Midsomer Norton railway station

Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton railway station in 1967
Location
Place	Midsomer Norton
Area	Bath and North East Somerset
Grid reference	ST664537
Operations
Pre-grouping	Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Post-grouping	SR and LMSR Western Region of British Railways
Platforms	2
History
20 July 1874	Opened (Midsomer Norton)
16 October 1898	Renamed (Midsomer Norton and Welton)
26 September 1949	Renamed (Midsomer Norton Upper)
7 March 1966	Closed
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Midsomer Norton railway station (originally Midsomer Norton, later Midsomer Norton and Welton, then Midsomer Norton Upper and finally Midsomer Norton South) was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between Bath Green Park and Shepton Mallet. It served the town of Midsomer Norton. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann. It closed in 1966 with the closure of the S&DJR under the Beeching Axe.

The S&DJR station was on a fairly steep slope which took the railway up from the valley floor at Radstock into the Mendips, heading south to the summit of the line at Masbury. It had extensive gardens which were cultivated by the station staff and won many prizes. The station buildings are still well-preserved.

Midsomer Norton and Welton was also the later name of a second station (originally just Welton) on the Great Western Railway line from Bristol to Frome via Radstock (originally the Bristol & North Somerset Railway). This station was in the valley at Welton. It closed to passengers in 1959 with the closure of the line to passenger traffic, and to goods in 1964, and has now been demolished.

Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Centre

Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Centre in former goods shed at Midsomer Norton

The station is now preserved by the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust which has returned full size steam locomotives to the station in recent years and plans to run passenger trains south towards Chilcompton in the near future. The site includes restored station buildings, a signalbox, goods shed. The museum is located in an old stable block. It has almost a quarter of a mile of railway and a diesel locomotive.^[1]

Rolling stock

Currently on site are several authentic coaches and goods wagons, a Sentinel 0-4-0VBT under restoration, a diesel shunter built by English Electric and a recent arrival of a Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit

Coaching stock

British Rail Mark 1 coaches were the principal passenger stock of the Somerset and Dorset Joint from 1951 until the closure of the railway.

Number & Name	Description	History & Current Status	Livery	Owner(s)	Date	Photograph
No. M5562	Mk1 SK	Operational; converted into a generator coach.	Plain maroon.	Private Owner.	1955	~
No. E2599	Mk1 SLSTP	Serves as volunteer sleeping accommodation.	BR lined maroon.	Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust.	1959	~
No. M26049	Mk1 SK	Operational.	BR lined maroon.	Private Owner.	1962	~

Midsomer Norton South Station in 1959

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Chilcompton Line and station closed		Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway LSWR & Midland Railways		Radstock North Line and station closed

References

1. ^ "The S&D Mendip Mainline Project". Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust. http://www.sdjr.co.uk/pages/general.html. Retrieved 5 June 2010. 

External links

• http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/
• http://www.sdjr.co.uk Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust restoring Midsomer Norton South station (official website)
• http://somersetanddorset.blogspot.com/ New Somerset and Dorset Railway blogsite (unofficial)
• Station on navigable O.S. map

Coordinates: 51°16′52″N 2°28′59″W / 51.281°N 2.483°W / 51.281; -2.483