Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
| Sturminster Newton station opened on 31st August 1863 and was
halfway through the 16 mile single track section of line from Templecombe to
Blandford Forum. A good amount of cattle and milk traffic from here led to
ample handling facilities being provided with a cattle dock, pig pens and five
sidings one of which served a milk factory. The design of the station is
typical of the Dorset Central Railway. The dip in the platform was there to
provide a crossing of the line as no footbridge was provided.
photograph by Keith Harwood |
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Evercreech Junction station, some way south of where the branch to
Bridgwater and Burnham-on-Sea left the main line, opened in 1862 as
"Evercreech" but was re-named in 1874. Note the end of a siding
between the two platform roads which was used by banking engines awaiting up
trains and the Burnham-on-Sea branch train between services. Note also the very
tall starting signal, built in this way to ease sighting difficulties.
photograph by Ray Soper |
| Radstock station opened in 1874 as "Radstock" but
was re-named "Radstock North" in 1949 to avoid confusuion with the
ex-GWR station, now "Radstock South". No connection ever existed
between the two stations during the working life of the S&D line, but one
was put in after closure in 1966 when a short spur was installed just south of
the station to enable coal traffic to continue between Writhlington and
Portishead. Radstock was in the middle of the Somerset coalfield so had a lot
of coal traffic, though this dwindled throughout the twentieth century and
ceased altogether not long after the S&D's own demise.
photograph by Ray Soper |
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A month prior to the other photographs of 53808 on these pages
found her taking water at Evercreech Junction whilst heading an Ian Allan tour
on 22nd September 1962.
photograph by Mike Morant |
| Ex-LMS 4-4-0 2P locomotive 40601 is seen at Branksome shed
having worked a train down the S&D. As the legend on her tender indicates,
this was taken in early BR days.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
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All photographs are copyright
Lots more photos on the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust site.
This page was last updated 10 September 2009
