infamy

NEW SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY FACEBOOK

It's that time of year again! It's now 48 years to the day since the S&D closed (and 5 years to the day since the New S&D was formed).

If only ...

But I tend to look forwards rather than backwards. Speculation on what the S&D would be like now if it had been rationalised and dieselised (clue, look at the Castle Cary to Dorchester route) or even purchased entirely for £50,000 (if that rumour is true) are a waste of time and energy.

Back in the real world we have what we have, and that's a lot. Five points on the line being restored. The classic iconic station of Midsomer Norton South fully restored with the signalbox and greenhouse recreated and over half a mile of DOUBLE TRACK running line in place. Shillingstone going great guns and not far behind Midsomer Norton despite a late start, the very special Gartell Railway extending northwards and offering a fantastic experience for young and old, Midford arising from the ashes (and the Midford Appeal being launched TODAY!) and Spetisbury also being cleared with rebuilding of the station not too far off. Not to mention Masbury still teasing s along the way ...

And all against a background of increasing climate change effects (some of the worst not too far from our branch to Burnham), energy issues becoming harsher each day and elsewhere in the UK closed lines coming back from the dead as more and more people realise rail is the future.

In 5, 10, 20 years' time who knows how much bigger and busier the S&D will be? As always if you are an S&D fan please get involved in some way or another with the rebirth of this fabulous line. either by joining the New S&D, the heritage groups at Midsomer Norton and/or Shillingstone, volunteering for the Gartell or joining Railfuture or one of the other transport campaigning groups. There's no longer any excuse not to! 

more s&d returns

These shots from the Shillingstone website show the amazing progress they are making on rebuilding the signalbox. This is impressive work and will be a real asset to the S&D. Midsomer Norton did this a few years ago and Graeme Mayes worked wonders recreating another S&D iconic signalbox there. With Midsomer Norton South and now Shillingstone signal boxes returning from the past how long before Midford - and many other places en route - also reappear in all their glory?

2011 so far has been an amazing year for the S&D all along the line. Midford is now almost cleared, Midsomer Norton is progressing steadily, with regular trains a feature later in the year, and Shillingstone seems to have had an incredible new burst of energy. Hopefully Spetisbury will also begin to stir in the next few months.

I can't see anything now stopping the gradual restoration of the whole route and in a real S&D style rather than the basic railway which is the alternative. This is a fantastic time to be involved with the S&D and the old (ridiculous) 'divisions' which once tainted us are disappearing as quickly as the infrastructure is reappearing.

So please get involved. Obviously join the New S&D, as this is the umbrella organisation for the whole route, but please also join any or all of the other organisations that are preserving and restoring the S&D (Midsomer Norton, Shillingstone, Gartell and Washford). All of the groups, even including the New S&D now we have Midford, offer loads of opportunities to work on site as well as behind the scenes activities which are so important. Hopefully soon we will be able to offer joint membership for all the groups which will benefit the whole S&D.

beauty in the built environment

Two (deliberately non railway) shots snapped as we drove through Barrow Gurney the other day. This is the view from alongside the road and it got me thinking why every bit of roadside isn't like this. Okay, it needs a bit of effort to maintain, but does it cost any more than the alternatives? If anything (using propagation) this would cost far less than a brick or even block wall.

My point? The S&D always seemed to fit so snugly into its environment. It actually enhanced the scene. Think of Midford. Imagine Midford with a motorway through it! The S&D made Midford an even more magical place than it was before the rails came (and after they left!)

My wider point is that we could, if we choose, make all our built environment attractive. I'm sure that once we no longer have oil we will have the time to make the places we live in artistic and attractive and on a human scale. Slums, high rises, shopping malls, ring roads and railway stations with bus shelters will all become things of the past. We will have made genuine progress.
This informs my view of the New S&D. That the stations should be in the classic style, staffed, with full facilities. That signalboxes and lineside buildings will be appropriate to the wider scene, and not knocked together with no aestetic considerations but just done on the cheap.

