It's that time of year again. The time when the once great railway engines from the past race at 25 mph across the countryside bringing joy to many, and an occasional fire to the farmers.
These trains do not reach excessive speeds these days, they travel on lines that once connected small places to large, brought milk, vegetables, and meat into town centres, and brought people a life they could never have experienced before 1825 as walking was for most the only travel option. By 1851 travel between Edinburgh and London, that took up to 14 days by stagecoach, was shortened to 12 hours, give or take a breakdown or two. By 1914 railways covered the land, and indeed much of the rest of the world, the real superstar of the 19th century. Railways changed the world in a way nothing else had until computers came into desktop size.
The West Somerset Railway, not only covers a line that was ended by the 'Beeching Report,' back in the 60s, it covers it with cameras at many of the stations. Thus we can see how life was, and the many tourists and holiday makers making the most of it, as the steam engines or aged diesels make their way from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. The sounds are evocative. A train leaving the station brings back memories for many over, er 35, and as it chuffs away the image of such trains, black and often only basically treated by the late 60s, comes to mind. Other sounds also stir the heart, the slamming of doors, the cries of the porters, the seagulls cry as the sea is not far from many stations on this line. How many took this train for a day out, or later for the one weeks holiday granted them, by the sea?
Today this railway teaches and informs many young of a daily life now long gone. Some would bring it back, but once it has passed it must remain in the memory and the heart, but never return, todays trains are really much better, and the fireman no longer is required to shift several tones of coal each trip. I bet he is glad about that. Also, the young lads, 13 or 14, who had to start work at 2 or 3 am and clean out the smouldering fires from engines that had finished their day, or build the fire on those preparing to work. Fine in July and August, terrible in winter! They would consider todays railway much better for their health I think.
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