Ted Martin Garden & Woodland Railway Farewell 1970-2019

Four Years ago i visited the Late Edward Ted Martin's Garden Woodland Railway at Thame in Oxfordshire for a invitation to a private Steam event. This Year on November is my Second but Final Visit to this beautiful railway as they are hold their very last Steam gala event with almost of all of the ex-home fleet Locomotives and a couple of visiting engine from other railways.
So this video i have made it longer than my very first one back in 2015 to get as many footage of the action on the railway as i can.
Ex-Home Fleet:
- GWR Saint 2986 Robin Hood
- GWR King 6028 King George VI
- GWR 31xx Prairie 3151
Visitor:
- GWR Churchward 43xx 4330
- GWR 47xx 4701
- SR Bullied Q1
- Midland Railway Railmotor
- GWR Collett 14xx 1421 with Auto coach
- BR Standard Class 4MT Tank 80151
- BR Standard Class 9F 92184
- BR Standard Class 7MT Iron Duke
Through out the event i thoroughly enjoyed myself and it is sad to see this amazing railway to be no more.
Photo will be on Flickr soon, Link will be put down below
www.flickr.com...
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[@cbcdesign001]

Sad to hear it is closing but glad some of it will be saved. Those locos are absolutely stunning, engineering works of art.

[@steamsearcher]

I got an invite to Alan Wilson's home from knowing him from School in about 1975. Got to know Keith and John Short who built boilers. I watched and learned and eventually built a lathe and milling machine for A level. Watching the home fleet being built as a teenager. I now have a super workshop and own 7 lathes and 2 mills. Many current projects mostly Re Design as my Degree and working life with University Students was in Design and working with machines. And yes the First lathe still works as does the kit built mill. We managed four visits over the years including two this year. And who had a battery fail in the camera!!! Such lovely people also visited and I borrowed a camera and transferred the card. So sad that so much work put into the railway can so easily be removed. But not from our memories. Love David and Lily.

[@microbusss]

I hope alot of the tracks, trains & buildings were saved & moved to new homes

[@microbusss]

@@x66Hawk66x true but I have seen pix of tracks like this left in place & abandoned

[@briankirk2995]

This takes me back ...my father built the Princess Marina locomotive in his workshop. We had tracks going around our large garden!

[@meester5565]

What a wonderful people Ted and his wife must have been and a big thumbs up to all the community. Thanks for posting this and the professional job you made filming it. I didn't know of this unyil watching today but what a wonderful way to be remembered.

[@krimskrams]

this is one of those magnificent clips where you can slow the speed down to 0.75 to really hear some awesome train sounds like a full sized steam train. the mood and feel is just right!

[@davidcann4329]

What a shame, this was just so amazing. Glad to hear that much has been saved.

[@chriscars3578]

What amazing set up love to see anything steam places like this should be saved not closed

[@RanmoreCommonRailway]

i lived in Thame for 7 years. Never knew about this gem. Lovely. Thanks for sharing.

[@geordieceltic2]

Wow. First time I have seen this video. What a fantastic set up. The shots of all those men sitting on the train takes was classic. Thank you for sharing.

[@wamgoc]

So sad to hear of this Railways closing! At least you got it on video one last time!

[@machoneboard]

The sheds and the architectural features along the track look amazing. A housing estate....

[@herecomethelizards2]

The noise from GW tank and Q1 at 14.10. My friend Aidan used to visit here, wish I had gone along too. RIP Aidan and Ted's railway.

[@dereketheridge4411]

In reply to herecomethelizards2, did you know that Aidan built most of the infrastructure for the line? He would have been heartbroken to see his passion destroyed. He died 2018, a lovely bloke my best friend. RIP

[@kennethsrensen7706]

I have never seen this before , didn't know it existing ( or existed ) Shame that they couldn't keep it running. Such things I think is worth save and protect so it can be there in the future. No matter if a kid , young or old this is something many people like and have great fun with. Not to mention all those building this amazing mini world. Shame this wasn't saved.

