Beeching: 50 Years On E-Book

Anthony Poulton-Smith

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 301

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

In 1963 Dr Beeching's infamous report signalled the end for over 15,000 miles of track, a third of Britain's stations, and for 70,000 jobs, as well as making irrevocable changes to the way of life of many consumers. Much misery was caused and Beeching's name was muddied, but in hindsight the report probably did more than any other single factor to preserve the nation's railway heritage. Without the Beeching cuts, much of the locomotives, stock, tracks, signals and signs would have crumbled, been forgotten or rotted. However, the gentle railway gradients lend themselves perfectly to walkways and cycle paths; buildings have been refurbished; memorabilia now commands prices at auction which would astonish those who painted the metal. And of course, the heritage lines continue to draw many thousands of visitors each year. After the initial shock of the cuts, this fresh appraisal considers these benefits and more, which may not have come about without the Beeching Report.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Introduction

PART I BEECHING & HIS REPORT

1  The Infamous Report

2  The Man Himself

PART II HERITAGE LINES

3  West Somerset Railway

4  East Somerset Railway

5  Dartmoor Railway

6  Avon Valley Railway

7  Mid-Norfolk Railway

8  Nene Valley Railway

9  North Yorkshire Moors Railway

10  South Devon Railway

11  Llangollen Railway

12  Great Central Railway

13  The Whisky Line

14  Colne Valley Railway

15  Gwili Railway

16  Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway

17  Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

18  Ambergate to Pye Bridge

PART III PATHS & PRESERVATIONS

19  Monsal Trail

20  Tarka Trail

21  Whitby to Scarborough

22  Cuckoo Line

23  Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway

24  Mawddach Trail

25  Castleman Trailway

PART IV 50 YEARS ON

26  Realising the Dream

27  Tyseley Locomotive Works

28  Bideford & Instow Railway

29  What’s in a Name?

30  No Rails

31  Station Closures

32  The Media

33  In Conclusion

Plates

Copyright

INTRODUCTION

March 2013 marks fifty years since the Beeching Axe fell upon the nation’s railway system. The recommendations made by the infamous report were greeted with horror and indignation then and the furore is rekindled simply at the mention of Beeching’s name.

Dr Richard Beeching was a businessman; he had no connection with the railways. Thus any decisions that were made were based solely upon the logic of profit margins, efficiency and reinvestment, never to be swayed by sentiment. Yet still his name is remembered in an almost Quisling-esque light as the man who decimated the railways. Even British situation comedy used his infamy: thirty years after its publication, writers David Croft and Richard Spendlove, in conjunction with the BBC, produced twenty episodes in a series entitled Oh, Doctor Beeching!

Five decades have passed and, with hindsight, we now see that the report did more than any other factor to preserve the nation’s railway heritage. Without it the buildings, disused lines, locomotives, rolling stock, signalling systems and signs would simply have been removed and tucked into a corner to be forgotten, or even rotted away.

In this book we shall look at the positive effects the report has had, not on the railways themselves – that has been done many times – but on the opportunities which would never have arisen otherwise. We shall look at the gentle gradients of old lines, perfect for walkers and cyclists alike. Buildings, no longer used as stations and sheds, are now private residences, small businesses, holiday homes and public meeting places. Memorabilia, often described as railwayana, which would otherwise have rusted away, now command prices at collectors’ auctions which would astound those who lovingly painted and polished them.

And, of course, we shall look at the heritage railways which attract many thousands each year. They not only allow volunteers to enjoy railways at a level they could otherwise never have imagined, they have also provided employment for others as engineers, station staff, and so on.

Maybe by the end of the book Dr Beeching will be seen in a slightly different light by the reader: not as the saviour of Britain’s railways, but as someone whose name should be associated with a whole new area of leisure for all and indeed pleasure for those who can swap OO gauge for 4ft 8in (1.44m).

PART I

BEECHING & HIS REPORT

1  THE INFAMOUS REPORT

27 March 1963 saw the release of one of the most infamous documents in living memory. It ranks alongside Neville Chamberlain’s return to Britain when he waved a small piece of paper and proudly proclaimed ‘Peace for our time!’ exactly eleven months before he declared war.

