East Somerset Railway
Encyclopedia
The East Somerset Railway is a 2.5 miles (4 km) heritage railway
in Somerset
, running between Cranmore
and Mendip Vale
. Prior to the Beeching Axe
, the railway ran from Witham
to Wells
, meeting both the Cheddar Valley line
and Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
at the latter station.
line. The line was originally between Witham
railway station
and Shepton Mallet
and this line opened on 9 November 1858. It was later extended to Wells; this part of the line was opened on 1 March 1862. The East Somerset Railway was bought by the Great Western Railway
on 2 December 1874.
In 1878, the GWR joined the East Somerset line with the Cheddar Valley line
to Wells, which had been built by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
, by obtaining running rights over a section of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
and running its trains through the S&DJR Wells station at Priory Road
, though GWR trains did not stop at Priory Road until 1934. The broad gauge railway caused difficulties where it connected with other lines and, in 1892, it was converted to standard gauge
. At this stage, the main traffic became the through trains from Yatton
to Witham and the East Somerset Railway station in Wells closed, with Wells (Tucker Street)
becoming the station for the city on the line. The Yatton to Witham service remained in use with the GWR and later BR
until passenger service finally ceased in 1963 as a result of the Beeching Axe
, however trains carrying bitumen continued until 1985.
purchased Cranmore station and a section of the track to house and run his two locomotives; the BR
2-10-0 Class 9F
No. 92203 "Black Prince" and BR
Standard 4 4-6-0
No. 75029 'The Green Knight'. In 1973, the line opened offering Brake Van rides before extending first to Merryfield in 1980 and then to Mendip Vale and into Cranmore station itself in 1985.
Today the railway plays host to a variety of preserved diesel
and steam
locomotives.
The East Somerset Railway only operates the line between Cranmore
, Cranmore West
, Merryfield Lane Halt
and Mendip Vale
. Between the last two sections, the train runs through the Doulting Railway Cutting
Site of Special Scientific Interest
. The section between Cranmore and the mainline
is used for heavy quarry traffic
to the nearby Merehead Quarry.
In 1991, a new station building was constructed at Cranmore which now includes a cafe, booking office, gift shop and toilets. The platform then extends to the old station which is now a museum and past red telephone box
(one of only 50 made) which incorporates a stamp machine and post box,
produced some time around 1927.
Opposite the platform is a signal box
dating from 1904 and is the standard GWR pattern of the period.
Close to Cranmore station are the engine shed and workshop which were built in 1973.
An order by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2005 allowed a further 600 metres of track to be used.
On 25 March 2007, the East Somerset Railway announced that it had received a £7,500 grant from Shepton 21 Group, a local organisation, set up to regenerate the area around Shepton Mallet. The money will be spent on conducting a feasibility study into extending the line towards Shepton Mallet, with a possible new terminus at Cannards Grave, on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in 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...
, running between Cranmore
Cranmore railway station
-Services:Various services are provided throughout the year, mainly in the Summer months to all stations to Mendip Vale and occasionally, specials are run to Westbury...
and Mendip Vale
Mendip Vale railway station
-Services:All trains terminate at Mendip Vale, with a 5-10 minute wait while the engine runs round to change ends.-Facilities:Visitors are encouraged to leave the train and watch the engine run round. A footpath has been constructed between the platform and Maesdown Road, to allow public access to...
. Prior to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, the railway ran from Witham
Witham (Somerset) railway station
Witham railway station was a station serving the Somerset village of Witham Friary and was located on the Frome to Yeovil section of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway that opened in 1856...
to Wells
Wells (Priory Road) railway station
Wells was a railway station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Wells in the county of Somerset in England. Opening on 15 March 1859 as Wells, on the Somerset Central Railway, at that time a broad-gauge line operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway, it was the terminus of the branch from...
, meeting both the Cheddar Valley line
Cheddar Valley line
The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried....
and Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
at the latter station.
History
The line was incorporated on 5 June 1856 and was built as a broad gaugeBroad 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 :...
line. The line was originally between Witham
Witham Friary
Witham Friary is a small village and civil parish located between the Somerset towns of Frome and Bruton. It is in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the ancient Forest of Selwood.- History :...
railway station
Witham (Somerset) railway station
Witham railway station was a station serving the Somerset village of Witham Friary and was located on the Frome to Yeovil section of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway that opened in 1856...
and Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
and this line opened on 9 November 1858. It was later extended to Wells; this part of the line was opened on 1 March 1862. The East Somerset Railway was bought by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
on 2 December 1874.
In 1878, the GWR joined the East Somerset line with the Cheddar Valley line
Cheddar Valley line
The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried....
to Wells, which had been built 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...
, by obtaining running rights over a section of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
and running its trains through the S&DJR Wells station at Priory Road
Wells (Priory Road) railway station
Wells was a railway station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Wells in the county of Somerset in England. Opening on 15 March 1859 as Wells, on the Somerset Central Railway, at that time a broad-gauge line operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway, it was the terminus of the branch from...
