Shillingstone Signal Box

Chums,
just a wee note an piccy to let you know that the rebuilding of the signal box at Shillingstone is full steam ahead. Stand by for more announcements from deepest Dorset soon but these are exciting times for us.
All the best,

Ralph

 

Fantastic to see another small but iconic part of the old S&D come back to life! Amazing that Shillingstone Stn survived at all but such a good job being done there now. Well done to all concerned! The S&D signal box at Midsomer Norton (South) is a beauty too.

 

well ralph, looks good, well done to all concerned, this will be a useful addition to the emerging site, along with the track purchase is going to make shillingstone an interesting place to be for the forseeable future. maindrainage

 

OOOOOH EYE!!!, thats looking proper, nice to see some proper woodwork too,keep up the reports on the works on it please!

dom s n t nutter!!!(some would say)

 

looks really good. when is it estimated to be finnished. are more funds required to finnish this or has it been raised. will the money for the track put this project to one side. cheers gav

 

hi ralph again, is this work being done useing a volunteer workforce or contract labour, if it is volunteers well done and when do you meet, do you need any help? on looking at your web site, it would seem that things are moving very quickly, from a station project to a now re-named railway project. when do you expect to have working steam on site, i see that it is if my maths are right the shillingstone 150th anniversary in 2013, what are the plans to cellibrate this milestone.maindrainage

 

Gav/Main Drainage,
to try and answer your questions in one go:
More funds are required. We have sufficient money and materials to create a weatherproof structure that looks the part from the outside. Fitting it out with the expensive telegraph equipment and token machines etc will require more money but we are in advanced discussions with a funding source for that (and a few other bits).
As an aside, if the likes of myself are bit cagey or quiet about one or two things (such as the half mile of track + several points that we have just purchased) it's that we don't want to raise false hopes and expectations; rather to make a bit of a fanfare when it's all tied up.
Knowing the guys doing the work, there should be a completed exterior during 2011. Bit of a guess, but a fully working box (like the beautiful example at Midsomer Norton) may not be until 2012, but this is funding dependent.
Gav, to answer your specific point, the track is Shillingstone's number one priority above all else. However, if somebody wants to donate towards a specific project (box, track, buffet car etc), then that money is guaranteed to go to that project.

Main Drainage,
good point about 2013! 2013 (150 years of the S&D) and 2016 (50 years since closure) are dates that are very much on Shillingstone's radar. By 2013 the Trust will have delivered a fully tracked site with working signal box, a freight train, buffet car, and a working resident steam engine. Other visitors and jamborees are being planned and you will hear more about this as we get into 2011 and 2012.

You asked about volunteers. Our new membership secretary is keeping a database of volunteer interest and skills so that we can make the best progress that members enjoy partaking in. If you want to get involved the best thing is to either contact the Station directly, or else PM me and I will put you in touch with someone who can sort you out. Many thanks for asking!

I can't emphasise enough that we have a new management, new volunteers and some new money and that these are exciting times. If anyone has any questions at all relating to Shillingstone, do feel free to PM me.

Happy New Year everybody!

All the best,

Ralph

 

hi ralph, thanks for the info,with re-guard to 2013 has anyone thought about asking the west somerset railway if the s&d 7f would be available,what a result this would be,a 7f on the southern section since 1963/4.

 

Maindrainage,
forgive me but I'm going to be a bit cagey responding on that one as I don't want to seemingly promise something that we don't/can't ultimately deliver. However, 2013 and 2016 should, if properly handled, represent big cash cows for all the S&D groups and one of our team in particular has already put in a lot of work negotiating various events and attractions with outside parties.
Expect something big, and also expect to see at least one (working) locomotive far larger than a track length such as ours would normally support. Sorry for being a bit cryptic but more will follow as details are knwon and confirmed.
All the best,

Ralph

 

Hi chaps, Dorset Wombat here.
Since Ralph's piccy was taken the roof timbers are now in place.
Several engineers have visited the site and are duly impressed by the structure.
Thanks to all who have commented. "Constructive" (pardon the pun) criticism is always well-received and we thank those from other projects such as Midsomer Norton who constructed an excellent example as well.

 

just while the Shillingstone project is open, any news on 92207?

 

Excellent progress down there chaps, really good to see the signal box going up. Just a couple of queries really from an interested bystander:

1. I visited the station shop fairly recently, summer 2009 I think it was, and one of the things I got was a society newsletter/booklet. I don't have it to hand but I'm sure it stated something like: the council would never allow a working railway on the site, so the group was aiming to build a steam centre/restoration workshop rather than an active railway. Has this now changed, and if so, what has caused the change?

2. Was the fairly recently-demolished grain store part of the station scenery when the line was open, or did it only appear after closure?

3. Very pedantic point here, but the timber boards on the 'Morning Star' end of the porters hut go horizontally in old photos such as here http://www.shillingstone.addr.com/SDRTPic16%20Station%20View%202.JPG, and all the way down to the ground. The reconstruction has boards going vertically down and stops at a mid-rail, as shown here http://www.shillingstone.addr.com/Duringrestoration217.JPG It doesn't really matter of course but thought I'd point it out just to be an annoying anorak!

Good luck with the project, the station is looking really good I was very impressed when I last visited. The scheme keeps getting better and better, especially with track and stock coming in!

 

Sorry for the delay in replying, new job and other lame excuses.
No real news other than that the boiler was lifted back in November and is off to Ian Riley to be worked on. The engine is privately owned and not managed by the Railway so forgive me for being a bit vague. If I find out more I will post something up.
Cheers,

Ralph

 

B17,
again, please forgive my delay in replying.

1. Don't want to go into too much detail as running anything other than demonstration trains beyond our present site will mean negotiation with outside players, not least the North Dorset Trailway with whom we have a good relationship. In short, yes expansion is possible but only if it does not preclude the continued use of part of the embankment by the Trailway. Until we reinstate track on the site that we currently operate don't expect to hear much more from us about it, not least because I wouldn't want to set hares running nor jeopardise our changes by shooting my mouth off too soon. By all means PM if you want.

2. It is my understanding that the grain store was in existence during the line's operation.

3. Ah! You got me!

Thanks for your comments. They started work on roofing the signal box today and there might even be some slates on it by next week. A pity it's so cold just now but come the Spring there WILL be more track and stock there.
All the best,

Ralph

 

In fact, have a piccie taken last night (5 Jan). Makes me want to watch 'The Wicker Man' now :tongue1:

 

Thank you for your reply to my questions and the new 'box pic, please keep us updated as and when things happen - it's a really interesting project going on down there!

 

Ralph has said nearly all of it, but the site should hopefully receive a tank wagon in the very near future....watch this space.
Yep, we realised the boards on the Porters Hut were the wrong way, but only after the event. Other anoraks may notice the pitch of the roof is incorrect but we can live with that (for the moment). We are extremely grateful for the positive feedback and 2011 has got off to a great start.

 

A couple more from 8 January; however, they've been going at it full tilt this weekend so when I post again on Wednesday I bet it will look nothing like!

 

....and it just keeps on coming! This is today's view but God only knows what it will look like by the weekend! :clap2:

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