a day ago
'Momentous day' as rebuilt line links with Shillingstone station
Volunteers rebuilding a section of railway that was ripped up in the 1960s have laid the final section of a track extension, linking it to a Dorset Railway is reinstating a section of the line at Shillingstone station, which is already home to a popular railway museum and completion means there is now half a mile (0.8km) of track from the station that will eventually enable the charity to operate brake van rides for group described the milestone as a "momentous day" but said there was still much work to do before it could welcome passengers.
Work to extend the track a further 400m north of the station began in 2021 with the diversion of the North Dorset was followed two years of earthworks, before the first sleeper could be laid in November project was made possible by supporters who bought the land, donated materials and loaned final "golden screw" was put in place by operations manager Phil Jacques who described the final day of work as a "Herculean task" involving "12 volunteers working a nine-hour shift in 26°C, continually supplied with water and other drinks, and food by another group of five volunteers". Mr Jacques said there was still "many more weeks" of work ahead, with the next milestone being an inspection by the Office of Rail and Road.
Shillingstone station closed in 1966 when the nationalised railways were restructured but, in 2005, a group of locals took on the lease and began restoration the years, volunteers have repaired the platforms, re-laid the tracks and restored the station signal box, which had been demolished, was completely rebuilt, and members have been carefully restoring a growing collection of wagons and are now more than 100 volunteers who help run the cafe, tend the garden, renovate stock, build infrastructure, and provide technical and administrative services.
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