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78-570: The Diesel Electric Rail Motor ( DERM ) was a type of railmotor operated by the Victorian Railways in Australia . Originally built as a petrol electric rail motor (PERM), they were the longest-lived rail motor on the Victorian Railways, with the first entering service in 1928 and the last being withdrawn in 1991. The rail motor, also known as the railcar , was a standard product of

156-534: A 220 hp (160 kW) Winton Motor Carriage Company petrol engine. When those wore out in the early 1950s, they were replaced with twin GM Detroit Diesel Series 71 engines, with a power output of 275 bhp (205 kW), de-rated to match the original 220 hp (160 kW) generator. A DERM, with a DERM Trailer car attached, ran a regular passenger service on the South Gippsland line in

234-431: A conventional locomotive to be stationed on the same line in any case for these duties. In several cases railmotors were victims of their own success - the increased service frequency and more modern rolling stock that the railmotors provided, plus the opening of additional halts along lines that were often part of a conversion to railmotor operation, lead to significant increases in passenger numbers and loadings, requiring

312-636: A line from near Chippenham to Yeovil and Weymouth: this became the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway . The B&ER shortened its intended branch to run to Yeovil only. In the 1845 parliamentary session, the B&;ER obtained authorisation in the Bristol and Exeter Railway Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. clv) for the Yeovil branch, branches to Clevedon and Tiverton, and a direct junction line at Bristol connecting its line with

390-501: A more central location than the B&ER station, and much higher than it. They already had interests in railways to the west of the B&ER line, and earlier thoughts had turned to an independent line crossing the B&ER line to reach the Crediton line, but wiser counsel prevailed, and an accommodation with the B&ER was reached. The London and South Western Railway (Exeter and North Devon) Railway Act 1860 ( 23 & 24 Vict. c. ciii)

468-718: A number of branches within the general area it served: to Clevedon , Cheddar , Wells , Weston-super-Mare , Chard , Yeovil and Tiverton . The B&ER was financially successful but amalgamated with the GWR in 1876, the combined company being called the Great Western Railway . The Great Western Railway (GWR) obtained its authorising act of Parliament, the Great Western Railway Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4 . c. cvii) in 1835, to build its line between London and Bristol. The merchants of Bristol were anxious to secure

546-482: A physical connection with the Somerset and Dorset Railway there, but safety concerns led to a prohibition on through passenger working to the GWR line to the south. The development of this issue is discussed in the article Cheddar Valley Line . The Devon and Somerset Railway obtained authorisation to build from Watchet Junction (later Norton Fitzwarren) to Barnstaple, in 1864. The company found great difficulty in raising

624-520: A railway route to Exeter, an important commercial centre and a port on the English Channel , giving easier shipping connections to continental Europe. They promoted the Bristol and Exeter Railway and when they issued a prospectus on 1 October 1835, they had little difficulty in securing subscriptions for the £1.5 million scheme. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed engineer—he was also engineer to

702-443: A rent of £30,000 annually and a toll of a farthing per passenger-mile and per ton-mile of goods and coal (but no toll for mails, parcels, horses, carriages or cattle). The rent was to increase proportionally with the completion of the system, and the lease was to remain in force for five years after completion of the line to Exeter. The first section of the line was opened between Bristol and Bridgwater on 14 June 1841, just before

780-440: A significant expense compared with a tramcar's single crewman. They also encountered operational and maintenance problems on railways used to treating locomotives and carriages as separate entities: Servicing the prime mover in a locomotive shed or workshop frequently soiled the carriage body and interior, and with some railmotor designs, the problem was aggravated by a requirement that some mechanical work be carried out from inside

858-781: Is allocated to the Newport Railway Museum but was sub-allocated to the South Gippsland Railway . When the latter closed in 2016, it moved to the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway . 61RM operates on the Victorian Goldfields Railway between Maldon and Castlemaine . Railmotor In the earliest days of railways, designers wished to produce a vehicle for passenger carrying that was economical to build and operate on routes where passenger numbers were light. A single coach with its own prime mover

