Talk:Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway

Writhlington colliery sidings
At present we have Writhlington colliery sidings identified as the same site as the former Foxcote signalbox where the 1876 accident took place. In the back of my brain I seem to recall that Foxcote was actually the signalbox for the former Braysdown colliery sidings, not the Writhlington ones. But I don't have a detailed enough local map and am geographically located too far away to confirm or refute this suspicion. Perhaps someone closer to these places might know? Johnlp 11:51, 25 October 2007 (UTC)


 * It's very difficult to work this out on the online versions of the |old OS maps from 1888. The 1904 1:2,500 map is a bit clearer, but I cannot make out the locations of the signal boxes on this stretch of the line.  I think someone will have to dig out a paper copy of this map from their chest-of-drawers, or from their local library.  David Bailey 13:29, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

Foxcote signal-box was "approximately" at the same site as the later Writhlington (aka Writhlington & Braysdown) signal-box. Its purpose was to control the Braysdown siding on the Up side of the line. There is a plan of the location in the BoT Accident Report file at the PRO.

After the accident it was reduced to ground-frame status. When the line from Radstock to Wellow was doubled in 1894 the GF was abolised and replaced by the new W&B box, also the new Writhlington sidings on the Down side. I have never bothered to work out the *precise* relative positions of the two boxes, but I would estimate them to be <100 yards apart. Railwest (talk) 17:09, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Templecombe notes and diagrams
It seems odd to me that there are so many diagrams of Templecombe station in this article, when there are none at all in the article on the station itself. My inclination would be to move them all to the station article and allow a description of the junction to suffice for the article on the railway. Again, though, I'll do nothing until others have had their say. Johnlp 23:14, 24 October 2007 (UTC)


 * I think this is a good idea. With all those diagrams and lengthy explanations, the S&D article is a little long winded.  Moving the Templecombe stuff to the station article will improve the flow of this page without loosing its clarity.  Those who want to know about the changes to the station can just go to the other article for the details they need.  David Bailey 13:18, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

Order of article
I'm inclined to think the article is somewhat the wrong way around, in that the 1960s stuff really shouldn't be the lead section. I am inclined to rearrange it along more standard historical lines. What do others think? Johnlp 11:51, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Still to do

 * Find some copyright free photos of the main line in action.
 * The traction section is partly duplicated and needs some more detail.
 * Provide more details about some of the other accidents.
 * Description of livery (Prussian Blue).

Add on other "things to do" when you think of them.

Template:S&DJR RDT
I have simplified the diagram at the northern end at the expense of the two spurs served by the Bridgewater branch. All comments are invited. Britmax (talk) 12:30, 20 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Couple of things. I think the M5 opened through Somerset some time in the early to mid-1970s, certainly not in 1962. (If I remember correctly, the M5 opened from Birmingham south to the M50 in about 1962, but the section south from Tewkesbury was 1970 or 1971.) Also towards the north end of the Bath extension, between Devonshire tunnel and the GWR line going north, there was a siding off the main line to the Bath Co-op milk depot at Melcombe Road. This was in theory open for a few years after the closure in 1966, served from Bath junction. I can't now remember whether wagons entered it from the north or the south. It wasn't very long or very much used, but has a minor importance as one of the small parts of the line that survived a bit longer, though I think its survival was more theoretical than actual: I don't remember much traffic. Johnlp (talk) 14:09, 20 March 2009 (UTC)


 * I would agree with the M5 dates.I've changed the template from '62' to '72/73'.Pyrotec (talk) 17:30, 20 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, there is only one 'e' in Bridgwater (the diagram is right in respect of spelling), however on the 'simplified' Bridgwater branch I would suggest that Bridgwater Cement, Lime, Brick and Tile Works comes after Bridgwater North not before it.Pyrotec (talk) 17:50, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

THanks for that. Good to know that apart from the spelling error on this page all the things pointed out here predate my changes. If they are picked up this way, fine. Will look at the Bath milk depot and the location of the two Bridgwater sidings with a view to changes where needed. Britmax (talk) 20:05, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

External links modified
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 * I've checked these links and have edited them so that they work again. The Two Tunnels link was a false positive as broken. David Bailey (talk) 09:43, 21 May 2017 (UTC)