| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by grahame at 16:58, 7th March 2026 |     |
From the BBC
"The atmosphere it created was hard to explain. It was like one big family," said Paul Antell, describing the community of a railway that ran through his village.
It has been 60 years since Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway closed, along with the station at Shillingstone, Dorset, where Antell has lived his whole life.
As a boy, he would deliberately miss his bus to school so he could plead an excuse to ride the footplate to Sturminster Newton, arriving late for assembly with soot-covered hands.
But on 7 March 1966, the 136-mile line that had been woven into the fabric of life for more than a century closed permanently and the tracks were ripped up.
It has been 60 years since Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway closed, along with the station at Shillingstone, Dorset, where Antell has lived his whole life.
As a boy, he would deliberately miss his bus to school so he could plead an excuse to ride the footplate to Sturminster Newton, arriving late for assembly with soot-covered hands.
But on 7 March 1966, the 136-mile line that had been woven into the fabric of life for more than a century closed permanently and the tracks were ripped up.
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by bradshaw at 08:37, 7th March 2026 | |
This weekend sees 60 years after the S&DJR was closed. Final passenger trains ran on the 5th, two railtours ran on the 6th and formal closure occurred on the 7th.
I was on one of those railtours, the RCTS one. It ran from Waterloo via Staines then Alton to Poole. Up the S&D to Evercreech and Highbridge behind 41283 and 41249. 34013 took us up the GWR line to Mangotsfield N Jct where D7006 hauled us to Bath Green Park. From there 34013 PLUS 34057 took us back to Templecombe where 35028 was waiting to return us to Waterloo.
The sound of this two pacifics climbing up to Masbury still echoes today!
Yesterday we visited RSPB Ham Wall, a reserve on which we can take the dog and happens to be on the route of the Highbridge branch which allowed Marion to take a photo of me at Ashcott and Meare station 60 years, almost to the hour, since passing it by train!
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by grahame at 07:22, 29th October 2025 | |
From Somerset Live
Somerset's 'forgotten railway' reopens in stunning transformation
Casualty of the Beeching Axe - the line is back open
Casualty of the Beeching Axe - the line is back open
Err - a section of the Somerset and Dorset (which is NOT forgotten!) reopened as a walking and cycling route. Me thinks the headline is misleading.
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by infoman at 06:59, 7th September 2025 | |
There was some film footage of the closure on BBC points on the lunch time news on the day(5th September) which I recorded.
Although the item did not re-appear on the tea time news,
as Points west took Spotlight local news in the BBC studios area.
Due to an electrical fault.
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by Mark A at 10:20, 6th September 2025 | |
Update: uh oh... BBC sounds.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p0m11fc5
Mark
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by Mark A at 09:45, 6th September 2025 | |
Oops, I ended up on the cutting room floor.
Mark
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by grahame at 06:49, 6th September 2025 | |
From The BBC
Volunteers reclaiming much loved historic railway
Published 5 September 2025
For more than a century the Somerset and Dorset Railway (S&D) served as a lifeline for rural communities - transporting coal, commuters and holidaymakers alike.
The historic line ran between Bath in Somerset and Bournemouth in Dorset, serving towns and villages such as Highbridge, Glastonbury, Wells, and Wincanton.
This week is the 60th anniversary since the 105-mile (168km) route was given a public notice it had to close all its station due to the Beeching cuts - a sweeping reduction of the UK rail network that severed thousands of miles of track.
But now volunteers, historians and local residents are reclaiming sections of the abandoned route, determined to preserve the once rich history of the railway line.
Published 5 September 2025
For more than a century the Somerset and Dorset Railway (S&D) served as a lifeline for rural communities - transporting coal, commuters and holidaymakers alike.
The historic line ran between Bath in Somerset and Bournemouth in Dorset, serving towns and villages such as Highbridge, Glastonbury, Wells, and Wincanton.
This week is the 60th anniversary since the 105-mile (168km) route was given a public notice it had to close all its station due to the Beeching cuts - a sweeping reduction of the UK rail network that severed thousands of miles of track.
But now volunteers, historians and local residents are reclaiming sections of the abandoned route, determined to preserve the once rich history of the railway line.
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by grahame at 23:02, 16th January 2025 | |
Virtually all background music is irritating!
Unnecessary
Unnecessary
Hmmm ... the TV is on in the background here, and the music behind it is giving clues as to when the detective is approaching the place the suspect id hiding. I don't thing that the detective would be as effective in his job without the sound cues provided.
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by GBM at 07:25, 16th January 2025 | |
Virtually all background music is irritating!
Unnecessary
| Re: Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by rogerw at 12:30, 15th January 2025 | |
An interesting watch, but I do find the background music very irritating
| Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - merged topics Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:10, 14th January 2025 | |
From YouTube is this just over one hour feature.
I've enjoyed watching it, from my armchair - I am not an impassioned local revivalist - but I do offer it here, simply as an excellent review of (that specific) SDR.