Three years after the prime minister announced that the government intended to ensure profitability for the railways once again, the report’s recommendations were published. It cited a number of apparently appalling statistics. For example, out of 4,300 stations in Britain, more than half realised annual receipts of £10,000, with around 1,700 of these generating under £2,500 per annum. This meant the most profitable 2,000 stations were producing 98 per cent of the income from passenger services. Looking at it another way, a third of the rail miles failed to produce even 1 per cent of the income.

The report used these figures, with specific examples, to demand the closure of 6,000 miles of branch lines (a third of the total length of the railways in the entire country) and 2,363 stations (more than half the nation’s total). It also targeted freight services, pointing out that the new container wagons were perfect for carrying coal and ores; the old closed wagons were to be avoided as they were inefficient.

The report also recommended the electrification of some lines but did not dwell on the end of steam, as this had already been decided by British Rail (BR) some years before. It did, however, touch upon the improvement of working terms and conditions for British Rail staff, although specifics were noticeable by their absence.

What is rarely realised is there were actually two reports. Released two years later, the second concentrated on investment and the establishment of 3,000 miles of major trunk routes running between the cities in the four corners of England. North of the border only Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen were serviced, and forget any part of Wales away from the southern coastline as far as Swansea. That this second report is rarely mentioned is solely down to it being rejected by the government. Note this was now a government under Harold Wilson’s leadership, the Labour party having ousted the Conservatives shortly after the original report was published. Whether this decision was political or not will never be known, especially not five decades later.

Even in 1965 there was a difference of opinion between the two main individuals. While Frank Cousins (Minister of Technology) revealed later in the year that Richard Beeching had been sacked by Tom Fraser (Minister of Transport), the latter never confirmed or denied this. Furthermore, Beeching, who had returned to ICI in November 1965, emphatically denied he was sacked but insisted the remaining length of his five-year contract simply did not give him sufficient time to produce a third report. Although never stated so publicly, Richard Beeching never hid that the appointment was temporary and his secondment from ICI was limited to five years. It seems likely neither Beeching nor ICI would have allowed any delay in his return to ICI.

Fifty years on it is no good looking at the report to see what closed, only what was recommended for closure. It should also be noted that some of the closed lines effectively isolated other lines which were considered profitable and were to remain open. However, without connecting trains commuting became impossible and these lines invariably followed their neighbours. Whether or not this was a deliberate policy is impossible to know for certain. Although Beeching was an efficient individual, the sheer size of the task at hand, including having to track passengers as they switched from one line to another, could easily have affected the accuracy of his final figures. A passenger purchases his or her return ticket on one line in the morning, changes to a second and even a third line, and later takes the identical journey but in reverse. The purchase of the ticket would be recorded at the point of departure and even the return, but was any of that fare allocated to any other line as no fare had been paid directly to it?

2  THE MAN HIMSELF

Dr Richard Beeching was born on the Isle of Sheppey on 21 April 1913. The second of four brothers, his father was a reporter with the Kent Messenger and his mother a schoolteacher. Soon after his birth he moved to Maidstone, where he was educated at the local Church of England primary school, winning scholarships enabling him to attend Maidstone Grammar School. Thereafter he went on to the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, taking first-class honours degrees in physics. He stayed on to complete his Ph.D., working at the Fuel Research Station in Greenwich and at the Mond Nickel Laboratories, where he was appointed senior physicist in the research of physics, metallurgy and mechanical engineering. In 1938 he married Ella Tiley, whom he had known since his schooldays in Maidstone. Their forty-six-year marriage did not produce any children.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, Beeching was recommended as the ideal man to work in Armament Design and Research, with a rank equivalent to that of army captain, where he worked under Sir Frank Smith. The two men were reunited at ICI in 1948, working on products as diverse as paints, zip fasteners and leathers, looking to reduce production costs and improve efficiency. He stayed with ICI in a number of roles for nine years, including two years in Canada, returning to Britain where he was appointed chairman of ICI Metals Division.

In 1961 Ernest Marples of the British Transport Commission, a body chaired by Sir Ivan Stedeford (hence the group being referred to as the Stedeford Committee), invited Sir Frank Smith to join them by heading an advisory group. Smith had retired two years earlier and suggested they approach Beeching instead, which resulted in the publication of the Beeching Report and, ultimately, this book.

Less well documented are the continual clashes between Stedeford and Beeching, with the former disagreeing with the drastic cuts planned in the report. Stedeford opposed most of the reduction in the length of the track and fervently believed scrapping over 300,000 freight wagons would effectively force everything on to the road.

