O/T. For the steam train fans on this site.

[Woking88]

Another Branch line that was sadly closed, probably never to reopen was the Axminster to Lyme Regis line. Excellent scenery, fantastic viaduct and great trains and rolling stock and a lovely old station at Lyme.


Cannington viaduct


The Lyme Regis station building now re-erected at Alresford Station on the Mid Hants Railway.

A train from Axminster has just arrived at Lyme Regis station in August 1958. 30583 was built for the LSWR in 1885 to a design by William Adams

A Lyme Regis train leaves Combpyne station in 1959.

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Here is another one that thankfully is still used. I rode this line twice back in 70,s when I went to Looe on vacation by train from Wolverhampton. You could by a through ticket then as it was part of British Rail. It was/is unique in that at Coombe Junction the the driver changes ends in the single unit railcar to allow the train to "slalom" down the track arrangement that allows it to descend the steep incline down to Looe.

Very special, well worth the detour if you are down that way.

Coombe Junction is 5 mins in on the film. - view external link

[Woking88]

Fabulous footage, Woody. Reminded me of the London to Brighton high speed sequences:- - view external link

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Fabulous footage, Woody. Reminded me of the London to Brighton high speed sequences:-

This is what it looks like now Wokes. - view external link

[TundraWolf]

Wokes, your photo of the old station reminded me of an old steam railway line that ran north of Montreal. When four lane highways were built to accommodate the increase in autos in the 1960s train ridership dropped off and the passenger trains were discontinued. The railway stations though were reconfigured as restaurants and coffee houses and the rail line was built up to accommodate hiking and bicycle travel. The trails are relatively flat and run 200 kms, over 120 miles in length. Many people use these for a week's vacation in the summer to bike, eat, sleep and sightsee!

From their website:
The P'tit train du Nord is a 200 kilometre bicycle Trail which runs through the Laurentians north of Montreal. It is an easy-to-ride trail that offers some spectacular scenery and that is lined with a good assortment of tourist facilities. It has to rate as one of the very best bicycle trails in this corner of North America.

The "P'tit train du Nord" literally means the "Little Train of the Nor

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

[quote="TundraWolf"]Wokes, your photo of the old station reminded me of an old steam railway line that ran north of Montreal. When four lane highways were built to accommodate the increase in autos in the 1960s train ridership dropped off and the passenger trains were discontinued. The railway stations though were reconfigured as restaurants and coffee houses and the rail line was built up to accommodate hiking and bicycle travel. The trails are relatively flat and run 200 kms, over 120 miles in length. Many people use these for a week's vacation in the summer to bike, eat, sleep and sightsee!

From their website:
The P'tit train du Nord is a 200 kilometre bicycle Trail which runs through the Laurentians north of Montreal. It is an easy-to-ride trail that offers some spectacular scenery and that is lined with a good assortment of tourist facilities. It has to rate as one of the very best bicycle trails in this corner of North America.

The "P'tit train du No

[TundraWolf]

Glad to hear that in England there are so many former railroad beds converted to public trails, Woody; a sure sign of a civilized society! Dr Beeching seems to be an interesting, but controversial character, from my Wiki Research!

Here, The Trans-Canada Trail that crosses the country and runs, in total, 18,000kms (11,000 miles) is scheduled to be finished in 2017. In British Columbia, the Kettle Valley Railway trail runs through the interior (watch for bears and mountain lions) a distance of 600kms (360 miles). It is extremely popular!

All ages can be found on the trail as the grade is never more than 2.2%:


...and the scenery is decent:

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Glad to hear that in England there are so many former railroad beds converted to public trails, Woody; a sure sign of a civilized society! Dr Beeching seems to be an interesting, but controversial character, from my Wiki Research!

Here, The Trans-Canada Trail that crosses the country and runs, in total, 18,000kms (11,000 miles) is scheduled to be finished in 2017. In British Columbia, the Kettle Valley Railway trail runs through the interior (watch for bears and mountain lions) a distance of 600kms (360 miles). It is extremely popular!

All ages can be found on the trail as the grade is never more than 2.2%:


...and the scenery is decent:

The Wombourne route is not as spectacular as thatTundra, but it does have its very own "genteel" charm.

[TundraWolf]

Would very much like to check it out one day, Woody!