Memories of the Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton Branches

This unique documentary includes over 40 minutes of rare archive cine-film - much of it never shown before - and follows the history of both lines from their earliest days until closure in 1967.
In the summer of 1963, we take a journey from Sidmouth Junction to Sidmouth in steam days, with scenes at Ottery St. Mary, Tipton St. Johns and Exmouth

[@MrTantrums007]

Sidmouth Railway Station had served those who lived in Sidmouth and the many tourists on holiday very well over the years and it was shame to see Sidmouth lose its access to the national railway network in the 1960s. The Beeching cuts and closures amounted to reckless criminal damage to railway network and Devon suffered as consequence. Today with all the excessive traffic on the roads; if only one could travel all the way from London Waterloo to Sidmouth for a few days holiday free from stress and hassle?

[@MarkHenstridge]

I have never been to the UK but I love watching these railway programs of yesterday year. I live in Adelaide, South Australia. Our state railway went thru a minimization process which has left us today with no country rail service and about a 40% reduction in suburban services. Thanks for uploading this little gem

[@markclifton14]

Excellent program . Very interesting. Sad to see all these branch line disappeared for ever. Unfortunately I was not born when they were closed. Would loved to have traveled on them

[@user-xz9dn2ub1x]

Excellent video 😊😊 Another line which should never have closed Thank you for uploading this video 😮 As I was born in 1950 I’ve seen some of the better railway days

[@MiLLwallpaul231258]

well.....that was bloody brilliant

[@barryroberts2196]

Wonderful. Thanks so very much👍👍

[@updistant]

Excellent, thank you for posting. School summer camp near Otterton from 1964 - 67, led to many trips on the line, principally East Budleigh to Exmouth and then on to Exeter St Davids (via Central). In the opposite direction, E.B to Sidmouth Junction, then onto Salisbury and down to Southampton, where steam expresses were still thankfully abundant. Wonderfully evocative memeories of another time.

[@johnspencer5895]

Absolutely brilliant. This has brought many memories back. In July 1960 I caught the Saturdays only train from Cleethorpes at Newark Castle station and went nearly all the way, alighting at East Budleigh, returning the following Saturday but this time alighting at Rolleston, the small station (still open) before Newark Castle station. I remember that these trains passed each other at Bath Green Park station as I was able to wave to my sisters who were on the north bound train to Cleethorpes as I was travelling south. Thank you.

[@CutThroatJake]

Thanks

[@ChangesOneTim]

What an excellent compilation of film, thanks. Leo Dolling was my first boss when I joined BR Western Region. Also enjoyed working with Stephen Derek. Both lovely chaps - full of old stories from their Southern Region Exeter District days.

[@HobbiesAndSunshine]

Thank you so much for sharing this. Clearly a lot of work has gone into producing it - thank you. I was born in 68 so only got to experience the old Exmouth station and its four platforms.

[@nigelduckworth4419]

Marvellous and extremely detailed video. I have learnt a lot. Rather a pity that the railway authorities have decided both with this line and many other closed lines, not to retain the trackbed just in case. Rail travel in the 60s was declining and continued to do so for many years but then of course it started to rise dramatically and commuters in particular would welcome a fast trip into work rather than ever lengthening traffic jams and parking charges to get into Exeter in this instance. I had a choice for many years of driving into Sheffield or getting the train. I chose the latter. It was much quicker and relatively cheap. That line is fortunately still open and thriving unlike this one and many others.

[@DaemonZodiac]

Excellent. Well done. Much enjoyed.

[@tracya4087]

this was a superb film , thank you from wigan lancashire ,

[@Mark-od3hs]

A very enjoyable and interesting film. Thank you

[@davidcann4329]

I didn't know that ex-GWR auto-train and pannier tanks were used on the Seaton Branch towards the end of it's life. A very interesting video, lots of detail and well explained. Unfortunately I never saw these branch lines when they were open, but I still remember a lot of the infrastructure and trackbed being clear, particularly the long steep and curving viaduct in Exmouth. It's a shame that these railways didn't survive as it's only now that we're starting to realise how useful they would be now. Sidmouth Station was never in a good location for people visiting the town being set on a hillside well above and on the outskirts.

