West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
Encyclopedia
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust is a group based on the preserved West Somerset Railway
, Somerset
, England
. It a registered charity and one of the oldest institutions on the line, being formed in November 1972 with the intention of running summer steam services alongside the year-round commercial WSR company operations.
In early 2007, the Trust embarked on an ambitious project to restore two rakes of GWR coaches for use on the West Somerset Railway
. Some of these are already on the railway, but others will be brought from abroad. The first of these, No 6705, has been acquired from Steamtown USA
, part of the National Park Service
, based in Scranton, Pennsylvania
.
BCK 6705 was refurbished at Swindon
and taken to the USA by a private enthusiast, F Nelson Blount in 1967. After his death in the same year it was managed by a museum called Steamtown USA. In the 1980’s this became Steamtown Historic Site. The mission of Steamtown is to interpret the impact of steam railroading on the USA, so 6705 was out of place with the rest of the collection and not high on the list for preservation. The coach was moved to Halifax in early February 2007, and shipped to Newport on the mv Fairlift. Since then the coach has been moved to Crewe
for storage until funds can be raised for restoration.
Meanwhile, the Trust has begun the process of acquiring other coaches for restoration.
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It a registered charity and one of the oldest institutions on the line, being formed in November 1972 with the intention of running summer steam services alongside the year-round commercial WSR company operations.
Re-invigoration
The Trust became moribund and in the mid-1980s was revitalized to coincide with the GW150 celebrations. It is now concerned with the historical and educational aspects of railway preservation in West Somerset and since 1984, has made financial contributions to the restoration of GWR steam locomotives 4561 and 4160, rescued the unique GWR sleeping car, established a GWR museum, registering system and archive; published information leaflets and advised on historical matters. The Trust is one of the largest shareholders in the current WSR Plc.Administration
The Trust is administered by five voluntary directors and cannot dispose of items it owns, so gifts and bequests remain safe for the future. In the unlikely event of the Trust being wound up, its property could only be passed to another similar trust. Because of this, people who have collected railway items, rolling stock or shares etc which they wish to remain safe for the future may feel that a charitable body such as the Trust is the best organisation to which to bequeath them.Aims
Among the Trust’s current aims are:- To restore the 1897 GWR sleeping car 9038 and GW Toplight coach 3639.
- To administer the museum at Blue Anchor railway stationBlue Anchor railway stationBlue Anchor railway station is situated in the seaside village of Blue Anchor, Somerset, England and close to the larger village of Carhampton. It is on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway and houses the museum of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust.-History:Blue Anchor Excursion...
- To assist with other projects such as the restoration of steam locomotives and other historic railway items to be used or displayed in West Somerset
- To act as a repository for the safekeeping of items of railway interest which may be donated, loaned or bequeathed.
- To research the history of the MineheadMineheadMinehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
branch. The Trust has recently published an extensive history of the railway.
In early 2007, the Trust embarked on an ambitious project to restore two rakes of GWR coaches for use on the West Somerset Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
. Some of these are already on the railway, but others will be brought from abroad. The first of these, No 6705, has been acquired from Steamtown USA
Steamtown National Historic Site
Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad . The museum is built around a working replica turntable and a roundhouse that is...
, part of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, based in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
BCK 6705 was refurbished at Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
and taken to the USA by a private enthusiast, F Nelson Blount in 1967. After his death in the same year it was managed by a museum called Steamtown USA. In the 1980’s this became Steamtown Historic Site. The mission of Steamtown is to interpret the impact of steam railroading on the USA, so 6705 was out of place with the rest of the collection and not high on the list for preservation. The coach was moved to Halifax in early February 2007, and shipped to Newport on the mv Fairlift. Since then the coach has been moved to Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
for storage until funds can be raised for restoration.
Meanwhile, the Trust has begun the process of acquiring other coaches for restoration.