Jim Clemens Collection No.9: Somerset Steam Railways (60-mins)
Today the railways of Somerset have been decimated. In the 1960's there were so many interconnecting branches feeding the main lines through the county. Once again, Jim visited them before closure and has left us this invaluable record of the country railway. We begin in the north of the country with rare 1930's footage of the Weston Clevedon and Portishead Railway. Scenes of the Clevedon miniature railway before the complete length of the Cheddar Valley and East Somerset line from Yatton to Witham. The long lamented Somerset and Dorset line from Bath to Templecombe with its 2-8-0's and 4F's mingling with Standards and Ivatt tanks. The Highbridge and Burnham branch the whole length to the sea before heading for Taunton and all stations to Chard. Eastwards to Yeovil Junction, Town and Pen Mill to traverse the route back to Taunton via Martock and Athelney all stations. A Summer Saturday at Norton Fitzwarren in 1959 leads to a journey by DMU over the Minehead line before closure and preservation. Finally with GWR moguls to Dulverton from Taunton. A veritable wealth of nostalgia.