Midsomer Norton Station has one of the very few working lever operated signal boxes in the country.
It has been lovingly restored by a dedicated team of volunteers who started
rebuilding from nothing. The signal box you see working at visitor events now, is an exact replica of the one used by the original Somerset and Dorset Railway.
A final touch was achieved by Signalman, Alan Price and his team of qualified electricians and signalmen when the illuminated diagram of the signals was installed recently. He said: “This was another landmark in the signalling project achieved at the end of last year.
“We now have an illuminated signal box diagram reflecting the complexity of the final signalling scheme for Midsomer Norton. This was a huge team effort – the original wooden case coming from the DFR, the fittings coming from John Penny and Brenden Hill, the diagram by Matt Bamfield, the alteration fitting out of the case by Alan Price, and the installation by David Collins and Dave Gilson.”
The signals will be in use again for the station’s next event, the Somerset and Dorset Gala weekend on March 4th and 5th, when rides behind the Sentinel Steam Locomotive will again be available.
The station will be open to visitors and the Gala weekend will include an evening film show of a major new collection of rare archive films, Britain on Film: Railways, to be held at Midsomer Norton Town Hall at 7.30 p.m. More details will appear shortly on the website.
The Easter Saturday and Sunday event on April 15th and 16th will again feature the Easter Bunny hunt over both days with steam trips on both days.
For more details, see the website: www.sdjr.co.uk, or call: 01761 411221 on a Sunday or Monday.