Beeching was appointed chairman of the British Railways Board from June 1961. The announcement made front-page headlines, not so much for the appointment as for the annual salary of £24,000. To put this extraordinary amount into perspective, it was £14,000 more than Prime Minister Harold Macmillan earned and £15,000 more than any other leader of a nationalised concern. It was based on his salary at ICI and in his defence he did not set the rate himself, other than perhaps to ask for the same as he was already receiving – and most would be expected to do the same in that position.

It did, however, serve to put him in a bad light with the public, most of whom would never otherwise have known of his existence; suddenly he was pocketing huge amounts of taxpayers’ money. Taxation took its toll on Beeching, too; rates of the day meant he was receiving no more than £7,000 – but the old adage of ‘one must be earning it to pay it’ gave him no respite.

He was not benefiting financially from the deal; his employers ICI had made it clear they wanted him back and this was a leave of absence of no more than five years. Compare his salary against the £42 million British Rail had lost in 1960 and, should he prove to be the right man for the job, this would clearly be money well spent.

Already a controversial figure because of his salary, the release of The Reshaping of British Railways on 27 March 1963 probably made Richard Beeching the most unpopular man in the country since Jack the Ripper. Instantly mistrusted by those members of the public still using the railways regularly, the opposition Labour party targeted him at every opportunity, while the huge weight of opinion of the trade unions was unsurprisingly against the recommendations.

In February 1965 the second stage of the upheaval was announced: not additional cuts, but where future investment and reshaping would further streamline the organisation and increase efficiency and profitability. This came only two months after it was announced that Beeching would be returning to ICI in November 1965, just four years after his appointment. By now the nation had a Labour government under Harold Wilson, although perhaps this was not relevant in the rejection of the second part of Beeching’s plan.

Returning to his previous employer, he was made Baron Beeching of East Grinstead in the Queen’s birthday honours list of 1965, ICI making him deputy chairman the following year. He continued in a series of roles until his retirement in 1977. Richard Beeching died on 23 March 1985 at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, West Sussex, twenty-nine days short of his seventy-second birthday.

PART II

HERITAGE LINES

3  WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY

Today one of the country’s railway arteries links Bristol and Exeter, as it has since the earliest days of the railways, two of the most important cities in the West Country. Travelling by sea meant rounding the Cornish coastline and the very real dangers associated with that rocky route. Thus an alternative was sought to avoid the delays in the busy port of Bristol and provide a link between the Severn Estuary and the English Channel on the south coast. Several routes were suggested, unsurprisingly each hoped to promote the local port and attract business to the harbours of Watchet, Porlock, or Minehead in Somerset, while others covered almost all the northern coastline of Somerset, Devon and part of Cornwall.

More than ten years after discussions began and still not one had become anything more than an idea. In July 1856 a meeting was held to discuss linking the Bristol & Exeter Railway at Taunton or Bridgwater with Watchet. Linked with the West Somerset Mineral Railway, then under construction, this would bring coal from the South Wales fields to Somerset at a fraction of the current cost.

With a number of problems arising, a second meeting was called three weeks later when Isambard Kingdom Brunel could attend and offer his invaluable input to finding a solution. Never one to avoid the difficult, or apparently impossible, and always keen to flaunt his engineering genius, Brunel spoke of a long tunnel beneath the Quantocks and pushing the line back as far as Minehead or Porlock. He failed and it was decided to link Watchet to Taunton.

So a year later, on 17 August 1857, the required Act of Parliament was passed, the West Somerset Railway Company formed, and the steps to raise the £120,000 required were well under way. Incidentally, the target figure was reached before the end of the year – roughly £1,000 a day, something the modern West Somerset Railway would certainly welcome and a great achievement in early Victorian Britain.

Construction began, under the engineer George Furness, in April 1859 and the first passenger train ran from Watchet to Taunton almost three years later to the day, with goods traffic following in August that year. Initially these trains came through to Taunton Station as no separate junction was provided until 1871, when it was linked to the Devon & Somerset Railway and the station built at Norton Fitzwarren. Early plans to link with the West Somerset Mineral Railway never materialised; despite much protest this line never reached Watchet. However, the West Somerset Railway, after a couple of false starts, was extended as far as Minehead.

