North Dorset Railway facts for kids
The North Dorset Railway is a special railway that brings old trains back to life. It's located at Shillingstone railway station in the United Kingdom. This station was once part of the old Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.
The main goal of the North Dorset Railway is to restore a section of the railway line. They are working on 1,200 feet (about 365 meters) of single track. They are also adding a passing loop, which lets trains go in opposite directions. Double tracks have been laid through the station area. A special track for loading goods has also been finished.
In December 2020, the railway group asked for permission to extend the track north. They want to reach Bere Marsh and eventually connect to Sturminster Newton. This project works together with the North Dorset Trailway, a path for walking and cycling.
Many parts of the station have been rebuilt. This includes the signal box, a shelter on the 'down' platform, and special huts for railway workers. Signals and the pole route (for wires) are also new. The team rebuilt a 400-foot (122-meter) wall for the 'down' platform. They also fixed the platform edge. The North Dorset Trailway was moved to run next to the 395-foot (120-meter) 'down' platform on a new raised area.
There is a small museum at the station where you can see old railway items. The Station Gardens are also very popular. About 28,000 people visit the North Dorset Railway every year. The number of members supporting the railway grew to over 500 by 2020.
Contents
Station Buildings and Facilities
The main station building is now home to a café and a shop. It also has updated toilets, including an accessible toilet and baby changing facilities. The museum inside the building shows many items that have been given to the railway over the years.
The signal box has been rebuilt and now has one signal. The south end of the 'up' platform has been rebuilt. A picnic area above it has been made into a colorful garden. A new track was added to hold a special catering carriage. This carriage is used as an extra café space and can be rented for parties. The waiting shelter on the 'down' platform has been rebuilt in its original spot and is now used for storage.
Railway Stations on the Line
The North Dorset Railway aims to bring back the line to other stations.
Sturminster Newton Station
A long-term goal is to restore the railway line all the way to Sturminster Newton. The 'Railway Garden' in the middle of Sturminster Newton remembers the old railway route. The North Dorset Railway is working with local leaders to plan a special entrance feature. This will include a signal, information boards, and a level crossing gate where the track used to enter the town.
Shillingstone Station
This is the main base for the North Dorset Railway. It is the only station still standing that was built to a Dorset Central Railway design in 1863.
Stourpaine & Durweston Halt
This old station is now privately owned.
Railway Activities and Progress
The North Dorset Railway team has been busy restoring the line.
Track Laying and Engine Movement
In 2009, 210 feet (about 64 meters) of the 'up' main track through the station was laid. This track uses strong flat-bottom rail and wooden sleepers. A Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter (a small engine for moving wagons) was moved from the goods area. This was the first standard-sized engine on this part of the railway since 1967.
Improvements and Extensions
In 2010, the railway got a special excavator machine. They finished building the 'up' platform wall and prepared the cattle dock area for new tracks. The station was also connected to the main drainage system.
In December 2020, the North Dorset Railway asked for permission to extend the line. This was approved in April 2021, allowing them to extend the line 400 meters (about 1,312 feet) north of the station. Trees were cut down and bushes cleared on the raised area between the station and Lamb House Bridge.
A temporary path was made for the public to use while a new path was built. This new path runs along the eastern side of the railway embankment. This allowed the railway track to be restored on the western side. The new path was finished in the summer of 2022 and officially opened in August by Simon Hoare, a Member of Parliament.
Throughout the summer of 2022, work continued to rebuild the embankment north of Lamb House Bridge. This area had been dug out after the railway closed to build a tennis court. In October 2022, workers started moving soil that had been dumped on the embankment. This soil was used to finish rebuilding the embankment. In February 2023, a temporary path was made at the north end of the station. This allowed a pedestrian level crossing to be built. The path was then put back, and the last pile of soil blocking the track for the extension was removed.
History of Shillingstone Station
After Shillingstone railway station closed on March 7, 1966, the Dorset County Council bought the land where the tracks used to be. They planned to build a bypass road there.
During the 1970s, different furniture companies used the old station yard. Industrial buildings were built, some using parts of the station building. By December 2002, the bypass road plan was stopped, and the station was left empty and falling apart.
Dorset County Council decided to sell the unused station. After many talks from 1998 to 2005, the North Dorset Railway Trust signed a lease for the old station site. The Trust's plan is to reopen the station as a fun place for visitors. They want to make it look like it did in the 1950s and 60s.
Restoration work began in 2006. Over the years, the main building was repaired. Volunteers built a copy of the signal box, complete with the correct equipment. The Porter's office was rebuilt, and the Parcels office was restored. All the track work within the station was finished by the summer of 2020.
Rolling Stock (Trains and Wagons)
The North Dorset Railway has a collection of old trains and wagons.
- For more information, you can visit their website.
Locomotives (Engines)
- Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Diesel Loco “Ashdown”: This diesel engine was built in 1962.
- JŽ Class 62 0-6-0T Steam Locomotives:
* 62-669 (built 1960) "30075": This steam engine's boiler has been repaired and put back in place. * 62-521 (built 1954) "30076": This engine is complete but is kept as a display.
- DS1169 Ruston & Hornsby 48DS class 4WD DM diesel-mechanical shunter: This shunter was built in 1951. It arrived at Shillingstone in 2015 and has been restored.
- Wickham trolley BR LMR Manchester, Type 17a: This small railway vehicle was built in 1959. It has been restored and is currently working at Shillingstone railway station.
Coaches (Passenger Carriages)
- MK1 BR M25424: This coach was built in 1957. It was bought by the Swanage Railway and then sold to Shillingstone in 2011.
Wagons (Freight Cars)
- Senior Naval Stores Officer (SNSO), 10 ton 4w van, SNSO 535: This van was built in 1910 for the Admiralty. It was donated to Shillingstone in 2005 and is currently being restored.
- Esso 4w Fuel Oil Tank 3957: This oil tanker was bought by the Swanage Railway before moving to Shillingstone.
- L&NWR 4w Non-Vent 10 Ton Box Van, RNAD 335: This box van moved to Shillingstone in February 2016 and is currently being restored.
- GWR 10t Ventilated Van 11451 (Code: MINK): This van was built by GWR in 1901. It moved to Shillingstone in February 2016.
- BR Dogfish ballast wagon B983184: This wagon moved to Shillingstone in 2013. Dogfish wagons were used to carry ballast (stones for the track).
- BR ADB904131, 21 ton lowmac transporter wagon: This wagon was built in 1949.
- BR Standard Brake Van B950885: This brake van was built in 1950 and is currently being restored.
Former Exhibits (Trains that used to be here)
- LMS 20 Ton Brake Van 950194: This brake van was taken apart on site.
- Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter: This shunter arrived in 2007 but was sold to the Whitwell & Reepham Preservation Society in 2013.
- Mk3a Ex-Virgin cross-country Open First buffet coach No.10224: This coach was built in 1970. It was used by the Army for bomb disposal training before coming to Shillingstone in 2015. It was sold and moved off site in October 2017.
- BR Class 08 0-6-0DE No. 08 995: This diesel engine was built in 1959. It was donated but later sold by the railway's trustees.
- BR 9F 2-10-0 92207: This steam locomotive was built in 1959. It was one of the last steam engines built for British Railways. The owner moved it from the site because there were no proper workshops to fix it.
See also
- New Somerset and Dorset Railway
