Glastonbury

[RailWest]

Now, here’s an interesting question for those with knowledge of Glastonbury in the 1950s.

 

Use this diagram for reference www.trainweb.org/railwest/images/sb-diag/glaston-30.jpg ....

 

In the Transport Treasury collection there is a photo (ref B4065) taken by a photographer looking out of the left-hand side of a Down train entering the station, and looking towards the station. On the left can be seen the trap-point 9 and the rear of the elevated shunt disc 20PUSH (by this time 20PULL had been abolished). There are weeds growing in the ‘Wells loop’ line and some goods vans standing on that loop at the back platform. In the distance above the canopy can be seen the bracket with signals 4 and 5; both arms are in place, with a large ‘X’ on arm 4. To my mind, all the clues point to a period sometime after closure of the Wells Branch (Oct 1951). Arm 4 has been taken out-of-use, but not yet removed completely, and arm 5 is still in use to control movements off the Wells loop onto the remaining single-line towards West Pennard, the loop now in use for freight traffic only.

 

It is known that in due course trap 9 and disc 20PUSH were abolished, as also was the bracket with signals 4 and 5, but the precise date and details are unknown. There is a note that the signal-box diagram was amended in Dec 1957 “in connection with the closure of the Wells branch” and also there were some further unspecified ‘signal alterations’ in Nov 1958. Apparently lifting of the Wells branch commenced in 1955 and completed in 1957. Yet the photograph is dated 23-August-1958. If correct, it would seem remarkable that arm 4 remained in place (with an ‘X’) for almost seven years after the Wells Branch closed, and indeed even beyond the end of track-lifting.

 

Can anyone perhaps throw any more light on what happened in the area of the former connection to the Wells Branch during the 1950s please?