End of an Era at the Gartell Light Railway after 35 Years of Narrow Gauge on the S&D | 1991 - 2026

Another weekend spent enjoying an event on the former Somerset & Dorset Railway, this time further up the line from where we spent last Saturday exploring Shillingstone on the old Somerset & Dorset Railway    • North Dorset end of season Shillingstone s...   this weekend we headed to the Gartell Light Railway who were marking the poignant end of an era holding their final regular public running day after 35 years! A mix of factors including rising operating costs, increased work to keep rolling stock compliant to more stringent health and safety measures imposed on the railways operations and an aging volunteer base have created something of a perfect storm for this delightful little narrow gauge line and after 35 years John Gartell has taken the difficult decision to make this year the last year of regular running at the railway, with today 25th October marking the final services. The year 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, which shut down in March 1966 due to the Beeching cuts and now after 35 years of running narrow gauge steam trains for the public on part of the former Somerset & Dorset Railway, the Gartell Light Railway marked their own finale, welcoming bumper crowds with huge queues to ride trains today during their final day of operations, with no less than 3 steam engines and two diesels in operation, running between Common Lane, Tower View and Park Lane, working top and tailed and double headed operations, parallel running and more all culminating in a special double headed train as 16.00 departure saw the two original steam locomotives, no.6 Mr G & no.9 Jean, and a rake of six coaches bringing down the curtain on over three decades of preservation. Although the end of regular public running is undoubtedly a sad moment, there may yet be a future for some aspects of the railway. There has been talk of some locomotives potentially finding a new home at the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, while the possibility of occasional special events or private operations at Gartell offers at least a glimmer of hope that this little line may not disappear from the Somerset circuit altogether. It is easy to take these places for granted while they are operating, assuming there will always be another opportunity to visit. Days like this remind us that this is not always the case, and that behind every heritage railway are people, time, money and an enormous amount of dedication. So, as the final regular public trains drew to a close, it was a chance not only to enjoy a wonderful day of steam and diesel action, but also to reflect on 35 years of achievement at the Gartell Light Railway. A huge thank you to John Gartell, the volunteers and everyone who has contributed to making this remarkable little railway what it is today. Whatever happens next, the memories, the locomotives and the legacy of those 35 years will live on. A wonderful little railway, a memorable final running day, and the end of a very special chapter in Somerset's railway preservation story. | 25.10.2026 I hope you enjoy this video and thank you for watching! If you like what you've seen, please head over to Instagram   / brunelheritage   and Tik Tok   / brunel.heritage   for more and please feel free to leave comments, ratings, and subscribe to the channel. #GartellLightRailway #MrG #Jean #Faith #CommonLane #TowerView #ParkLane #Somerset #Dorset #JointRailway #NarrowGauge #steam #diesel #railway #finale #endofanera #railwayvideos #locomotives #PreservedRailways #October