THE VIEW FROM THIS SIDE

Early Days



The Bluebell, Severn Valley, North Yorkshire Moors, Great Central, Dart Valley, Keighley and Worth Valley Railways. Other locations included more briefly are the Foxfield Railway, Didcot GWS Depot and the Longmoor Military Railway. The timescape is 1966 to 1976 when life was simpler and it was all a huge adventure. The set is in the same vein as the 'Narrow Gauge Railways in Wales' show. Gems to be seen are Bridgnorth station before the resurrection, some pictures of things that would probably give the HSE a corporate heart attack today (what a different world it was then), a glimpse of 46115 Scots Guardsman actually complete at Haworth and the Longmoor Military Railway when it gave home to Clan Line, Blackmoor Vale, 92203 etc.

Samples from this show. These images are compressed. Actual images on the CD are high resolution:-

Haworth, 23rd March ‘68.  41241, only partly painted into KWV house colours, approaches  the station with a ‘demo’ train. It’s formed of some stock that probably would not be allowed out nowadays - the two Metropolitan ‘Chesham’ coaches lead.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Buckfastleigh 8th July 1969. 0-6-0PT 6412 after arrival with the last train of the day. It scarcely looks like preservation.
 
 
 
 


 
 
 

Near Goathland, 29th May 1972. No 5 here was one of two 0-6-2Ts that came to the line from the NCB Philadelphia system in Durham. This former Lambton Hetton and Joicey Railway machine was built by Robert Stephensons (3377/1909)
 
 
 
 


Crikey! - Bridgnorth, 11th June 1966. The refreshment room was still functioning, but you couldn’t get a cup of tea in it (it was really a pub).
 


 
 
 
 
 

Dilhorne (Foxfield Railway), 10th September 1967.  The first passenger train of the day. Imagine….....
 
 


 

Horsted Keynes, 16th July 1969. 'Dukedog' 4-4-0 'Earl of Berkeley' arriving with its train in a heavy downpour. Notice the state of the platform surfaces, which look almost as if the line has just been taken over from BR. The station buildings too look as if they are still unrepainted since BR (or even SR) days.
 
 
 
 
 

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