A Special Event

The West Sussex Downsman railtour visits Midhurst, eminent Victorians appear in Petersfield and part of the town's railway fabric is demolished just before its centenary

This short but fascinating film starts with the arrival at Midhurst of the West Sussex Downsman RCTS Railtour. As it departs through Midhurst Tunnel we move to Petersfield, where a crowd awaits the arrival of another railtour. Some of the passengers are dressed in Victorian costume. Finally, we see the partial demolition of a Petersfield landmark - the Midhurst line's substantial brick overbridge at Ramshill.

Any trains that travelled between Petersfield and Midhurst had to pass over the substantial brick overbridge at Ramshill, which was built in 1860. After the line was closed on 7 February 1955, the bridge became redundant and in 1959 the Army was called in to demolish it. The Army took an entire night to demolish the bridge with explosives and by the morning one of the more substantial of Petersfield's railway landmarks had vanished forever.