I do like old steam trains. Visited Goathland in Yorkshire on a steam train some years ago and what a fantastic day I had. You certainly had a good day and enjoyed following your trip.
That was a really, really enjoyable introduction to a line I had never heard of before. Fascinating to hear about the link with David Shepherd. Well produced and a lot of useful information. Well done. Cheers, Ian
Thank you. Yes, it is lesser known now (it wasn't back in the 1970s, when it was one of the top preserved lines in the UK) compared to the West Somerset (which I will be visiting soon). Glad that you enjoyed it! Cheers, Paul.
Fascinating stuff Paul. Videography and stills are fabulous as always. 💕 Have to say I totally enjoyed seeing that steam blowing above the top of the train. 💕 Kudos on another great video 🫡🫡🫡
Well that were grand! Cranmore is a delightful little station 😊 Always love these, so packed full of some my favourite things 😀 Sometimes you just need to stare in wonder...
When David Shepherd bought the station, they were still using the overgrown yard for bitumen trains and class 25's would take tanks back and forth till around the eighties.
Hi Mike! I thought it was just the huge limestone quarry there - didn't know about bitumen on freight as well! Network Rail were working maintaing the line at Cranmore, just outside the station when I was there on my visit. Cheers, Paul.
Thanks again for a fantastic video Paul. Love watching your films always make me feel relaxed happy and de stressed. Im off to walk the Clydach gorge and over Sugerloaf 5th Sep cant wait bit of wild camping as well.
That's very kind of you to say so. Glad you find them calming. I try to make them at a slower pace than a lot of other RU-vidrs. I find life is too fast paced already! Thanks for watching and commenting. Regards, Paul 🙂👍
What a superb video Paul! It looks like an amazing and very interesting day out. Fantastic photography and videoing. Brilliant that you took a ride on a couple of trains too. You mentioned the Strawberry Line and hiring bikes at Yatton. I did that last year for a day out. It was fantastic. Really scenic. I turned around at Cheddar.
Thank you Louise - glad you enjoyed it. I had planned to do cycling from Yatton, but it hasn't happened, yet! Thanks for you kind comments. Take care, Paul
Well made & enjoyable to watch. It’s not that unusual having a connection to NR, though. Other places that do have them are Norton Fitzwarren, Totnes, Paignton, Alton, East Grinstead, Kidderminster, Grosmont, and no doubt several more.
Thank you John! Glad you liked it. I get the sense that NR connections to Heritage Lines is a mute point. When I used to live in Totnes about four years ago, the SDR deliberately removed the NR connection (a 10 mtr section of track near the access gate was ripped up) , so as to avoid NR access fees, and then brought locos in for special events by road. Not sure if this is still the case. The Norton Fitzwarren one on the WSR is another oddity. NR still use it for ballast cleaning, but WSR don't (presumably for cost reasons) run steam trains to Taunton Sta's spare bay platform. I also have noticed that through excursions from Paddington to Minehead have now stopped too - again cost, possibly due to the pandemic. Interesting to note that when I was in the cafe there at Cranmore, NR staff were in there too, because they were doing track maintenance a little further towards Witham Friary. Thanks again, take care, Paul.
Seeing the historical trains was wonderful! Especially getting to hear their engines working. Loved the black and white photos partways through - it gave a timeless feel.
Thank you Donna! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, I think the sounds are at least half of the experince of steam trains. Thanks again, take care, Paul.
No 4555 was originally purchased by Patrick Whitehouse for the Dart Valley (now South Devon) railway Although still owned by the DVLR it is nowadays considered too underpowered for the company's steeply graded Paignton - Kingswear Torbay route and so is instead hired out to other heritage lines It's original owner Patrick Whitehouse was also one of the preservation pioneers of the Talyllyn Railway who later founded the Standard Gauge Steam Trust better known today as Vintage Trains
Thank you Stephen for that really useful background information - sorry for delay in replying - been a busy few days filming my latest Canal Series and editing. Dartmouth and Paignton Railway's loss is East Somerset's gain - cracking looking loco! Thanks again, take care, Paul 👍
Hello Paul - greetings from Poland Complete Nostalgia! What a fantastic video. A really fascinating and interesting day out. Your historical information anbout the line and its connection with David Shepherd was brilliant. By the way, the steam loco featured in your film, 4555, was built in Swindon in 1924 and spen most of its working life in North Wales on the Llyn Peninsular. Once retired, it worked on The Dartmouth Railway for a while. Your still photographs were superb, as was your commentary and camera work. Congratulations - one of your best railway videos.
Well done Paul, I throughly enjoy your travel logs. I wonder why so many people have a fascination with Travis? Is it the romantic history associated with them?
Thank you Carol! Glad you are enjoying my wanderings in the Westcountry (and a bit outside to cover the entirety of The Severn Way). I think train fascination varies from enthusiast to enthusiast. I don't really consider myself a train enthusiast, but I find the history of old railways fascinating, and how they linked communities in the landscape. It is the feel of something lost that cannot be replaced. Thanks for watching! Paul.
Thank you! Yes, I had seen that all the exLUL Isle of Wight stock had been replaced, but hadn't realised that this set was one of those. Thank you for the additional information. Cheers, Paul.
Hello Paul. That’s a really interesting visit to the ECR. I’ve been there just once and that was probably 30 years ago. Should go back again really, as it’s not all that far from where we live. They appear to have a lot more there now, museum and cafe, not to mention more rolling stock. I did wonder if they might have extended the track, but doesn’t look like it. Is there a problem with taking the line further. (Apart from the cost). Was that a miniature railway I spotted on your final trip back? I can’t recall seeing that before. All in all, a great piece of filming. Thank you.
Thank you Lionel and Mary. Glad you enjoyed it. When it opened in 1975, it became one of the premier preserved lines in the UK, but it has since been overshadowed by the likes of the SVR, GWSR and the WSR. Sadly, due to lack of funds, they have been unable to extend further towards Shepton Mallet, which is only a mile or so West of Mendip Vale station. Yes, there is a miniature railway there, but it only runs on certain weekends (I was there on a Thursday, which has a busy timetable). Thanks again, Regards, Paul 👍🙂
