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!

Friday, September 30, 2011

blandford


Courtesy Jim Type, copyright C L Caddy collection)

Jim has sent literally dozens of excellent S&D shots which I'll be featuring over the next few weeks!

A click on the photo should bring up a larger view.

This is a lovely shot of Blandford, it looks like the late 50s/early 60s. At the moment the Blandford station site has some housing encroachment, which shouldn't be a big problem when the time for reinstatement comes. There are also at least two stretches of original track still in place, set tramway style in the road surface. There is also a short length of track plus a buffer stop just to the north of the station, at the beginning of the footpath which is preserving our right of way splendidly. To the south of Blandford the track was double, to the north single. Blandford remained open for freight until January 1969. It really should have remained open for passenger services, with a population of over 10,000 Blandford is one of the largest towns in southern England without modern transport links.
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