Yes, it is a popular walking area with the remains of the Bishopstone tide mill close by.

If NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have taken back ownership of the track then any use by a Heritage railway will need the locomotives and stock to be mainline certificated.
If the Dartmoor stock is not so certificated then they either have to obtain certification at a significant cost or remain physically separated.
Can anyone confirm what their status is?

From the Bridport News website today

https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/19027577.group-behind-bridport-community-railway-happy-response/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36844288@N00/sets/72157631748077347/with/4039894341/

The standard was issued in October 1948 and I assume would have progressed from the main stations, gradually replacing the old signs. Some places never received them. Cattistock Halt had a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) totem until the end and Crewkerne likewise had the Southern Region (SR^‡(resolve)) target until replaced by the new 1969s version. I was able to buy one from BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Swindon in the late 1960s for 10s 6d, or half a guinea (52.5p). On the other hand Dilton Marsh Halt had one of the BR totems.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronyms

An earlier scheme, the Brit Valley Railway, was put forward in 1996. The attached images are from the late Brian Jackson?s Bridport Branch book (2nd edition)

The village of Powerstock is some distance from the railway line. The original station, which is at Nettlecombe, is in private hands Both Loders and Powerstock have a significant second home/holiday cottage element, in the former probably as high as 30%.

The bus service which ceased a few years ago saw little custom and was primarily a school service in the morning and afternoon.

The attached screenshot shows the route of the proposal, in red. The black line shows the original route.

The route from West Bay seems to follow the River Brit all the way to the north of Bridport before turning to reach the original line.
From Loders the track bed is a permissive path as far as the Powerstock Common nature reserve. It then passes through private land as far as the Cattistock Road bridge from which it is a public path to Maiden Newton station.

There was another proposal railway in the 2000s
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/1768145.one-mans-promise-to-build-light-railway/

I would like to know the understanding of the potential passengers.
Normally, there is a half hourly bus from Bridport to Axminster, thence hourly to Dorchester and Weymouth which is quicker than the intended rail route.

In the 1880s, the Bridport Railway was concerned about connections at Maiden Newton and proposed running powers over the line to Dorchester. The result was the extension to West Bay and the doubling of the line to Dorchester, with the development of West Bay as a tourist resort. The connections at Maiden Newton would still be a problem unless they are looking at a tourist railway but with modern traction.

Herbert Walker, the LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) General manager, sent Herbert Jones, their Electrical Engineer, on  a fact finding visit to the USA in 1912. Jones was impressed by the USA 3rd rail DC^▸ (Direct Current) system for its economy of installation and reliability in use. This led to its adoption by the LSWR. The scheme was presented to the Board in December 1912.
 (source Southern Electric by David Brown vol1 Capital Transport 2009)

From 1913 former Clarence Railway lines were electrified with 1,500 Vdc overhead lines and electric locomotives hauled coal trains between Shildon and Erimus marshalling yard, which had opened in 1908 between Middlesbrough and Thornaby (Wikipedia)

I was living in Crewkerne at this time, before going to college. A survey at Yeovil Junction on 29th August 1964 revealed 116 train journeys seen of which 110 were steam. The others were 4 diesel locomotives, Warships on Waterloo -Exeter services and 2 DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) on Yeovil-Exeter services. The Yeovil Town branch service was run by 6430. There were still brought services to Ilfracombe, Padstow, Torrington as well as the Brighton Plymouth.


In September I had moved to do a college course at Paisley, Scotland returning at Christmas

Forwarding to Christmas Eve 1964 at Salisbury the Waterloo-Exeters were all Warships, occasionally changing to steam thence to Waterloo. The Exeter/Yeovil - Salisburys were DMU.
The Cardiff - Portsmouths were Hymek to Salisbury and steam to Portsmouth.
The Brighton Plymouth was West Country to Salisbury then Hymek
The Waterloo Salisbury were steam.

I think that the change to diesel working on the Waterloo/Exeter service happened at the start of the winter timetable.

Meanwhile, in Scotland I was able to experience the runs of the A4s on the Glasgow Aberdeen service!

Yetminster and Bruton still show the old broad gauge distance between platforms

more information here

https://twitter.com/paulwhitewick/status/1346437769258741761?s=21

The gravel beds here were used by the L&SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) to obtain ballast for the line in this area following the line?s opening.

A large number of Palaeolithic  worked chert artefacts were turned up by the workmen.
There is an 1878 article on the site available through JSTOR, if you have access.

https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=On+a+Discovery+of+Palaeolithic+Implements+in+the+Valley+of+the+Axe.&acc=on&wc=on&fc=off&group=none&refreqid=search%3A57a3725093e64ae4f063c2e8c7fcb545

Screenshot from Tracksy

Mark Hopwood, currently Interim Managing Director of SWR^» (South Western Railway - about), will return to be Managing Director of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on 4 January 2021. The role of SWR?s Managing Director will be covered by Mike Houghton, Chief Operating Officer, from 4 January 2021 until Claire Mann joins

From Global Railway Review