More Somerset & Dorset

BR Class 5 '73051' passes Cole with the Up Pines Express on 3 February 1962.
This was the Centenary Year of the S&D as well as being the last year that
the Pines ran over the line.

BR Class 8F '48737' stands on Templecombe Shed on 5 May 1965.

 BR Class 4MT '80081' also on Templecombe Shed on 5 May 1965.

The same loco is here seen leaving Cole on 17 April 1965 with
the 13:10 Bath to Templecombe train.

BR Class 9F '92238 approaches Cole with a Warwickshire Locomotive Society special
from Paddington to Bournemouth.

It has been a while since I published some of the many photographs that I have that were taken by John Day during the 1960s. 

So, since my previous post concerned the Somerset and Dorset Railway, I thought that I would follow up with five of John's excellent photos taken at Templecombe and Cole in 1962 and 1965.

If only it were possible, today, to travel from Bath Green Park to Templecombe and, then, on to Bournemouth West.

This was an important route between the North & Midlands and the South Coast. It was a useful link then and would still be today had the decision not been taken to close it.

The day may yet come when it might reopen, in part if not in its entirety. But that day is a long way off and would take a major change of heart on behalf of the Government. 

Until that day arrives we must content ourselves with looking at the many wonderful photographs we have of the line, such as those above, and thank the many dedicated photographers, like John, who went out and captured this very special railway on film.

The Serene & Delightful S&D

Living, as I do, in Wincanton I have great affection for the much-missed Somerset and Dorset Railway, which ran from Bath Green Park to Bournemouth West. 

It also had three branch lines that ran from Evercreech Junction to Highbridge & Burnham on Sea; from Glastonbury & Street to Wells Priory Road and from Edington Junction to Bridgwater North.

The Wells and Bridgwater branches closed in 1951 and 1952, respectively, while the rest of the S&D closed to passengers on 6th March 1966.

I was a regular traveller on the line and even rode on the last service train between Wincanton and Templecombe on Saturday 5th March - a very sad day indeed.

Some time ago I acquired seven colour 35 mm slides taken of the S&D and, the other day, I scanned them and, now, present them on this blog for others to see.

I have no idea who took them so, alas, I cannot credit them. I also do not know the dates on which they were taken but must assume they were all captured during the 1960s.

The first two photographs here were taken at Bath Green Park with the first of these showing a Class 2P 4-4-0 Nº 40564 at the head of a train in the middle road at Bath.

In the next photo a BR Standard Class 4MT 75007 is standing at the arrivals platform with what I believe is a train for the S&D rather than one for Bristol TM.

Moving down the line to Combe Down tunnel, we have next a BR Class 4 75073 double-heading a down express as the train emerges from the southern portal of the tunnel. The train engine is not very clear but looks like an S&D 7F 2-8-0.

Travelling down the line a little further we arrive at Radstock North where we see a Class 3F 0-6-0 'Jinty' (Nº 47316) heading northwards with a coal train.

The final three photos were all taken at Midsomer Norton with the first of these being another 'Jinty' (Nº 47275) at the head of another coal train. The last two pictures show south-bound passenger trains calling at the station. The first is an unidentified and somewhat grubby BR Class 9F 2-10-0 while the second one is a BR Standard Class 5, Nº 73073 - I think.