On Friday 1^st November 2002, the Royal Train passed through Washford, carrying HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on his way to visit Lynton and Lynmouth on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of the Lynmouth flood disaster. A handful of Trust volunteers and well-wishers were present at the station to greet the train, as it passed slowly through at 9am. Unfortunately the train could not be steam-hauled, and was instead headed by an immaculately turned out Class 47 Diesel, “Prince William”. The Royal Train returned later without its distinguished passenger, who after visiting the West Somerset Railway headquarters at Minehead continued his journey by road.

Washford Shed

Following successful completion of the restoration of ex-GWR 2-6-2 tank loco 5542, and its departure to Minehead to enter revenue-earning service on the West Somerset Railway, the opportunity was taken to rearrange stock in the Trust’s shed at Washford. Partly dismantled 0-6-0 saddle tank “Isabel” now occupies the top road together with Peckett 0-4-0 “Kilmersdon” and the Ruston Diesel shunter. This has allowed another of the Trust’s ex-S&D 6-wheeled coaches to be brought inside, sharing the bottom road with partly restored coach No4. Coach restoration is being undertaken by a small group of enthusiasts – more volunteers would be welcome to join them in the rewarding job of preserving and restoring these historically important vehicles.

Ed Melville

1 Nov 02

Victorian Enterprise & Invention : Railways from Wells. Exhibition at Wells Museum.
(exhibition now finished)
Words and pictures - Paul Fry

The centre display case, with the smokebox numberplate recently purchased by the Trust. It also shows the S&D fire extinguisher, also owned by the Trust. -

Another Museum exhibition photograph. This one shows a section on signalling etc. In the foreground is a Bristol & Exeter railway policemen's truncheon, which could have been allocated to a man in Wells, It is a Wells Museum artefact but the actual provenance is unknown.It is numbered 98 but there does not seem to be any records that have survived giving details of who would have held it. 

© SDRT 2006 All material contained herein is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced, copied, held in an electronic repository system (particularly on another web site) without seeking permission. Every effort has been made to identify the holders of copyright material included within this website. If any material has been used inadvertently without permission or attribution the Trustees of the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust will be pleased to receive information with a view to correcting this in further updates.