When I had last spent time in the area in August 1963, most passenger services and just a few longer distance freight trains had started to be diesel-hauled, with local freight trip working still a st

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.

Heading south, a WD 2-8-0 passes Newburn Junction with loaded coal, circa 1967. The oldest of the two routes in view is coastal, dates back to 1840 and first ran across a wide expanse of water known a

When I started trainspotting in April 1981, it was at Berkswell Station, between Coventry and Birmingham International, and a five-mile bike ride from my home town of Kenilworth. I’d tried Tile Hill s

Overhauls, restorations and running notes

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.