Superb film of the Axminster to Lyme Regis Branch Line that fell victim to the many Beeching cuts of the 1960s. The film shows a time when Britain was far more civilised than today and a British Summer holiday was the norm.

So glad this is finally on the internet

Lovely. We had a family holiday in Lyme Regis when I was about 10 (so around 1963). I can remember Axminster station, but not the actual ride on the branch line.

A most interesting video of a real old country branch line.  Hearing and seeing the people who worked on the line and the marvellous recollections of the two boys and their wartime day out there added to that interest a great deal. Those days remind me of other videos recording eccentric events that occurred, like having to obtain fresh water from nearby houses as there was no drinking water available at the station, how the train would wait until locals had turned up before it set off and how one driver, in desperation to find fuel for the engine, chopped down the engine house doors and fed them into the grate to light the fire.

A big regret is not riding the Lyme Regis branch before it shut in 1965, although I did ride on the nearby Seaton branch several times and watched the final train leave Seaton station on the 7th March 1966. A year later, the Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton branches in East Devon were shut as well which sadly I also never travelled on. I did get the chance to ride the Bridport branch to the east of Lyme Regis, Dorset,  which lasted until the 5th May 1975.

Thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Thank you.

The late Les Anderson built 15 inch gauge Axe & Lyme Rly centred on disused Combpyne  station and occupied the building as his house. Prevented from operating any trains bankrupted him so all was removed. His line and trains almost completely forgotten.
With his father, Les built the first version of similar railway at Longleat which still runs so is well known.

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Railway politics as well as economics destroyed this. Once the Western Region took control of things, all of the branches were doomed, and you only have to look at their efforts to completely destroy the main line west of Salisbury to see this. That aside.... very interesting video....thanks!