23rd Sept 2017

Bullied Merchant Navy-class pacific no. 35028 "Clan Line" on the 1Z63 London Victoria to Exeter St. Davids "Atlantic Coast Express" railtour leaves the loop at Chard Junction at 12.14. It had been waiting here for 25 minutes to allow an up and down service to pass. I was on my own waiting for this train to depart, but sure enough, as time went on the world, and his dog, arrived. The general public have no rail safety sense at all and I had to remind the crowd huddling around me in the very restricted space to stay off the tracks as two very fast service trains were due to pass before Clan Line departed. God knows what might have happened if I hadn't mentioned it as they were completely oblivious to the fact. This footpath crossing is on a bend and both up and down trains have to hang on their horns to warn users of their approach. It is a sound that reverberates all around the Axe Valley here, every hour, on the hour more or less, every day.