On the trail of the Titfield Thunderbolt and other stories…
Last Sunday I did not expect to tour the old Camerton branch but Simon turned off the road on our way home from Cranmore on to a narrow, tree lined lane and we were transported away from the hustle and bustle of the main road to the quiet of this magical valley just south of Bath… Still from the film, Midford viaduct in the background. The branch had been closed in the 50s and afterwards, Ealing Studios rented it for the filming of ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’. Whether you enjoy the films storyline or not, its depiction of a British countryside being changed forever by the march of buses and cars and genuine personal private rather than public transport is full of rose tinted warmth. Today the valley is as quiet and magical as ever… the railway was lifted after filming but a lot of the line was used by Bath council for dumping rubbish in the old cuttings! Despite this plenty of railway infrastructure and alignment can be picked out… I had already felt a draw back to some steam model...
