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Last weekend special trains


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  • RMweb Gold

I am working on a new book for release next year which broadly covers the last years and particularly the last weekend of the S&D and the immediate post closure period..

 

The author and I are trying to make it as "personal" as possible, for example by including the names of railwaymen and locomotive crew where possible.

 

Two things are particularly eluding us at the moment, the crew of "Okehampton" on the Sunday 6th special, we suspect they may have been a non S&D crew (Salisbury based?) and the fireman to driver Albert Williams on Biggin Hill on the RCTS Saturday 5th March special.

 

Also, does anyone know which Hymek (number) ran in to Bath and out again on the first service train on the Midland line on the Saturday morning, arriving Bath GP at 6.39am.

 

Any information would be very much appreciated.

 

We are pretty much there with photos etc, but if anyone has anything interesting or unusual they'd like to offer there is still time....

 

Thanks for reading this!

 

Simon

 

Wild Swan Books

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Simon, did you ever get the answers you were looking for?

We have got the name of the driver of "Okehampton" together with more info on the last Saturday, lots of editing over the Christmas break..

 

Thank you to both Phil and Tim for offers, some lovely pictures there and I am/will be pursuing several of them.

 

We also have some terrific pictures by Don Froud taken around Midford on the last weekend, none previously published (apart from one on the cover of "Railway Magazine" back in the day)

 

Simon

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  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

I am pleased to announce the fruit of these labours.

 

It is a brand new book (and new format) from Wild Swan books in which Bob Bunyar takes us back to the final days of the S&D in words and pictures. 

 

post-19301-0-57330500-1454850346.jpg

96 illustrated pages, colour and black and white, size 210mm X 230mm, format sewn softback, printed by Amadeus Press in Cleckheaton, ISBN 9780953877140, priced at £14.95.

 

The book includes photographs from the collections of Tingley Tim (Chapman) and Phil Sutters, for the use of which I am extremely grateful.

 

I am launching it at the "Remembering the Railway" event at Evercreech village hall on Saturday 5th March, at which Bob will also be present.

 

It should also be available from other outlets from that date - subject to the packing department keeping on their toes!

 

Simon Castens

 

Wild Swan books

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>>>I am launching it at the "Remembering the Railway" event at Evercreech village hall on Saturday 5th March......

 

I have heard about that event, but publicity for it seems seems very scarce around here - maybe there is some in your shop, eh ? :-)

 

So, we know the date and place, but -  what are the opening times, and do we know what will be there please?

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Thanks. Also now some detail in the March Railway Modeller, seen today.
 
However, noted in the link....

"Finally, оn 7 Mаrсh 1966 thе whole S&D lіnе frоm Bаth tо Bournemouth – аnd аlѕо thе Evеrсrеесh Junсtіоn tо Hіghbrіdgе lіnе – wаѕ сlоѕеd under thе Beeching Axe аnd dіѕmаntlеd. Thrее ѕhоrt sections survived:...."

 

Tscch. There were four sections left, someone forgot the stretch from Bath Jcn to the Coop Siding :-(

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