Radstock Branch Line Documentary 

I very muched enjoyed this video.Its over 20 years since i was last there. So history of this line for you. Frome to Radstock was built in broad gauge and opened on the 14 of Novenber 1854. The Section from Bristol to Radstock Via Pensford and Hallatrow. This was built in standered gauge. So there were no through trains to Frome without a change at Radstock uhtil the 5 of July 1875. Hope that this is of some interest. Ivan

Cheers for this vid. walked this line many a time in the 70s when I lived in Norton. Amazed that this is still around.

Excellent! I was born at Radstock in the 1940's & I lived in Welton near Midsomer Norton for a while as well. Thanks for posting.

Very interesting. Thank you very much.

Fantastic Well Done! Looking forward to the next one. Amazing even the lines are still there. There seems to be more public interest in reopening the branch lines. I think they will make a come back in some places. Lets hope so.

In answer to the question on Conduit Bridge, it is at Conduit Hill which referred to the Dorset & Somerset Canal which existed very briefly in the last decade of the 18th and first of the 19th Century.

Nice piece of documenting for the old GWR line between Radstock and Frome. I'm surprised that the old GWR brake van was still there and hasn't found a new home with a GWR preservation society. I think that this line closed during the early 1960s. Thanks for sharing :D

Cool enjoyed watching mate.

What a great video, you have a very good voice for making a documentary, very energetic, well done.

Have walked along here many times last time was this week and it still amazes me I love it.

Nice video, very interesting, I do alot of shunting at Whatley Quarry and I honestly didn't know this was the original route to there. Steel sleepers are quite common in the UK and the items that hold the rail in the chairs are called keys. Also the building you went into is (I think) an old shunters cabin/ store as I recognise the round things on the floor to be rubber coupling shock absorbers for wagons, you can see them in use on the guards van chassis.

LMS 20T van has been through piped air brake (no sign of vacuum pipe?). Buckeye (drop?) suggests it was late conversion for use with rotary coupler stone wagons, pending agreement with unions to drop guards vans on fully fitted trains

Having cycled this line from Radstock to Frome in 2009, I can tell you that the line was double track througout, and the brake van is a LMS pattern 20 ton brake van. Reason I know this is that the axlebox covers clearly state LMS on them It has a standard coupling on one end and a buckeye coupling on the other. If you want any of the photos I took, just drop me a line.

I think you will find it's an ex LMS brake van, it was at Radstock, with the Polish loco and was complete and in pretty good shape, think it was burnt out after the track gang left it their, never recovered...

Very interesting and great commentary, gotta check this place out sometime before its ruined.

I kenw this railway very well when it was running. It was a double track from radstock towards Frome. I remember them lifting the second track. From Mells road there was a branch line to the qurries at Vobster. Lets hope that the Midsomer Norton S and D manage to get a connection with it.

Concrete and steel sleepers. Interesting! It would not take much to get it operational again. Depending on the condition of the concrete sleepers maybe just clearing and maybe re-ballasting

OLD railways are so romantic

Good job Thank you 🙂

Did this walk in summer of 2017 to see what's still there. The line is still in situ albeit now covered by heavy undergrowth. The derelict van (LMS brake van?) is still there, again covered by the increasing undergrowth. I could not find the building - I suspect it has been demolished.

MAN!! This is a BRILLIANT discovery of that closed railway! I hope this could turn into a preserved steam railway in the future! This would be benefit for the railway fans like us!!! ^_^ What d'u think?

Great video - love the use of the Betjeman music. Any news on whether the route will be developed for housing or if the North Somerset Railway has made any progress?

The S&D was built in broadgauge but was converted to standard gauge later on,the bridges were built to straddle double track. It is extremely unusual to find so much remaining from closure,track would normally be completely removed and any old stock destroyed or taken away,the hut is likely a platelayers hut rather than a ground frame hut and in remarkable good condition for 40 odd years!

If u went back to radstock where the old station units have been ripped down and house built , the railway sleepers are still all wood , overgrown maybe but I'll find a lot more interesting finds ! Iv lived in radstock my intire life and would be more than happy to walk you round 👌🏼👍🏼 nice vid tho dude

Very interesting vid nice to see that there was still some railway relics left laying around after all this time. Glad it's not been completely stripped and turned into a cycle path or that the thieving gypo's haven't found out about it.

