Sixty years ago this month, on March 6 1966, the Western Region achieved two major goals with the end of both steam power and the Somerset & Dorset route – bringing a mighty era to a rather grubby end.

Steam Railway meets up with Gavin Collins, Chairman of the North Dorset Railway, and Phil Jacques, the line’s Operations Manager, to talk about what this S&D anniversary year (and beyond) holds for the expanding heritage line.

In the first 15 years of its life as a heritage line, steam on the West Somerset Railway underwent a remarkable transformation, from humble industrials to stars from the National Collection.

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Let me say straight away, from an early age I loved watching trains go by at my local station and soon became just as interested in the surrounding infrastructure. I loved how the whole system worked,

This year also marks 70 years since Spetisbury station closed, a decade ahead of the Somerset & Dorset as a whole. But a dedicated group of volunteers is ensuring it is far from forgotten.