Somerset And Dorset Railway Trust

Don't forget the Annual Special Train on Sunday 7 July, due to be hauled by our S&D 7F No. 53808 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return.
You must book by 26 June to be sure of your seat - and optional food orders. Fares are no more than £12 and with all proceeds to the Trust.
Follow this link to book: http://www.sdrt.org/Special-Train-Book-By -26-June/

Here's a view of the Beer Festival shortly after opening at lunchtime today.
Plenty of brews to choose from, we've food available, seating and the GWR Autotrailer 169 sales stand.
You can also view 1219 Caledonia Works and our many museum displays while you're here.

The Beer Festival at Washford is on from today until Saturday, during the Diesel Gala. Why not drop in?
Although there are no evening trains, the WSR have announced a free evening bus service for ticket holders:
"On Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June Crosville Vintage Ltd will be providing an evening bus service from Washford Station to coincide with our Washford Beer Festival and Diesel Gala.
... The Bus will depart Washford at 9pm and will drop off at Watchet, Williton, Bishops Lydeard and Taunton.
Those with tickets for travel on those dates will be permitted to travel on the bus free of charge." The last Route 28 bus towards Minehead departs a few minutes later.
https://www.facebook.com/events/228716397 4939440/
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Remembering Ivo Peters... 30 years on.
Ivo's death on 7 June 1989 after a long illness marked the end of an era, in S&D terms. Here we have a short clip of Ivo with an amusing story about his favourite line.
In addition, Trust recordings of Ivo as well as 16 other volumes are now available as digital downloads in our online shop. Why not have a browse through? http://www.sdrt.org/Audio/
... We would like to thank Julian Peters and Mike Arlett for their support of the re-issue of the recording of Ivo. Photos copyright R C Riley/Julian Peters.
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Summer magazine out now, another 40 pages of S&D interest! Join us from £14 at: http://www.sdrt.org/Membership.Html
Contents include:
- Modelling an S&D 7F in 7¼” gauge: at part 5 now, and the model engine is looking more and more like a full size 7F. We have Vic's latest report.
... - BR's plans for S&D dieselisation. BR had proposals to introduce 2-car cross-country DMUs on the S&D at a huge saving in running cost... but other factors like local population and rail travel demand generally were, at the time, believed unlikely to increase.
- Percy Parsons: a freezing cold Boxing Day morning at Highbridge proved to be one Percy would never forget!
- S&D stations part 17 - Bath Green Park Loco Depot: David Grimwood stays with Bath in order to describe the loco depot.
- Green Park Brasserie - how the sights and sounds of the steam-age booking hall at Bath Green Park station changed to jazz and braised shin of beef.
- S&D Locations: Hammoon, between Shillingstone and Sturminster Newton.
- Itinerary from the SLS Special on 6 March 1966: pages from this fascinating document.
- Centre-spread photo: Radstock in May 1929 by H C Casserley, with four S&DJR engines in view.
- No less than eight pages of news... and much more!
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Wide selection of ales at the Washford Beer Festival, 20-22 June, during the Diesel Gala.
Taking place during the Diesel Gala - from Thursday 20 June to Saturday 22 June - the Beer Festival will once again be held in the workshops at the Trust's base at Washford station.
In association with the WSR and CAMRA, the event will offer at least 24 cask-conditioned ales and six ciders (list on link below) and will be open from midday to 8pm on Thursday and until 10pm on Friday and S...aturday, with evening trains to take drinkers home. https://www.somerset.camra.org.uk/viewnod e.php?id=95881
Furthermore, special tickets are available from Bishops Lydeard (£22.50) and Minehead (£15.50) that include the return travel and tokens for three half pints.
Why not come and enjoy this wide range of ales and ciders and while you're here have a look around Coach 4, our original 1886 S&D Highbridge-built carriage and the many other exhibits that we have at Washford.
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Our Annual Special Train - Sunday 7 July - just £12.
Now that the West Somerset Railway is running to Minehead again, why not book our Special Train? It's due to be hauled, as usual, by 53808 and with adult fares at just £12 (children £6, family £25), it's great value. http://www.sdrt.org/Special-Train-Book-By -26-June
... Plus, you can also order a Railwayman's lunch (outward journey) and a cream tea for the return at the time of booking. All are welcome, not just S&DRT members. But remember, last bookings are on 26 June!
The Annual Special Train is provided as part of the hire agreement for 53808 so all proceeds are retained by the Trust, supporting our restoration and conservation work.
The picture shows 53808 at Bishops Lydeard with the Special Train in 2017 - photo by Jason Baker.
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On Wednesday, the Trust's S&D 7F No. 53808 was pictured on one end of a Watchet - Bishops Lydeard shuttle on the West Somerset Railway.
However, from today - Good Friday - the whole line will be open again, through Washford and on to Minehead. Our shop and museum will be open as well - why not drop in? We'll be open up to the 25th, then 27-28 & 30 April.

