Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway

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The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR) was an English joint railway company owned by the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway. The railway linked Bath in north east Somerset to Bournemouth, now in south east Dorset. The railway had branch lines to Burnham-on-Sea, Wells and Bridgwater.

Contents

[edit] Management

The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway was formed by the merger of the Dorset Central Railway and the Somerset Central Railway in 1862.[1] The original main line ran from Burnham and Highbridge to a junction with the LSWR at Wimborne. The decision to build a northwards extension from this line to Bath, crossing the Mendip Hills and passing through the Somerset coalfield bankrupted the company in 1874. The word 'Joint' was added to the company name when the railway was let on a 999 year lease to the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway in the following year. In 1885 a cut-off line between Corfe Mullen Junction and Broadstone opened and the Wimborne line became more and more of a backwater, closing as a through route in the mid 1930s but remaining as a long siding from the Corfe Mullen end for many more years to serve Carter's clay pits.

At first, the Midland maintained the engines and the LSWR the rolling stock, track and signalling. Eventually the rolling stock was divided between the two owners, leaving only the locomotives displaying the company name. On grouping in 1923 the Midland was absorbed into the London Midland and Scottish Railway, and the LSWR into the Southern Railway. The S&DJR continued as a separate concern until 1930 when the remaining engines were taken in to stock by the LMS.

In 1958, a reorganisation of British Railways regional boundaries led to the S&D coming under administrative control of the Western Region during its final years.

Affectionately known as the 'Slow and Dirty', the line was the last to run regular steam services in the British Railways Western Region. The beginning of the end was as early as 1951 with the closure of the branch from Glastonbury to Wells. This was followed in 1952 by closure of the branch from Edington Junction to Bridgwater (Edington Junction being renamed 'Edington Burtle'). In 1956 four of the smaller stations on the Dorset section of the main line were closed as an economy measure. The short section of branch-line from Highbridge to Burnham-on-Sea closed in 1962 with Highbridge becoming the new branch terminus and later being renamed 'Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea'. A further small closure affecting the S&D in 1965 of the Bournemouth West terminus station saw S&D trains in the last months starting from and ending at Bournemouth Central. Finally, on 7 March 1966 the whole S&D line from Bath to Bournemouth – and also the Evercreech Junction to Highbridge line – was closed under the Beeching Axe and dismantled, except for three short sections to Bason Bridge Creamery, Writhlington Colliery (accessed from the former Great Western line at Radstock until 1973) and Blandford Station which remained open until 1969 for freight access.

[edit] The railway

Railway arch at Midford.
Railway arch at Midford.

Some of the S&D was single track, but the so-called main line was double track from Templecombe as far north as Midford, then running single track through the Combe Down and Devonshire tunnels and down the long slope to the junction with the Midland Railway a mile west of Bath Green Park railway station. The southern section was single from Broadstone to Corfe Mullen Junction. From there, double line was regained until Blandford Forum, and the line was again single from there to Templecombe.

The junction at Bath involved a reversal of direction for trains running through to and from the Midlands and the North of England, as Bath Green Park was a terminus station.

The original Somerset Central Railway line from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction was single track with passing places at several stations.

The line is now being actively restored at both Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone stations.

[edit] Stations

[edit] Main line

[edit] Highbridge and Burnham branch

[edit] Bridgwater branch

  • Bridgwater
  • Cossington
  • Edington Junction - junction for the Highbridge branch, see above

[edit] Wells branch

  • Wells - terminus
  • Polsham
  • Glastonbury & Street - junction for the Highbridge branch, see above

[edit] Notes

At Wells, the S&D used the Priory Street station, which also had through trains running on the GWR line between Yatton and Witham: until 1934, GWR trains did not stop at Priory Street, using instead the Tucker Street station half a mile away. Priory Street closed in 1951 when the S&D branch line from Glastonbury was shut; Tucker Street remained in use until the closure of the GWR line in 1963.

Also, at Templecombe trains mostly used the LSWR station, which entailed leaving and rejoining the S&D main line, though there was a small and seldom used platform on the through line that was connected to the main station by a footpath.

In addition to the above stations, the S&D also had a number of halts. There were four on the main line: at Shoscombe & Single Hill, between Wellow and Radstock; at Stourpaine & Durweston between Shillingstone and Blandford; at Charlton Marshall, between Blandford and Spetisbury; and at Corfe Mullen, between Bailey Gate and Broadstone. The last three of these all closed as an economy measure in September 1956, along with Spetisbury, which had earlier been downgraded to halt status. On the Bridgwater branch there was a halt at Bawdrip between Cossington and Bridgwater.

[edit] Locomotives

Locomotives were mostly standard Midland Railway designs but the 7F 2-8-0 was a "special" for the S&DJR.

[edit] Accidents

[edit] References

  1. ^ Atthill, Robin (1964). Old Mendip. Newton Abbott: David and Charles. ISBN 0715351710. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Additional Reading

  • Railways of Dorset J.H.Lucking

Publisher Railway Correspondence and Travel Society 1968 (no ISBN)

  • Somerset Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley (Dovecote Press) 2002
  • Passengers No More, by Gerald Daniels and L A Dench, (Ian Allan) 1974 edition
  • The Somerset & Dorset Railway, by Robin Atthill & O.S.Nock 1967
  • The Somerset & Dorset Then and Now, by Mac Hawkins 1986
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