Rail has one other huge advantage over roads. On roads there is a constant stream of traffic and noise, but even the busiest railways have long stretches of calm between trains. Between the trains the careful blending of track, buildings and scenery is actually life enhancing.

2003 again

Some more gems from Mick Knox (25.11.2003) - back when the track was only just beginning to go down and before the signalbox had risen from the ashes.

At this stage there was track between the platforms but the sidings had not been connected to the main line, which meant that stock was stranded on the cattle dock siding. The base of the signalbox has started to appear. The huge sleeper stack in picture four has now mainly been used up, the remains are now on the extension land and the stack is much smaller!

the built environment

Above two - Midsomer Norton South signalbox 2008


Pontins' terraced chalet - 1950s


Multi storey car park - who cares?

Take a look at the signalbox at Midsomer Norton. Every aspect of it is human scale, attractive but functional. Inside it is cosy but also efficient, the large windows connect immediately with the outside world. The whole scene is one of pleasantness.

Contrast it with pics 3 and 4. The Pontins shot shows that it's not age that gives the built environment its attractiveness. And as for the multistorey - what were we thinking of?

The entire rail infrastructure in its classic form was a magnificent synthesis of humanity and engineering. What more attractive scene could there be than the wayside country station with a steam train at its platform?

Much of the nastiness of 'modern' life's infrastructure is the fact its been built around the car, it's been created with built-in obscelescence and with no care. Money is always involved, everything has to be done as cheaply as possible.

The future, the one the New S&D will be such a part of, will be totally different. With no cars or roads towns and villages will reorientate towards its railway stations. With labour freely and cheaply available, and the artisanal skills which originally created the built environment of the past back in favour big time, once again we'll be able to create buildings that people can relate to, that people want to work in and be near. The New S&D will be architecturally magnificent, from the humblest platelayers' hut to the mightiest viaduct.

Peak Oil isn't all bad by any means!

midsomer norton extension

Thanks to Nick Howes for this.


Planning permission to extend the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, south up the 1 in 53 grade, from Midsomer Norton towards Chilcompton is expected to be granted next month by Bath and North East Somerset Council, following an 18 month long planning submission by dedicated trustee Peter Russell.

It is hoped that doubling the current route mileage from 1000 to 2000 feet will enable the commencement of passenger steam trains and attract owners of BR engines to have a thrash at the formidable and legendary Southbound Mendip Mainline incline.
The double trackbed will once again by available to receive rail, although initially only the down main will be laid. The current "jungle" walkway, currently used by a few locals will be accommodated outside the up BR fence boundary with permission from 2 farmers to fence in a new path hugging their field boundary which parallels the line.

Careful selected tree removal will take place where the vegetation hinders trackbed grading, drainage, track reinstatement, the loading gauge envelope and safety lines of sight, but nearly all of the 43 year down side boundary growth will remain. The up valley side, offering the views across the Somer valley, to Midsomer Norton, Ston Easton country park and Chilcompton will be carefully thinned out. New trees will be planted elsewhere along the down side boundary to compensate, including a thick section of hedge to protect a house owner.

The current 990 foot double track works its way through the platforms at 1 in 300 on a slight reverse curve, then climbs hard left at 1 in 53. At the end of this left curve, phase 1 of the new extension will begin.

Phase 1 of the planning permission is expected next month, taking in the next 1047 feet dead straight at 1 in 53. This incorporates rebuilding the permanent way hut made of bolted sleepers and beyond this, a non original 430 foot down engineers siding will be laid on the 1 in 53 verge with trailing connection into the down main.

Before any track laying can be done, the concrete and wire fencing must be repaired, the down cess drainage pipe checked out, roots removed and levelling of the trackbed. 440 feet beyond the railhead, 500 tons of the up main trackbed has been dug out. This eats across the "6 foot" to nearly the outer down ballast shoulder in one place and is 300 feet long by 3 feet deep maximum. Along with outer up shoulder gabians, this can be filled back in at no cost by "top skimming" 6 inches off of the old weed choked BR ballast right the way up the extension.

