In February 2024, the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust completed the purchase of the shed at track at Washford from the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust and agreed a new 10 year lease of the site with the West Somerset Railway PLC. Since then, work has been continuing to bring all the heritage stock owned by the Trust to the Washford site, which is now the base for all the Trust’s restoration activities.
The planned move of the three carriages previously stored at Dunster sidings to Washford was successfully completed on Monday 9 September by a WSR PLC specialist team, while the railway was closed to passenger traffic. Carriages 5131, 7740 and 2578 have been located in a siding near Dunster station for many years awaiting restoration, leaving them exposed to the sea air despite being covered with tarpaulin covers. Coastal storms have periodically caused further deterioration to the carriages.
Given the poor condition of the carriages, a comprehensive risk assessment was prepared in advance of the move. This included a 3 meter hard hat exclusion zone around the move, and even a camera wired up to one of the shunters, pointing underneath the carriages to check if anything fell between the tracks during the move. The whole exercise was professionally executed by the PLC team, using two top and tail shunters, without incident.
The following day, the Trust’s horse box was brought by road from its previous location at Bishops Lydeard. During the First World War, horses and mules were used extensively by the British army – nearly one million by 1918 – and were transported by rail, and it is believed that this is the only one horse box of the era to survive. It was built for the LNWR and found on a farm at Pershore. Following the move to Washford, restoration of the horse box will be completed.
The Washford Engineerign Shed was open to visitors on 14tth & 15th September, as part of the Heritage Open Days and the WSR 1940s weekend.
Industrial Heritage Networks 