Thus, in 1874 almost 23 miles of single track were built, with a passing loop at the approximate midway point of Williton. By 1876, and now amalgamated with the Great Western Railway (GWR) but still an independent company, a second loop opened at Crowcombe Heathfield. In an amazing feat of engineering efficiency, 1882 saw the conversion of the GWR broad gauge (7ft ¼in) to standard gauge (4ft 8½in). Trains ran as normal on Saturday 28 October 1882, but Sunday saw the track lifted and replaced, with trains running again on Monday afternoon.

The capacity of the GWR enabled the platform at Stogumber to be extended in 1900, a passing loop installed at Blue Anchor four years later, and a second platform introduced at Minehead in 1905. In 1907 a loop was incorporated into the Bishops Lydeard station, with the original at Williton extended the same year to allow longer trains to pass.

The Railways Act of 1921 saw the West Somerset Railway finally become fully amalgamated with the GWR, only to change again with nationalisation on the stroke of midnight on 31 December 1947. By then, further improvements had been made with a longer loop at Blue Anchor, and double track laid between Dunster and Minehead, and from Norton Fitzwarren to Bishops Lydeard.

Bishops Lydeard’s station sign appropriately decorated for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. (Author)

In the five years leading up to the Second World War, so-called ‘camp coaches’ were parked at Blue Anchor and Stogumber. These provided accommodation for holidaymakers who were hopefully attracted to the new open-air swimming pool at Minehead, built at a cost of £20,000 by GWR. For those travelling by train to the destination, a package deal was offered, with the cost of accommodation included in the train ticket.

These camp coaches reappeared in 1952 and served the public until 1964. However, the opening of the Butlins camp in 1962 proved more of an attraction and 30,000 people booked into the holiday camp in the first year alone. Thus, from 1964 to 1970 the camp coaches were used solely for British Rail staff and their families as a holiday base.

Not even Butlins could prevent the line appearing on the recommended closure list of the Beeching Report, before it could even begin its second season in 1963. Already the line was running down: Washford signal box had closed in 1952; Minehead engine shed went in 1956; and the station at Norton Fitzwarren saw its last passenger on 30 October 1961. Following the announced line closure, goods traffic ceased by 6 July 1964. The last train left Minehead on Saturday 2 January 1971.

Exactly thirty-four days later, a working party led by local businessman Douglas Fear launched an investigation into the feasibility of operating this as a privately owned line. By May 1971 the new West Somerset Railway Company (WSRC) had been established with the intention of running a round-the-year commuter service, adding steam trains in the summer for the tourist trade. These were early days and while Somerset County Council helped to back the venture, the worry of failure leading to parts of the line (particularly the prime site at Minehead Station) falling into the hands of developers saw them purchase the line themselves and lease it back to the WSRC. A wise move when it soon became apparent that the commuter service was a dream too far. Yet the heritage line began to take shape and a train ran from Minehead to Blue Anchor on 28 March 1976, with Williton served from 28 August that year. Passengers could alight at Stogumber by May 1978 and Bishops Lydeard was reopened on 9 June 1979.

Organisers were quick to realise that the holiday camp at Helwell Bay, near Watchet, was a potential earner. Thus, in June 1987 a new station opened at Doniford Halt. Later, a triangle was laid out at Norton Fitzwarren, using part of the old Devon & Somerset route, and a station opened here in August 2009. With a turntable incorporated at Minehead there was now no need for locomotives to run backwards. Engines appear to drag the rolling stock when running backwards and, while there are no real problems for tank engines, it is aesthetically more pleasing to see them facing ‘the right way’ and pulling coaches behind them.

Great Western Railway Class 5101 2-6-2 tank engine No. 4160 is ready to pull out of Minehead. The design was unofficially known as the Large Prairie. (Author)

Minehead station sign with No. 4160 in the background. (Author)

The terminus at Minehead is in a prime location on the seafront and is the headquarters of the heritage line. When it comes to preservation the infrastructure is not quite as it was in BR days. The old station has been converted to offices and the modern ticket office blends perfectly with the original architecture. Similarly, what is now the engine shed was formerly the goods shed.

To allow traffic to use a new relief road required the construction of a new level crossing just beyond the platform, but there is a second, original crossing at Dunster West. Another entirely new construction is the carriage workshop near the far end of the platform, essential for work to be carried out in the unpredictable British climate. Minehead’s signal box is an original, although it never stood here until moved by the workers from Watchet.