[@EHSteamVideos]

Yes it is a shame that the whole railway couldn't be saved but the great news is that the track, building structure, rolling stock and Locomotive have been saved and some have gone to different owners. :)

[@Gyokuro_Ch.4801]

@@EHSteamVideos, I didn't know that. :0

[@coloursmoke]

What an amazing place! beautiful. stunning locos :-)

[@cameronknapp7315]

I want this railway 🚃 to come back! I sure hope 🤞 it does someday. Who’s with me?

[@Frankestein01nl]

@14,29, a perfectly timed miniature twig sticking out, slapping everyone in the face. What a perfect little railroad, just wow. Thanks for putting this on video, very delightful.

[@ichabodon]

Never knew about this. So sad to be closing. H & S had a hand in there somewhere methinks

[@SimonTog]

Very nice video, looks great :)

[@steveparadine1970]

Most enjoyable, hope it all gets going elsewhere soon!

[@bewseybill3691]

Very Sad but nothing surprises me in this country when it comes to railway, Seems the ghost of Beeching is still with us.

[@victorgrasscourt3382]

There should be fundraising to save this railway. Too unique to be destroyed

[@nigel2093]

Well Said Victor. It would be a travesty to let something as beautiful as this fade away forever.

[@tomwheeler8728]

Agreed and it is sad that the railway is gone for good

[@anniemartin4483]

The railway was closed and sold off for development because it was taken out of the hands of Ted's family and children. As his granddaughter, it is devastating to watch this footage knowing his legacy will not be shared with many due to the greed of a few. It's means a lot to see these comments and know the meaning this place had to so many people. Please know if it had been passed on to his children it would still be there today and in the hands of Ted's community, as he would have wanted.

[@markfranklin4150]

@@anniemartin4483 I had the great pleasure of visiting a number of times, reading this makes it all the more devastating to know what could have been.

[@jimcarey9523]

What a Travesty. That would break my heart.

[@frankdusty]

My mate done some work for the late Ted Martin he done all the brickwork for the signalbox and we visited it later on what a great railway that was shame no one else could take it on, he had modelled the loco shed on the one at Didcot . He had all the rolling stock that you could ride on Great shame last I heard they was going to build houses on the spot.

[@patrickinwood7538]

A lovely railway. What a pity my stay in Moats Crescent was too short before ending up in York. The local Model Engineers have a growing 7 1/4 gauge railway.

[@davebambrook7745]

Wow I remember delivering the coal here for ted anthracite beans if I remember correctly

[@ewoodrailway]

Absolutely brilliant , I've subbed

[@imagentleman8]

Why was this railway closed down?

[@abloogywoogywoo]

The land is being sold off to developers. Housing estates most probably, ironically the death of many railways.

[@karelmarkvart1517]

@@abloogywoogywoo ironically, keepint this railway will make living there much more desirable... imagine young kids after seeint this in their maybe future neighbourhood...

[@kevp9601]

I Love It a Lot.

[@johnboughton7451]

They should have “Crowd Funded” this property and turned into a charity so many possibilities lost to the digger such a great shame

[@tominnis8353]

What a crying shame that this couldn't have been preserved in its entirety. Ungrateful children! Was it ever open to the public?

[@EHSteamVideos]

It's was a private event

[@Ink2Image]

I am Ted's son and just so you know, his children had no hand in this. My father unfortunately left all this to his third wife, who then left it to her son. They are the ones responsible for destroying his legacy, not his children.

[@tominnis8353]

@@Ink2Image Please accept my sincere apologies for jumping to conclusions.

[@djburland]

Wonderful to see 👍

[@trainking79]

Bro I'm jealous

[@rexxthunder]

Where is this?!?! Those people are HUGE!!!

[@radic888]

Either that, or those trains are really small.😯

[@leegray4999]

Why is it no more and what happened to all the RR features ? It would be a shame if it just got sub divided !

