“The Puffing Billy of the Hedgerows – The politics of the Somerset & Dorset closure, ca 1951-67” a talk given by Prof Colin Divall at a SW Group meeting on 4th June 2026.”. To view the recording Click Here
In this 60th anniversary year of the final service trains, Prof Divall investigates the background, controversy and intrigue behind the closure of the S&D, one of the most bitterly fought Beeching cuts in the south west. Accusations of fiddled stats, poor marketing and useless timetables led to suggestions of a valuable N-S link being sabotaged by short-sighted railway managers and uncaring mandarins. But the line was in deep financial trouble by the early 1950s. Prof Divall concludes modernization could never have saved the route.
Colin Divall is emeritus Professor of Railway Studies at the University of York and former Head of the Institute of Railway Studies founded jointly by the University and the National Rail Museum. He is a RCHS member.
For a full list of recordings of RCHS online talks visit 2020-2026 online meetings. Selected recordings are also available on the RCHS YouTube Channel