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936-547: The British Gauge War , a protracted and expensive attempt to secure territory against rival companies supported by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) which used the narrow gauge, later referred to as standard gauge . At first it contracted with the GWR for that company to work the line, avoiding the expense of acquiring locomotives, but after that arrangement expired in 1849, the B&ER operated its own line. It opened

1014-825: The Commonwealth Railways and South Australian Railways . Examples of New South Wales railmotors were the 400 and 500 class and the CPH class "tin hares", and in Victoria the Walker railmotor . Similar vehicles in South Australia, the Brill 75 class , were termed "railcars".) A 1905-vintage, British-built steam railmotor is operated on the Pichi Richi Railway : the former South Australian Railways Steam Motor Coach (SMC) no. 1,

1092-591: The Exeter Great Western , from Yeovil to Exeter via Crewkerne and Axminster . The B&ER felt alienated from the GWR. Brunel saw that his position as Engineer to both companies was compromised, and resigned from the B&ER at the end of September 1846, being succeeded by Charles Hutton Gregory. The B&ER naturally opposed these schemes, joining with the LSWR in doing so, and in the 1846 parliamentary session they were rejected. The Exeter Great Western proposal

1170-579: The Exeter and Crediton Railway (E&CR), a six-mile (10 km) line from Cowley Bridge, a short distance north of Exeter. A railway had already been authorised in North Devon: the Taw Vale Railway and Dock , a short line at Barnstaple . Little had been done there until 1845, when the proprietors obtained authorisation to revive their powers and build the line; they hoped to sell their enterprise, now called

1248-530: The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) had designs on entering North Devon, and encouraged friendly relations with the companies. At an E&CR shareholders' meeting on 11 January 1847 the provisional lease was rejected, and this was quickly followed by rejection of the TVER lease; more favourable leases to the LSWR were negotiated and ratified by shareholders in January and February 1847. The B&ER had lost control of

1326-517: The New Cut (an arm of the River Avon ). The position improved somewhat in 1838, and indeed the company obtained powers in the Bristol and Exeter Railway Act 1838 ( 1 & 2 Vict. c. xxvi) for four short branches: of these only one, to Weston-super-Mare , was actually built. It was not until 5 March 1839 that the company adopted the broad gauge , having observed the practical results of its use on

1404-556: The Quorn locomotive depot until 1932, when it was stored and, later, publicly displayed at Port Augusta and Alice Springs . In 1975 it was returned to Quorn for restoration to working order by the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society. After extensive work, it was returned to service in 1984 and now operates at regular intervals. Bristol and Exeter Railway The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER)

1482-483: The South Devon Railway Act 1844 ( 7 & 8 Vict. c. lxviii), on 4 July 1844. This would make the broad gauge continuous from London to Plymouth . The rival London and South Western Railway (LSWR) had its main line from London to Southampton, and was planning to extend to Exeter. The GWR wished to prevent this by promoting its own lines in the region. At this period Parliament considered that only one line

1560-531: The Taw Vale Extension Railway , to another company, the North Devon Railway which was intending to seek its Act for a Barnstaple to Crediton line in 1846. Meanwhile, competing proposals were submitted to the 1846 session of Parliament for railways to connect Barnstaple to the network. The B&ER wished to make a line from their (proposed) Tiverton station, but that was rejected in favour of

1638-605: The 1900s, while the London and South Western Railway introduced its C14 Class which were essentially self-contained railmotor power units that allowed greater flexibility by separating the engine and the carriage sections for working as push-pull trains. In the late 1920s, there was another revival of railmotors with the introduction of new designs from Clayton and Sentinel with high-speed motors and geared drive. The London and North Eastern Railway bought over 80 of them but, again, they were short-lived. Some lasted no more than 10 years and all had been withdrawn by 1947. From

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1716-407: The 1930s, the diesel railcar made great progress and by the 1950s the railmotor was consigned to history. The diesel's ability to use multiple unit control was an advantage. The Great Western Society , based at Didcot, has restored a Great Western Railway steam railmotor , built in 1908, to working condition. It regularly operates throughout the summer and has visited other preserved railways in

