Following the interest in the exhibition The Lyme Railway: Axed Fifty Years Ago in the Rotunda Gallery over the winter, Lyme Regis Museum has strengthened its permanent display on Lyme’s “Bluebell Line”. It now covers the listed, mass concrete Cannington Viaduct, which is a much visited relict of the line, Michael Stride’s paintings and some memorabilia of people involved in the railway.
The green enamel sign LYME REGIS from the station signal box joins the display (see photo), together with a British Railways oil tail lamp. A model of a typical mixed passenger and goods train which ran on the branch in the 1950s will soon be added to the display.
Downstairs the Lyme Regis station model has been set up at the foot of the stairs. This will be exhibited until the Museum closes for building works at the end of September. It shows the scene on 27th November 1965, closure day, with a three coach diesel train but most of the track ripped up and lying around in bits, as it was on that sad occasion. Some last day tickets – and photos of closure posters and the actual scene are also included.