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