Blue Anchor railway station
Encyclopedia
Blue Anchor railway station is situated in the seaside village of Blue Anchor
, Somerset
, England and close to the larger village of Carhampton. It is on the West Somerset Railway
, a heritage railway
and houses the museum of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
.
which faced the beach, but the second track and platform were built by the Great Western Railway
in 1904 which had taken over the railway in 1897. At the same time signal box
was opened to control new gates on the level crossing
which carries the Carhampton road across the line at the west end of the platforms. A goods yard was finally opened west of the level crossing in 1913.
In 1934, as part of general upgrading of the Minehead branch, the platforms and passing loop were extended. A camp coach was stabled here from the summer of 1934 and the present railway company still maintains three camp coaches for its volunteers today.
Goods traffic was withdrawn in 1963 and passenger services ceased from 4 January 1971. The line from was reopened by the West Somerset Railway
on 28 March 1976 and on to on 28 August in the same year. Camp coaches once again grace the goods yard where they provide overnight accommodation for volunteers working on the railway.
in 1985. It opened in 1986 under the auspices of the West Somerset Railway Steam Trust. Staffing is provided by the Friends of Blue Anchor Railway Museum, who also undertake fundraising activities. The museum now contains around 550 items, mainly related to the Great Western Railway or other West Country lines.
Blue Anchor
Blue Anchor is a seaside village, in the parish of Old Cleeve, close to Carhampton in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England. The village takes its name from a 17th century inn....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England and close to the larger village of Carhampton. It is on the West Somerset Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
, a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
and houses the museum of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust is a group based on the preserved West Somerset Railway, Somerset, England. It a registered charity and one of the oldest institutions on the line, being formed in November 1972 with the intention of running summer steam services alongside the year-round...
.
History
Blue Anchor Excursion Platform was opened on 16 July 1874 by the Minehead Railway, for a short while it was given the name Bradley Gate but eventually settled down to be known again as Blue Anchor. When opened it had only one platformRailway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
which faced the beach, but the second track and platform were built by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1904 which had taken over the railway in 1897. At the same time signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was opened to control new gates on the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
which carries the Carhampton road across the line at the west end of the platforms. A goods yard was finally opened west of the level crossing in 1913.
In 1934, as part of general upgrading of the Minehead branch, the platforms and passing loop were extended. A camp coach was stabled here from the summer of 1934 and the present railway company still maintains three camp coaches for its volunteers today.
Goods traffic was withdrawn in 1963 and passenger services ceased from 4 January 1971. The line from was reopened by the West Somerset Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
on 28 March 1976 and on to on 28 August in the same year. Camp coaches once again grace the goods yard where they provide overnight accommodation for volunteers working on the railway.
Museum
The station buildings have been restored and the waiting room on the westbound platform was converted to a railway museumRailway museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives , railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment.See List of railway museums...
in 1985. It opened in 1986 under the auspices of the West Somerset Railway Steam Trust. Staffing is provided by the Friends of Blue Anchor Railway Museum, who also undertake fundraising activities. The museum now contains around 550 items, mainly related to the Great Western Railway or other West Country lines.