Shillingstone railway station
Encyclopedia
Shillingstone railway station was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
(S&DJR), serving the village of Shillingstone
in the English county of Dorset
. Opened in 1863, the station was located between and stations, although between 1928 and 1956 the next station south was Stourpaine and Durweston Halt
. Shillingstone is the last surviving example of a station built by the Dorset Central Railway (one of the forerunners of the S&DJR).
The station closed in 1966, when services were withdrawn from the S&DJR route. Since 2001, enthusiasts have been working to re-open the station as a heritage railway
attraction. The main building has now been renovated, and opened to the public as a museum, shop and refreshment room in 2008.
(LSWR). In 1875, the Midland Railway
and the LSWR together took over a joint lease of the line, forming the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
.
At the 'Grouping
' of 1923, the Somerset & Dorset Railway Company was dissolved, the lease terminated, and the line and stations became the joint property of the Southern Railway
and the London Midland and Scottish Railway companies.
Shillingstone station became part of the Southern Region of British Railways
when the railways were nationalised in 1948. The regional boundaries later changed several times and the station was subsequently transferred to the Western Region
, the final (January 1963) boundary being somewhere between Shillingstone and Blandford.
After a prolonged run-down of services, including the closure of freight and goods services on 5 April 1965, the station was closed, along with the remaining former S&DJR lines, on 7 March 1966, as a result of the Beeching Axe
. The station was fully staffed until closure. Track-lifting commenced in 1967, Shillingstone being tackled between March and May. The signal box and platform shelters were demolished at this time, and the last train through the station was the demolition train, hauled by a small diesel
shunter.
Dorset County Council
purchased the trackbed for a proposed Shillingstone by-pass
. Various furniture manufacturing companies were sited in the station yard, over the years, occupying industrial buildings constructed in the late 1970s, some of them making partial use of the station building. By December 2002, the by-pass plan had been shelved and the station was unoccupied. Dorset County Council decided to dispose of the redundant station, and, after protracted negotiations, the North Dorset Railway Trust took over the lease in July 2005, with a view to re-open the station as a heritage railway
attraction. Restoration work commenced in 2003 and has continued steadily since then (see "Shillingstone Railway Project").
A length of trackbed around Shillingstone has been opened as a section of the North Dorset Trailway, providing an easy-access route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. At Shillingstone station the trailway is routed up and along the down platform, providing a clear view of the restored buildings.
The station was important as a passing place on a stretch of single line – the longest such passing loop
on the section between and Blandford. There was a small goods yard to the north of the station, on the up side, with a cattle dock, a small goods shed
, and a 5-ton crane
. There was also a siding at the end of the passing loop on the down side, just to the south of the station which could accommodate a 14 coach train. The yard, the siding and the passing loop were controlled from a signal box
at the north end of the up platform.
mainline with loop through the platforms.
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...
(S&DJR), serving the village of Shillingstone
Shillingstone
Shillingstone is a village in the Blackmore Vale area of north Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour between Sturminster Newton and Blandford Forum...
in the English county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. Opened in 1863, the station was located between and stations, although between 1928 and 1956 the next station south was Stourpaine and Durweston Halt
Stourpaine and Durweston railway station
Stourpaine & Durweston Halt was a station in the English county of Dorset. It was located between Shillingstone and Blandford Forum on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The station consisted of a small concrete platform and shelter.-History:...
. Shillingstone is the last surviving example of a station built by the Dorset Central Railway (one of the forerunners of the S&DJR).
The station closed in 1966, when services were withdrawn from the S&DJR route. Since 2001, enthusiasts have been working to re-open the station as a heritage railway
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...
attraction. The main building has now been renovated, and opened to the public as a museum, shop and refreshment room in 2008.
History
The station was opened on 31 August 1863 by the Somerset and Dorset Railway, although planned and designed by one of its two predecessors, the Dorset Central Railway. Initial train services were provided by 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). In 1875, the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and the LSWR together took over a joint lease of the line, forming 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...
.
At the 'Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
' of 1923, the Somerset & Dorset Railway Company was dissolved, the lease terminated, and the line and stations became the joint property of the 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...
and the London Midland and Scottish Railway companies.
Shillingstone station became part of the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
when the railways were nationalised in 1948. The regional boundaries later changed several times and the station was subsequently transferred to the Western Region
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
, the final (January 1963) boundary being somewhere between Shillingstone and Blandford.
After a prolonged run-down of services, including the closure of freight and goods services on 5 April 1965, the station was closed, along with the remaining former S&DJR lines, on 7 March 1966, 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...
. The station was fully staffed until closure. Track-lifting commenced in 1967, Shillingstone being tackled between March and May. The signal box and platform shelters were demolished at this time, and the last train through the station was the demolition train, hauled by a small 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...
shunter.
Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council is the county council of the Dorset in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
purchased the trackbed for a proposed Shillingstone by-pass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
. Various furniture manufacturing companies were sited in the station yard, over the years, occupying industrial buildings constructed in the late 1970s, some of them making partial use of the station building. By December 2002, the by-pass plan had been shelved and the station was unoccupied. Dorset County Council decided to dispose of the redundant station, and, after protracted negotiations, the North Dorset Railway Trust took over the lease in July 2005, with a view to re-open the station as a heritage railway
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...
attraction. Restoration work commenced in 2003 and has continued steadily since then (see "Shillingstone Railway Project").
A length of trackbed around Shillingstone has been opened as a section of the North Dorset Trailway, providing an easy-access route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. At Shillingstone station the trailway is routed up and along the down platform, providing a clear view of the restored buildings.
Configuration
The station is located on the outskirts of the village, to the north-east. It has two platforms, with brick buildings on the 'up' (north-bound) platform and (originally) a simple wooden waiting shelter on the much longer 'down' platform. The main station building has a substantial wooden awning over the platform. During its original working life, lighting was provided by oil lamps, there being no electricity supply. (A supply has since been installed.)The station was important as a passing place on a stretch of single line – the longest such passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
on the section between and Blandford. There was a small goods yard to the north of the station, on the up side, with a cattle dock, a small 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...
, and a 5-ton crane
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
. There was also a siding at the end of the passing loop on the down side, just to the south of the station which could accommodate a 14 coach train. The yard, the siding and the passing loop were controlled from 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...
at the north end of the up platform.
Shillingstone Railway Project
The 21st century has seen the station taken on by the Shillingstone Railway Project (North Dorset Railway Trust or NDRT). The medium-term aim is to restore the current lease area (46 mile to 46 mile from Bath Junction) which equates to 1200 feet (366 m) of single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
mainline with loop through the platforms.
Services
External links
- Shillingstone Station Project Official Website
- Station on navigable O.S. map
- After Closure: Un-official Shillingstone Station Project Pages – early photographs of restoration, 1993–2004
- http://nickhowes-sdjr-midsomer-norton.fotopic.net/c1684908.html - Shillingstone restoration progress on fotopic.net