A Letter and Photographs from Thomas Somers
a teenager at the railway in the early 1980s
In May 2016 we received an e-mail from Thomas Somers, who was a member of the
railway team in the early 1980s. With the letter came 40 images of the period which show the construction
of the branch (notice how the garden has developed), the testing of the newly purchased Scot in Devon and early signalling equipment. The pictures include several of
Joe Ballantine Dykes (above), the creator of the railway. Many of the other individuals pictured are no longer with us
but there are one or two that older Friends may remember.
This is a fascinating glimpse of the early years; enjoy as you follow the links :
The Letter - use the 'Back' button to return here
First set of pictures
Second set of pictures