henstridge 1969

An excellent Picasa shot of Henstridge, published here.

This is three years after closure and there's an eerie stillness, magnified by the fact that soon this section of track will be lifted, not to return for perhaps 50 years or more!

bit of a treat?

Midsomer Norton greenhouse

Midford 1960s.

Gartell Railway.

Gartell double heading.

Charlton Marshall.

Midsomer Norton 1960s.

Midford.

Shillingstone - before track.

Midsomer Norton.

Evercreech Junction.

Blandford.

Spetisbury.

Midford.

Midford - very first bit of clearance - September 2010.

Narrow gauge at Midford - 1980s/90s.

Shillingstone.

Henstridge - the 'inbetweener' years.

Well I hope it is! Apologies for no pics of Washford - couldn't find any from the album from which the above were drawn. Also apologies if I haven't attributed them, but they have been attributed earlier! This is just to try to get a taste of all we've done up and down the line for the S&D together with a few looking back on the original route.

Someone asked me on Facebook to explain the different groups restoring/preserving the S&D - this is what I came up with.

The Midsomer Norton group has been going about 20 years, formed when the site was about to be built on! They are now running trains over a short stretch of line and have rebuilt the whole site at Midsomer Norton including restoring the station buildings and goods shed which survived and rebuilding the signalbox and greenhouse which were completely demolished. This group is the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Group. They were formed with the intention of 'supporting a 21st century rebuilding of the line for modern trains' which is what inspired the New S&D. They intend to rebuild back to Radstock where they will connect with the ex-GWR line to Frome, which is in situ throughout and heavily used by stone trains from Great Elm. They also plan to extend over the Mendips to Shepton Mallet and have planned a diversionary route around Shepton to possibly connect with the East Somerset Railway.

Shillingstone has been going around 10 years and have been particularly active over the last year or so. They have also rebuilt a completely demolished signalbox, the station building had been well preserved. They have a short length of running line but no public trains as yet. They have long term plans to extend northwards to Sturminster Newton. This is owned by the North Dorset Railway Trust.

The Gartell Railway is a privately owned narrow gauge line just south of Templecombe which uses about a half mile of S&D trackbed and is now extending northwards closer to Templecombe. It is strongly S&D flavoured. This runs around 7 or 8 times a year.

The Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust is based at Washford on the West Somerset Railway, but was originally based on the S&D at Radstock where it ran special trains to Writhlington, but was forced off site in around 1975. Their lease at Washford finishes in 2020 and they are expected to return to the S&D, either at an existing site or at a new one. They own a 7F loco which runs on the WSR, currently posing as fictional prussian blue liveried no 88.

The New S&D was formed on 6 March 2009 with the intention of restoring the whole route for modern trains in the post oil era. We own Midford station and a quarter mile of trackbed outright and are also about to take on Spetsibury (in Dorset) on a lease. The intention is to fully restore these stations, also to probably lay track at Spetisbury and possibly extend to Charlton Marshall and to just south of Blandford. We will also acquire trackbed etc as it becomes available, based on the Exmoor Associates model at the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway. We will also lobby for restoraton of the route in its entirety as part of a 21st restoration of the whole rail network.

All the groups work closely together with regular meetings every 6 months, we also share members and sometimes skills and equipment.

memories - let's 'ave 'em!

(Photo copyright Rail Thing)

Don't forget that the New S&D does have an excellent website and content is ALWAYS required. One of the sections covers all the S&D stations and as well as historical, current and future information we also have a section on 'memories' which is gradually filling up. Latest is for Henstridge, this from Tony Wiles.

I love the picture. My brother and sister used to spend our summer holidays with our grandparents in Henstridge, they lived in Vale View and we could see part of the line from there. My brother and I were keen train spotters and the then Station Master Mr Wareham, who was a friend of my grandfathers who himself was once a train driver, would often allow us to stand on the platform. I remember how every day we would arrive in time to watch the Pines Express roar through. The station use to vibrate as it did so. We would also travel to Templecombe and spend all day on the platform noting steam train numbers.

Recently on a visit I walked around the area where the station used to be and really wished it could have still been there. Also went to Templecombe which although still open looked so small.

So if you do have memories and/or pictures of any S&D station please allow us to share them. Even after closure memories are more than welcome as it will all form part of the historic record of this amazing line. Simply email any info and pictures to leysiner@aol.com All info and pictures will of course be fully acknowledged.

The photo is from the Rail Thing archive collection which is gradually building up a full record of Britain's railways.

help wanted

(Henstridge, late 1960s. © Steve Sainsbury Collection/Rail Thing)

The New S&D is trying to be two things at the same time - a champion of the classic S&D (up to 1966) and a champion of the future S&D (from 2009). This dual role will show itself as the line is built, with ultra modern sustainable transport (electric and steam) running along a line that reflects its origins - with infrastructure etc being in the classic S&D style.

Another place this dual role will become vital is on our website - with details and news of the new line but also with a huge historical archive of the route. Part of this is the really fun line description, where you can travel up and down the route station by station. But this section is still a little sparse in places. If you have photos of the line (taken at ANY time), details of the historical and/or current situation or memories of particular stations please send them to our webmaster David Bailey, who's done a fantastic job on the website.

sturminster developments

(Bottom pic Jeffery Grayer 1967)

Fantastic news out of Sturminster, easily countering the dinosaur decision earlier this year to put houses on the trackbed! A new S&D group, STURMINSTER RAIL GROUP, has just launched. This is a totally independent group from the existing S&D groups on the route and they will be concentrating on the Sturminster Newton to Henstridge section with the intention of acquiring trackbed etc for the eventual restoration of trains to this part of the S&D. The New S&D would certainly commit to then restoring beyond Henstridge to Templecombe to link this section to the network, probably more quickly than if a group hadn't sprung up locally.

We would love to see similar groups appear all along the route, obviously working closely together but independently. It is precisely this local involvement and knowledge that will be the key to getting our job done as quickly as possible.

To contact this new group please email bournemouthwest@aol.com

Their opening statement goes as follows -

Hi! Just a quick mail to let you know that [we] are forming a group (Sturminster Rail group) which is primarily concerned with obtaining track bed of the former S&D in the Sturminster to Henstridge area.

Most of this track bed lies in open countryside, and the reaction of land owners will be, hopefully, positive for either selling/leasing the actual track bed across their land for rail usage again. There are no major problems on this particular route with the exception of Sturminster Newton town itself (where the deep cutting and road over bridges were filled in and destroyed respectively).

I hope we can all 'pull' together to realise this very important route is re instated wherever possible, and we, as a group will do all we can to ensure this outcome.

now available

I've just finished listing all the currently available 1/6th scale peelable totems - most S&D stations are covered.

To view and buy please click here.

totem storm

Within a few days I'll be putting a huge range of totems on the e-commerce site. These will be both full size (repros of course!) and peel off 1/6th size - with every station on the line covered. I've managed to negotiate really good discounts on these so not only will you be able to get them cheaper than elsewhere, but every penny of profit will go directly to rebuilding the S&D. I'm also looking into introducing the 'missing' stations in the fridge magnet series.