S&D update

[nineflover]

Planning permission to extend the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, south up the 1 in 53 grade, from Midsomer Norton towards Chilcompton is expected to be granted this month by Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) following an 18 month long planning submission by dedicated trustee Peter Russell. The hold up has been due to BANES planning dept having a problem with an unrelated case, involving environmental impact assessments. The MSN case and all others that were screened were caught up in this delay for some reason.

Doubling the current route mileage from 1000 to 2000 feet (11 miles 79 chains to 12 miles 30 chains) will enable the commencement of passenger steam trains and attract owners of BR engines to have a ôthrashö at the formidable and legendary Southbound Mendip Mainline incline.

Mileage is from Bath Junction and Down refers to the Bournemouth line going uphill and Up refers to the Bath line going downhill.

The double trackbed will once again by available to receive rail, although initially only the down main will be laid. The current ôjungleö walkway being cleared, and currently used by a few locals will be accommodated outside the Up BR fence boundary with permission from 2 farmers to fence in a new path hugging their field boundary which parallels the line.

Careful selected tree removal will take place where the vegetation hinders trackbed grading, drainage, track reinstatement, the loading gauge envelope and safety lines of sight, but nearly all of the 43 year old Down side boundary growth will remain. The Up valley side, offering the views across the Somer valley, to Midsomer Norton, Ston Easton country park and Chilcompton will be carefully thinned out. New trees will be planted elsewhere along the down side boundary to compensate, including a thick section of hedge to protect a house owner.

The current 990 foot double track works its way through the platforms at 1 in 300 on a slight reverse curve, then climbs hard left at 1 in 53. At the end of this left curve, phase 1 of the new extension will begin.

Phase 1 of the planning permission is expected this month, taking in the next 1047 feet dead straight at 1 in 53. This incorporates rebuilding the permanent way hut made of bolted sleepers and beyond this, a non original 430 foot Down engineers siding will be laid on the 1 in 53 verge with trailing connection into the down main.

Before any track laying can be done, the concrete and wire fencing must be repaired, the Down cess drainage pipe checked out, roots removed and levelling of the trackbed. 440 feet beyond the railhead, 500 tons of the Up main trackbed was dug out in the 70s or 80s. This eats across the ô6 foot wayö to nearly the outer Down ballast shoulder in one place and is 300 feet long by 3 feet deep maximum. Along with outer Up shoulder gabians, this can be filled back in at no cost by ôtop skimmingö 6 inches off of the old weed choked BR ballast right the way along the extension.

Following the civil works, track laying on concrete sleepers and flat bottom rail can begin. A run-away trap point will be laid at the current down railhead, to protect the station limits, followed by a left hand ôCö switch. This Point will be one half of the second crossover and will link into the Up Main. 10 panels of plain line take us to the right hand trailing ôCö switch feeding back into the 7 panel down engineers siding. A further 5 panels takes us from Farmer ShearnÆs trackbed to the Stage 2 boundary and Mrs WellÆs trackbed and another planning application!

Phase 2 takes in a slight right hand curve, followed by another straight to the BANES/Somerset administrative county boundary, another 1037 feet.

Phase 3 takes the line slightly left over the old Mendip hunt occupation crossing then another very long straight, including bridge 48a, up to the in-filled Chilcompton Tunnel cutting, another 1918 feet.

Total line length will a little over 5000 feet. When Chilcompton tunnel infill is reached the down main will burrow left off the original formation into the hillside on the level, for 300 feet only, enough to build a medium term 3 coach halt (Somervale halt) on the level, due to health and safety regulations governing brand new stations. The will avoid disturbing the gradient into the infill. The 4000 feet of up main will then be laid to ôcatch upö with the down, enabling the spectacle of any combination of visiting engines to pass on the S&D mainline, with passenger or demonstration goods, a truly mouth watering prospect, but something currently only possible on the Great Central.


Total extension, 4022 feet of double track =
268 lengths of 60 foot flat bottom rail,
3216 concrete sleepers,
3216 tons of ballast.

Following consolidation, a huge fundraising drive will then strive to re-bridge silver street and head for Radstock OR dig out the quarter mile, 44 feet deep cutting of its clay capping and 170,000 tons of household and builders rubbish.

Since 1995, Midsomer Norton South has been restored to its former glory from an overgrown ruin, with a 6 figure sum being spent on the project, including 3000 feet of quality permanent way, station, platforms, rolling stock and up and coming stable museum, not to mention the fabulous working replica signal box by Graeme Mayes and John Rideout. Over 800 members support a core of 30 volunteers. Please join us today and help us extend the Somerset and Dorset Mendip Mainline Project!

[Mitch]

Thanks for this update, most interesting. I was only ten when the line closed but I remember it well as I lived just down the road in Silver Street.
I think it's absolutely marvellous that the station has been restored to such a high standard and I wish you well with your plans for the future.
Although I now live in Birmingham and work for Cross Country, I get down to Norton once a month or so and usually pop in on a Sunday morning to see how things are going and to donate the odd railway book or two to the shop.
Keep up the good work!

[nineflover]

UPDATE 9TH APRIL 2009

during the last 2 weeks, following the granting of planning permission to extend the S&D south towards Chilcompton, Roger Penny plant hire from Ston Easton have had 2 slews rip out all the tree stumps and grade 1000 feet of double trackbed, cess and lineside back to earth and old ballast. 2 new culverts 48a and 48b have been put in, the lineside refenced and the down cess draining system rebuilt. the whole vista is incredible. by autumn, they hope to have the catch point, south crossover, down main and down engineers siding all laid. they have enough materials except for crossing timbers for parts of the pointwork. Progress should be swift. If anyone has contacts on NR or know of sources of crossing timbers unknown to the S&DRHT guys, please get in touch via the website sdjr.co.uk. I'm off to shillingstone this sunday to continue laying the up main through the platform road, ballasting etc.

happy easter Nick