Work at Midsomer Norton

MIDSOMER NORTON SOUTH

9.5.2016 Source

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Recent track work at Midsomer Norton South involved the removal of a section of concrete-sleepered rail prior to a sand drag being installed to match the catch point on the station approach.

It's fantastic seeing such a professional job being done on what is looking more and more like a main line as each year passes. It wasn't that many years ago that this section of line was an overgrown footpath, seemingly destined to fade into history.

Gartell works today 31.1.2026

(31.1.2016 Pics and text copyright John Penny)

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At the moment every railway seems to be undertaking track renewals or ballasting. Not be be left out here is today's GLR action with unloading from our hopper and the finished product. The blocked stream at Tower View station has now been cleared, this is the view before ,there is a stream under there !

shillingstone progress

(Photos Feb 2009 - more recent ones would be most appreciated!)

With the two panels of track laid on Sunday 21 June there are now six panels of flatbottom rail in the station at Shillingstone. There is now track between the platforms for the first time in over 40 years!

It is fantastic that there are now two bases on the route both with track in place. With Midford joining them very soon (fingers crossed!) there is now a genuine feeling that the S&D is coming back big time. Hopefully within a few years the next logical step - that the groups (including Washford) will combine - will happen. By sharing knowledge, staff, equipment and vision the S&D will quickly establish itself as the UK's premier private railway offering real passenger and freight services, unmatchable steam experiences and an ambience and atmosphere unrivalled elsewhere.

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great news literally just in - the extension to the running line at Midsomer Norton has been granted planning permission! This means the MN Trust can now get seriously down to work on this stretch with trackbed preparation and tracklaying.

Congratulations to everyone at Midsomer Norton who have helped make this happen, particularly to Pete Russell who has worked so hard on the arcane paperwork which would have made the rest of us lose the will to live.

This is a major event in the history of a new Somerset and Dorset Railway.

quality track

(Photos courtesy John Penny)

Excellent pics of newly laid track on the Gartell Light Railway. Further to the stats given in an earlier post, there are nine lengths laid. It just requires a bit of time to settle in but it was laid with a laser level so it's all a lot better than was there before, which had merely spot resleepering and the occasional tweak over the last 20 years or so.

Gartell's first 2009 open day is 13th April - try to get along! This is still the only part of the S&D currently operating regular trains.

gartell tracklaying

A pic of pre-track relaying on the Gartell last weekend.

The work involved -

Concrete sleepers laid 115
Rail pairs 10
Fish plates 22 pairs
Fish bolts 88
Pandrol clips 460

Easier than standard gauge but still something not to be sneezed at!

gartell tracklaying

(Photo Courtesy John Penny)

Sadly, not track extension (yet!) but track renewal on the S&D section of this superb narrow gauge line just south of Templecombe at the weekend. Wooden sleepers are being replaced by concrete ones. This is the plus side of narrow gauge - everything being smaller it's also lighter and easier to handle! I remember seeing whole track sections - sleepers and all - being carried by just two men on the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway.

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!

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!

double vision

Some more shots from Mick Knox taken at the start of the week. The first and last really show off the quality of the double track section, it's really starting to look like authentic S&D trackwork. With Mick's determination to get the cuttings looking as neat as possible the authenticity should become a permanent feature. This is also a testament to the superb work and vision of the track gang.

midsomer norton double track!

A rare treat today - a trip to Midsomer Norton station! The most obvious change since my last visit several months ago was the extension of the up line which now gives a pretty good impression of double track. The S&D will be the only line other than the Great Central with this feature within the heritage scene, though it will be several years before appropriate length trains will be using it.

silver street protection works

Looking fantastic, the Silver Street protection works are now in place, and are as always a credit to the track works gang. Hidden under the neat chippings are the serious sliding buffer protection features which will stop any runaway falling into the road below. Hopefully within a few years all this will be swept away when the bridge is replaced and trains are heading towards Radstock again.


Back in October both the weather and the works were looking pretty miserable!

new year's honours 3

Something perhaps taken a little for granted is the track at Midsomer Norton. Bear in mind that this was a totally overgrown site just 5 or 6 years ago but looking at the pictures above you'd assume the track had been down for 100 years.

This is due to the Trackworks gang who have done a superb job, particularly with the complex trackwork in the yard area. They all deserve a medal for their commitment - working in all weathers. Thanks to Trevor Hodge and his team - no doubt they'll find the laying of track on the main line far easier if a little less challenging!