Blue Anchor railway station

Blue Anchor railway station is situated in the seaside village of Blue Anchor, Somerset, England and close to the larger village of Carhampton. It is on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway and houses the museum of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust.

The station approach in 1963

Blue Anchor
Location
PlaceBlue Anchor
AreaWest Somerset
Coordinates51.18152°N 3.40239°W / 51.18152; -3.40239
Grid referenceST021434
Operations
Original companyBristol and Exeter Railway
Operated byWest Somerset Railway
Platforms2
History
1874Opened
1971Closed
1976Opened in preservation
Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

The station was first opened on 16 July 1874 by the Minehead Railway as Blue Anchor. Suggestions that it was called 'Blue Anchor Excursion Platform' or 'Bradley Gate' have been shown to be incorrect.[1][2][3] In 1874 it had only one platform which faced the beach, but the second track and platform were built by the Great Western Railway in 1904 which had taken over the railway in 1897. At the same time the signal box was opened to control new gates on the level crossing which carries the Carhampton road across the line at the west end of the platforms. A goods yard was finally opened west of the level crossing in 1913.[4]

In 1934, as part of general upgrading of the Minehead branch, the platforms and passing loop were extended. A camp coach was stabled here from the summer of 1934 and the present railway company still maintains three camp coaches for its volunteers today.[1]

Goods traffic was withdrawn in 1963 and passenger services ceased from 4 January 1971. The line from Minehead was reopened by the West Somerset Railway on 28 March 1976 and on to Williton on 28 August in the same year. Camp coaches once again grace the goods yard where they provide overnight accommodation for volunteers working on the railway.[4]

Museum

The station buildings have been restored and the waiting room on the westbound platform was converted to a railway museum in 1985. It opened in 1986 under the auspices of the West Somerset Railway Steam Trust. Staffing is provided by the Friends of Blue Anchor Railway Museum, who also undertake fundraising activities. The museum now contains around 550 items, mainly related to the Great Western Railway or other West Country lines.[5]

Description

The station is situated on a passing loop on the single track line and has two platforms. The one on the north side of the line and nearest the beach dates from 1874; this is where the signal box and ticket office can be found. The second platform, added in 1904, has a small museum situated in its waiting room.[4]

Services
A DMU service to Minehead

Trains run between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard at weekends and on some other days from March to October, daily during the late spring and summer, and on certain days during the winter.[6]

Preceding station   Heritage railways Following station
Dunster   West Somerset Railway   Washford

References
  1. Coleby, Ian (2006). The Minehead Branch. Lightmoor Press.
  2. Edmonds, Tim 'Bradley Gate - origins of a myth', West Somerset Railway Journal, No 153, Summer 2016
  3. Edmonds, Tim 'Blue Anchor station and the Bradley Gate myth', West Somerset Railway Journal, No 155, Winter 2016-17
  4. Oakley, Mike (2006). Somerset Railway Stations. Bristol: Redcliffe Press. ISBN 1-904537-54-5.
  5. "Blue Anchor Railway Museum". West Somerset Steam Railway Trust. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  6. "Timetables". West Somerset Railway. 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
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