Philip Fowler along with his friend Ken Barter filmed and sound-recorded the S&D during its last few months of operation. Their footage – sold under the name ‘Lantern Films’ – included the VHS and DVD productions ‘Puffed Out’ and ‘Filming the S&D’.
Following Philip’s passing earlier this year, the Trust is delighted to receive from his widow not only the S&D cine film, but other railway/shipping-related films, the DVD masters for several productions as well as the original portable reel-to-reel tape recorder that was used, and the cine projector used for film shows in the years before domestic video recorders came into use.
Some of the footage was added to YouTube a couple of years ago.
Despite the gradual exit from the Washford site, the Trust continues to grow its collection and many artefacts are now seen by far more people than before in their new locations which include the Goods Shed Museum at Alresford – Watercress Line, the S&DR Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton station and the North Dorset Railway at Shillingstone station.