Bason Bridge station

[RailWest]

Pre-1900 maps show a building on land between the railway and the river, directly opposite the stationplatform. In later years there is a second building shown some distance further west towards Highbridge. The first of those buildings appears not to exist any more, is that the one which burnt down some years ago?

 

The second building is marked on recent maps as (old) Station House. So which was the station master's house and what is the background to the two buildings please?

[RailWest]

Just for the record, in answer to my own question I have now found this Minute 5302 in the records for the Officers Meeting of 21-January-1902:-

 

so it would appear that the work was done some time after that date.

 

Given the absence of the first house in later maps, maybe it was demolished after the new house was built in order to provide access?

 

It would seem clear now that it was the second house which unfortunately was burnt down in April 2020 ( see https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/photos-burnham-on-sea-fire-crews-tackle-property-blaze-in-bason-bridge/) . Does anyone know if it was still occupied at that time, or if it was empty then for how long?

 

[RailWest]

On another issue...

 

Pix from the BR era show a small pent-roof hut in the south-west corner of the level-crossing, ie west of the road but south of the railway. Despite the claims by some commentators, this was not the GF hut (which was on the platform) so what was it for ???

[RailWest]

The sidings at Bason Bridge were provided initially for milk factory traffic, but was there ever any provision for public goods traffic? There are certainly references in the Minutes to proposals for that, but no clear evidence as to any actual provision. Immediately east of the level-crossing there were two short sidings on the Down side of the line (date unknown) were they perhaps used for public goods?

[bécasse]

The Railway Clearing House List of Stations book will provide an answer as it lists all the goods facilities at every station throughout the network. If none are listed, other than private sidings, no public facilities were provided. The book was reissued from time to time with intermediate updates by circular.

[RailWest]

The 1938 RCH book does indeed specify 'G' for Bason Bridge. My problem is - what/where were those facilities ?

[Malc2085]

  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. 

[RailWest]

I am aware of the plan in Judge & Potts. My problem is that the two sidings at the station end are not shown on a 1930 copy of the diagram for the sidings GF , although it is possible that it simply had not been updated since 1910.

The signalling diagram in J&P is for the alterations which took place in 1938 and 1939, including replacement and relocation of the GF.

[RailWest]

After much (unexpected!) research, and with kind help from Tony Cooke, I've now produced a web-page about Bason Bridge station and its signalling. Still a few unanswered questions and some gaps in records, but hopefully it may prove of interest.

 

www.trainweb.org/railwest/railco/sdjr/bason.html