By Southern to the Far West Vol 2

The concluding part of two programmes in which Mike Arlett explores in some detail the former Southern Railway network west of Exeter in the last years of working steam.

Okehampton to Halwill. After a look at Meldon Viaduct and the loco serving the quarry, a brief foray down the line to arrive at Halwill, the junction for three different routes.

Halwill to Bude. The original route from Halwill as far as Holsworthy is featured briefly, together with the later extension onwards to Bude.

Halwill to Torrington. A leisurely journey along the fascinating and grandly titled North & Cornwall Junction Light Railway, during which all the intermediate stations and halts are seen, with arrival at Torrington featuring both passenger and mixed trains.

Wadebridge to Padstow & Okehampton. A trip down the scenic Camel Estuary to the end of the line at Padstow precedes a journey all the way along the route of the North Cornwall Railway to arrive back at Okehampton. This includes film shot from the footplate of a Maunsell Class U 2-6-0.

The programme concludes with a fascinating ‘Then & Now’ feature, in which some of the locations featured in the main programme are revisted briefly in early 2009 to view what is left of the old stations and other infrastructure of this network of railway lines.

Approx 64 mins