1794-455: The 1960s and 1970s. By the 1970s, the longest scheduled journey run by a DERM was the Bendigo to Robinvale run, last operated on 3 June 1978. In 1976, RM 56 was fitted with a new seating arrangement, including rotating seats, using components from the Z carriage fleet . Capacity was reduced to 34 passengers, because the new seating arrangement was two either side of the central aisle rather than

1872-499: The B&ER west of Taunton to Watchet , where there was a small harbour. There were serious difficulties in raising the necessary capital (£140,000) and the line finally opened on 31 March 1862 for passengers; goods traffic was handled from August 1862. The line was leased to the B&ER in perpetuity. The West Somerset Railway was extended to Minehead by the Minehead Railway , opening as a broad gauge single line on 16 July 1874.It

1950-536: The Crediton and Barnstaple lines. J. W. Buller of the B&ER was chairman of the E&;CR board, and despite the very large shareholder opinion, he attempted to keep the E&CR within the B&ER family, and personally signed a two-year contract with George Hennett to work the line on 7 April 1847. However at an extraordinary general meeting on 12 April 1847, Buller and three other B&ER directors were removed from office amid angry scenes. The E&CR had been built on

2028-402: The GWR completed its line from London to Bristol. It was 33 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (53.9 km) in length and double track, with a 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (2.4 km) single-line branch to Weston-super-Mare . There was no B&ER station at Bristol; a temporary wooden platform at the GWR station was used, and as that station faced London, a backing movement was necessary to reach

2106-406: The GWR. In the autumn of 1839, the directors informed the half-yearly meeting of shareholders that it was now planned to make a priority of forming the line from Temple Meads (connecting with the GWR there) to Bridgwater , Somerset, in order to generate some income. Five locomotives were ordered from Sharp, Roberts & Co for the purpose. The directors had decided by the end of 1839 to avoid

2184-461: The GWR. Early the same year the company had at last constructed its own Bristol terminus (authorised in the original act of Parliament); this was at right angles to the GWR station. The connecting line formed an arc by-passing both Bristol stations, and an "express platform" was built on it to allow through passenger trains to make a station call; both directions of trains used the single platform. The Tiverton branch proved especially contentious due to

2262-468: The GWR; the new station was joint with the Midland Railway . The Bristol and Exeter Railway was a considerable financial success, and between 1844 and 1874 paid an average annual dividend of 4.5%. The B&ER took over the working of its line in 1849, and the two companies, B&ER and GWR, were completely distinct. Through passenger trains operated with shared rolling stock, and once again there

2340-528: The GWR—and his assistant William Gravatt surveyed the route, leading to presentation of a parliamentary bill for the 1836 session. The bill had an easy passage and was enacted as the Bristol and Exeter Railway Act 1836 ( 6 & 7 Will. 4 . c. xxxvi) on 19 May 1836. The act did not specify the gauge of the track; branches at Bridgwater and to Tiverton were authorised. Notwithstanding the apparent family connection to

2418-518: The Grand Western Canal, and Brunel constructed Halberton aqueduct to carry the canal over the new line. Work was also started on the Yeovil branch from Durston, but due to the new commitment to expenditure on rolling stock, the work was not pressed to completion and opening was delayed by several years. The work was resumed in 1852 and pressed ahead; the whole line to a Yeovil station at Hendford

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2496-551: The S&;DR joined it, to Bridgwater quay, and from there to Yeovil via Durston (where trains reversed). Narrow gauge passenger and goods rolling stock was acquired, and with the track works the scheme cost £125,000. A daily B&ER narrow gauge goods train ran from November 1867, and after resolution of authorisation difficulties with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), some narrow gauge passenger trains ran from Yeovil Pen Mill to Durston, with some extensions to Highbridge. However,

2574-526: The Somerset Central near Bruton. On 3 February 1862 the lines were completed and the Somerset Central began operating the entire line, on the narrow gauge. In August 1862, the two lines joined to form the Somerset and Dorset Railway . The junction with the GWR was never built, and the entire line had abandoned any allegiance to the B&ER. The Chard and Taunton Railway obtained authorisation in 1861, but

