Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
| The workings of the BR Standard Class 9F have already been
mentioned, but these weren't the only Standards to be found on S&D
metals. Regular classes were: 5MT 4-6-0s, BR's successor to the LMS "Black Five" (which could also to be seen on the S&D). Allowed to haul up to eight coaches, some were based at Bath whilst others came from north or south. 4MT 4-6-0s which in the last few years replaced the ex-LMS 2P 4-4-0s on both local services and pilot duties and were allowed up to seven coaches. 4MT 2-6-0s which worked local services over the route from Bournemouth. One of these would be stabled overnight at Bath to work the 6:48am Bath Green Park - Bournemouth service. These were also restricted to seven coaches. 2MT 2-6-2Ts which were used for light passenger work and services to Bristol. Additionally, BR Standard 4P/4F 2-6-4Ts and BR-built Ivatt 2P/2Fs could sometimes be seen, especially in the final years. |
| One of the Southern Region's Brighton-built 4P/4F 2-6-4Ts
º80035 photographed in the fading light at Sturminster Newton. The train
was a short working from Templecombe which terminated here on 1st March 1966.
photograph by Ray Soper |
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A very atmospheric shot in the fading light at Sturminster
Newton. Standard class 4 2-6-4T 80035, having arrived shortly before on the
short working from Templecombe, has run round its train. Meanwhile standard
class 4 2-6-0 76014 has arrived from Bournemeouth on its way to Templecombe.
photograph by Ray Soper |
| One of the LMS Ivatt designed 2P/2F 2-6-2Ts built for the
Southern Region,Nº41307 at Templecombe "Upper", the Ivatt
having hauled an up service from the S&D line into the "Upper"
station.
photograph by Ray Soper. |
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| The strange pattern of working at Templecombe probably deserves a page all to itself! To summarize: the S&D line passed underneath the L&SWR's just to the east of the latter's station, and had a single platform squeezed in between the railway bridge and a road bridge over the former which gave access to the platform. This, of course, was not at all convenient for passengers wishing to change from one line to the other so a rather complicated interchange method was devised. A down train from the Bath direction would make it's way via TemplecombeNº2 junction, over a spur and into the L&SWR station, arriving at the north face of the up platform. To regain its route, this train would then have another engine attached to the rear which would then take the train back down to the S&D line and uncouple, allowing the train to continue its journey via the lower platform, under the L&SWR line and on towards Broadstone. For an up service, the train would pass under the L&SWR line, pass the lower platform and come to a stand beyond TemplecombeNº2 junction where a second engine would be attached to haul the train over the spur and into the upper station. This second engine would now be detached, allowing the train to continue its journey back down to the S&D line and on towards Bath. |
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A view from below of the Ivatt tank waiting for the next
duty assisting a train between the two routes. Note the elevated disc shunt
dummy on the left of the picture.
photograph by Ray Soper. |
| 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 confusion 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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One of the Somerset and Dorset passenger locomotives introduced by the Midland Railway.
A small wheeled variant of the Standard Derby 4-4-0 of Johnson design of 1891.
Nr 67 was subsequently rebuilt with a large Deeley boiler. She came into
LMS ownership in 1930 but was scrapped before 1932. The image was taken at Bournemouth West somewhere between 1910 and 1913
showing Nr 67 resplendent in Somerset and Dorset Prussian Blue livery with the 4.05 pm semi fast service to Bath.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
All photographs are copyright
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This page was last updated 10 March 2003
