Last days of the Combe Norton branch…

We’ve all got our favourite GWR branch line and for me it’s got to be the most quintessential of them all, the Combe Norton branch in Borcestershire…

Linking the quiet sleepy village of Combe Norton with the GWR mainline just north of Borcester, branch trains actually ran from the latter’s central station. 

Serving several smaller hamlets along the route the line featured many of the typically ‘cliché’ GWR features including pine trees at the stations, a conical water tower at the terminus that survived until closure, typical GWR covered ground frames and plenty of pagoda and lamp huts in GWR standard designs. Perhaps the most modellable of all branches, it maintained a passenger service until the end of  1962, by this time operated by AC rail buses. Freight held on until the early winter of 1964, largely serving the agricultural demands of this rural part of the county. 

I promised more, and here is a little tidbit. As I enjoy the nostalgic journey back through childhood models and watching the Titfield Thunderbolt on repeat, there will be more on my thoughts about modelling this most fictitious of branch lines in future blogs. For now enjoy these photos of my ageing Dapol 14xx on Kinross as I mull compositions over…  more soon.