Malc2085

Has Radsto Have you tried Radstock Museum, it has quite a bit of information about the local coal mines and may have something useful.

This working timetable was Reprinted for the S&D Railway Trust in 1984 according to my copy. I must have obtained it from them so it could be a good place to start.

Hi Andrew, excellent work as always, it was very nice to see the update. Scratch ye your head no more, it might be worth having a look at the Scale Model Scenery website (usual disclaimer - as you know I am nothing to do with the company) they advertise lazer cut blue diamond platform coping as being available. https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/lx352-oo-vintage--steam-era-blue-diamond-platform-coping-1120mm---oo4mm176-9466-p.asp.

There is some information regarding the Peat traffic on the branch in the book "50 years on the Railway" by Percy Parsons. It covers his career on the Somerset and Dorset in 1937 when he was a Porter at Edington and Cossington where he describes the peat traffic from Shapwick and Ashcott. To give you a flavour of what the book contains, In 1947 whilst relieving the Porter at Shapwick he sent out up to 30 loaded wagons of peat and loam in a day. Some went to the Eastern Region via Templecombe, Kew, Hackney Wick and Willesden. The loose-loaded loam wagons had to be sent to Highbridge or Evercreech for weighing. Other wagons were loaded with peat Turves. Some wagons were for one consignment whilst others were one, two or more sacks for individuals. The peat traffic in the area was so heavy that empty wagons were always a problem, for a time an additional goods train was run from Highbridge Wharf with empties at 6.30 am. I hope this helps

In the book "An Historical Survey of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Track Layouts and Illustrations" by C.W. Judge and C.R. Potts, Oxford Publishing the track plan dates 1921. It shows two sidings on the North East (Watchfield) side of the Line. There are Cattle Pens marked on the map and they served the line next to the main running line. Adjacent to the Pens there appears to be a loading Dock which also appears to provide an end loading facility on the second siding and head shunt facility for a siding into the United Dairies factory . The signalling diagram which is undated shows a much more comprehensive layout with one loop on the south side of the line, two loops on the Milk factory side of the line. It also states that public goods traffic closed on the 10th June 1963 and Milk traffic closed on 2nd October 1972.

There was a Wickham Trolley shelter at Midsomer Norton on the south side of the line, almost adjacent to the abutments of Silver Street bridge and the junction with Norton Hill Colliery on the Radstock side. There is a picture in the HMRS publication "all about Midsomer Norton, Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway by John F.A.B. Childs. It shows a photograph taken in 1962 of Wickham Trolley B11W in the trolley shed.

Does anyone on this forum have knowledge of any trader or individual that produces etched windows for Midsomer Norton (or any building on the Northern Extension) Station Buildings and Goods Shed in 4mm please. Trying to save myself time and effort. Thanks in anticpation.

Most of the points raised about Passenger trains coming from Bridgwater to Edington Junction are covered in the recent book "Percy Parsons 50 years on The Railway" (Kingfisher Productions 2019), writing about the time that he was Porter Grade II at Edington and Relief (Page 16). He joined the S & D in 1937 and then on the Western Region at Highbridge when the S & D closed, retiring in 1981 at Bridgwater.

This tank wagon was actually in the yard of Tincknell and Sons, Agricultural Merchants which was directly opposite the Priory Road S & D Station. The yard was accessed via the S & D branch from Glastonbury but of course in BR days when Priory Road was the only remaining goods facility in Wells the branch was the head shunt for the yard. The water tank in the picture was by the S & D Engine Shed. There is a picture in one of the Cheddar Valley Line books of an Esso Tanker in the same siding. Tinknells supplied fuel (and still do) to Farms in a wide area of central Somerset.

I have a photocopy of an old LT Bus Map, not brilliant, unfortunately not dated but says on cover "Bus Map, Central Area including Trolleybuses" (when did they finish?) I have tried to upload the image of the map but it just tells me it is queued, so it has not worked. So here are a list of routes detailed for the Kings Cross area. Euston Road 14, 14a,18, 18a, 30, 63, 77, 77a, 196, then lots of trolleybus routes, 513,613,615,639 in Pancras Road, 517, 521, 617, 621, 659 in Caledonia Road. Details for route 77 given as KINGS CROSS STN,Southampton Row, Kingsway, Aldwych, Strand, Charing Cross, Trafalgar Sq, Whitehall, Westminster, Lambeth Bdg, Vauxhall Clapham Junc, Wandsworth, Earlsfield, Tooting, Mitcham, Carshalton, WALLINGTON, Works in two sections. Interchange point at Tooting Broadway. (No service Kings Cross to Aldwych Mon - Fri Evenings). The route 63 also terminated at Kings Cross. Hope this country boy has been able to help.

