| This year's West Somerset Railway Spring Gala was themed 'Summer Saturdays in the West'.
Between about the mid 1950s and early 1960s the railways in the west country were worked to their absolute limit to provide enough capacity for the ever increasing holiday traffic. Although, by now, the average person had a paid holiday, relatively few owned cars and so travelled to the west country resorts by rail. Somehow the railways coped but conditions for the travellers could be very poor and lateness was often measured in hours, not minutes. Trains were often hauled by goods engines and some of the carriages had been sitting in the sidings since the previous summer. It was the railway's very ability to cope that worked against them and the travelling conditions must have convinced many to save up for a car - and join the queue on the Honiton by-pass! The Gala brought together locomotives that would once have had a hand in the holiday traffic. Unlike the period being recreated however, the West Somerset trains were on time and clean! No doubt the Gala brought back a few memories but hopefully caused a few people to think of the effort put in by the railwaymen of the 1950/60s to keep the trains moving. Thanks to the West Somerset folks for organising the gala and to Don Bishop, Russ Hillier and Geoff Silcock for running appropriate photo charters. |
Churchlands |
East Combe |
East Combe |
Nethercott |
Nethercott |
Near Water Bridge |
Old Cleeve |
Near Water Bridge |
Kentsford |
Kerr Moor |
Kerr Moor |
East Combe |
