Great video, if you go the other side of Sainsbury’s you’ll see a sign saying weak bridge, that where grove tunnel starts.

Transferring the Okehampton line to the Western region of BR needn’t have been a bad thing. OK, it competed against the GWR in its heyday, but those days were long gone by then. The thinking that should’ve happened was; “So…Okehampton is part of our area now is it? We’ve got both routes between Exeter and Plymouth - nice one!” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Reopening Okehampton was great, but it could’ve been even better with a second platform at Yeoford and new stations at Bow, North Tawton and Sampford Courtney. The latter of which has been used in the recent past. Also the double track section between Crediton and Coleford Jn would be better if it was worked more usually (left hand running) with a couple of crossovers at or just south of what was Coleford Jn.

Great video mate.

Anyway how are you AJ?

I like the little German 4 wheel Diesel railbus which they use for the first couple of trains on less busy days. Has been on the K&WVR for much longer than it was used by BR.

I love your video

This was on Hendon rail station.

2:22 In 1979/80, one could see the tracks leading up to Yorkway. The other end was an unofficial shelter for the homeless for a short distance).

Excellent railway film 👍 This is seriously professional TV standard - it would be at home on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5. And a first class presenter 👍

We used to be a real country

Although Victoria Road was the GWR terminus station, my recollection of Barnstaple was of the junction station, getting off the train from Exeter, pulled by an original Battle of Britain loco, and watching the Western Region 262 and coaches steaming across the river, and swinging round to stop at the junction station. We went down to Bideford, en route to Clovelly by bus. We also did a run to Ilfracombe (on a different day) with the train struggling to get over the hills and then brakes all the way into Ilfracombe station. On the Bideford run, a major recollection was waiting on Barnstaple Junction platform, and seeing the train from Ilfracombe swing round the corner with steam pluming from the safety valves. We didn't need to see the nameplate - it was "Manston" the one that was so dirty, it looked as if sprayed black. To my shame, I didn't even take a photo. These days, luckily, "Manston" is at work on the Swanage Railway.

Unfortunately, the tracks between Weymouth station and the quay have now been removed and tarmacked over. As a Weymouth born person - many moons ago - I was sad to see them go, despite being the victim of my bicycle front wheel being caught in the tracks, twice, thanks to inconsiderate car drivers forcing me over. It is an end of an era, one that many locals and holiday makers used to enjoy. Especially the ones wanting to go to the channel islands. They will never come back because the local council will say, "its to expensive", to reinstate the line. (Sigh!) Thank you local council, (NOT!), for getting rid of a tourist attraction that Weymouth needed. I would love to describe the people on the council a number of names, but if I do this post would probably be deleted. Thank you sir for letting me revisit the past. (Wow! that makes sound old, probably because I am!)

September 2024 and we are still delighted to have hourly trains to Exeter. A godsend for those hospital visits and avoiding the horrendous A30 and city traffic. The only fly in the ointment is the station parking which is run by APCOA sending fines, mostly unfairly, to local people. It would be great to see Tavistock, further down the line, reconnected first to Plymouth and later to Okehampton. I'm not so sure if restoring the branch from Meldon out to Holsworthy and Bude would be viable, but those towns have grown significantly.

It's pronounced Baycup not Backup.

If LNER kept the HSTs operating on the Highland Chieftain that would be so much better

You missed the decent buffet car that sells real ale.

Lets face BR would have closed the Settle to Carlisle line, they used the old excuse that it would cost a fortune to repair the Ripplehead Viaduct. Fortunately for us Michael Portillo and Prince Charles thought no and in the end the cost to repair the Ripplehead Viaduct was a very small percentage of what BR said it would cost. The joke of it is that line makes a fortune in the Summer with tourists.

Drayton Park station should be upgraded/rebuilt to help with the crowds at Arsenal FCs Emirates Stadium. Alleviate the pressure on Holloway Road/Arsenal/Finsbury Park/Highbury & Islington.

My favourite part of the Thameslink core is the Holborn Viaduct area. As to how much of the area has changed and been redeveloped. Especially from the Lugate Hill section to City Thameslink trying to calculate where exactly the viaduct once stood, now that it's all pedestrianised and major office complex buildings that now stand over the former Holborn Viaduct station site. It also seems like the Thameslink lines into the SNOW HILL Tunnel from Blackfriars were slewed to the right into what was once the path into Holborn Viaduct station. Therefore a NEW section of tunnel must of been built before being built over.

They should do more daily services along this line no sense in letting it go to waste

I love Old Street. I was a spotter in the early eighties. Wonderful line. My go to

I watched steam shunting there in the early '60s when on holiday.

I've never once worn a mask.

Can you still ride this train???

They really should have turned this into a tram network, hell, even run DMU's on it or heritage trains, if duel gauge tracks were installed. More vandalism, more destroying of badly needed public transport infrastructure.

I remember as a kid climbing on the old viaduct stumps where Brockley Hill station was supposed to have been built !!

there's something about this channel and these videos that captures the feeling of a train being taken out of service,. something so inanimate yet meaning so much to so many people - it's an emotion that those outside the interest find impossible to understand.

I am not surprised ,Weymouth councillors have a track record of incompetence ,,,,pun intended,,,ranging from negligent destruction of historic buildings viz jubilee hall orlack of brains regarding coastal defence against wave action mr Geoffrey Poole is spinning in his grave rip geoff 16:31

Just to confirm your comment, the ELR is very much a part of the local community and in fact, runs commuter trains for local residents and has great support from residents and local councils alike! Long may it reign!

I love the way this video is shot so much, the colour on all the shots looks so nice and it matches the mood.

Im bloody ecstatic about its name change

The Swanage railway was completely removed in the 70s but it is back. Settle and Carlisle is still going strong. Some of the Great Central is back. The Devon Coast is flexible. Dawlish keeps being reclaimed by the sea. Who knows what the future may bring. Great video by the way.

Too much talking heads.... and nothing on the old trains.

My grandparents have a carven at chesil beach I have walked the line cause it’s a walk line

My childhood line, my stop - Malden Manor 🙂

Mic gain is a bit too high, masking the game ambient sounds.

When I was a boy I lived next to this line in Northolt and remember the regular express services running along it, pulled mostly by locos like deltics after they took over from steam. I can vaguely remember steam services but I would have been very young then! I think it is a shame that so much money is being spent burying HS2 under this line to save upsetting the neighbours even though modern high speed trains are much quieter than the trains that I grew up seeing which would rattle the windows in the house!

Good book was it ....

Here is a link to what is beyond the station if anyone is interested - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqucp2l3qJV-eck

This is where James May started his OO gauge rail projects.

used it only for chessington theme park lol

Superb presentation of the cross-London lines that've hitherto been something of a mystery to us everyday rail enthusiasts. Bravo!

The old one was easier to find

They should extend the tram down to Sanderstead via Selsdon

Well done everybody a really good video. It is not very often that presenters appreciate the work done by volunteers and staff of heritage railways, thank you for that. Always a problem, sorry but Bacup is pronounced Bay cup not Back up… 27:04

They laughed when they began to reopen the Swanage Railway. Now it’s a major money spinner for the town and the Purbecks. With imagination, Weymouth could have used the Tramway and the pier to bring back tourists and Channel ferries. It’s a great shame such blockheads shut it all down.

Brilliant video on a unique but now lost railway. We went there in Jan 2023 and almost nothing remained of the tramway. It survived Dr. Beeching, but not the local council. What a waste..