Our online photographic collection continues to grow - we've now over 450 S&D images for immediate purchase and download - higher resolutions available on request. http://www.sdrt.org/The-SDRT-Photo-Collec tion
Sample picture shows 41296 on a down local service passing under Northload Bridge near Glastonbury on 18/04/64.

If you're anywhere near Dorchester, you may find the March meeting of our Dorchester group of interest to you.

Our Annual Special Train on Sunday 7 July is available to book
Enjoy a Summer day out on the West Somerset Railway for no more than £12 ... on our Annual Special Train on Sunday 7 July. http://www.sdrt.org/Special-Train-Book-By -26-June/
Departing from Bishops Lydeard at 11.40 and returning from Minehead at 17.25, the train is due - as always - to be hauled by our S&D 7F, No. 53808. The service will also stop at Washford for the S&DRT museum and at Dunster for the castle and v...illage.
Food is available to pre-order - a Railwayman's Lunch (vegetarian option available) on the outward journey and a cream tea on the return.
Please note that bookings must be made by 26 June and that no actual tickets will be sent to you - your email confirmation is your ticket.
The Annual Special Train is provided as part of the hire agreement for 53808 and therefore the Trust retains all the proceeds from this service.
http://www.sdrt.org/Special-Train-Book-By -26-June/.
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Our Spring magazine is out now - why not join us at http://www.sdrt.org/Membership.Html. Contents include:
- BR's 1960 deliberation on S&D through traffic: telling the story of how the S&D went from investment to plans for complete closure in under four years and how it was intended to accommodate the through traffic on other routes. From original documents in the Trust's archive.
- Modelling an S&D 7F in 7¼” gauge: we're now at part 4 and Vic has completed items that would b...e impossible to reach with the boiler in place and... has run the engine on compressed air. Music to his ears!
- Researching S&D photographers: Dave Bown finds that there is quite a story behind photos of the Bridgwater branch by Owen Prosser and speculates as to his purpose in travelling on the branch that day.
- S&D stations part 16 - Bath Green Park: after the smallest station on the line, David Grimwood now describes the largest in the latest installment in his series.
- Percy Parsons: after a set of points was altered at Highbridge, Burnham excursion passengers found themselves in a vehicle with no seating. How would the Station Master be appeased?
- S&D photos by Gwen Chapman. When young enthusiast Tim Chapman was being taken around the S&D by his aunt, she also took photos; we have a selection of her work.
- Itinerary from the SLS Special on 6 March 1966: the first two pages from this fascinating document.
- Centre-spread photo: an October morning at Midsomer Norton South in 1965.
- No less than eight pages of news... and much more!
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If you're in Dorset, why not try our local group meeting? The Dorchester group meetings have been going for over 30 years so are a well-established source of railway interest!

We had a great evening at the Heritage Railway Association Awards on Saturday 9 February.
Although we didn't win our category with the restoration of Coach 4, it was good to meet so many other groups with similar interests.
Along with Ian Young, S&DRT Chairman, several members of the restoration team past and present attended the event; Neil Pankhurst's involvement with the Trust goes back several decades.
... Our friends at the Helston Railway were there and deservedly won a category with the re-creation of Truthall Halt... Kilmersdon should be steaming down to Truthall again from 28 March, and with a record 10,000+ visitors in 2018, the Helston is looking forward to another year of solid progress.
[Photos by Rod Ormston]
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Do you ever use the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust's Website?

If you haven't visited the Washford Railway Station, what would attract you to do so?
Please message us directly as we would love to hear from you 😀

Next question... For those that have visited the station at Washford, did you visit the museum?

We are hoping that followers of our page will be happy to answer a few questions.. so the first one is:
👉 Washford Station is the home base of Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust. Have you ever visited the site?