Chard Central railway station
Encyclopedia
Chard Central railway station was the principal railway station in Chard
, Somerset
, England. It was opened in 1866 and closed in 1962, during which time it was known by three different names.
(LSWR) which opened Chard Road
on its new Yeovil
to Exeter
line in 1860. On 8 May 1863 a second station was opened at as the terminus of a 3.6 miles (5.8 km) branch from Chard Road.
A second railway
was opened on 11 September 1866 by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
(B&ER). This line terminated at a new station a short distance north of Chard Town and was served by trains from . Eleven weeks later, on 26 November, a connecting line was opened between Chard Town and the B&ER station, which was known at this time as 'Chard Joint', and the station was then used as the terminus for both railways. Both railway companies provided staff and there were even separate signal box
es controlling train movements at each end of the station The LSWR was built to standard gauge
but the B&ER was a broad gauge
until 19 July 1891.
From 1 January 1917 the Great Western Railway (GWR, which had amalgamated
with the B&ER in 1876) took over the operation of trains on the LSWR branch. This allowed some economies to be made, although the trains to Taunton and Chard Junction were still mostly advertised as separate services. In 1923 the LSWR became a part of the larger Southern Railway
(SR). The SR platform and sidings were removed by the end of 1927 and the following year their signal box was closed. It was renamed as plain 'Chard' on 1 March 1928, but it appeared as such in GWR timetables before that date.
1948 saw the SR and GWR nationalised as British Railways and from 26 September 1949 it was known as 'Chard Central'. Passenger trains were withdrawn from both branches on 10 September 1962. Public goods traffic continued until 3 February 1964 but goods trains still ran until 3 October 1966 to serve a private siding. After this all track was lifted.
, although he was not the engineer of the line as he died seven years before it was opened. The platform
and offices were on the west side of the line, the side closer to the town centre. A train shed
spanned the main platform and track. A terminal platform was provided at the north end for trains to Taunton, and at the south end for LSWR services. A goods shed
was situated in the yard to the north west of the station and a private siding was provided behind it for B.G. Wyatt on the site of the Chard Canal
wharf. A loop at the north end of the station allowed locomotives to run around their trains at the end of their journeys. The GWR signal box was on the east side of the line alongside the loop, and the LSWR one was west of the line at their end of the station.
The station building and train shed still stand and are in use as commercial premises, and is a Grade II listed building.
was provided opposite the north end of the passenger platform when the station opened. Built in brick, it was 70.8 feet (21.6 m) long and 23.5 feet (7.2 m) wide, covering just one track. A wooden platform outside the shed was used to store coal for the locomotives. A 41.25 feet (12.6 m) turntable
was provided on its own siding south of the shed. The shed was closed as a depot on 14 July 1924 although the shed line remained in place until 1933 and the turntable until November 1935.
Two GWR locomotives were allocated to Chard in 1901, a 517 Class 2-4-0T
and a 1076 Class 0-6-0ST
.
Chard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It was opened in 1866 and closed in 1962, during which time it was known by three different names.
History
The first railway to serve Chard was the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(LSWR) which opened Chard Road
Chard Junction railway station
Chard Junction railway station was situated on the London and South Western Railway’s West of England Main Line in Somerset, England. It was the junction of a short branch line to Chard. It was opened in 1860 as Chard Road and closed in 1966. An adjacent milk depot was served by its own sidings...
on its new Yeovil
Yeovil Junction railway station
Yeovil Junction railway station is the busier of two railway stations serving the town of Yeovil in England. The station is outside the town in the village of Stoford; although Yeovil is in Somerset, the station was in Dorset until 1995. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway in...
to Exeter
Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
line in 1860. On 8 May 1863 a second station was opened at as the terminus of a 3.6 miles (5.8 km) branch from Chard Road.
A second railway
Chard Branch Line
The Chard Branch Lines were two railway lines in Somerset, England, that met end on in Chard. The first was opened in 1863 by the London and South Western Railway as a short branch line from their main line. This approached the town from the south...
was opened on 11 September 1866 by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
(B&ER). This line terminated at a new station a short distance north of Chard Town and was served by trains from . Eleven weeks later, on 26 November, a connecting line was opened between Chard Town and the B&ER station, which was known at this time as 'Chard Joint', and the station was then used as the terminus for both railways. Both railway companies provided staff and there were even separate signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es controlling train movements at each end of the station The LSWR was built to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
but the B&ER was a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
until 19 July 1891.
From 1 January 1917 the Great Western Railway (GWR, which had amalgamated
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
with the B&ER in 1876) took over the operation of trains on the LSWR branch. This allowed some economies to be made, although the trains to Taunton and Chard Junction were still mostly advertised as separate services. In 1923 the LSWR became a part of the larger Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
(SR). The SR platform and sidings were removed by the end of 1927 and the following year their signal box was closed. It was renamed as plain 'Chard' on 1 March 1928, but it appeared as such in GWR timetables before that date.
1948 saw the SR and GWR nationalised as British Railways and from 26 September 1949 it was known as 'Chard Central'. Passenger trains were withdrawn from both branches on 10 September 1962. Public goods traffic continued until 3 February 1964 but goods trains still ran until 3 October 1966 to serve a private siding. After this all track was lifted.
Description
The station was built in stone and brick in one of the styles favoured by Isambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, although he was not the engineer of the line as he died seven years before it was opened. The platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
and offices were on the west side of the line, the side closer to the town centre. A train shed
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
spanned the main platform and track. A terminal platform was provided at the north end for trains to Taunton, and at the south end for LSWR services. A goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
was situated in the yard to the north west of the station and a private siding was provided behind it for B.G. Wyatt on the site of the Chard Canal
Chard Canal
The Chard Canal was a tub boat canal in Somerset, England, that ran from the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal at Creech St. Michael, over four aqueducts, through three tunnels and four inclined planes to Chard. It was completed in 1842, was never commercially viable, and closed in 1868...
wharf. A loop at the north end of the station allowed locomotives to run around their trains at the end of their journeys. The GWR signal box was on the east side of the line alongside the loop, and the LSWR one was west of the line at their end of the station.
The station building and train shed still stand and are in use as commercial premises, and is a Grade II listed building.
Locomotive shed
A locomotive shedMotive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
was provided opposite the north end of the passenger platform when the station opened. Built in brick, it was 70.8 feet (21.6 m) long and 23.5 feet (7.2 m) wide, covering just one track. A wooden platform outside the shed was used to store coal for the locomotives. A 41.25 feet (12.6 m) turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
was provided on its own siding south of the shed. The shed was closed as a depot on 14 July 1924 although the shed line remained in place until 1933 and the turntable until November 1935.
Two GWR locomotives were allocated to Chard in 1901, a 517 Class 2-4-0T
GWR 517 Class
The 517 Class were small 0-4-2T tank engines designed by George Armstrong for local passenger work on the Great Western Railway. They were built at Wolverhampton Works and were outshopped between 1868 and 1885. They were built in thirteen lots commencing with 517–528 and ending with 1477–1488 in...
and a 1076 Class 0-6-0ST
GWR 1076 Class
The 1076 Class were 266 double-framed 0-6-0 tank locomotives built by the Great Western Railway between 1870 and 1881; the last one was withdrawn in 1946...
.