There was a turntable at Minehead in BR days but it was removed in 1967 as diesel electric multiple units were designed to run both ways. A replacement was acquired from Pwllheli Station: this 55ft-diameter turntable extended to 65ft (using the original GWR engineering patterns) and was installed in May 2008 as part of a £6 million redevelopment project courtesy of Somerset Council.

Just a mile and a half away is Dunster Station, itself a mile away from the village of the same name and its historic buildings; among these is Dunster Castle. Distinguished visitors arriving by railway were welcomed by a station of imposing design and not at all in keeping with its almost isolated location near the coast. It is here that the Railway Printing Company established their base in the old parcels office. From here they supply all the heritage lines in the country by printing card tickets on the old Edmondson railway ticket machine.

At Dunster goods shed a man was killed some years ago in a shunting accident and he is held to remain here, at least in spirit, as the figure whose ghostly presence has been reported on a number of occasions. One man who was particularly affected by what he saw was a former British Rail driver who, having experienced something while bringing a night train through, refused to be on the footplate of any engine coming through Dunster after dark for at least two years.

Just outside Dunster is the third level crossing in quick succession. Almost 2 miles away is Blue Anchor, with the fourth of the six level crossings on the line immediately before the platform and adjacent to the pedestrian entrance to the station itself. Originally known as Bradley Gate when it opened in 1874, it soon changed to its present name, which derives from the seventeenth-century inn which is still standing at the opposite end of the beach from the station. Here, the station buildings house a railway museum, predominantly displaying items from the GWR and its West Country lines.

Heading east for 2 miles we arrive at Washford along an incline of 1 in 65 (1.5 per cent). This may not sound particularly steep but it is approaching the limit for steam trains. Here, the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust Museum displays an impressive collection of railwayana, including station name boards, lamps, tools, signalling equipment, tickets, photographs, and handbills, as well as the expected locomotives and associated rolling stock. Alongside the original stone station building is a wooden one; this houses a recreation of a signal box on the old Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway at Midford and is open to visitors.

At Dunster Station is the Edmondson railway ticket machine, where many of the heritage lines obtain those authentic thick card tickets. (Courtesy of the West Somerset Railway)

Passing the Kenton Loop and crossing the line of the former West Somerset Mineral Railway, after another 2 miles we reach Watchet. Overlooking the small harbour, itself brimming with history and worth exploring, one can hardly fail to notice the unusual arrangement of the station. Unlike virtually every other station, this is not aligned along its length but stands at right angles to the platform and line.

It is a mere mile away to Doniford Halt which, as already noted, was an extra station opened on 27 June 1987 to serve the holiday camp which had been developed on the former Doniford army base. Although a new station, the curved platform has utilised the concrete slabs taken from Montacute on the Durston to Yeovil branch line, while the shelter was recovered from Cove Halt on the Exe Valley Railway.

Less than three-quarters of a mile further along we arrive at Williton. Enthusiasts will instantly recognise the typical style of the Bristol & Exeter Railway station design, particularly in the Italianate chimney. The signal box dates from the same period, the only surviving example still in use. On the other side of the station building the former goods shed is used as a diesel heritage visitor centre and workshops. A recent addition, to save passengers using the level crossing, is the footbridge. Brought from Trowbridge Station, it affords good views of the line and box hedge garden beyond the platform, which is over a century old.

Stogumber, just over 3 miles from Williton, probably qualifies as the most pleasing on the eye of them all. The original stone-built buildings blend perfectly with immaculately maintained gardens. Its small size is misleading, for the nearby Railway Hotel shows this was among the busiest stops on the line during its early days.

Crowcombe Heathfield is, as evidenced below, the favoured location on the line for filmmakers over several decades. At 2½ miles from Stogumber, this station is the highest point on the line at almost 400ft above sea level. Given a Grade II listing, all that remains of the station buildings are the former living quarters: the stationmaster’s house and railway workers’ cottages still lived in today. The present signal box, or rather the upper half, was brought here from Ebbw Vale in 1994 and placed upon a newly constructed lower portion (you can clearly see the join). Reminders of the original broad gauge can be found here: the western platform has a portion of the 7ft ½in track laid out for comparison.

