Egham and Staines Model Railway Society

Midsomer Norton is situated a few miles west of Radstock on the S&DJR main line which runs from Bath to Bournemouth across some of the best countryside in the south of England. This is an attractive station and due to its location we are fortunate in that a large number of cross-country services will pass our view-point. We will see trains from places as far away as Cleethorpes and Manchester, along with services starting from slightly nearer locations such as Weymouth. Most of the trains we will see passing today cater for the holiday traffic which, in the late 1950's, is still extensive.

This will make for interest in the make-up of the trains enabling livery variations from the London Midland and North Eastern regions, as well as Southern Region-liveried stock to be seen. The locomotives to be observed will be just as varied. Our own famous eight-coupled locomotives, usually hauling goods traffic may be pressed into action on passenger duties. A number of local services will be operated by the six-coupled 4F goods engines or the 2P passenger locomotives. What we are really waiting for today is to see what the Shedmasters at the motive power depots at Bath and Bournemouth have managed to lay their hands on. If last weekend was anything to go by we should see representatives of William Stanier's Black Fives and 8F freight locomotives (the latter not usually seen south of Bath), Riddles British Railways Standard Class 4s and 9Fs. Rumour has it that a rebuilt Bulleid Battle of Britain pacific may be making a trial run fresh from attention at Eastleigh - we shall have to wait and see.

There is one advantage of a day spent line-siding here, as it is a double track section, we seem to get twice the number of trains as elsewhere although this is not really the case. Inter-mingled with all the holiday traffic will be a mix of local trains and freight workings; there is after all the local community to care for - not everyone is off on their holidays.

Just to the north of the station, Norton Hill Colliery has its own sidings, access to which is by a trailing connection on the 'down' side. For many years the colliery has had its own industrial locomotives, if you are lucky we may see one in action. As an aside today we arrived here by train, yet within 10 years, we will arrive here by car to find the station derelict and the tracks lifted.

Stop Press - Midsomer Norton Station is now being restored to its former glory with the view to running trains again. Click here for further details. See Chris Nevard's website dedicated to the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway after the last rails were lifted.