiac to me.
So glad you enjoyed the video
Lovely film.
I'm surprised no attempt was made to preserve the line as it ran through an area popular with tourists.
I seem to recall David Shepherd, the wildlife artist, wanted to save it for his steam engines but there was no real support for it. It would be a great tourist attraction if it had survived.
A delightful, informative and ultimately sad return to what has gone...and a reminder of the value of this
scenic stretch of railway to otherwise isolated small communities in that beautiful county. This is a most
welcome valuable addition to RUclips - thank you,
Appreciate your comments and so pleased you enjoyed the video .
What an incredible film! The footage is so clear and for 8mm film there is hardly any flicker. Such a great record of a scenic line.
Yet another crazy crazy closure.
(Really well filmed and edited. Thanks.)
Brilliant! Very well made video, now an important historical document. I was lucky enough to travel on the line in the last few weeks of operation in April '75.. In 1977 I walked the line from Maiden Newton to Bridport on the track bed.
Thanks for your comments - I actually travelled the line on the last day but decided not to film it .
I have a DVD on the Bridport line, but I consider this film to be far superior to it.@@adrianwild2094
The best Super 8 transfer I've seen. Kodachrome was the best stock ever.
The film was had deteriorated quite bit after forty years in the loft space . The colour had faded and the film was warped and dirty . It took two goes and some post production work- such as contrast , colour saturation and stabilisation to achieve a satisfactory result . Expensive but worth it !
@@adrianwild2094 since you’ve gone to all that trouble I’m even more impressed. Picking up on what you say the loft may have temp extremes, but my Kodachrome from the 50s is still rich in colour on 9.5mm and its base stable. Kodachrome was unique because the magenta, cyan and yellow dyes were imbibed and that stopped them fading (usually). Thanks again for yr trouble.
@@raymondwalker2752 I suspect the damage was done since my move to NZ ten years ago where the temperatures in the loft space , during the hot summer months , can get quite extreme .
Thank you Adrian for your foresight in shooting this film, and now for sharing with us
This popped up for me and what a memory. We would holiday as a family around Bridport and West Bay , then in 75, my mate and I camped near Burton Bradstock with our Honda CB250/K4s. I am pretty sure that is a Puch moped they are loading onto the 121. 1975 & 76 were the hottest summers on record for several years, 76 for 9 weeks and 75 not far behind in duration.
I wondered what make the moped was and I think you are absolutely right !
1975 and 1976 were my GCE ''A'' Level years!
Yes, 1975 was a pleasant, dry, warm and sunny summer, low rainfall which then led to a a quite dry winter.
This continued into Spring 1976 but then getting very hot around May, temperatures frequently reaching 90* degrees plus.
This lasted for fully three months, June, July and August still incredibly hot and barely a drop of rain as we suffered a very severe drought.
What an amazing mini-documentary this is, so evocative of a recent past that is fast receding.
What a lovely video, we have visited Bridport often and a rail link would have been most welcome
I enjoyed this very much, especially as we have just returned home from a week spent just outside Bridport.
A reminder of what has been lost...
Subbed. 😊
beautiful work!! bravoo once again!
and thank you for choosing my songs for this wonderful documentary!
Fabulous Memories of Almost
50 Years Ago...in Reality Without the Foresight of The
Railway Enthusiasts in Recording Such Iconic Footage We Would Not have
This Wonderful Piece of Heritage...
Alan Spiljak Accompanying
Music Along With the Excellent Narration......First Class
Wonderful Music 🎶 Accompanying this Video Alan....
Very Eric Satie! I was just reading up on him, and his mother was English. Superbe!
Lovely record of a lost Branch line, a gentle world and time now lost to us sadly
Remember shooting the video back in 75 - it seems world away from today
Beautiful film and great camerawork.
Thank you - you must have photographers eye !
I try. For several of the locations the camera set up was superb.
A very picturesque postcard from the past. Wonderful camera composition and editing.
Thank you John for your kind comments . I became interested in film making during the branch closures in Dorset during the 70's .Later in life I had a career as a cameraman - so must thank the Bridport Branch for that .
An absolute tragedy these lines have been lost. Such short sighted thinking.
An excellent record. Thank you for uploading this.
You can visit the Toller station building as it was moved and has been beautifully restored on the South Devon Railway at Totnes Riverside. Fabulous video.
Greetings from an American railroader.
This is an absolutely beautiful homage and tribute to the branchlines of the UK that used to service the rural communities that needed the train as a lifeline to the rest of the world.
Excellent footage. Perfect narration. Somber yet well placed music.
This is perfection. ❤️❤️ Deepest sympathies and love from your neighbors across the pond who have been equally heartbroken by abandoned rail lines.
Hi American Railroader - thank you for wonderful critique . Sorry to hear that your country has also lost so much of it's heritage in the name of progress .
What a beautiful and bittersweet video. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing. My grandparents lived at bradpole so I know that crossing very well. Sadly the line was shut shortly before they moved there.
What a wonderful video.
Thank you John - glad it's appreciated .
Happy memories of riding this line about a year before it shut. It was a delightful run on a Summer's day. I do remember the rather sad boarded-up station at Bridport being lit by gas lamps with chains. The death knell notices of line closure used to provide details of replacement bus services, which usually lasted a year or so after closure until they were terminated as well due to lack of use. Though I'm guessing nothing was provided here, there being regular buses to Dorchester from Bridport.
Thanks for sharing your memories.
Thank you Graham, for this splendid, never to be repeated, look back.
What a fantastic account of rail in the past. Magic.
Very nostalgic. Well done.
Great informative video my parents have juts found this ..
Roger Poole the crossing keeper at bradpole village was my late grandfather on my mums side .
A beautiful and poignant film. Thank you.
What a beautiful piece of work. Thank you
Lovely film thank you so much for sharing
So sad all the lines closed down I would of loved to been on it,, I used to go to Bridgeport,, west bay camping.. I enjoy this video 😂😂
How nice is it to see something from the past. We have traveled a Lott by train in Britain during our holiday visits. Unfortunately this line was already closed before we could travel it. Cheers Jef
Excellent video of a line I know little about which no doubt is sadly missed like so many others throughout the country.
Thoroughly enjoyable and informative, captured my attention when I saw it in my list of videos. Many thanks for this, superb 👌🏼 I will look on line for more about the line.
Thanks for watching
Wonderful film and commentary. Thank you.
What a fantastic piece of film. Well done
Brilliant video. I especially enjoyed the commentary to put some context to what we are watching. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for this sir brightened up Saturday morning regards Fred
I very grateful for all the wonderful comments that have been left .
@@adrianwild2094All comments are highlighting great interest from your readers , many thanks and best wishes .
I remember being on a steam hauled rail tour on the branch in the mid 60's. In spite of having a loco at each end the train got stuck on the gradient on its way to Maiden Newton and a diesel was sent to rescue us. It was a lovely place to be stuck, though!
Thank you for this , it has been great to watch and a lovely bit of local history for all those who live around that way to enjoy.
It has given me pleasure that so many people have such fond memories of the line .
Great video! I don't know the line, but what a trip back in time to how things were. Thank you.
beautiful music
A real pleasure to watch. Thanks.