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Above:
Two
of our younger members taking a short break on a walk from Heathfield
to Hailsham in East Sussex. 17 April 1999. (Richard Martin) |
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Above:
One
of the Southern Area's walks ended at the Swindon & Cricklade
Railway, whose volunteers kindly provided a brake van trip for members
over their line between Blunsdon and Hayes Knoll. 4 October 1998.
(Richard Martin) |
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Above:
Our
power-mad former Chairman, now the club's Webmaster, grabs the controls.
Taken at Blunsdon during a brake van trip to Hayes Knoll. 4 October
1998. (Richard Martin) |
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Above:
This
early tramway bridge near Nine Mile Point in the Sirhowy Valley once
carried coal-laden wagons on the Penllwyn Tramway. Nowadays, it's
part of a railway walk. September 1993. (David James) |
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Above:
The
Albion Inn at Verwood, Dorset, is scarcely recognisable as the village's
former railway station, although the bridge behind the garden tables
is a give-away. The road in the foreground, the B3081, used to go
over the bridge until modern road improvements altered the scene.
Verwood was situated on the cross-country line from Salisbury to West
Moors, near Wimborne; for further details, see the next caption. May
1999. (Alan Clarke) |
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Above:
Breamore
station was situated three stations north of Verwood on the same cross-country
line; the village station is seen here looking south. The branch closed
on 4th May 1964, along with the connecting line from Brockenhurst
to Broadstone, and this photograph was taken shortly afterwards. Nature
has not yet reclaimed the site, and it looks almost as if the station
might still be open – but then one notices that there are no
seats, no fire buckets and no signs. This was a scene which the implementation
of the 1963 Beeching Report recreated at thousands of local stations
across the UK. Sadly, views such as this were just the start of the
dereliction. Summer 1964. (Tim Chant) |
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Above:
Shillingstone
station, situated between Sturminster Newton and Blandford Forum on
the scenic Somerset & Dorset line, was a sad sight when our photographer
visited in May 2000. The station was (and is) owned by Dorset County
Council, but for many years was used as a store and machine shop for
the adjoining industrial estate. Update: In November 2004,
DCC granted 'right of access' to the Shillingstone Station Restoration
and Museum Project, which is in the course of carrying out a wholesale
restoration of the site and its surroundings. For further details,
click here.
(Richard Lewis) |