Phil, you are right, I spoke to my contact last night, it was roughly in the area which is now occupied by the Walrow Trading Estate which would have been S & D railway land, roughly where RT Keedwells Transport Depot and the old Woodbury Bros and Haines Furniture Factory is situated (now Briarwood). There is a pair of old split spoke railway wagon wheels on a plinth by the Mark Road Roundabout at the entrance to the Trading Estate. I will have to stop the car one day and see if there is an inscription on it. Another commodity in the wagons was sugar and apparently the local "Home Guard" always had sugar in their tea.

There was a large fuel dump at Highbridge, where petrol, or should I say Gasoline was stored in Jerry cans. I found this picture in a document entitled "UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II, The Technical Services The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War against Germany, by William F. Ross and Charles F. Romanus, Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C., 1991". I am not sure where this dump was at Highbridge or indeed if it was rail connected, but a rail connection was a criteria for selecting these sites. I will speak to an old farmer chap I know who might have some knowledge. Petrol in Jerry cans were the responsibility of the Quartermaster Corps, (POL Stores) whilst petrol in bulk was the Transportation Corps. The same document mentions American Army QM Stores at Shepton Mallet and Street. The Highbridge POL Store was big, over 51,000 sq.feet, whilst Masbury is also mentioned but that was only 2,100 sq.feet, (P266). I haven't read the whole document, this epic tome is 798 pages and I don't need a cure for insomnia just yet.

I am currently reading "Quarry Faces - the story of Mendip Stone" which got me wondering about the source of S & D ballast. I presume (probably incorrectly) that the Southern end of the line used Meldon Ballast but was it also used on the northern parts of the line. There were several rail connected quarries on the line did any of these supply ballast and what of the source when BR(w) took it over.

Thanks for the information, am I not right in thinking that there was a Charles Wright 1935 Font, which was a wider version of the current font. When I was trying to find out information about number plate fonts I came across this website https://www.k-type.com/who-was-charles-wright/ The first line of the website sums it all up perfectly really "It is surprisingly difficult to find information about the origins of the fonts used for vehicle number plates in Britain". I presume originally before 1935 dealers in early cars, lorries, tractors and steam engines just painted the number on the vehicles freehand, did they have a manual of what the fonts were to look like and if so was it the Local Vehicle Licensing Office (LVLO) which gave them out. It wasn't such a nanny state then. I don't know I am sure others have more knowledge than me?

The number plate font you require is called "Charles Wright Font" named after the designer I believe. If you "Google" it you should be able to download it and then it comes up with all the other fonts in MS Word (well it does on my computer anyway).

I understand that the Chester Area Group of the "N" Gauge Society built a model of Midford and that was recently acquired by the Shepton Mallet Model Railway Club. It may prove to be a "One Stop Shop" in your quest for information. They have a strong affinity with the S & D due to their location. Take a look at their website https://sheptonmrs.wordpress.com/midford/ Hope this helps you.

After the closure of the S & D it is my memory that the main station buildings and goods shed where taken over by Norton Hill Grammar School which was situated in Charlton Road nearby to the station. I believe It remained in there occupation for some considerable time and this would account for the fact that the buildings were not raised to the ground as they were just about every where else, when the demolition train was working up from the south. The road bridge over the B3355 was removed as it was quite a low bridge. I remember passing the Station quite frequently on the No 55 bus, which ran from Wells to Bath. Perhaps the Somerset County Record Office may be able to fill in dates etc as no doubt Somerset County Council would have been the owners.

I feel there is some confusion here.There is a picture of Templecombe No 2 Box in the Mac Hawkins book (of which I seem to have acquired two copies on my shelf, 1 1995 the other 1999) it is Plate No 99 on P145, black and white photo in both copies on that page if this helps.

Not sure if it was the popular vote, but it certainly won the prize from MMRS.

I think that this is a Bristol MW. I attach a copy of a very similar vehicle in Eastern National Livery

Hi Andrew, Gosh, all looking rather splendid you have been busy. Thank you for posting. Malc

Having followed this subject I thought people may be interested in this picture of D5824 shunting milk tanks at Bason Bridge on 10-8-72. taken by a good friend of mine John Cornelius (a retired BR Signalman), who has given me permission for me to put this photograph on this topic . You will probably already know that this section of the former "Branch" was finally closed in October 1972, Milk traffic going by road after that, It is my guess that construction of the M5, which from memory was about that time had led to the final closure.

Excellent modelling, of a standard that one can only dream of. I don't know if you are aware but there is quite an extensive 2 foot gauge railway at the Westonzoyland Pumping Station http://www.wzlet.org/index.htm down on the Somerset levels. There is a Lister engine there which they say came from Fisons Peat Works so perhaps the Allegro's didn't get it. Keep up the good work. The railway has not always been there so my guess is that a lot of the track came from there as well.