Viewing the Trust’s collection of locomotives, carriages and museum artefacts

Our base for many years has been at Washford station on the West Somerset Railway, with a shop and extensive S&D museum. A Notice to Quit was served on us by the West Somerset Railway in February 2020 and the site is now closed to visitors and in the process of being cleared.

The artefacts and vehicles are being moved to new locations including the Watercress Line in Hampshire, Shillingstone station on the former S&D route, the S&D at Midsomer Norton station and the Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum.

We have listed below which exhibits may be seen at these new locations. Our full stock list – from locomotives to wagons – is here: https://www.sdrt.org/stock-list/

Although the shop at Washford is no longer there, you can still purchase a wide range of books, DVDs, memorabilia, etc, from us via our well-established and popular online shop: https://www.sdrt.org/sales.

Trust vehicles and artefacts can be viewed at the following locations:

The Watercress Line in Hampshire:

At The Butts (climbing out of Alton).

[Matt Bentley.]

The larger of the Trust’s two locomotives is S&D 7F No. 53808, built in 1925, and seen above near Alton on the Watercress Line. The locomotive will be based on the Watercress Line (Mid-Hants Railway) for the remainder of the boiler certificate.

Steam at last!

[Andrew Woodroffe.]

Kilmersdon, built in 1929 by Peckett’s of Bristol, was the last steam locomotive to work the Somerset coalfield. After nearly two years at the Helston Railway in Cornwall, Kilmersdon has just completed overhaul at Ropley on the Watercress Line with the first function of the loco being to appear as Percy in the Thomas the Tank Engine event from 6 August.

Many items from the Washford site have now moved to the Watercress Line:

  • Vans and wagons – see the news pages for details.
  • Station name and running-in boards from the southern half of the S&D line – now in the goods shed museum at Alresford.
  • Other signs and smaller artefacts.
  • The original signalbox from Burnham-on-Sea.

Alresford musum - in the goods shed

[Rod Ormston.]

The original Burnham-on-Sea signal box

[Roger Hardingham.]

North Dorset Railway at Shillingstone

The following have been transferred on long-term loan:

  • Two wagons.
  • The goods shed crane from Binegar station.

[John Collington.]

S&D Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton South station:

The following have been loaned to Midsomer Norton and are now on display :

  • Name and running-in boards from the northern half of the S&D line – including two from Midsomer Norton South itself.
  • Smaller artefacts, which will be displayed on a rotating basis.

Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum:

The following has moved to the pumping station museum:

  • The Peat Railway from Ashcott.

S&DRT's Lister locomotive from the peat railway at Ashcott, Somerset

[Peter Nicholson.]

See the news pages and the blog for full information on all the items that have moved.