Odd and not-so odd traffic on the Dorset Central Railway

[Guest Jack Benson]

Whilst continuing to research the local area, a few unmentioned comments about traffic on the SDJR's rather ignored Southern half, the Dorset Central Railway.  

 

As well as previously featured military traffic exBlandford Camp, the appearance of other stock such as a BR grain hopper on the SDJR must be fairly unusual as this short clip reveals one such occurrence, pause at 1:16 :-  

YouTube Shiilingstone Clip

 

Much of the traffic on the Dorset Central Railway (DCR) section either originated or terminated on the Hamworthy branch or at least within the Poole area. As a callow youth, I did odd jobs such moving cement bags at the Blue Circle depot  with traffic from the Bristol lines.

 

During the autumn apples imported from Normandy were routed to Hereford and Gloucester in open wagons, whilst there was a regular traffic of fertiliser for Blandford and livestock at Sturminster Newton.

 

Milk traffic to Bailey Gate in the 50s often comprised an exLMS two-car non-corridor Cc+BT set plus milk tankers that originated in the morning at Highbridge via  Evercreech then to Bailey Gate with the afternoon milk although latterly, it could be a single parcels vehicle plus tankers. 

 

In addition to Bailey Gate, there was a MMB depot at Sturminster Newton that generated a certain amount of local traffic.

 

 

Sturminster Newton’s creamery in its Milk Marketing Board years. It was later taken over by Dairy Crest, finally closing in 2000. Credit: Sturminster Newton Museum & Mill Society

 

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Karhedron]

Bailey Gate processed a lot of milk into cheese and the WTTs I have seen show it as being a recipient of incoming tankers. Does anyone know if it dispatched milk to London too?

[geoffers]

I believe it did despatch milk to London as well as making cheese. After complete closure in Jan 1969 the milk factory sent milk to both Wood Lane and Vauxhall in 3000 gallon road takers. This continued into the 80s.

[Guest Jack Benson]

The Sturminster Newton creamery was a initiative by a local farmers' co-operative established in the 1920s, as previously mentioned it continued until 2000 under the ownership of Dairy Crest and the building was recycled as both a local veterinary practice and NFU offices. The cheese factory supplied local supermarkets (including Sainsburys in Sherborne) and is much missed. 

 

I find it odd that the Sturminster facility receives almost no interest unlike Bailey Gate which closed some twenty years previously, I suppose the short films and popularity with photographers of the time is responsible for this odd situation. 

 

Cheers

 

Jack

[geoffers]

Jack - maybe Bailey Gate milk factory was more well known because at one stage it boasted of being the largest cheese producer in the UK/Europe?World. The Luftwaffe certainly knew about it as they, apparently, tried to bomb it in WW2. Very good Cheddar style cheese it was too, as having relatives who worked there we often sampled it. This is maybe why I am a cheese freak. It also dealt with whey.

[down the sdjr]

On 05/06/2019 at 17:56, Jack Benson said:

The Sturminster Newton creamery was a initiative by a local farmers' co-operative established in the 1920s, as previously mentioned it continued until 2000 under the ownership of Dairy Crest and the building was recycled as both a local veterinary practice and NFU offices. The cheese factory supplied local supermarkets (including Sainsburys in Sherborne) and is much missed. 

 

I find it odd that the Sturminster facility receives almost no interest unlike Bailey Gate which closed some twenty years previously, I suppose the short films and popularity with photographers of the time is responsible for this odd situation. 

 

Cheers

 

Jack

Hi Jack,

Very little information about Sturminster Newton in general really, only a few photos most of witch are on the Child Okeford blog.

I like Stur, it reminds me of Blandford in the 80s railway wise, still a lot to be seen. The bridge over the Stour is a wonderful spot, in Blandford they just tore it down, such a shame.