2652-648: The Taw Vale Railway Extension and Dock Company, from Barnstaple to join the Exeter and Crediton line at Crediton. This scheme was supported by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which aspired to expand into Devon. The Exeter and Crediton line and the North Devon line had been expected to be built on the broad gauge and naturally to fall into the B&ER camp; lease terms had been provisionally agreed. However,

2730-551: The US Electro-Motive Corporation (a predecessor of Electro-Motive Diesel ) and built between 1924 and 1932, albeit to a smaller loading gauge and wider track gauge . The first was imported in 1927, assembled at Newport Workshops , and placed in service in 1928. The bodies of the remaining nine were constructed at Newport Workshops using imported equipment and electrical components, and placed in service between 1930 and 1931. The rail motors were initially powered by

2808-442: The addition of driving trailers to meet demand which overtaxed the low-powered machinery of many railmotor designs, especially on routes with steep gradients. For this reason, they were largely superseded by push-pull trains and the GWR converted some of their railmotors into autocoaches for this purpose. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway built its P Class of small, light tank locomotives specifically to replace railmotors in

2886-538: The atmospheric system on the South Devon Railway , and the Bristol and Exeter Railway simply extended his works. The Hennet name continued to be linked to Bridgwater for many years, and was responsible for producing many wagons for various companies. The company installed the electric telegraph throughout its main line in 1852. It was the first substantial British railway to operate the block system . That same year,

2964-465: The beginning of a line to Exeter to exclude the LSWR proposal, and as this would harm the position of the B&ER the GWR offered to purchase the B&ER company, which it was leasing. This was put to a B&ER shareholders' meeting and rejected by a considerable majority. Believing that it had acted in good faith, the GWR now promoted a modified version of the Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth scheme known as

3042-495: The broad gauge, and when tempers had cooled, a lease was agreed in February 1851 that the B&ER would work the line, and install the junction with their own line at Cowley Bridge; these works would be at the expense of the E&CR. The E&CR opened on 12 May 1851, for the time being effectively a branch of the B&ER. The London and South Western Railway reached Exeter on 19 July 1860. It had its own station, Queen Street, in

3120-524: The capital outlay by arranging with the GWR—by now in operation—to operate the line for them. By this time three directors were also directors of the GWR, and the alliance was beginning to strengthen. The proposal to lease the line to the GWR was ratified by shareholders at a special meeting in September 1841. The lease was to commence on the opening of a double line from Bristol to Bridgwater and Weston-super-Mare, at

3198-532: The carriage portion. Stabling railmotors in carriage sheds meant introducing the unit's smoke, steam, ash and dust into a relatively clean environment and requiring more effort to keep not only the railmotor but other carriages stabled alongside it suitably clean, and carriage sheds did not have staff trained in servicing and maintaining the power units of railmotors. Some railways invested in dedicated sheds to store and service railmotors, but this merely introduced additional running and manning costs which further reduced

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3276-428: The closeness of their stopping places, could not match that of the tramcars. The intrinsic compromises in fitting a steam engine inside the limited space available made them mechanically inefficient, and their power was typically insufficient to handle attached vehicles for parcels or additional coaches at times of exceptional demand such as public holidays. Most still required a three-man crew (driver, fireman and guard),

3354-412: The company started construction of a headquarters building at Temple Meads; it was designed by Samuel Fripp and opened in 1854. In the early part of 1844, with the main line nearly complete, the B&ER promoted a branch from near Taunton to Yeovil and Weymouth . At the same time the GWR decided to promote several branches from its main line, and during the course of 1844 the GWR endeavoured to build

3432-534: The completion of the line, which was opened onward from Bridgwater in stages: The opening to Exeter completed the B&ER main line, and with the GWR formed a combined broad gauge line from London to Exeter with a mileage of 194 miles, far longer than any other line at the time. The directors were able to report that the whole construction had been carried out for the £2 million originally authorised, "a most unusual experience in those days". The South Devon Railway Company obtained its authorising act of Parliament,