Following the civil works, track laying on concrete sleepers and flat bottom rail can begin. A runaway trap point will be laid at the current down railhead, to protect the station limits, followed by a left hand c switch, linking the up main as the second, southernmost crossover. 10 panels of plain line take us to the right hand trailing c switch into the 7 panel down engineers siding. A further 5 panels takes us from Farmer Shearn’s trackbed to the Stage 2 boundary and Mrs Well’s trackbed and another planning application!
Phase 2 takes in a slight right hand curve, followed by another straight to the BANES/Somerset administrative county boundary, another 1037 feet.

Phase 3 takes the line slightly left over the old Mendip hunt occupation crossing then another very long straight, including bridge 48a, up to the in-filled Chilcompton Tunnel cutting, another 1918 feet.

Total line length will a little over 5000 feet. When Chilcompton tunnel infill is reached the down main will burrow left off the original formation into the hillside on the level, for 300 feet only, enough to build a medium term 3 coach halt (Somervale halt) on the level, due to health and safety regulations governing brand new stations. The 4000 feet of up main will then be laid to "catch up" with the down, enabling the spectacle of any combination of visiting engines to pass on the S&D mainline, a truly mouth watering prospect!

Total extension, 4022 feet of double track =
268 lengths of 60 foot flat bottom rail,
3216 concrete sleepers,
3216 tons of ballast.

Following consolidation, a huge fundraising drive will then strive to re-bridge silver street or dig out the quarter mile, 44 feet deep cutting of its clay capping and 170,000 tons of household and builders rubbish.

Since 1995, Midsomer Norton South has been restored to its former glory from an overgrown ruin, with a 6 figure sum being spent on the project, including 300o feet of quality permanent way, station, platforms, rolling stock and up and coming stable museum, not to mention the fabulous working replica signal box by Graeme Mayes and John Rideout. Over 800 members support a core of 30 volunteers. Please join us today and help us extend the Somerset and Dorset Mendip Mainline Project!

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.

inspirations

Swanage station. A line that almost never happened but is now one of the leading heritage lines, which also operates 'real' trains to take visitors from Norden to Swanage, leaving their cars behind.


Wulfric. Born four months early, we were told that he had 0% chance of surviving by the doctors.


The signalbox at Midsomer Norton. Rebuilt from a pile of rubble, now an absolute gem and a credit to the whole heritage movement.


The Rhatische Bahn in Switzerland. A huge network of metre gauge lines running through spectacular scenery, using engineering on an epic scale - and profitable!


A1 Pacific 'Tornado', built 2008. 18 years and £3 million - and many said it would never happen!

The above are some of my own inspirations which keep me working towards reinstatement of the S&D. Let me know yours!

greenhouse

Signs that work on the long awaited greenhouse is not that far away! Prepared ground and a nice pile of bricks ....


More features appearing around the signalbox area.

around the station

Excuse the 60s feel to this (apart from my new car!) This was due to the settings on my camera getting messed up. But with a touch of serendipity it does remind me of those fading colour shots from the last days of steam!


A neat little side gate's been fitted behind the up platform shelter.



The greenhouse site has been cleared. Still not sure whether I'll be helping with this, although the bricklaying course is going brilliantly! It depends on other commitments ... but I'm sure whatever happens the greenhouse will be rebuilt this summer.

random

A few fairly recent shots around the station.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new platform surface next week when I'm next at the station. We really are in the last few stages before reopening.

I miss the regular trips I used to make to Midsomer Norton! It was nice putting on new photos a few times a week. I'm always happy to put your pics, info and views on the blog so don't be shy and send them in!

signalbox

The fire's on and the kettle's boiling!


The frame painted and shining!


View towards Chilcompton.


Looking towards Radstock from the box.

(All photos copyright Mick Knox 2008).