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WSR Chronology
Sir Peregine

 • Early Days
2 Jul 1856 Advert in Taunton Courier announcing Public Meeting on 9 Jul 1856 at Egremont Arms, Williton
9 Jul 1856 First Public Meeting held at Williton with Sir Peregrine Acland in the Chair, and Isambard Brunel in attendance
17 Aug 1857 West Somerset Railway Company incorporated by Act of Parliament (20&21 Vic. cap, cxlv)
10 Feb 1858 First General Meeting of Company held at Pattison's Castle Hotel, Taunton
29 Sep 1858 Brunel reported the line laid out
5 Apr 1859 Contract signed with George Furness of London for construction of the line
7 Apr 1859 First sod dug at Crowcombe Heathfield
10 Apr 1859 Construction started
15 Sep 1859 Engineer to the Railway, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, died (replaced by R.P.Brereton)
31 Mar 1862 West Somerset Railway opened - worked by Bristol & Exeter Railway
29 Jun 1865 Minehead Railway Company incorporated by Act of Parliament (35&35 Vic. cap.xcvi)
1871 Williton crossing loop opened
28 Dec 1871 Contract to build Minehead Railway let to Frederick Furniss of London
1873 Williton Bridge opened (to re-route road traffic away from the level crossing)
16 Jul 1874 Minehead Railway opened - worked by Bristol & Exeter Railway
1879 Crowcombe crossing loop opened
1 Oct 1896 Goods Depot opened at Norton Fitzwarren
1 Jul 1897 Minehead Railway absorbed into the Great Western Railway
5 Jan 1904 Blue Anchor crossing loop and signal box opened
1 Jul 1905 Minehead station reconstruction completed
2 Jul 1906 Bishops Lydeard crossing loop opened
Nov 1906 Williton crossing loop extended
1 Apr 1913 Blue Anchor goods opened
1 Jan 1922 West Somerset Railway absorbed into the Great Western Railway
 • GWR Days
6 Apr 1926 Stogumber signal box closed
4 Aug 1926 Dunster signal box closed
11 Aug 1926 Watchet signal box closed
11 Aug 1926 Washford signal box closed
31 Jan 1929 Wansborough Paper Mill siding opened
14 Feb 1931 Extensions to Norton Fitzwarren Station opened
10 Jul 1933 Kentsford crossing loop opened
16 Jul 1933 Leigh Bridge crossing loop opened
5 Jan 1934 Minehead platforms extended
18 Feb 1934 Blue Anchor crossing loop and platforms extended
19 Mar 1934 Minehead to Dunster section doubled
19 Mar 1934 Dunster signal box opened
22 Apr 1934 Crowcombe crossing loop and platforms extended
6 Jul 1934 Automatic token exchange apparatus installed at Bishops Lydeard, Crowcombe, Williton, Blue Anchor and Dunster. Also at Leigh Bridge and Kentsford. First of type of the Great Western system
7 Jun 1936 Norton Fitzwarren to Bishops Lydeard section doubled
15 Jun 1937 Williton crossing loop extended
 • British Railways Days
1952 Williton Bridge rebuilt
23 Apr 1961 Dunster Sea Lane Level Crossing gates replaced
10 Sep 1962 Diesel Multiple Units replace steam-hauled passenger trains
6 Jul 1964 Goods traffic ceased at Watchet
11 Jan 1965 Stogumber signalling removed
21 Feb 1966 Washford became unstaffed halt
27 Mar 1966 Minehead to Dunster section reduced to two independent single lines; Minehead signal box closed
5 Mar 1967 Crowcombe signal box closed
6 Mar 1967 Crowcombe became unstaffed halt
26 Feb 1968 All tickets now sold on train (except Minehead)
1 Mar 1970 Bishops Lydeard became unstaffed halt and signal box closed
19 Mar 1970 Closure of entire branch sanctioned by Minister of Transport
2 Jan 1971 Branch closed
 • Present West Somerset Railway
5 May 1971 The present West Somerset Railway Company Limited was incorporated
7 May 1971 Inaugural meeting of the West Somerset Railway Association held at the Black Horse, Taunton
18 Nov 1973 Light Railway Order made to Company(came into force 10 days later)
Oct 1972 Somerset County Council to purchase the line
18 May 1974 Graham Harwood leads the first working party on the line at Bishops Lydeard
1 Jun 1974 Graham Harwood leads the first working party at Minehead
13 Mar 1975 LMS 4-6-2 no 46229 "Duchess of Hamilton" towed from Minehead to Taunton by BR Class 25 no 25059
1 Sep 1975 Light Railway Order made to County Council (came into force 10 days later)
31 Oct 1975 Railway leased to the Company
21 Dec 1975 "Directors' Special" ran from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead (Train consist was "Victor" - Bagnall 0-6-0ST - plus a van and brake van. This was the first train run by the new WSR company
28 Mar 1976 West Somerset Railway reopened Minehead to Blue Anchor section, including Dunster station
31 Mar 1976 West Somerset Railway Company went public by the issue of ordinary shares
28 Aug 1976 Blue Anchor to Williton section reopened, including stations at Washford and Watchet
22 Oct 1977 The first trains since re-opening run between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard - the "Tauntonian" and the "West Somerset Express" - both hauled by GWR 0-6-0PT no 6412
17-20 Feb 1978 The "Blizzard Specials" ran from Minehead through to Bishops Lydeard, carrying mail, food and people stranded by the severe weather
7 May 1978 Williton to Stogumber section reopened
9 Jun 1979 Stogumber to Bishops Lydeard section reopened, including the station at Crowcombe (actually also included the section to Norton Fitzwarren)
28 Jun 1987 Doniford Beach Halt opened
23 May 1988 "Victor", Bagnall 0-6-0ST no 2996 left the line after many years of stalwart service. The "Bagnalls" were totally unsuitable for the line and their departure marked an upturn in the line's fortunes.
12 Apr 1990 Minehead Signal Box commissioned
16 Jun 1990 First through train since 1971 - Manchester-Minehead
24 Mar 1991 First train from London Paddington to Minehead for over twenty years
16 Jan 1993 First HST traversed WSR - Bedford-Bishops Lydeard
5 Jun 1993 First through train to originate from WSR in 22 years - Minehead to York
27 Apr 1994 First steam-hauled through train (behind BR Class 4 No 75069) - Kidderminster-Minehead
21 Jan 1997 First sod cut for new stone siding at Minehead
24 Mar 1997 First consignment of stone (1170 tonnes) from Mendips hauled to Minehead by Class 37 no 37711
8 May 1998 Minehead Shed Extension opened by Don Haynes
6 Mar 2000 First of the Doniford Stone trains hauled by Class 59 no 59001 "Yeoman Endeavour"
Jun 2001 Bishops Lydeard re-signalling completed
1 Nov 2002 The Royal Train conveyed the Duke of Edinburgh to Minehead
24 Nov 2004 WSRA acquired land at Norton Fitzwarren for future developments
20 July 2007 First regular service trains run between Bristol and Minehead
Watchet Turntable

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© Stephen Edge