Shillingstone Railway Project In The Heart Of Rural Dorset Progress Update.

[@johnsouthern3513]

My name is John Needham, I was a driver on Bere Regis coaches in Blanford, I used to do a bus run around the Shillington area. I now live in New Zealand. nice to see pictures of your progress. I'm now 83. keep up the good work. I'm a prime member of Swanage Railway. I would be glad to help. money wise.

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Hi John, I hope you are well. Oh yes, Bere Regis Coaches, remember them well. I am sure that the Shillingstone station project would welcome any donations thats very kind of you. I have attached a link to their page. I was only at Swanage yesterday, making a future video. All the best Darren www.northdorsetrailway.co.uk/overview.php

[@nigelfarley814]

If one line should never have closed it was the S&D. Good to see these people are achieving so much at this site. When you think there are almost 1000 miles of railway in private ownership Beeching must have been so wrong. Our railway system could have been part of the proud heritage of this country.

[@johnjephcote7636]

Barbara Castle even closed lines that Beeching left out.

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Totally agree, so short-sighted it really was. Like you say, it's good to see the achievements that the volunteers have achieved so far 😊

[@rogerphelps9939]

It was always a bit slow and didn't pass through anywhere of much importance. Nowadays there would probably be quite good commuter traffic to Bournemouth and Bath because the roads are nothing to write homw about.

[@rogerphelps9939]

At the vert least all railway trackbed should have been protected from development for a very long time.@@DarrenJohnsonRail

[@rogerphelps9939]

At the time the railway was underused and suffered from steep gradients requiring double heading. Nowadays modern trains would make short work of that. Furthermore the line would providee much needed relief for commuter traffic into Bath and Bournemouth.

[@PeterMullinger]

I spent most of my childhood in Dorset and remember the Somerset and Dorset Railway so well! I traveled on it from Templecombe to Bournemouth in 1956 when we moved to Poole from Kingskerswell, S. Devon. Sadly, the S & D was doomed as soon as it fell under Western Region management who immediately diverted all the profitable traffic via Reading! It is great to see this preservation work even though I now live in Adelaide, South Australia but I was part of the UK railway preservation scene in the 1970s.

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Many thanks for your comments. I hope it has brought back some memories for you 😊 All the best from the UK

[@aswclassicsiow8588]

I live in walking distance of Shillingstone station along the old railway track (Trailway) I have meet an old chap in the town I live who use to work on the trains from Bath to Bournemouth, years ago enjoy seeing the progress of the works nice video

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the video, thank you. I bet he has some stories to tell. I live in Shaftesbury and do call over quite often to check out the progress. All the best.

[@stevehughes7450]

Excellent video thank you. Fantastic to see so much progress there now. Very well done to all the volunteers. Hope to visit again before too long

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Thanks for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's definitely worth a visit now if you're in the area. All the best.

[@chrisroyle7099]

Thank you very much for this video of a brilliant achievement by the volunteers of which I hope to be one when I move back from North Wales

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

No worries, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Agree they have done so well 👏 Hopefully see you in Dorset soon!

[@flippop101]

Excellent video full of optimism, great channel, subbed!

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Many thanks appreciated. Likewise, I just subscribed to your channel looking good 👍

[@rogerphelps9939]

Whatever happens it is essential that the Trailway is maintained so that walkers and cylcists can continue along the route. There is a section of line to the west of the bridge that the Trailway bypasses so presumably there is an obstinate landowner to be dealt with.

[@DOCTORDROTT]

Keep up the good work . Keep us posted on progress

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

@DOCTORDROTT Many thanks appreciated 😀 I am heading over to Shillingstone Railway next week, so I will have more updates then. All the best, Darren

[@Sam_Green____4114]

When I used to come here in the early 90s it was just an empty derelict station building with two platforms and no track ! They have done a lot here. I have walked up to Hambeldon hill behind and to Irwene Courtney or Shrotton behind it many times ( and Pint in the Cricketers !) and to Stourpaine via the other Roman hill top fort ( forgets the name !) .

