S&D at Midsomer Norton - track extension approved

The S&DRHT at Midsomer Norton have received planning permission to extend rails south towards Chilcompton.

The permission enables double tracks to the limit of BANES (Bath and North East Somerset) territory and will bring the Trust to within about 1/3 of a mile of Chilcompton cutting.

More information on the Trust website:
Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust - Homepage

Associated documents are also viewable on the BANES planning site:
PublicAccess @ Bath & North East Somerset

 

Brilliant news! How long will the line be when completed? Is there plans for a halt/round-round loop at a temperary terminus? What is the next step? Assuming Chilcompton is the ultimate destination for the time being? Sorry for so many questions, have always loved the S&D and I don't live a million miles away (Trowbridge)

 

S&D at Midsomer Norton - track extension approved

Good news. I never thought that after almost 50 years since closure I'd get a chance to travel on the Bath Extension.

 

Ive been following the progress via their facebook thread(very interesting with lots of progress pictures, they also answer questionsvery quickly). They have three stages, stage 1 is the completion including the signalingof the MSN station site, which should be done all being well by the years end.Stage 2 involves the laying of up and down line to the current stage 2 boundaryalong with some other works to. Stage 3 is the new halt at Chillcompton (wellnot the village the MSN side of the filled cutting). There will be a run roundloop for the time being, but they plan to extend the double track up there intime.

Talk of Silver Street bridge is just that, they are pushing on verysuccessfully with the three planned stages. Once they are complete, I wouldassume thought will change to the other direction but through there ownadmission its going to cost mega bucks to do.

Ive been very impressed with the answers and progress they've made, none ofthis 'we are going to rebuild the whole line' bla bla.

Regards
Great Western.

 

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

Great Western is pretty much spot on with the synopsis of the three phases - these will take a good few years to complete. Presently, motive power is diesel but as the phases progress, then running steam will probably become an objective - this will inevitably take resources that are currently directed to restoration of infrastructure.

The Trust has steady momentum, but a great deal to do before any approaches on the in-filled Chilcompton cutting or the missing Silver Street bridge arise - the Washford group relocation will probably feature beforehand. Fortunately, the sections of trackbed in question are in rural Somerset and safe for the foreseeable.

Somerset & Dorset Railway | Facebook

There is a open weekend coming up on 23 & 24 June should any reviewers be interested in seeing more.

 

Just a quick question.

Do the trust intend to restore the line to double track throughout their length ?
Would be brilliant if they do, as the GCR is a large mainline, and Midsomer Norton, is more rural.

 

....the Washford group relocation will probably feature beforehand.

Is this a freudian slip indicating that the S & DR Trust are moving to MN?

 

The current plan is for the extension to Chicompton to be single with a run round loop at the new halt and end of the line for the near future. I would assume over the decades to come double track will feature on the sections that were orginally.

I was following another S&D group but I got fed up with the 'we are going to rebuild the whole line bla bla, oil is running out bla bla'. The MSN crew seem to be focused on their small but expanding section of the S&D no grand dream land plans to rebuild the whole line from Bath to Bournemouth, not forgetting about Burnham ! I would push people who already havent seen the trusts facebook page, more or less weekly progress pictures are posted and any questions are very quickly answered.

Regards
Great Western.

 

Apologies if it implied such - the comment was put in an indication on time-scales.

The S&DRHT at Midsomer Norton would like to complete Phase 3 for the 50th anniversary of the line's closure (2016). However, although there is steady progress, achievement of this target may not be possible with current resources (new volunteers joining may prove events otherwise).

The reference was purely an indicator of time-scales for all matters S&D - this volunteer is aware representatives of the S&D preservation groups have met and talked of the Washford situation (no personal involvement), it's understood decisions by the S & DR Trust remain some way in the future.

 

Thank you very much for this supportive comment.

For any unfamiliar with Facebook, you do not need to join or accept anything to look around, it's a treated simply as a repository for photos and project updates (Somerset & Dorset Railway | Facebook).

As such, Facebook its supplementary to the main website (Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust - Homepage), the main site will continue to provide milestone news of progress and broader information of the Trusts work and services.

 

The Somerset and Dorset Facebook page is really informative and they make the effort to answer questions.
The progress in the recent weeks has been amazing .

Keith

 

Travelling on the S&D is easy. Trains still run daily from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn, most of which between Shildon and Thornaby is the S&D route. Sorry lads, but boils my blood when everyone mentions S&D as being down south.

Lets not get me wrong. Wish the project well for reclaiming a line that is no longer used, I would hope to see lines do well nationally, but there are many lines that are trying to get themselves started or grow and there are only so many that will become successful over the longer term. Adding more sometimes isnt the right answer, even if some have what is supposed to be Cult status.

 

I totally agree with your point, however I would say those lines who set up shop on some old line going from nowhere to nowhere with dream land plans to rebuild the whole branch or mainline are doomed to fail. The MSN team have spent nearly 10yrs getting to this point, where they can actually run trains for the public. Yes they have a missing bridge one end and a deep in filled cutting at the other, both of which are going to cost millions to remove/fill. But no one is saying that is on the radar anytime soon and they acknowledge that these two projects are very very long term goals.

The standard of workmanship the people at MSN have undertaken would put some Network Rail lines to shame!. If they can rebuild as little as a mile of former Somerset and Dorset Railway then that’s something for us to treasure in the years to come.

The 'new age' DMU and mothballed freight line project might not succeed line term, but as I say MSN is 10yrs in the making much like the Waverley Heritage Project they are in a similar situation with nearly a decade of work undertaken before public trains run.

Good Luck to them I say.

Regards
Great Western.

 

Where is the engine shed at Midsomer Norton going to be built, if one is intended? Not in the station area as there is no space?

 

I can't fully comment on this at the moment as the Trust are reviewing options. The original 'Somervale sidings' (50 years from the Signal box on the 'up' line) have OKs from landowner and a point is already in place - however it is on a quite steep slope and it may prove expensive to build a substantial structure. Hope you understand can't say more on this until the Trust has formalised decisions.

 

Completely understand...good luck with your important extension proposals.

 

Lack of space until Silver Street is bridged is going to be quite a challenge, but it has the advantage that hopefully only stock that is absolutely necessary will be allowed on the site. In the meantime having the Mk1s refurbished of-site seems a good way to go.

Dave

 

Sensible management of space going on here! Just as a matter of interest how far north of Silver St is actually clear and available?