[@sackvillebag]

Gone the same way as much of British Rail did. lost forever but remains on film and in the memories of those who rode on it.

[@burtonfootballer5408]

SO IS THERE AN UPDATE ON THIS. WAS IT SAVED??

[@Gyokuro_Ch.4801]

Unfortunately, no. :(

[@trainboyvlogs721]

Are they going to keep the track, locos and rolling stock?

[@A14b19]

WoWwww

[@southwesttrainspotter2987]

Nice vid I was there

[@guymorris8617]

What a tragedy to see and hear about as that is an amazing legacy to lose albeit prototypical of railways ending up with housing estates being built across them! Shame a railway enthusiast didn't buy the house it would have been a perfect partnership. May the Phoenix rise

[@TLZgaming]

Hi Guy, so the reason for the closure was from the sale of the house and the grounds the layout sits in?

[@tonyclough9844]

Its just build houses more houses where do all these people work Where I live all the engineering works have houses built on them

[@TLZgaming]

@@tonyclough9844 such a shame

[@billymule961]

Sad to see something so unique to be destroyed. I imagine the taxes on the property are appalling. Better to build multiple housing units and a mosque I suppose.

[@EHSteamVideos]

Yes it is a shame but the great news is that the track, building structure, rolling stock and Locomotive have been saved and some have gone to different owners. :)

[@billymule961]

@@martinr1834 Well, there goes the neighborhood.

[@slobama]

It doesn't seem right that people are riding/sitting on these trains. It takes away from seeing such a great achievement.

[@paullubliner6221]

Very sad indeed.

[@joncoe9046]

Absolutely gutting its closed. Such a well attended railway by looking at it. Too many of these little lines are all going the same way and soon there'll be nothing like this left.... all buried under housing estates while the developers fill their pockets 😡

[@benjima100]

what gauge railway is this?

[@EHSteamVideos]

7 1/4 Inch Gauge Mate

[@Georgeconna32]

The fella getting in front of all the shots what a pillock, Sad to see this all being bulldozed. The whole of England will end up as a housing estate. No doubt lots free housing for our African friends.

[@ewanhuzarmie9575]

I bet you'll say "I'm not (a) racist, but.............."

[@thomastsangthomas1616]

Wait! There are no woman driving those steam locomotive?!

[@AustNRail]

What happened? Death, sale, A Karen? Why?

[@karljones4321]

£10k plus worth of kit Bering wheeled out of a van onto some rickity track balanced on some blocks 🤣

[@riffraff7949]

"Never overlook a little engine!"

[@kevp9601]

This is Awesome. :-D

[@TheDelticMan]

What guage is this?

[@thestolenmhrproperty2102]

Are these 7 1/4 Gauge trains?

[@EHSteamVideos]

Yes the Locomotive and rolling Stock are indeed 7 1/4 inch Gauge

[@thestolenmhrproperty2102]

@@EHSteamVideos Also in video, I noticed the Midland Railway Rail motor used to be in fact my grandfather's, before he sold it it because of cancer. 😥😥😥

[@thestolenmhrproperty2102]

So that Kinda answers my question if that was my old Grandad's Rail motor

[@steamsearcher]

We enjoyed all of our many visits. I watched several of these being built during my teenage years. Went to School with the builders son. We are both still building them in workshops in our gardens. We both have lovely Girls who support our passions. David and Lily. 30 miles away from!!!

[@ianturvey3894]

I visited this line a few years ago with my late father, for a 7 1/4 Association gala and had the pleasure of meeting Ted Martin. We had a great day. I was so amazed by this wonderful railway. It’s a shame that it has come to an end but I have some video footage to remember that day.

[@TheMisterTibbles]

That SR Q1 class loco looks fantastic! (not saying the others aren't it's just the SR Q1 is my favourite loco haha)

[@stanleydomalewski8497]

WOW, I wish I could have been there at least once ! Great Video !