[@Sam_Green____4114]

Was it Hodd Hill ?

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

That's the one Hodd Hill :)

[@rogerphelps9939]

@@DarrenJohnsonRail Actually it is Hod Hill, only one "d."

[@chairmakerPete]

The rolling stock restoration is utterly fabulous! Great video - thank you 👍

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Many thanks, appreciated 😀

[@martyn6792]

When I was at school in Shaftesbury in the mid to late 70's, I used to get the bus to and from Bournmouth, it took two hours and followed the route fairly wellserving villages along the route

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

I live at Shaftesbury now and still the same with the buses just under two hours to get to Poole/Bournemouth! Wish the Railway was still in situ!

[@martyn6792]

@@DarrenJohnsonRail I think you may be right about bus time, does it still go all round the villages ? And crawls up the hill in first or second gear into and out of Shaftesbury ?

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

It's a little different now as there is no direct route you have to change at Blandford to continue to Bournemouth. But yes same route all through Fontmell Magna, Sutton Waldron, Stourpaine, Blandford, Spetisbury, Sturminster Marshall etc

[@martyn6792]

@@DarrenJohnsonRail I recognise all those names, shame no longer direct but saying that it was nearly fifty years ago

[@MichealRandall-q2x]

An lms d/1828 steel vent van,lovely 😍

[@tomcarr1358]

An excellent collection of historic and specialised equipment. The sort of place that the executors of railwayana collectors will be looking for in due course if the vagaries of the auction houses are to be avoided. More fun than working on the allotment for many but beware of seeking to offer yet another tourist line. The saturation point of the tourist market is not yet known but logic suggests that if the passenger/customer numbers are spread too thin there may be a risk of mutual impoverishment. Trading difficulties are admitted in the West Country and the Eat Midlands. Some lines have reported this on You Tube.

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Many thanks and totally agree with you. I hope the future of this line works out for all involved 🙏

[@rogerphelps9939]

I want to see trains running from Sturminster Newton to Blandford.

[@wgj4813]

If the bridge is found to be not quite strong enough could an engineer devise a load spreading slab to overlay?

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Yes, I wonder if this could be an option for them? As soon as I find out the results, I will post another video 😊

[@wideyxyz2271]

❤

[@rogergriffith286]

I must visit.

[@rogerphelps9939]

It would be great if the line could be reopende from Sturminster Newton to Blandford. It would then be actually useful.

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Yes that would be fantastic if it could 😀

[@Sam_Green____4114]

There isn't much progress towards Stourpaine .Or you didn't show it . I think there's a lot of local opposition in that direction .Due to the houses and the path .

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Yes, no progress towards Stourpaine, only the small head shunt section past the station where the ESSO wagon was. I think as you say, this side will not progress sadly 😢

[@theanthillmob1989]

There is not really any new housing that is anywhere close to the railway Southwards. I think for the short term South is a better option to gain 1 mile of running line before you hit the infill of the cutting. There is of course the issue of moving the trailway, but I understand there are currently more issues at hand with the land beyond cattle creep bridge to the North.

[@rogerphelps9939]

There are no obstacles apart from a section around Stourpaine that the Trailway has to divert off. Much of it is close to the Stour anyway so no good for development. There is a deep filled in cutting that would need to be emptied.

[@rogerphelps9939]

The Bluebell line had a cutting full of rubbish that they cleared just before the landfill tax came in.

[@Sam_Green____4114]

Are they going to put track down and run trains ?

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Yes, that's the plan, I believe. It will be from the station going over the bridge along to Bere Marsh Farm side.

[@djburland]

The S&D a sad loss to Britain

[@DarrenJohnsonRail]

Totally agree 👍

[@Sam_Green____4114]

The BR MK1 coach can carry 34 Tons can it ? That's more than the weight of the carriage ! Who writes this stuff ?

[@rogerphelps9939]

That is most likely to be the loaded gross weight.