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.

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.

Overhauls, restorations and running notes

Visiting Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41312 at Midsomer ...

GET IN TOUCH Steam Railway, Media House, Lynchwood, ...

While several locomotives with Somerset & Dorset links have survived into preservation, two of the line’s biggest survivors, ‘7Fs’ Nos. 53808 and 53809 will be missing this anniversary due to overhauls.