West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT

160 years of the West Somerset Railway

This month (March 2022), the original section of the West Somerset Railway, England’s longest heritage railway, is 160 years old. Between 1862 to 1874, the first section of the Minehead Branch Line ferried passengers and freight between the Somerset county town of Taunton to the seaside port of Watchet.
 
The West Somerset Railway, originally part of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, engaged Isambard Kingdom Brunel to define the route, with Watchet as the endpoint. It was decided that the line would branch off at Taunton, passing through the foothills of the Quantocks, near the quarries at Crowcombe and Triscombe, the village of Stogumber and onto the Bristol Channel and Watchet via Williton.
On 27th March 1862, the first train left Taunton for Watchet. This train was a Director’s Special, and it was not until a few days later, on 31st March 1862, that passengers were able to use this line for the first time. Though today the West Somerset Railway does not run from Taunton (though mainline charters, ballast trains and the occasional shuttles do), the section from Bishops Lydeard to Watchet can still be enjoyed after 160 years. The line begins its season at the end of March, with a number of railway galas and special events lined up for the rest of 2022.
 
Besides the switch to Standard Gauge, little has changed in terms of scenery in this part of Somerset, and the biggest difference is at Watchet itself, where a new development exists at East Quay. The town maintains its historic harbour, and the railway line continues on to Minehead after its extension to the seaside town in 1874.
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Above, are pictures showing waiting 
for the next train from Taunton to 
Bishops Lydeard on 27 ‎July ‎2019.
© West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust
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WSRHT Board Meetings – July, September and November 2024

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July, September and November Meetings

The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust is pleased to publish the minutes of three recent Board Meetings. July Board Meeting held on Thursday, 25th July 2024. September Board Meeting held on Thursday, 26th September 2024. November Board Meeting held on Thursday, 28th November 2024.

Please click the Board Meeting links below to access the document as a pop-up tab. Alternatively, to view all Trust Board Meetings since 2016 – view the collection

July Board Meeting 25th July 2024
September Board Meeting 26th September 2024
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The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust is pleased to confirm the move of Toplight carriage no. 3639 from Williton to Washford was completed by a WSR PLC team using two shunters on Monday 7th October. 

The special train also carried a wreath in memory of Ronnie Wainhouse who passed away recently.  Ronnie was a well loved member of the carriage restoration team working for the past 10 years on both 6705 and 3639 – he will be sorely missed.

Due to the poor condition of the carriage, the move was completed using a specially devised safety procedure (as used for moving the earlier carriages from Dunster) at a maximum speed of 5mph with careful monitoring along the way before arriving safely at Washford.

The restoration of 3639 has been ongoing for many years at Williton without using any covered accommodation. The move to Washford brings a much improved environment for the Trust’s carriage restoration team with the carriage now residing under cover in the shed at Washford next to Collett carriage no. 6705 where restoration work will be carried out on both carriages.

© WSRHT 2024

Ongoing Website Maintenance

Maintenance to the WSRHT Website

The official website of the WSRHT is undergoing a short maintenance overhaul, but will remain live throughout this time. However, visitors to the website may notice some modest changes from time to time, which reflect valuable feedback from our members, volunteers, and members of the public. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for supporting our Heritage Trust and Railway. Our social media accounts remain open, live and will continue to update our community. 

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