Williton railway station
Encyclopedia
Williton railway station is a station
in Williton
, Somerset
, England. It was opened by the West Somerset Railway
in 1862 and closed by British Rail
early in 1971. It was subsequently reopened in 1976 by the present day West Somerset Railway, a heritage line
. Locomotive workshops are situated here and it is the headquarters of the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group (DEPG).
and . Just a single platform
was provided, on the left side of trains travelling towards Watchet. In 1874 a second track and platform was opened and trains could then pass in the station; a new road bridge was built at the south end of the station before the loop was opened, but the level crossing
next to the platform was left in place. The railway was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
which became a part of the Great Western Railway
in 1876, but the West Somerset Railway remained an independent company until 1922 when it too was absorbed by the Great Western. In both 1907 and again in 1937 the passing loop was extended to allow longer trains to pass at Williton. Nationalisation in 1948 saw the line become a part of the Western Region of British Railways
but was closed on 4 January 1971.
On 28 August 1976 a new West Somerset Railway reopened the station. It was the terminus of the line from until 7 May 1978 when the line was extended to . The goods shed
was converted for use by the DEPG as a locomotive workshop; this has since been supplemented by a purpose-built workshop nearby. At the far end of the station yard is a pre-fabricated building that is used for steam locomotive and coach overhauls by the West Somerset Railway Association, the volunteer supporters of the West Somerset Railway; it was originally erected at Swindon Works
in 1899 and is Grade II listed and was donated by Tarmac Ltd following the closure of the works.
stations of the 1860s complete with an Italianate chimney. Next door is a small cafe and beyond that is the signal box
which dates from 1875, the only Bristol and Exeter Railway one still in use. It operates the signals and overlooks the level crossing at the souh end of the station. Beyond this is a small store which dates from 1862, and the road bridge. On the other side of the station building is the goods shed, now used as a diesel heritage visitor centre, and the locomotive workshops.
The opposite platform was initially built in 1874, and has always been the site of a wooden waiting room. Behind this is a box
hedge garden which is over 100 years old.
The newspaper kiosk, plate layers hut, signal box, waiting room and east platform and booking office are listed buildings.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Williton
Williton
Williton is a medium-sized village and civil parish in West Somerset, England. It has many of the facilities of a small town, being the administrative centre for the district. Williton is situated at the junction of the A39, A358 and B3191 roads...
, 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 by 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...
in 1862 and closed by British Rail
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...
early in 1971. It was subsequently reopened in 1976 by the present day West Somerset Railway, a heritage line
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...
. Locomotive workshops are situated here and it is the headquarters of the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group (DEPG).
History
The station was first opened on 31 March 1862 when the West Somerset Railway started operations between Norton JunctionNorton Fitzwarren railway station
Norton Fitzwarren railway station is an untimetabled station on the West Somerset Railway in Somerset, England. It was built in 2009 about north of the site of the old station that served the village of Norton Fitzwarren from 1873 until 1961...
and . Just a single 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...
was provided, on the left side of trains travelling towards Watchet. In 1874 a second track and platform was opened and trains could then pass in the station; a new road bridge was built at the south end of the station before the loop was opened, but the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
next to the platform was left in place. The railway was operated 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...
which became a part of 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...
in 1876, but the West Somerset Railway remained an independent company until 1922 when it too was absorbed by the Great Western. In both 1907 and again in 1937 the passing loop was extended to allow longer trains to pass at Williton. Nationalisation in 1948 saw the line become a part of the Western Region of British Railways
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...
but was closed on 4 January 1971.
On 28 August 1976 a new West Somerset Railway reopened the station. It was the terminus of the line from until 7 May 1978 when the line was extended to . The 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 converted for use by the DEPG as a locomotive workshop; this has since been supplemented by a purpose-built workshop nearby. At the far end of the station yard is a pre-fabricated building that is used for steam locomotive and coach overhauls by the West Somerset Railway Association, the volunteer supporters of the West Somerset Railway; it was originally erected at Swindon Works
Swindon Works
Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire.-History:In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of a railway between London and Bristol. Its Chief Engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel.From 1836, Brunel had been buying...
in 1899 and is Grade II listed and was donated by Tarmac Ltd following the closure of the works.
Description
The main station building is on the northbound platform and is typical of a Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol 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...
stations of the 1860s complete with an Italianate chimney. Next door is a small cafe and beyond that is the 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...
which dates from 1875, the only Bristol and Exeter Railway one still in use. It operates the signals and overlooks the level crossing at the souh end of the station. Beyond this is a small store which dates from 1862, and the road bridge. On the other side of the station building is the goods shed, now used as a diesel heritage visitor centre, and the locomotive workshops.
The opposite platform was initially built in 1874, and has always been the site of a wooden waiting room. Behind this is a box
Buxus
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
hedge garden which is over 100 years old.
The newspaper kiosk, plate layers hut, signal box, waiting room and east platform and booking office are listed buildings.