Bishops Lydeard is the eastern end of the West Somerset Railway for passengers. (Author)

Bishops Lydeard was once the terminus for the heritage line, with the Quantock Belle dining car still based here. The second platform of 1906 is still used, although the facilities have extended to include a car park and shop. The original platform leads to the goods shed, itself now housing a visitor centre and museum. Highlights include the Taunton Model Railway Club layout on permanent exhibition, while the former GWR sleeping car has been beautifully restored.

Norton Fitzwarren is exactly 3 miles east of here and stands a quarter of a mile north of the original version. It does not appear on the West Somerset Railway’s timetable but the single platform does serve to bring passengers further along than Bishops Lydeard to connect to specials; otherwise it serves more to assist with connections to the main line at Taunton just under a mile away. Here is a length of trackbed from the dismantled Barnstaple branch line; a ballast reclamation site was established, while sufficient room has been set aside for rolling stock and locomotive restoration depots.

Today the line has some fifty permanent staff and a volunteer workforce of around 900. In order to maintain a high degree of competence, the line asks for a minimum of fifty appearances each year from these volunteers, thus avoiding any chance of forgetfulness, complacency or ignorance of operating procedures. Obviously this is a general rule and it would be difficult to enforce as some of the volunteers come from as far away as Scotland.

A good proportion of the workforce are former British Rail staff. Whether through early retirement or as a hobby in their spare time, these individuals offer their time, skills, expertise and enthusiasm. Of course, no technical training is required; indeed, these volunteers are at least as likely to add to the collective knowledge as to learn from it. This is clearly an advantage on the engineering side, but equally valuable for less obvious areas such as signalling.

Staff are required to wear as close an approximation of the appropriate uniform as possible. In some instances this is protective and functional; in other areas it marks the office or position of the person wearing it. This applies not only to stationmaster and porter, guard and signalman, but also to refreshment room staff.

Among the visitors the staff can expect is a group of Birmingham transvestite lorry drivers, who apparently visit annually wearing their ‘alternative’ attire. Yet even they were not the source of two of the oddest questions asked of staff. As we have already seen, Minehead is the western terminus for trains, so east is the only possible way to go on leaving the station. Therefore, the question ‘Which way does the train go when it leaves Minehead?’ seems rather pointless. But it is perhaps not quite as ludicrous as the passenger who treated a member of staff to this gem, when enquiring, ‘Is the line the same gauge all the way?’

As with many heritage lines, the West Somerset Railway, and particularly that around Crowcombe Heathfield, has been used by filmmakers as the backdrop to their period dramas. In 1997 the BBC filmed The Land Girls here and Crowcombe Heathfield appeared as Bamford Station. Rivals ITV brought David Suchet here in his role as Poirot for the episode entitled ‘The Cornish Mystery’. Two years earlier, the BBC brought the production team for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe here to film their mini-series.

A children’s drama series called The Flockton Flyer was shot here in 1976–77. Fittingly, this told the story of a preservation railway, albeit through the actions of a group of children and not adults. The Belstone Fox was a 1973 film using the (then) unopened line around Crowcombe Heathfield to film a story about a fox who continually outsmarted the hounds who pursued him. But the most watched footage was also the earliest and filmed before the eventual closure. In 1964 Beatlemania came to the West Somerset Railway. The early part of the film A Hard Day’s Night is shot on a train when the boys are introduced to Paul McCartney’s troublesome grandfather (‘Clean, isn’t he?’), portrayed by Wilfred Bramble, as they travel to Marylebone Station in London. While their destination is certainly Marylebone, they reach it by filming scenes on this line.

Clearly such events provide a welcome and much-needed boost to the economy of the line. While few of the workers are paid, and even ignoring the general maintenance costs to the infrastructure, it may come as a surprise to discover how much it costs just to run the steam engines. Every ten years the engines have to be stripped down and completely rebuilt, and the current cost for this is a little over £600,000. Even running the engine along the line is a major factor, for each engine will cover some 80 miles on a normal day and incur running expenses of £1,000 per day, and there are two engines running.

Following major restoration, No. 3850 was returned to service at the West Somerset Railway in 2011. The engine and tender are painted in the black of British Rail. (Author)

Such expenditure means the West Somerset Railway is reliant on donations for props and signs. One of the most obvious signs hangs over the doors of the sheds. This enamel sign was found in a famer’s barn by his son when he inherited the property and cleaned out the shed. Local breweries have also donated advertising signs. A surprisingly significant contribution to the coffers comes from the second-hand book store on the platform. Like the refreshment room it is open all year long and, since all the books are donated, brings in excellent funding.