, though GWR trains did not stop at Priory Road until 1934. The broad gauge railway caused difficulties where it connected with other lines and, in 1892, it was converted 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...
. At this stage, the main traffic became the through trains from Yatton
Yatton railway station
Yatton railway station serves the village of Yatton in North Somerset, England. It is west of Bristol Temple Meads railway station on the Bristol to Taunton Line.-History:...
to Witham and the East Somerset Railway station in Wells closed, with Wells (Tucker Street)
Wells (Tucker Street) railway station
Wells railway station was the second terminus station on the Bristol and Exeter Railway's Cheddar Valley line in Somerset after the extension from the first terminus at Cheddar was opened...
becoming the station for the city on the line. The Yatton to Witham service remained in use with the GWR and later BR
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
until passenger service finally ceased in 1963 as a result of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, however trains carrying bitumen continued until 1985.
Preservation
In 1972, the artist David ShepherdDavid Shepherd (artist)
Richard David Shepherd CBE FRSA FGRA is a British artist and one of the world's most outspoken conservationists. He is most famous for his paintings of wildlife, although he also often paints steam railways, aircraft and landscapes...
purchased Cranmore station and a section of the track to house and run his two locomotives; the BR
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
2-10-0 Class 9F
BR standard class 9F
The British Railways BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for British Railways by Robert Riddles. The Class 9F was the last in a series of standardised locomotive classes designed for British Railways during the 1950s, and was intended for use on fast, heavy freight...
No. 92203 "Black Prince" and BR
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Standard 4 4-6-0
BR standard class 4 4-6-0
The British Railways Standard Class 4 4-6-0 is a class of steam locomotives, 80 of which were built during the 1950s. Six have been preserved.-Background:...
No. 75029 'The Green Knight'. In 1973, the line opened offering Brake Van rides before extending first to Merryfield in 1980 and then to Mendip Vale and into Cranmore station itself in 1985.
Today the railway plays host to a variety of preserved diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
and steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
locomotives.
The East Somerset Railway only operates the line between Cranmore
Cranmore railway station
-Services:Various services are provided throughout the year, mainly in the Summer months to all stations to Mendip Vale and occasionally, specials are run to Westbury...
, Cranmore West
Cranmore West railway station
-Facilities:The station provides visitors with toilets and a picnic area. Access is provided to the engine shed and visitors may choose to walk back to Cranmore through the shed.-History:...
, Merryfield Lane Halt
Merryfield Lane railway station
Merryfield Lane Halt is a railway station at the summit of the East Somerset Railway. It was built in 1981 and originally served as the terminus of the railway. -Services:...
and Mendip Vale
Mendip Vale railway station
-Services:All trains terminate at Mendip Vale, with a 5-10 minute wait while the engine runs round to change ends.-Facilities:Visitors are encouraged to leave the train and watch the engine run round. A footpath has been constructed between the platform and Maesdown Road, to allow public access to...
. Between the last two sections, the train runs through the Doulting Railway Cutting
Doulting Railway Cutting
Doulting Railway Cutting is a 2.8 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1971.The cutting was made in the 1850s for the East Somerset Railway which still runs steam trains through the cutting today....
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. The section between Cranmore and the mainline
Heart of Wessex Line
The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
is used for heavy quarry traffic
Mendip Rail
Mendip Rail Ltd is an independent freight operating railway company in Great Britain. It is composed of the rail-operation divisions of Aggregate Industries and Hanson Aggregates ....
to the nearby Merehead Quarry.
In 1991, a new station building was constructed at Cranmore which now includes a cafe, booking office, gift shop and toilets. The platform then extends to the old station which is now a museum and past red telephone box
Red telephone box
The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar, and despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, red boxes can still be seen in many places and in current or former...
(one of only 50 made) which incorporates a stamp machine and post box,
produced some time around 1927.
Opposite the platform is a 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...
dating from 1904 and is the standard GWR pattern of the period.
Close to Cranmore station are the engine shed and workshop which were built in 1973.
An order by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2005 allowed a further 600 metres of track to be used.
On 25 March 2007, the East Somerset Railway announced that it had received a £7,500 grant from Shepton 21 Group, a local organisation, set up to regenerate the area around Shepton Mallet. The money will be spent on conducting a feasibility study into extending the line towards Shepton Mallet, with a possible new terminus at Cannards Grave, on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet.
Events
The railway hosts several events throughout the year- "Spring into steam"
- "Mendip steam dream"
- Santa SpecialSanta SpecialA Santa Special is a special Christmas rail service, common on heritage steam railways ,, where children are given the opportunity to meet "Santa Claus"....
trains - "The way we were" days
- "Vintage vehicle steam gala"