In the footsteps of the Fab Four perhaps? A band called Chapter XIII were filming on Crowcombe Heathfield Station on 20 February 2008 - the film will help promote the band's new single Valentine. The storyline involves a bride who, in full regalia, was required to throw her bouquet off Lydeard Bridge to the south of the Station. Of course, Crowcombe Heathfield Station has an earlier connection with the music business when, in 1964, The Beatles stopped by during the filming of their first film A Hard Day's Night. Only the Muppets to go, then...

Next stop Barnstaple...

As the picture shows, the tracklaying along the West Chord of the new Triangle at the WSRA's Norton Fitzwarren site has now reached the former Barnstaple Branch formation. The alignment of the "Barney" is being re-used to form the South Chord of the Triangle, and also for two storage sidings. The works at Norton are proving to be an engineering showcase. Not only are the new embankments, culverts and waterways all behaving impeccably and dealing well anything the sky can chuck at them, but the site itself remains green, with grass fields making the whole scene pleasant to view and likely to be let out for grazing stock before too long. It could look like a bomb site but the WSRA are tidy people, for sure. The reaching of, and relaying of track on, the Barney line could be seen as an embryonic step towards a truly westwards extension of the West Somerset Railway - but the dismantled bridge at Allerford Lane conveniently severs the route at that point which seems terminal to me. Thanks for my good chum Malcolm Anderson for the picture.

Turning the tables at Minehead

So at last - the turntable will be re-installed at Minehead. Thanks to some determined work by some WSR notables who have secured funds from several sources including European funds, and to many WSR supporters who have contributed to the Turntable Fund. Work began in early November clearing the site with a completion date of March 2008. Good news from the steam railtour operator, Steam Dreams, who seem keen to take early advantage of the "improved facilities at Minehead". Steam Dreams will send two tours down to Minehead in the summer, and thanks to the turntable, will turn the engines - Bittern and Duchess of Sutherland - to allow the return leg to be steam hauled too! I think this facility will bring much benefit to the Railway, to the town of Minehead and the district of West Somerset. Well done, WSR.

WSR to Taunton in 2009?

A news item in the Steam Railway magazine quotes the WSR General Manager describing how the Railway is considering upgrading its DMU to main line certification standard and then running a service from Bishops Lydeard to Taunton's Platform 1. The article suggests this could commence in 2008 but local opinion reckons 2009 is more likely. Well, this is a most welcome development and I hope the idea comes good. Although not mentioned in the mag, it seems the Bristol-Minehead trains - the Butlins Express - is on the cards again for 2008.

At last! A regular train between Minehead and the main rail network. On Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 20 July to 27 August 2007 a train will leave Minehead for Bristol. It calls all stations to Bishops Lydeard, then Taunton and then Bristol arriving at 1.46pm. A quick run up the other end for the driver - perhaps with a comfort break in between, before the train sets off at 2.06pm for West Somerset. It would seem to be a train for folks visiting Butlins - the operating days coincide with change-over days. The service is not too bad for a trip to Taunton for West Somerset folks as it allows a couple of hours in the county town before they need to board the train for the trip back along the Minehead branch. Publicity seems to be slow in coming, with the risk of passengers being slow in coming too. Full details can be found at http://www.wsr.org.uk/md2btm2007.htm I hope I can revisit this posting after the summer and report success!

How can Minehead attract more visitors?

If visiting Minehead was made even more attractive, the WSR should benefit from even more visitors. Fair enough? So what could we realistically hope for in way of improvements and additions? Here are a couple to start us off. First, if the Severn Barrage were to be built from North Hill (instead of from Brean Down) to Wales, this could provide for more watersports, cross-channel traffic, a WSR branch to Wales, a dock at the lock). Or, perhaps an attraction from the opposite environmental viewpoint, would be an increase or residency of the dolphins, recently sighted near Porlock. What else would "do it for Minehead"?

What's in a Name - again!

This is Leigh Bridge. Or is it Leighwood Bridge? Does it matter? Well, maybe it does. The debate over the names of a few of the WSR's many bridges continues as a new set of maps of the line are nearing completion ahead of inclusion on the revised Rule Book. "Route Knowledge" is important to those who operate the Railway. Using a name to describe a location is useful for many purposes. But it becomes critical during incidents. Especially if the emergency services need to be called to a particular location. So the question is, do we maintain the image of a "heritage railway" by using the names as given by the GWR. Or do we use modern names that mean more to those who really need to get there, sometimes in a hurry?