3510-621: The determined opposition of the Grand Western Canal , which foresaw the end of any income; when the parliamentary opposition was overcome, the canal company offered every obstruction in the construction of the railway crossing. The Clevedon branch line ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5.6 km) from Clevedon Road, renamed Yatton , was opened to traffic on 28 July 1847, and the Tiverton branch from Tiverton Road, renamed Tiverton Junction, opened on 12 June 1848. The Tiverton branch passed under

3588-494: The late 1970s, with the engines relocated, the body extended, and a new seating arrangement provided. The most obvious external difference was the fitting of aluminium-framed windows on the driver's cabin, and porthole windows for the engine room. Those "Super DERMs" were a familiar sight on the adjoining Mornington and Stony Point lines prior to the early 1980s. All but one of the DERMs have survived into preservation, with 57RM being

3666-487: The locomotive department; at first his workshops were in Exeter, but they were removed to Bristol towards the end of 1851. Extensive goods facilities were also provided there at this time, as well as a roof for the Bristol "express platform", earning it the local nickname, the cowshed . With money now coming in, and in anticipation of independent operation, the company had built a carriage works and coke ovens at Bridgwater. George Hennet had arranged to cast pipes there for

3744-543: The necessary finance, but opened to Wiveliscombe on 8 June 1871, and throughout on 1 November 1873. The line was broad gauge and single, with heavy gradients. It was worked by the B&ER for half the gross receipts. A short line called the Bristol Harbour Railway was opened from the junction of the B&ER and Great Western Railway (GWR) at Temple Meads to the Floating Harbour in Bristol on 11 March 1872. It

3822-419: The neighbouring GWR, none of the B&ER directors was also a GWR director at this time. The GWR was still under construction. The early euphoria turned to great difficulty in raising finance for construction. 4,000 of the 15,000 subscribed shares were forfeited for non-payment of calls before the line was built. A contract was let for the first part of the line, from a temporary terminus at Pylle Hill, west of

3900-419: The new suburban housing) and sought to reduce their operating cost by reintroducing railmotors, which were cheaper to construct. The London and North Western Railway , Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway , London, Brighton and South Coast Railway , Great North of Scotland Railway and Great Western Railway also introduced railmotors. Nonetheless, the railmotors had a number of disadvantages: their frequency, and

3978-646: The only DERM to have been scrapped. Four are operational, with the remaining five in various conditions, generally as a source of spare parts with long-term restoration in mind. Of the regular DERMs, 58RM, operated by the Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of Victoria, regularly runs tours on the Melbourne and Victorian broad gauge system, and 63RM runs trips on the Daylesford line with trailer 26MT when appropriate. 55RM

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4056-477: The only example of its type operating in the world. The engine unit, built by Kitson and Company of Leeds, England, consists of a small saturated locomotive-type boiler and a cab fitted on a four-wheel (720 mm diameter) underframe. Two outside cylinders delivering 8.96 kN (2,015 lb f ) of tractive effort drive the rear axle, which is the only one powered; valve gear is Walschaerts . The coach unit, finished in dark oak-stained and varnished timber,

4134-422: The point of convergence of the GWR line and the B&ER connecting line. The stations on opening were Nailsea, Clevedon Road, Banwell, Weston Junction, Highbridge and Bridgwater on the main line; Weston-super-Mare was the only station on its branch, which was operated by horse traction. (The subsequent renaming of stations is listed below.) Money was slightly easier to come by in 1841 and contracts were let for

4212-480: The previous two and three. The first-class end of the vehicle was moved towards the centre, closer to the engine, but providing a smoother ride by averaging the suspension of both bogies rather than just one. The trial arrangement was used on the Yarrawonga line , but patronage did not increase sufficiently to justify the retention of that service. Following the changes to 56RM, 55RM and 61RM were extensively modified in

4290-426: The railmotors' supposed economy of operation. There were two basic designs: These machines were not a great success because they lacked flexibility. Most could haul a single trailer, but no more. This meant they were unable to cope with greater than expected passenger demands – a classic example being busy market days on an otherwise lightly used rural branch line. They were also unable to haul goods wagons, requiring

