Welcome to the 'New Somerset and Dorset Railway'

The original Somerset and Dorset Railway closed very controversially in 1966. It is time that decision, made in a very different world, was reversed. We now have many councillors, MPs, businesses and individuals living along the line supporting us. Even the Ministry of Transport supports our general aim. The New S&D was formed in 2009 with the aim of rebuilding as much of the route as possible, at the very least the main line from Bath (Britain's only World Heritage City) to Bournemouth (our premier seaside resort); as well as the branches to Wells, Glastonbury and Wimborne. We will achieve this through a mix of lobbying, trackbed purchase and restoration of sections of the route as they become economically viable. With Climate Change, road congestion, capacity constraints on the railways and now Peak Oil firmly on the agenda we are pushing against an open door. We already own Midford just south of Bath, and are restoring Spetisbury under license from DCC, but this is just the start. There are other established groups restoring stations and line at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone, and the fabulous narrow gauge line near Templevcombe, the Gartell Railway.

There are now FIVE sites being actively restored on the S&D and this blog will follow what goes on at all of them!
Midford - Midsomer Norton - Gartell - Shillingstone - Spetisbury


Our Aim:

Our aim is to use a mix of lobbying, strategic track-bed purchase, fundraising and encouragement and support of groups already preserving sections of the route, as well as working with local and national government, local people, countryside groups and railway enthusiasts (of all types!) To restore sections of the route as they become viable.
Whilst the New S&D will primarily be a modern passenger and freight railway offering state of the art trains and services, we will also restore the infrastructure to the highest standards and encourage steam working and steam specials over all sections of the route, as well as work very closely with existing heritage lines established on the route.

This blog contains my personal views. Anything said here does not necessarily represent the aims or views of any of the groups currently restoring, preserving or operating trains over the Somerset and Dorset Railway!

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

clearer view


Jeremy Woodrow has very kindly sent the original pic previously lifted from the MMOG newsletter so here is the new coach in all its glory!

I can't wait to see this coupled to the other coach which has now made its way off site for the final refurbishment. Then it's back to Midsomer Norton and hopefully, soon, being pulled by a genuine S&D steam engine on regular passenger trains. This will be such a momentous event in railway preservation that nobody should miss it. I know I won't!
Posted by Picasa

2 comments:

GMasterH said...

Remember that little Hunslet 0-4-0 that Ivo Peters filmed shunting at Norton Hill Coliery? No 1684. She still exists, rotting in a siding on the Middleton Railway. Perhaps she would be a suitable little locomotive to restore for the short term and is a valuable piece of S&D history and very local to Midsomer Norton. Thats another little loco many would perhaps over look in favour of the 7F's and Bullied Pacifics. Her full overhaul would not take long as she is so small and would be ideal to propel a Mk1 up the gradient to Chilcompton.

Anonymous said...

I think that's a superb suggestion! Not only does it relevance to the S&D, but it is an actual steam choo choo. i use such terminology because whilst anoraks like myself get all excited about such things as un-rebuilding a Merchant Navy, let's not forget that we need to appeal to Joe Public and his ice-cream licking kids, and having a steam engine, any steam engine, is a valuable step forward.
All the best,

Pygmy