Tracing the Rails

29/05/2026

We were lucky enough to be invited into this rare and special cottage on The Downs Link on Sunday. We'll be sharing the story in Episode 5 - out this summer. Has anyone else stood on the old rail bed and wondered how this house came to have a chopped off corner?

24/05/2026

21/05/2026

Signal boxes of the Steyning Line, we've looked sadly at your footprints, & rummaged through your remains. Thanks to photographers Anders Lundquist, Brian Bennett & Ian Nolan they are preserved for ever on film. Can you name these boxes?

20/05/2026

Stephen in Southwater last weekend with an unexpected addition to his interview with Robert...

15/05/2026

Mike Pope-Jaimes in the wonderful Crawley Signal Box...

12/05/2026

Bridges of the Steyning Line. I thought I'd do a little Stephen Cranford with bridges montage. There were a lot more than I was expecting. Some unders, some overs. Spot the two odd ones out! How many have you seen in real life? Answers on a postcard to Producer Lou.

07/05/2026

Sometimes, the most meaningful moments happen when you least expect them.

While attending a plant sale in Southwater, where we had set up a small Tracing the Rails stall to promote the series as we wrap filming locally and begin editing Episode 5, we had the pleasure of meeting one of our supporters completely by chance.

That supporter was Richard Upstone.

What made this encounter particularly special is that Richard was our very first Patreon member. To meet him, quite unexpectedly, in the very community we are currently filming in, felt genuinely significant, and rather moving.

Moments like this remind us why we do what we do. Tracing the Rails is built not just on history, but on people, on shared memories, enthusiasm, and support from individuals like Richard who believed in the project from the very beginning.

Richard, thank you. And to all of you, our amazing Patreon supporters, thank you for continuing to make this journey possible.
https://www.patreon.com/cw/TracingtheRails

05/05/2026

28/04/2026

Adventures along the old line at Southwater on Sunday. Another buried Hallard in the old trackbed, just as the Henfield one has been surfaced over. A new road, a very old road, and an even older dinosaur. A lot of bricks. Revisting the hidden bridge for a few springtime cutaways. And finally, some stories around the old bridge where the station once stood. We met some great people out an about. If that was you, thanks for saying hello, and special thanks to the man who insisted on buying us lunch.