scandal

                                                           Before (and in the future).

                                                                              After.

Two excellent photos (copyright Pete Harlow) showing Prestleigh Viaduct before and after. This was possibly the cruellest thing to happen to the S&D post-closure. I don't think you need to be an S&D enthusiast to agree that this scene was much enhanced by the viaduct - I bet that cottage would be worth £50,000 more with the viaduct and line still there.

Never mind, Prestleigh Viaduct will be rebuilt soon enough and this scene will once more be special rather than bland. I can't wait ...

flattery

No, not the S&D in 1966 (though it might be in 2036!) but the recent S&D day at the Mid Hants Railway.

It's amazing that other lines have S&D days. This shows just how popular our line is! It also gives a taste of what we'll be able to achieve on the New S&D once we have a good stretch rebuilt. Imagine this up over Masbury, sweeping over the rebuilt Prestleigh Viaduct, powering through Midford or pacing through Sturminster Newton and Shillingstone on its way to the sea!

Although the New S&D won't be primarily about preservation, heritage or coal-fired steam, we still understand the huge appeal of the S&D to those who love steam and all it represents. We will do everything we can to provide steam services at all points on the route by encouraging steam locomotive owners to base their engines at our Steam Centre, to make access easy and free for the Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone groups and to research into new wood-burning steam locomotives for regular services. These will, of course, be in addition to the regular electrically-hauled passenger and freight trains.

(Pics © Mark Warr September 2009)

fancy owning a bit of a coach?

(Photo Jeremy Woodrow MMOG newsletter)

Midlands Mark One coach number 26049 is now resident at Midsomer Norton - and it looks superb! (Sorry for the quality of the picture - it was taken directly from the newsletter - better quality shots are welcomed!!)

It is so important that the S&D restoration captures the feel of the line as it was in its prime. These Mark One coaches are every bit as iconic as Midford station, Midsomer Norton box, Templecombe, 9Fs, Ivo's Bentley and Prestleigh viaduct.

There are still a lot of costs looming to get the coach fully restored inside and to this end the MMOG are asking for further donations. If you would like to help with this please send a cheque made payable to 'Midlands Mark One Group' to Jeremy Woodrow, 1 Bathway Cottages, Bathway, CHEWTON MENDIP, Somerset, BA3 4NP. You can also make regular payments by standing order - again if interested please contact Jeremy at the above address for a form. (We will also do a pdf of this form on the New S&D website after David returns from his holiday this coming week, but please don't wait).

accentuate the positive

(Photos top Pete Russell, 2-4 Mick Knox)

From a regular correspondent -

Here's one for you to think about; When ever a railway should be re-opened everyone always thinks about the negatives - ie bridges out, cuttings filled in etc, whereas we should be thinking such-and-such per cent is there. Is it possible for some bright sparks to work out just how much of the S&D (or any other line crying out for re-opening) to say 'Well, 94.58% of the line is in extant' (or whatever % that it is - as it looks much more positive!! ) Irrespective of what is not available, work on distance available for virtually re-laying! Catch my drift?

My reply -

This is exactly how I look at it. There have been a few encroachments, but bearing in mind the line has been closed for 43 years and, until recently, few people seriously thought it would be needed again, I reckon we've got a lot to work on. Certainly from my trip in February it's amazing how much is still in place. Even in Sturminster Newton, with the station gone and car parks and buildings all around, there is nothing actually blocking the route. The line is protected from Bath to Midsomer Norton for transport use, the section from MN to Shepton is almost totally clear (being on high Mendip farmland). South of Shepton Prestleigh viaduct has gone, and I think there's some housing development in Evercreech but, again, the vast majority is clear, much of the southern section is not only clear but in increasing numbers of places is becoming a trailway, which is just one letter away from being a railway!

Even without Peak Oil and Climate Change there is now a good case for bringing back the S&D, but with them it is essential.

what makes it worthwhile!

The signalbox almost fully restored from a pile of bricks.


Looking good along the up platform.



When the Jinty was there - 2005.

Wow - some of the seething resentment from MN has even appeared on this blog (the downside of breaking the link from the main SDRHT website!), much of it I suspect arising from the way the Board tends to ignore what's going on at ground level and coming down hard (and disproportionately) on anyone that dares to bring up perfectly valid points. Of course there are a few headbangers on the ground who will never agree with the Board no matter what they do, but one thing is certain - EVERYBODY at MN has a passion and love for the S&D. If this sometimes causes grief then what view held passionately doesn't?

The posters are right - MN should be a jewel in the heritage movement. I think from the views above it's clear that MN does get an awful lot right - but things like closed facilities on Saturdays, junk around the yard, far too many freight vehicles, other line's discards and the lack of information will turn people off.

I think the whole heritage movement needs to be shown that MN has the potential to be a fantastic credit to the whole movement. The S&D is far too important a line to have just a few miles of track relaid. MN needs to stress that its intention is to restore - at the very least - Radstock to Shepton with links to the network at each end. With this intention declared the New S&D for example could concentrate perhaps on Radstock-Bath (aquisition of trackbed etc) at first, knowing that the next 6 or 7 miles are covered. All this activity at the northern end should encourage Shillingstone to become more ambitious too!

The key is volunteers at first. MN has a large pool of volunteers (about 50 active) and they have done wonders, but this is the S&D!! There should be crowds of railway enthusiasts descending on Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone every weekend, both as volunteers and visitors. Something is wrong, and I've always considered it to be a lack of visible ambition. There should be articles on this every month in the railway press. The kudos involved in restoring the real S&D is enormous.

Perhaps when trains start running things will change, though the act of running trains will bring new problems to the line.

But in the long term this will all work through. As the S&D is restored as a real working railway then our profile will rise, when we can once again economically run big engines pulling 12 coaches over Masbury, or engage in superb engineering feats like rebuilding Prestleigh Viaduct or the entry into Bath, the whole world will see why the S&D is so special.

MN is important, possibly the most important part of the whole heritage railway movement. We all owe it to the S&D to restore the route as quickly, and as closely to the original, as humanly possible.

Two words - GET INVOLVED.

the race to prestleigh ...

After we reach Shepton Evercreech Junction and Templecombe will beckon. But there is one big problem en-route, the missing Prestleigh Viaduct.

But suddenly we're not alone in our ambitions in that direction! Neighbours the East Somerset Railway are considering building a line to the Bath and West Showground south of Prestleigh, which will require rebuilding of the viaduct. Perhaps they'll even consider a transport link directly into the Showground using the existing 7 1/4" gauge Bath and West Railway?

The route will include yet more restoration of the S&D, always something worth backing!

The East Somerset have always had the problem of not having a proper destination - this would be an incredible move and would lift the ESR right up the heritage railway chart. It would also serve an essential transport role in the car-less future.

We shouldn't be too daunted by the prospect of having to restore something the size of Prestleigh - it didn't stop it being built in the first place! It's maddening to think that this viaduct was only demolished a few years ago, well after Peak Oil and Climate Change effects were being considered by other more enlightened authorities.

Prestleigh Viaduct WILL be rebuilt, now the only question is ... by whom?