Shillingstone Railway Project

The Shillingstone Railway Project now known as North Dorset Railway (CIO) (formerly the Shillingstone Station Project and The North Dorset Railway Trust) is a heritage railway based at Shillingstone railway station on the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.[1] The present aim is to restore the current leased length of one quarter of a mile of 1,200 feet (370 m) single track mainline with a passing loop between the platforms. Double track has been laid through the station using 95 bullhead rail extending to the current northern and southern boundaries. A siding to serve the loading dock will soon be completed. A planning application has been submitted (December 2020) to extend a single track north over Lamb House Bridge to Bere Marsh, with the ultimate aim to provide a rail link to Sturminster Newton, working in harmony with the North Dorset Trailway. The signal box, down platform shelter, permanent way huts, signals and pole route have been rebuilt. The NDRT rebuilt the 400 foot down platform wall and replaced and repaired the platform edge slabs. The North Dorset Trailway has been rerouted to run alongside the 395-foot (120 m) 'down' platform on a new embankment. There is a small but rapidly developing museum on site. The Station Gardens are also a prominent feature for the 28,000 visitors that come annually. The NDR membership continues to grow and in 2020 exceeded 500.

Main building at Shillingstone Station being refurbished in Southern Railway colours, October 2007

Buildings

The main station building currently houses a cafe and shop with recently upgraded toilet facilities which include a designated accessible toilet and baby changing facilities. The registered museum displays some of the artefacts donated over the years. The Signal box has been rebuilt and fitted with one signal. The south end of the up platform has been rebuilt and the picnic area above landscaped with a colourful garden - an outdoor 'O' scale model railway was built there but was removed in 2019. A new siding was laid to accommodate the catering carriage at present outside the main station platform which serves as additional café accommodation and is available for hire for private functions. The down platform waiting shelter has been rebuilt in its original position and serves as storage.

Stations
  • Sturminster Newton - A long term aim of the NDR is to restore the line to Sturminster Newton as stated in the current NDR literature. The 'Railway Garden' in the centre of the town commemorates the previous route of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. NDR has engaged with local councillors and officers to plan a gateway feature including a signal, interpretation boards and a level crossing gate as the trackbed enters Sturminster Newton.
  • Shillingstone - the base for North Dorset Railway - the only remaining station built to a Dorset Central Railway design in 1863
  • Stourpaine & Durweston Halt - in private hands

Activity

In 2009, 210 feet (64 m) of the up main track through the station was laid and ballasted using 110a and 113a flat bottom rail and wooden sleepers. The Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter was moved from the isolated goods dock. This was the first standard gauge loco on the Somerset & Dorset mainline south of the Mendips and north of Blandford, since the demolition train departed in July 1967, exactly 42 years before.

Progress in 2010 included acquiring a tracked Priestman Mustang excavator, finishing construction of the up platform wall, regrading of the cattle dock track bed and preparations for track-laying, and the connection of the station to the mains drainage system.

A two-road mechanical maintenance workshop was donated to the Trust in 2013 to support the extension of the line towards Sturminster Newton. Unfortunately the dismantled workshop proved unsuitable being too large for the available site and had to be sold in 2018 to release the land to enable the track to be laid towards Sturminster Newton.

On 9 and 10 May 2015 two new arrivals were added to the stations fleet, a class 48DS 4wd Ruston a long time since the previous Ruston was sold. This arrived along with an ex-virgin cross-country kitchen coach No.11062. This coach was sold in 2019.

In 2015 a class 08 shunter, in need of significant restoration, was bought by the NDRT. Following a reappraisal of priorities and finances the 08 was sold for use on the Gwendreath Valley Railway who are delighted with its return to its 'home' line. This class 08 (No.08 995) low cabbed version is only one of three survivors of this variant which were adapted specifically for this Welsh line.

A small diesel locomotive 'Ashdown' arrived in 2020. Restoration work on Project 62's steam engine (30075) continues whilst its boiler is restored offsite. 30076 remains as it was when delivered in 2015. As COVID began to impact on finances the previously planned purchase of a "Pacer" unit was cancelled.

In 2017 land donated to the Trust to support the extension of the line was the object of preparations by the NDRT committee to sell it to an adjacent landowner who was a Trustee. In 2020 the Trustees of the North Dorset Railway publicly clarified that the land was not sold, but instead leased earning the railway an income.

