Shillingstone railway station

Shillingstone
Shillingstone
	Dorset Central Railway
Pre-grouping	Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Post-grouping	Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway; Southern Region of British Railways;
Key dates
31 August 1863	Opened
5 April 1965	Closed to goods services
7 March 1966	Closed to passengers

Shillingstone railway station was a station on the

Dorset Central Railway (one of the forerunners of the S&DJR).^[1]

The station closed in 1966, when services were withdrawn from the S&DJR route. Since 2001, enthusiasts have been working to re-open the station as a heritage railway attraction.^[1] The main building has now been renovated, and opened to the public as a museum, shop and refreshment room in 2008.^[1]^[2]

History

The station was opened on 31 August 1863 by the

Dorset Central Railway. Initial train services were provided by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). In 1875, the Midland Railway and the LSWR together took over a joint lease of the line, forming the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.^[3]

At the '

London Midland and Scottish Railway companies.^[3]

Shillingstone station became part of the Southern Region of British Railways when the railways were nationalised in 1948. The regional boundaries later changed several times and the station was subsequently transferred to the Western Region, the final (January 1963) boundary being somewhere between Shillingstone and Blandford.^[3]

After a prolonged run-down of services, including the closure of freight and goods services on 5 April 1965, the station was closed, along with the remaining former S&DJR lines, on 7 March 1966, as a result of the

shunter.^[1]

Dorset County Council purchased the trackbed for a proposed Shillingstone by-pass. Various furniture manufacturing companies were sited in the station yard, over the years, occupying industrial buildings constructed in the late 1970s, some of them making partial use of the station building. By December 2002, the by-pass plan had been shelved and the station was unoccupied. Dorset County Council decided to dispose of the redundant station, and, after protracted negotiations, the North Dorset Railway Trust took over the lease in July 2005, with a view to re-open the station as a heritage railway attraction. Restoration work commenced in 2003 and has continued steadily since then (see "Shillingstone Railway Project").^[1]

A length of trackbed around Shillingstone has been opened as a section of the North Dorset Trailway,^[4] providing an easy-access route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. At Shillingstone station the trailway is routed up and along the down platform, providing a clear view of the restored buildings.^[5]

Configuration

The station is located on the outskirts of the village, to the north-east. It has two platforms, with brick buildings on the 'up' (north-bound) platform and (originally) a simple wooden waiting shelter on the much longer 'down' platform. The main station building has a substantial wooden awning over the platform. During its original working life, lighting was provided by oil lamps, there being no electricity supply.^[6] (A supply has since been installed.)

The station was important as one of the passing places on the single-line between

signal box

at the north end of the up platform.

Shillingstone Railway Project

The 21st century has seen the station taken on by the Shillingstone Railway Project

single track

mainline with loop through the platforms.

Services

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Stourpaine and Durweston Halt Line and station closed		Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway LSWR and Midland Railways		Sturminster Newton Line and station closed

To re-build Shillingstone Station and surroundings to as it appeared in 1950-1960 and to help to educate for future generations. Founded Around the late 1990s the North Dorset Railway Trust (which supports The Shillingstone Station Project) was formed by Michael Paulley and this is when the hard work, negotiation, letter writing and publicity begin in earnest.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Wilson, Rebecca (2008). "In-Depth History of the Station". Shillingstone Station Project. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
^ Station opening times: see website for details.
^
ISBN 0-7153-8692-1
.

^ "North Dorset Trailway". North Dorset District Council. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010.
^ "The Dorset walk 2 - North Dorset Trailway". Dorset Life. June 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Shillingstone railway station". The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (by Kevin Clapcott). October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
^ "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

External links

Shillingstone Station Project Official Website
Station on navigable O.S. map
After Closure: Unofficial Shillingstone Station Project Pages – early photographs of restoration, 1993–2004
[1]^{[permanent dead link]} - Shillingstone restoration progress on fotopic.net

50°54′15″N 2°15′02″W / 50.9042°N 2.2506°W / 50.9042; -2.2506

[ssp_history-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Wilson, Rebecca (2008). "In-Depth History of the Station". Shillingstone Station Project. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2009.

[2] Station opening times: see website for details.

[Atthill-3] 
ISBN 0-7153-8692-1
.

[4] "North Dorset Trailway". North Dorset District Council. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010.

[dorsetlife-201406-5] "The Dorset walk 2 - North Dorset Trailway". Dorset Life. June 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2018.

[sdjr.net-6] "Shillingstone railway station". The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (by Kevin Clapcott). October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2009.

[7] "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

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