There was a group wanting to restore the line, that's why it has been left in place, possible light rail service.??

I love lines like these. Not to mine abandonded lines remain intact like this in the US. I would love to fire up a locomotive and plow through the undergrowth exploring this line. Although not the most practical means it would be fun to work around challenges broken rails jammed switches rolling stock in the way the works. Hopefully somthing an be done for the line.

I also live near Derby Friargate...found a 1880s relic back in 1990s..Bridge number partly hidden...made a few bob..pre ebay..!

your comment about metal sleepers....theres some on the old southern route from Exeter to Waterloo about 3 Quaters of a mile Exeter side of Pinhoe

The brake van was likely left by the demolition trains at the time,possibly with a mechanical fault which prevented its return,possibly a wheel bearing or broken brake valve etc, It has obviously been gutted by a fire at some point,probably not long after its abandonment,but still surprising to see it still there,with scrap metal prices so high it would fetch a good price,as would the redundant rails. many miles of lost lines are hidden in undergrowth and very fascinating to explore.

Yes well done very enjoyable vid. I wonder with the brambles removed and a knocked up 2 seater pedal car that runs on rails like i saw on another utube vid in germany took by Remeo1964 on the Draisine railway that looked fun. But none the less good vid.

love the faint background music, is that from one of the old S&D videos by John Betjemen? sounds a bit like it?

Bristol and North Somerset railway, the cabin is a p way hut

please....when was this filmed?

I am amazed the rails are still there. Guided busways are nasty!

All still there. great walk very Interesting. I deliver sand by truck to CPM in Mells. CPM make pips and use to use the rail to transport there loads up country ans the line runs right behind there yard.

Found this interesting and helpful in research for a novel. Looking for a map to decide where someone might get off the line from Frome to Bristol, nearer to Stanton Drew. Perhaps I'll reference Mells. Thanks!

Didn't think the S & D line was ever broad gauge.... The cycle tracks in the area are eating up all the old railway lines sadly.

thats a stanier or LMS brake, may have been refurbed by the GWR tho...

Great video, love the brake van when did the line close?

@macthewesty The S&D wasnt as far as i know, but im pretty sure this part of the Great Western was.

I would LOVE to restore that, im an engineer so IMPOSSIBLE is not a word in my vocabulary! Great Vid. I have obtained a late 1800’s OS map that shows all the S&D. Ut its very small scale! The track is centred in the arch purely as it was broad gauge. I dont believe it was dual track at that bridge. Where is this please so I can walk this?

ground frame is actually a plate layers hut

When did the line close?

oh I'd love to rescue that GWR Brake Van (caboose) & restore it

ha u have never seen metal sleepers before there loads in england well in Gloucester anyway great video

hopefully it will be open agian soon we hope

@MiLLwallpaul231258 Last year, dont worry, it hasnt been turned into a guided busway, yet.

A disused railway line in the UK where the rails havent been torn up and sold for scrap,you should not have advertised the fact,the pikeys will have been there by now and had that away,followed shortly by the council,interesting video though,thanks.

The Line would of been Broad Gauge in its infancy but the lines you are filming here are 4 foot 8and half inches the standard gauge through out britain but what i find a brake van well done sir if you would be kind enought to give A Yorkshire man directions to this line

this railway was a double line not a single my great grandad worked on this line if you want he has many pics send me your e-mail and ill post you them also another go line to do is the leeds to weathby line closed in 1956 from leeds to cross gatees past john smeaton high school into whinmoor station onto chippys quarry and throw a 2mile tunnel still open till this day and under the A64 onto weathby i only know about it because i walked ones before back when i was back in high school

We have a cycle path in Garforth that used to be a railway line, too. Trouble is whatever relics were there have been removed. So. it's not quite as interesting as this is.

LMS BRAKE VAN

GWR, not S&D. The S&D never went to Frome... it went from Shepton to Midsomer Norton to Bath... and the GWR line *was* broad gauge at the start... as for the steam railway being created, that is (again) not on this line - it is on the old S&D at Norton.

quick! someone save this line before its turned into a guided busway D:

PLEB!!

j betjiman music

crying out for cambodian 'railcar'