The ‘Launceston Branch Centenary’
Nov 04, 2019
4 minutes
In September 1965, using a West of England Railrover ticket, I was making my final visit to those West Country lines under threat of closure as a result of the Beeching Report.
Since a similar trip in September 1963 steam traction had been eliminated from much of the West Country, apart from on the ex-Somerset & Dorset lines. Sunday, September 5, 1965, found me at Salisbury station waiting to board the 9.20am stopping train for Exeter Central because, despite the ban, the train was steam-hauled for most of the summer of 1965. On that Sunday it was rebuilt ‘Battle of Britain’ Pacific No. 34089 602 Squadron, which backed down from Salisbury shed to haul my train.
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