Among the future plans is the extension of the passing loop at Williton. The platform here is also in line for a much-needed extension because during the summer, when trains are formed of eight coaches at peak times, they are too long to fit in the station. Undoubtedly this popular line will continue to develop and, as with so many heritage lines, will evolve over time rather than through long-term plans. Ironically, this is almost how the original line developed in the mid-nineteenth century.

4  EAST SOMERSET RAILWAY

Prior to the cuts of 1963 the East Somerset ran from Witham to Wells, with connections to both the Cheddar Valley line and the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. Today, this 2½-mile line runs from Cranmore to Mendip Vale, visiting Merryfield Lane Halt and Cranmore West en route.

Opening on 9 November 1858 it was originally a broad gauge line carrying trains from Witham to Shepton Mallet. Four years later the line was extended to Wells and by 1874 had been acquired by the Great Western Railway and linked to its other routes, such as the Cheddar Valley line and the Bristol & Exeter Railway. This connection meant obtaining rights to run along a section of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, where difficulties arose with the standard gauge. Hence, by 1892 East Somerset had been converted to 4ft 8½in. The line saw little change for the next seventy years until it was a victim of the cuts of 1963, while freight continued to bring bitumen along it until 1985.

The first indication of any preservation line was in 1972, when the famous railway and wildlife artist David Shepherd purchased Cranmore Station. Utilising a section of track between the station and his home, he ran his own locomotives: No. 92203 Black Prince, a 2–10–0 Class 9F; and No. 75029 Green Knight, a BR Standard 4 4–6–0, offering rides in a brake van the following year.

Trains terminate at Mendip Vale where a footpath is the only means of access to the station. At present this stop simply allows the passengers to watch the locomotive run round for the return journey. The next stop is at Merryfield Lane Halt, although the name should not be misunderstood: this is no request stop and almost every train stops here irrespective of whether it is heading to or from the next stop of Cranmore West.

Today, Cranmore West is only an opportunity for visitors to disembark and view the engine shed on their walk back to Cranmore Station, the hub of the railway. However, during the early days this was the terminus as British Rail’s freight traffic still came through Cranmore.

The main station at Cranmore has been restored. Visitors will find a ticket office, a well-stocked museum and a period waiting room. As with Merryfield Lane Halt and Cranmore West, there is a well-designed picnic area which is particularly popular with families as it adjoins the children’s play area. For those who desire a cooked meal and waitress service, a restaurant caters for most tastes, with the nearby art gallery displaying a number of works by local artists, including David Shepherd.

The line is run by a team of twenty-four volunteers who wear the uniform with pride, a uniform they will have purchased themselves. Unusually, not only the line but the vast majority of locomotives and rolling stock are owned by the heritage company. Future plans include extending the line as far as Shepton Mallet, the major stumbling block of this 2¾ miles being just one missing bridge, which should not prove much of a problem.

As with all heritage lines, one of the best sources of income is from film companies who delight in finding a ready-made period backdrop to suit whatever era they are working on at that moment. Among the scenes shot here was an advertisement for Freeserve in 2002; a documentary about the railway in 2003; an ITV drama entitled Flash Back in 1986; and Ian Ogilvy in the remake of Maigret in 1988.

Film crews are welcome but famously frustrating. With their work reliant on so many factors – weather, light, equipment, actors, writers, etc. – sticking to any sort of schedule is almost impossible. For the railway, where the timetable has to be followed rigidly, the sound of a jet aircraft overhead would not be a problem, but if filming a Victorian or Edwardian drama an instant retake would be required.

Probably the best-known film was that starring Harrison Ford and Lesley-Anne Down. A wartime story of a love triangle, Hanover Street featured a motorbike chase which included stunt rider Eddie Kidd leaping over a cutting at Merryfield Lane.

5  DARTMOOR RAILWAY

This is a line which parallels the Tarka Trail, a cycleway and footpath discussed in its own chapter. Another length of the line remains operational and still carries freight. Owned by Aggregate Industries Ltd, the line is maintained as part of the lease agreement with the heritage railway.