Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Salisbury - Exeter Steam Book Published - 2806/6029 Written by Lee on Monday, 2nd July 2007
It is exactly 40 years since steam engines pulled trains along the Salisbury to Exeter line , but now the atmosphere of those days has been brought back to life thanks to former railway fireman Derek Phillips (link below.) http://www.westpress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=146238&command=displayContent&sourceNode=146064&contentPK=17711301&folderPk=100268&pNodeId=145795
His new lavishly - illustrated commemorative book Salisbury to Exeter Central , puts the reader on the smokey footplate as Mr Phillips , of Yeovil , adds his own memories of working the line.
Mr Phillips will be signing books at Yeovil Junction on July 6 and 9 as the steam rail centre commemorates the 40th anniversary of the end of steam on the Southern Region.
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham.
Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome.
The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users.
We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can.
-- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021
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