In it's hayday the S&DJR was a busy line and provided a vital link from the south coast town of Bournemouth and the cities to the north of England. One of Englands most famous express trains, "The Pines Express" ran through Midsomer Norton on it's daily run. One of Britains favorite pastimes is gardening, and Midsomer Norton South station was no exception, wining "Station In Bloom" on numerous occassions. The signal box was always kept immaculate right down to the red fire buckets hanging on the wall. The station had it's own little goods shed, and the station also served the nearby Norton Hill colliery , allowing the loaded coal wagons access to the mainline. Midsomer Norton South lies on a 7.5 mile 1/50 incline and normally a shunting (Yanks see: Pusher) locomotive would be added at Radstock to make the climb through to Chilcompton and over the Mendip Hills.
On a fateful day in 1966 Lord Beeching dropped his famous axe and Midsomer Norton South was no more, the sounds of passing trains would no longer be heard. A piece of our history had suddenly vanished, literally overnight. They even brought in the cranes and hooks and tore up the tracks figuring that the scrap value was too great to pass up, which helped us realize that it was indeed over.
I grew up watching the trains working the line through Midsomer Norton everyday until that day, and now, ................ a deadly silence filled the air. The only thing moving at the station was the weeds, the rot and brush as it covered the platforms at an alarming rate.
In recent years a group of dedicated volunteers have banded together and formed "The S&DJR Heritage Trust" which has the sole purpose of bringing Midsomer Norton South back to it's former glory. Working with donated funds, fund raising activities and corporate sposorship, the sounds of hammers, saws and drills now fill the air at Midsomer Norton South.
I gratefully extend many Thanks to
Chris Nevard
Richard Stevens
for allowing me to use their photographs of this piece of history on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.
Click here to go to The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust for further updates and new photographs.
