Minehead railway station
Encyclopedia
Minehead railway station is situated in Minehead
in Somerset
, England. First opened in 1874 as the terminus and headquarters of the Minehead Railway, it was closed by British Rail
early in 1971. It reopened in 1976 and is now the terminus and headquarters of the West Somerset Railway
, a heritage railway
.
which was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway
in 1876. The Minehead Railway was itself absorbed into the GWR in 1897, which in turn was nationalised into British Railways in 1948.
The station was originally built with just one platform
. The station offices were on the platform and a goods shed
was opposite, while an engine shed
was provided behind the platform. In 1905 a second track was added on the opposite side of the platform and a new signal box
was brought into use. An iron hut was added to provide more accommodation but was removed in the 1920s when the main building was extended towards the town. The next major alterations came in 1934 when the original single track line was replaced by a double line to cope with the heavy holiday traffic, and a new signal box built. The platforms were extended at the same time. They were now 1250 feet (381 m) long and a 200 feet (61 m) canopy was provided to give extra shelter at the town end.
The engine shed was closed in 1956, goods traffic ceased in 1964, and the signal box became redundant on 27 March 1966. The railway was closed on 4 January 1971 but was reopened on 28 March 1976 as a heritage railway
by a new West Somerset Railway
. The goods shed was converted into an engine shed (and was extended in 1999), and a water tower brought from Pwllheli railway station
(but was sold to the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in 1999). Meanwhile the station building was altered to be used as offices and a new ticket office provided. A new level crossing
has been laid across the line a little beyond the platform end to carry a new relief road to the sea front, and the former signal box was moved to control trains at Minehead. A new carriage workshop was opened in 1991 near the Dunster end of the station, and a new turntable
brought into use in 2008.
The station serves as the headquarters of the West Somerset Railway and the. The Operating, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering , Signal & Telegraph , and Administration departments are based here.
is opposite the station building and is now used as a locomotive workshop, and a newer carriage workshop is close by. Opposite platform 2 is the turntable, overlooked by a cafe operated by the railway. The buildings on the platform include a booking office and a shop selling souvenirs.
The signal box is at the far end of the platform near the level crossing. Sidings on both sides of the station are used to hold stock, both operating vehicles and others awaiting repairs in the workshops.
The station is a Grade II listed building.
Trains run between Minehead and at weekends and on some other days from March to October, daily during the late spring and summer, and on certain days during the winter.
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
in 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. First opened in 1874 as the terminus and headquarters of the Minehead Railway, it was closed by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
early in 1971. It reopened in 1976 and is now the terminus and headquarters of 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...
.
History
The station was opened on 16 July 1874 by the Minehead Railway. The railway was operated by the Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
which was amalgamated into 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 1876. The Minehead Railway was itself absorbed into the GWR in 1897, which in turn was nationalised into British Railways in 1948.
The station was originally built with just one platform
Railway 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...
. The station offices were on the platform and a goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
was opposite, while an engine shed
Traction maintenance depot
In the United Kingdom, a traction maintenance depot, or TMD, is a railway depot where locomotives are serviced and maintained. A traction and rolling stock maintenance depot, or T&RSMD, is a maintenance depot where locomotives, multiple units and rolling stock are serviced and maintained. Each rail...
was provided behind the platform. In 1905 a second track was added on the opposite side of the platform and a new 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 brought into use. An iron hut was added to provide more accommodation but was removed in the 1920s when the main building was extended towards the town. The next major alterations came in 1934 when the original single track line was replaced by a double line to cope with the heavy holiday traffic, and a new signal box built. The platforms were extended at the same time. They were now 1250 feet (381 m) long and a 200 feet (61 m) canopy was provided to give extra shelter at the town end.
The engine shed was closed in 1956, goods traffic ceased in 1964, and the signal box became redundant on 27 March 1966. The railway was closed on 4 January 1971 but was reopened on 28 March 1976 as 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...
by a new 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...
. The goods shed was converted into an engine shed (and was extended in 1999), and a water tower brought from Pwllheli railway station
Pwllheli railway station
Pwllheli railway station is a railway station serving the small coastal town of Pwllheli on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. It is the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway.- History :...
(but was sold to the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in 1999). Meanwhile the station building was altered to be used as offices and a new ticket office provided. A new 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...
has been laid across the line a little beyond the platform end to carry a new relief road to the sea front, and the former signal box was moved to control trains at Minehead. A new carriage workshop was opened in 1991 near the Dunster end of the station, and a new turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
brought into use in 2008.
The station serves as the headquarters of the West Somerset Railway and the. The Operating, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering , Signal & Telegraph , and Administration departments are based here.
Description
The station is on the sea front and close to the town centre. A wide, single platform has tracks on both sides. The main track on the seaward side is platform 1, while platform 2 stops short of the stone-built station buildings. The old goods shedGoods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
is opposite the station building and is now used as a locomotive workshop, and a newer carriage workshop is close by. Opposite platform 2 is the turntable, overlooked by a cafe operated by the railway. The buildings on the platform include a booking office and a shop selling souvenirs.
The signal box is at the far end of the platform near the level crossing. Sidings on both sides of the station are used to hold stock, both operating vehicles and others awaiting repairs in the workshops.
The station is a Grade II listed building.
Services