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It's not the 1st of April, but.....

Chris Nevard

Entry posted by Chris Nevard

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6788906669_afd739cb00.jpg

nevard_120130_combwich_IMG_2324, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

Photo: 30587 departs Combwich with the 2pm service to Stogursey.

 

...but in the ethos of populist journalism for the masses, today I'm not going to let historical accuracy get in the way of a good yarn!

 

Until 1955, a light railway served the small town of Stogursey up in the Quantocks. This railway was part of a grand scheme to link the port town of Combwich with Watchet, but sadly the railway company owned by Sir Henry Nythe of Nether Stowey ran out of money only halfway into the line's construction in 1901.

 

The lightly built railway, whist it never got to the GWR at Watchet, served numerous stone quarries on route and supported the local agricultural industry to a lessor degree. Passenger traffic, as with most of these railways was very light, with the sharp curves necessitating the use of short wheel base locomotives and rolling stock. The ex-GWR coach here being the last outpost of this 4 wheeled design. The Beattie Well Tank, whilst mainly known for their use on the Wenford Bridge line in Cornwall, were also used on the Stogursey line from 1952 to 1955, making this little known railway a popular destination for railway enthusiasts.

 

For those readers living in the real Combwich and who keep emailing wanting more information about the railway, or to those living there who think that they know where the station used to be - the above is complete twaddle of course!

 

For those who'd like to see a bigger version of the above photo, click HERE!

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  • RMweb Gold
Captain Kernow
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Chris, you really shouldn't admit to this being fiction - it's much more fun to wait for them to write in, all incredulous and amazed that this railway existed that they had never heard about!

 

And if they've spent a fruitless Sunday morning out with the wife and dog, walking around trying to find the old station, why, so much the better!! ;-))

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  • RMweb Gold
Brinkly
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Or in other words Chris, the poor thing took a wrong turn at Wadebridge and then got lost!

 

Lovely photo,

 

Nick

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Re6/6
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..........And if they've spent a fruitless Sunday morning out with the wife and dog, walking around trying to find the old station, why, so much the better!! ;-))

 

Oh yes, I know all about trying to seek out routes of old railways that 'might have been'!

 

Lovely snap Chris.

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PaulRhB
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It's even more fun when people insist they remember or even rode on it!

I'm with CK keep to the mushroom principle ;)

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