The Slow Train (station)

[callmemadam]

Yesterday, huskyteer and I visited the Shillingstone Railway Project. No more will I go to Blandford Forum by rail, but drive up there and turn off for Sherborne, Bath and points west and you come to the small village of Shillingstone. Although no train has run here since 1966, some old buildings remain and are being lovingly restored, unlike the railway buildings and track in our town, long since overlaid by an industrial estate. If you enjoy visiting quirky, amateurish little museums run by enthusiasts, you’d like it here.

The project is very much a work in progress and there’s a relaxed attitude towards visitors. There’s no charge to walk round and you can do pretty much what you like: sit in the train carriage and imagine yourself travelling, walk on the track, admire the flower border, watch people painting or trundling machines around for mysterious purposes. As well as genuine railway memorabilia like cast iron signs and guards’ lamps, they’ve acquired a lot of old junk suitably vintage pieces, all scattered around in a higgledy-piggledy way. I was itching to re-style it, so as to make better use of items like the original platform vending machine, which dispensed bars of Cadbury’s chocolate at 6d a go. A makeover would destroy some of the charm, though.

















A word about my header. I never say ‘train station’. To me, they are railway stations and always will be. Apologies for the photo-heavy post but I've had to remove the cut because with it LJ wouldn't show the rest of the pictures. Grrr!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

The volunteers would seem to be doing a good job on the restoration. I love all the pictures, especially the interior of the carriage. I remember so well the overhead luggage racks and the wall lamps. Did they have any of the old seaside destinations advertising plaques? It is such a shame that so many stations have gone the way of yours, under tons of concrete. If the stations are not to be restored as living museums I like to see them converted to homes.
Wee sister

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

The volunteers are certainly keen!

That carriage is not very old. Net luggage racks yes, but no pictures or the old leather straps to open the window.

They have a few destination posters around the place, but they all seemed to be reproductions.

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

What a delightful place, I'd love to go. I have a real love of anything railways and it's in my history and my blood. They are doing really well with their project. I remember 6d Cadbury chocolate bars and the toy dispensers of the minibars :)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It's very quaint, I'm sure you'd love it.
I remember those toys but never had one!

[gghost.livejournal.com]

What a fascinating and charming place! Thank you for sharing --I feel as though I've had a little field trip this afternoon.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

So glad you liked it. It's rather sad to think there were once hundreds of little stations like that one and they've gone. They've all passed out of our lives, as the wonderful song puts it.

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

Lovely pictures!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's a pretty photogenic place.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

Ooh, with the random old tat that reminds me of the Swindon & Cricklade railway. Do they have trains or just a station?

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Never heard of that one!
There's just the one set of carriages, no engine. For the real thing, now a genuinely working line, you want Swanage.

we do are best her at shillingstone glad you enjoyed your visit

[(Anonymous)]

one day we will be a a railway and have organization but sadly we have more items than space but well get there full charm and enthusiasm

Re: we do are best her at shillingstone glad you enjoyed your visit

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

We did enjoy ourselves; thank you!