Great Western Coffee Shop

My Good Lady Wife has been clearing out the loft and found some 1000+ (mainly) black and white negatives of mine that I thought had been long since lost. Found gathering dust in a corner - some sadly scratched. Unfortunately, my existing negative and transparency flat-bed scanner could not cope with b&w negatives, so had to find one that does - which wasn't easy, but eventually successful!

Anyway, after several long hours scanning, I have found some very interesting memories.

I do remember this particular trip, but couldn't remember taking the pictures. The whereabouts please.

(https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1wk3HKx3-D2VMIoD2OkqaA7EmzGvlHQZr)

(https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1MzDrNbWJ4GohHNChUMhVOQAp8lkWwtyJ)

(https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1fojn0xO6rG-44clZLCShFxpcsNI191aP)

Well the third one is somewhere on an ex-Southern Region line (can tell by signal post type).  I'm thinking Bradpole Crossing on the Bridport branch.

Wasn't the Bridport branch ex-GWR?

Yes, originally, but taken over by the Southern Region at Nationalisation?

Anyway, I believe headcode 2B51 was used on the Bridport branch: https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-121/?images=unidentified and https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-121/operations

Bridport Branch, Bradpole Crossing; the gates have been reinstated on the Toller side and 100m of trackbed has a seat an well cut grass, the rails still cross the road.

I used to teach at the nearby Colfox School and was told by one teacher of his arriving by train for the interview. The guard asked him where he was going and as a result dropped him off at the crossing. Little was it known then that the headteacher was waiting at Bridport Station to give him a lift to the school!

Indeed, both correct. My Uncle used to live in Bradpole (on Ridgeway, the access road to Colfox, coincidentally), so we spent many hours both riding and walking the Bridport branch. Had the line been open today, mine and my mum's activities may well have raised a few eyebrows ( :-[ ), as we would walk along the tracks. On this day, we took the train to Maiden Newton, then walked all of the way back to Bridport.

More pictures from the day below. My mum can be seen in the picture at Powerstock. I wanted to ask her lots of questions about these and other pictures in the recently unearthed collection, but sadly, she left us back in September  :(

(https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1MMPjo2rt_n-i7LJZhmU_KSKF14KC7_uq)

(https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1kYsvm4FQO_vundXe7ji90AzsnFt6jFUh)

(https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1bS7c43-LFOn1shLPHch8nfGMrXSFRqfp)

You can still walk the trackbed from Loders to Wytherstone cutting. At Loders a short stretch is owned by Sustrans. From the end of this bit it is a permissive path on land owned by Mappercombe Farm this continues to Powerstock station, which is privately owned. Nearby is the Marquis of Lorne for lunch. From Powerstock station the permissive path continues, joining up with the Powerstock Common Nature Reserve of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. You can walk this until the track crosses the minor road.
From there, it is not generally accessible. I have managed it in the past but not recently.
Finally there is a section from the bay platform at Maiden Newton to the Cattistock road which is an official footpath, passing the gravity siding on your left.

I grew up in Bridport, leaving in 1967 to go to university.  My parents lived there until their deaths so that I was a regular visitor until 1995.  I remember Bradpole crossing from the days when it was manned and spent many hours there.  I spent even more hours at Bridport station and knew all the staff there, having regular dies on the footplate, including 3 trips to West Bay on the daily goods.  I never managed a footplate trip the length of the branch though, the one time it was offered on the penultimate day of steam working I had to go out to tea :-(.
Nice to see that other forum members know the area

My mum's dad, Percy Smith, owned a photographic shop in East Street, next to Leaker's bakery - which is probably how mum and, subsequently, I developed (if you pardon the pun) an interest in photography.

Leakers is still going, producing excellent breads and buns. The shop next door, Marion remembers but it is now a hairdressers.
The only time I wandered onto the West Bay branch was around 1960 when we walked down the line. Was rather surprised to hear a pannier tank whistle up, leading to a rapid exit.
In the 70s and 80s I was living in Maiden Newton and spent many hours in the signal box in the evenings.
I also caught the rail replacement bus to Bridport, which ran into Colfox. It was a relaxing 45 minute journey, ideal preparation for the teaching ahead. The springtime wild flower display was stunning.

Even the bus has now gone

Yes, it was not that long ago. It was used as the school bus from Powerstock in the mornings so was quite full by Bridport.
It was then cut back just to Powerstock-Bridport via Loders, except the school runs.
Finally removed like virtually all of West Dorset bus routes.
However we still have the service from Bridport to Yeovil but this is run in up to three parts depending on day and time. It can be First Bus to Yeovil, or First Bus to Beaminster, followed by Buses of Somerset from Beaminster to Crewkerne and then South West Coaches to Yeovil.
On Saturdays it is a community bus Bridport to Crewkerne

Yes, the display in Wytherstone cutting particularly so.

Toller looks very different today. Now someones back garden.

(http://i63.tinypic.com/2rz7xwy.jpg)

The owner of Powerstock Station in 1995 published this book about their buying it and their experience of it. They ran a B&B.