4368-614: The running boards on either side as a spare water supply; the term persists today. The South Australian Railways inaugurated the vehicle in August 1906 on the narrow-gauge Great Northern Division; a similar unit went to the South East Division. Its regular duty was a weekly trip to Hawker , 65 km (40 mi) away, hauling a four-wheel van to carry parcels and mail. It was hired for charter on weekends, often by tennis and football clubs. It spent its entire working life operating out of

4446-502: The struggle to exclude the narrow gauge company, the GWR and B&ER jointly promoted a line in 1852 from Maiden Newton on the WS&;WR line (which was not yet completed) via Axminster to join the B&ER at Stoke Canon . This line was to be called the Devon and Dorset Railway ; the journey from London to Exeter would have been ten miles longer over it than by the existing line via Bristol. This

4524-411: The twentieth century, street-running passenger tramways started to use small steam engines to draw tramcars, replacing the customary horse traction. In many cases the tramways soon adopted electric traction instead, and the attractiveness of the cheap and frequent conveyance abstracted business from the railways in urban areas. The railways responded by opening new stopping places (to serve more closely

4602-500: The volume of traffic was very disappointing, and five of the eight locomotives purchased for the workings were converted to broad gauge by 1871. The B&ER took over from Bridgwater Corporation a short horse tramway between the railway station and the wharf in 1859. Having acquired the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal , the B&ER owned the canal dock, and the B&ER then converted the tramway for locomotive operation, and extended it to

4680-516: The west country and Wales. It also operated on the mainline between Liskeard and Looe in November 2012. Another mostly complete example is a Midland Railway railmotor, which was later turned into an Officers' Saloon for inspection duties. It lasted in preservation from 1968 as a holiday home, then went to the National Railway Museum where inadequate outside storage led to its deterioration. It

4758-475: Was 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km) long, and included a tunnel, a long viaduct and an opening bridge. It was constructed by the GWR and B&ER jointly, with much work being undertaken at the harbour by the Corporation of Bristol. It was a single line, and mixed gauge, although neither the GWR nor the B&ER had narrow gauge trackage in the area. It was soon decided to extend to Wapping Wharf, where more space

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4836-403: Was a solution adopted in some cases; this may be thought of as the predecessor to the railcar , a term more associated with the use of internal combustion engines. William Bridges Adams started building railmotors in small numbers as early as 1848. The Bristol and Exeter Railway used a steam carriage . In most cases the early designs were unsuccessful technically, but in the early years of

4914-464: Was an English railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter . It was built on the broad gauge and its engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel . It opened in stages between 1841 and 1844. It was allied with the Great Western Railway (GWR), which built its main line between London and Bristol, and in time formed part of a through route between London and Cornwall. It became involved in

4992-437: Was appropriate to serve any particular area, and naturally each company wished their own allies' lines to be authorised. The LSWR was a narrow gauge railway (later referred to as standard gauge ) and the GWR and B&ER were broad gauge lines; the intense rivalry to secure territory was referred to as the gauge wars . A Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) was promoted by the GWR in 1845. The GWR now saw it as

5070-453: Was available, and this was authorised in 1873, but the opening took place after the B&ER amalgamated. Apart from the short LSWR running sections at Exeter and Yeovil, the B&ER had been exclusively broad gauge. Then in 1866, the Somerset and Dorset Railway (S&DR) proposed building a Bridgwater branch from their line. To head this encroachment off, the B&ER undertook to lay narrow gauge rails on their own line from Highbridge, where

5148-575: Was built by the Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Company of Birmingham. The first class compartment has elaborate pressed ceiling patterns and carpeted floor; second class has a plain ceiling and linoleum flooring. Seating is upholstered with mock leather; nine first class seats and thirteen second class are in separate compartments. SMC no. 1 was nicknamed the "Coffee Pot" after railwaymen chalked "Coffee" and "Cocoa" on two water barrels that had been placed on

5226-404: Was built in 1875 as a railmotor but had its carriage portion removed in 1915. (In Australia, the term "railmotor" was used in those states, especially New South Wales , with a strongly British-influenced railway tradition. It was applied to diesel or petrol-powered self-propelled passenger carriages otherwise termed "railcars" on Australian railways where a more American tradition applied, such as

