North Dorset Railway
| North Dorset Railway | |
|---|---|
MSC No. D1 "Ashdown" moving at Shillingstone railway station in 2022 | |
| Locale | Dorset |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway |
| Built by | Dorset Central Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | North Dorset Railway |
| Stations | 1 |
| Length | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 31 August 1863 |
| Closed | 7 March 1966 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1990s | North Dorset Railway Trust formed |
| 2005 | Lease for Shillingstone Station granted |
| 2008 | First track relaid |
| 2025 | Proposed change from museum to operational railway granted |
| Headquarters | Shillingstone railway station |
| Website | |
| www | |
North Dorset Railway (previously known as the Shillingstone Station Project, the North Dorset Railway Trust and the Shillingstone Railway Project) is a heritage railway based at Shillingstone railway station on the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway in the United Kingdom.
The project's present aim is to restore the current leased length of 1,200 feet (370 m) single track mainline, with a passing loop between the platforms. Double track has been laid through the station using 95 bullhead rail extending to the current northern and southern boundaries. A siding to serve the loading dock has been completed. A planning application was submitted in December 2020 to extend a single track north over Lamb House Bridge to Bere Marsh, with the ultimate aim to provide a rail link to Sturminster Newton, working in harmony with the North Dorset Trailway. The signal box, down platform shelter, permanent way huts, signals and pole route have been rebuilt. The NDRT rebuilt the 400 foot down platform wall and replaced and repaired the platform edge slabs. The North Dorset Trailway has been rerouted to run alongside the 395-foot (120 m) 'down' platform on a new embankment.
There is a small museum on site. The Station Gardens are also a prominent feature for the 28,000 visitors that come annually. The NDR membership continues to grow and in 2020 exceeded 500.