History

After the closure of Shillingstone railway station on 7 March 1966, and a few years post closure, the Dorset County Council purchased the trackbed for a proposed Shillingstone by-pass.

Various furniture manufacturing companies were sited in the former station yard, and over 1970s, industrial buildings were constructed, some of them making partial use of the station building.

By December 2002, the by-pass plan had been shelved and the station was derelict.

Dorset County Council decided to dispose of the redundant station, and, after protracted negotiations, lasting from 1998 to 2005, the North Dorset Railway Trust took signed a lease for the former station site.

The Trust's plan is to reopen the station as a tourist attraction, and restore the site to as it looked in the 1950s and 60s.

Restoration work commenced in 2006, and over the years, the main building was repaired, a replica signal box with a correct Stevens frame and tablet machines, was constructed by volunteers. The Porters office was reconstructed, and the Parcels office restored. Track was laid in the loading dock and between the platforms. This work is now nearing completion.

Rolling stock

Coaches
  • MK1 BR M25424 Built 1957. Purchased by the Swanage Railway, but was sold to Shillingstone in 2011.

Wagons
  • Senior Naval Stores Officer (SNSO), 10 ton 4w van, SNSO 535. Built in 1910 for the Admiralty initially at Chatham Dockyard, later at Gosport. Purchased from Gosport in March 1984 and moved to West Somerset Railway. In 2005 this van was sold to Shillingstone. Currently under restoration.
  • Esso 4w Fuel Oil Tank 3957, Departmental No DB999088, Internal user number 083548. Ex Bournemouth West depot waste oil tanker then was bought by the Swanage railway, before moving to Shillingstone.
  • L&NWR 4w Non-Vent 10 Ton Box Van, Diagram number 88, Navy number RNAD 335, ex RNAD Bedenham. Moved from Washford to Shillingstone Feb 2016. Currently under restoration.
  • GWR 10t Ventilated Van 11451 (Code: MINK) Built by GWR at Swindon in 1901 on Lot 418 to Diagram V5. Moved from Washford to Shillingstone Feb 2016.
  • BR Dogfish ballast wagon. B983184 moved to Shillingstone from Queenborough Rolling Mill in 2013. The Dogfish & Catfish were BR's standard small ballast hopper wagons, almost 2000 being built. Fitted with vacuum brakes from new, many lasted into the 1990s while a program to fit air-brakes to surviving Dogfish wagons was started in 2000. Despite this, the last examples of both types were withdrawn in 2006.
  • BR ADB904131, 21 ton lowmac transporter wagon, GWR style riveted, Vacuum brake [Diag 2-245 Lot 2592, Built Swindon 1949.

Former Exhibits
  • LMS 20 Ton Brake Van 950194 Scrapped on site.
  • Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter, arrived in 2007 at Sillingstone. 88DS class, works number 466629 Built 1962, supplied new to Ransomes Simms & Jeffries, of Ipswich. Sold to the Whitwell & Reepham Preservation Society 2013.
  • Mk3a Ex-Virgin cross-country Open First buffet coach No.10224 built by British Rail in 1970 at their Derby works. The Mk 3 saw service with British Rail before joining the ranks of Virgin Trains rolling stock where it worked until retirement in 2002. It was then stored until 2005 and was used by the Army for bomb disposal training. Purchased for a nominal sum in May 2015, and moved shortly after to Shillingstone. Sold October 2017, and moved off site.
  • BR Class 08 0-6-0DE No. 08 995 was built at Horwich Works in October 1959 as number D3854, being renumbered 08 687 in February 1974. It has been sold.
  • BR 9F 2-10-0 92207, Built by BR (W) in Swindon "A" Shop during May 1959, 92207 was the 13th-from-last steam locomotive to be built for British Railways. It was part of lot number 429 (the final order for main line steam locomotives by British Rail). The owner has removed it from site and has no plans to return it.
  • Wickham Trolley BR LMR Manchester, Type 17a, Built by D Wickham & Co 27/2/1959, BR No TP57P, Works No 8267. Has not been seen for three years, whereabouts unknown.

See also

References
  1. http://www.shillingstone-railway-project.org.uk /index.html Archived 14 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine

https://www.northdorsetrailway.co.uk/ - official site

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