5304-470: Was later moved to a farm in 2015 and remains there as of May 2019. In Northern Ireland , the heritage Downpatrick and County Down Railway (D&CDR) owns an example of a Belfast and County Down Railway railmotor which was converted to an autotrain driving trailer while in service. After withdrawal it was used as private accommodation in a field before being restored to working order. The D&CDR also has Great Southern and Western Railway No. 90, which

5382-413: Was leased to the B&ER for a seven-year term. While the lease was in force, it was extended to Burnham-on-Sea at the north-west end (on 3 May 1858) and to Wells at the south-east end (on 15 March 1859), making 19 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (31.0 km) in total. Power had been obtained to extend to Bruton on the GWR in 1856. The Dorset Central Railway, a narrow gauge line, also obtained powers to join

5460-516: Was maintained by the building company. It was a broad gauge single line. The Somerset and Dorset Railway proposed a line from Yatton to Wells in opposing a B&ER scheme for a Wells branch; by negotiation the B&ER took over the Yatton to Wells scheme, and the broad gauge line was opened on 3 August 1869 as far as Cheddar, and extended to a station at Tucker Street in Wells on 5 April 1870. The new line made

5538-450: Was no common director. J. B. Badham was appointed as secretary and general superintendent, and after a false start, James Cresswell Wall was appointed Traffic Superintendent, transferring to Chief Goods Agent on 1 January 1855; Henry Dykes succeeded him as Traffic Superintendent. C. H. Gregory remained Chief Engineer until the post was abolished in June 1851. In June 1850 James Pearson took over

5616-418: Was obtained for a connecting line descending from the LSWR station to St Davids, and the addition of narrow gauge rails to the line from there to Crediton. The LSWR service started on 1 February 1862. The Exeter (St Davids) station had been built in a one-sided arrangement with separate up and down sections. The increase of traffic and the arrival of LSWR trains made this very difficult to operate; in 1862 work

5694-408: Was opened to passengers on 1 October 1853, and to goods on 26 October 1853. With the approach of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line of the GWR, the B&ER branch was extended from Hendford across Yeovil to the GWR station at Pen Mill ; this extension opened on 2 February 1857, the same day as the GWR line from Frome to Yeovil. The West Somerset Railway was authorised in 1857 to make a line from

5772-522: Was presented again in the 1847 session, and the B&ER again opposed the scheme, itself promoting a branch from Durston (east of Taunton) to Castle Cary (on the WS&WR). The Exeter Great Western scheme was again rejected, but the B&ER Castle Cary line was approved. However, by now the financial collapse following the " Railway Mania " had occurred, and the B&ER never proceeded with that scheme. The LSWR too had experienced difficulty in making its proposed line to Exeter, and, in continuation of

5850-489: Was presented in Parliament in the 1853 session, and became part of a bitter fight for the so-called coast line : LSWR trains now reached Dorchester and that company proposed its own line. In Committee, witnesses for and against the respective lines appeared, but the B&ER were absent. The proposed broad gauge line was rejected on 30 June. The Exeter and Crediton Railway Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. lxxxviii) authorised

5928-510: Was started on a new conventionally arranged station, and this was opened in July 1864. Taunton station received a corresponding treatment in August 1868. At Weston-super-Mare, the terminus was modernised and expanded, and the branch line doubled, in 1866. At Bristol, the project was much more difficult; work started in March 1871 but was not completed until 1 January 1878, after amalgamation of the B&ER and

6006-424: Was unable to raise the capital needed; the B&ER took over the powers and opened the single line branch to passengers on 11 September 1866, and to goods in March 1867. The Chard station was joint with the LSWR, who had a branch from their main line at Chard Junction. The Portishead branch was built by the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Company, and opened on 18 April 1867. The B&ER worked it but it

6084-517: Was worked by the B&ER. The Somerset Central Railway was authorised on 17 June 1852. It was friendly to the B&ER which had subscribed a considerable amount of its capital. It was to build from Highbridge Wharf, crossing the B&ER main line there, and running to Glastonbury, mostly along the route of the Glastonbury Canal . It was a broad gauge single line 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (20.1 km) long; when it opened on 28 August 1854 it

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