Track Gang Volunteers at Midsomer Norton Station are steadily moving south towards Chilcompton. The Railway Heritage Trust has gained permission to extend as far as the infill at the north end of the tunnel and the land has now been cleared to allow sleepers and rails to be put in place.

This is no small task, as fifty years of vegetation had to be cleared before repairs to the drainage could be made and the track bed levelled. The sleepers and rails can now be laid as supplies become available.

Phil Jones, Track Gang volunteer, said: “The Gang does a great job and it is amazing how much has been done. We are hoping that this year, we can get to the magic mile of track laid.”

Laying the track is only part of the exercise and the restored signal box is up and running for the present operational track, but the signal lines have to be extended all along the newly-cleared length of track.

To enable the gangers to get up the line in the old days, a Wickham Trolley was used to transport them. One of the latest schemes for volunteers is the Wickham Trolley hut, organised by Alan Price, of the Signals team.

He says: “The Wickham Trolley hut walls of old sleepers were completed on August 1st and the next job is to add the roof. We have not yet acquired a Wickham Trolley, but are hoping one will become available soon.”

People will be able to see what progress has been made along the line at the next event in September, when steam loco number 80072 has been borrowed from Llangollen to replicate the last train on the line in 1966.

If you would like to become a volunteer at the station, send an email to [email protected] or phone: 01761 411221 on a Monday or Sunday.

Steam Loco number 80072 from Llangollen Railway, a BR Standard 4 tank, has been hired for two weekends in September starting with the heritage weekend of the 10th and 11th and then the weekend of the 17th and 18th September. Visitors will once again have the opportunity to ride the line behind a steam locomotive.