[@johnarmstrong3782]

Absolutely superb! Thank you. I very much enjoyed it.

[@davidsheriff8989]

Incredible old video..know this are so well...

[@martinwelsford1353]

a great video. Good clear narration and some lovely footage through the years. It seems that after 1948 the GWR took revenge on its old enemy L&SWR with customer convenience jetisoned. I often wonder if Castle & Marples had left the tracks in place, after Beeching recommended closure, what use they would have today. Its a beautiful part of our country.

[@Thunderer0872]

Nice to see the line as was, I only knew it as it was in the 1980's following Class 50's but great to see how the branches were back in the day. sadly no longer with us. I will make a trip to Sidmouth to see that station building though. Great scenes of passing Gillingham Dorset station on the way down where I used to live. a rare view of the goods shed there.

[@frglee]

An ancient (1880s!) LSWR Adams 415 Radial class loco simmering quietly at Axminster ! Three decades past the original scrapping date for the class, but renovated as it was impossible to replace for the steeply graded Lyme Regis branch. DMUs mostly took over the branch from November 1963 but the line was shut two years later. I remember Seaton Junction was still really busy on Summer Saturdays in the mid 60s, but it shut in 1966 along with the branch

[@volkeraltendorf2249]

My mood is getting sad on one Side when i am watching this Wonderful Video, but on the Other side i am graceful That there were people who filmed These interesting Branch lines in the past and Keep them in consciousness of people! I know only the line from London to Exeter via Salisbury. This is the only one which is left, but it is even quite nice. Volker from Germany

[@JamesCollins90]

Is it weird that im 31 (hence this was all way before my time) but I find this highly nostalgic. Tracking where all this was through exmouth budleigh and East Budleigh these days is very interesting to see how much its changed.

[@tomhiggins4124]

Brilliant film , but take modern day railways and stick them !!!!!!!!!!!! Old school bring back !!!!!!

[@timspiers6225]

The decision to close a lot of these lines was probably correct at the time but it is a pity that BR sold off the track beds. I know that hindsight is a wonderful thing but to have retained the line of sight would have made reopening a whole lot easier. It seems so obvious now that road congestion was bound to become a problem. Just think how having this system in place now would benefit East Devon but with large parts of the track bed being built on it is now impossible. Fortunately they have maintained the line of sight of our local line, and we really need it back now, but there seems little political will to do it.

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

Tell me trains aren’t romantic, before my time but would’ve loved to take a trip to the west on one of these fantastic trains .

[@arborfield1]

Run or cycle much of the routes from Tipton St. John to Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth almost daily. Wonderful. routes, but I'd rather be on a train!

[@dylanlarge11]

Irony is lines like this they now want to reopen!

[@peterberry5442]

Love the huge signal gantries at the old Exmouth Station. Can anyone confirm that Exmouth did NOT have a turntable?? Highly unlikely it did, as only tank locomotives used on the branch??? I reckon the only time a large passenger loco visited the town was in 1947 when the brand newly built West Country Class 4-6-2 loco was named EXMOUTH (by Mayor Downs) in the terminus station. PETE BERRY

[@CutThroatJake]

Hi Peter,have looked this up and apparently there was a turntable in 1862 but this was removed in 1927. Plenty of facilities at Exmouth Junction though.

[@adam.southside]

Excellent informative video - Do you have any video footage of the Topsham Quay line?

[@Listenerandlearner870]

To a certain extent what goes around comes around. At least there are some reopenings.

[@john_atco]

What the GWR did to the ACE was nothing short of vandalism and short-sightedness. The GWR route to the West was inferior and killed off many towns including those served by the Southern west of Exeter.

[@RockDove5212]

Shame Exmouth destroyed so much if its Victorian architecture pertaining to the station. Fantastic film.

[@SimonPJohnson]

Reported

[@itsbudleighsalterton]

Its Budleigh Salterton