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For a brief period in the second half of the 19th century, the tiny West Somerset port and town of Watchet became one of the most important places in the county. The harbour provided an outlet to South Wales for iron ore mined on the nearby Brendon Hills and two separate railways were built to the town. The first was standard gauge, did not connect to any other line and was built mainly to bring the ore down to the coast. Shortly after it opened in 1861, construction of a second line commenced, a broad gauge branch to Watchet from the Bristol & Exeter Railway's main line at Taunton. Opened in 1864, it was built for both passengers and freight, and was a success from the start. In 1874, the station at Watchet ceased to be a terminus when the extension to Minehead was opened, whilst the broad gauge era came to an end in 1882, when the line was narrowed to the standard gauge. We are fortunate that, throughout this period, from the beginning of construction of the broad gauge railway at Minehead in 1861, through to the first trains and the development of the harbour and its sidings, Watchet was also at the forefront of early photography. At least two local individuals took up photography and one of them seems to have been engaged to record much of the work undertaken in the 1860s through to the 1870s. Chris Saunders has spent over twenty years collecting together as many of these early and historic images as possible and those featuring the broad gauge railway, the harbour and some of the important buildings constructed during this period are gathered here together for the first time in print. They are accompanied by knowledgeable captions, the dates which they contain for each photograph having often involved hours of careful comparisons and detective work. This marvellous collection of pictures is sure to interest railway enthusiasts and West Somerset historians alike, as well as local residents and visitors to this delightful seaside town.
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- PublisherLightmoor Press
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 1911038087
- ISBN 13 9781911038085
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages64
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The Broad Gauge at Watchet
Published by
Black Dwarf Lightmoor
(2016)
ISBN 10: 1911038087
ISBN 13: 9781911038085
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Soft cover
First Edition
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Book Description Soft cover. Condition: New. 1st Edition. 64pp Ills. maps, dwgs. card covers. NEW copy. Seller Inventory # 039094
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Stock Image
The Broad Gauge Railway at Watchet
Published by
Lightmoor Press
(2016)
ISBN 10: 1911038087
ISBN 13: 9781911038085
New
Soft cover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: New. No Jacket. For a brief period in the second half of the 19th century, the tiny West Somerset port and town of Watchet became one of the most important places in the county. The harbour provided an outlet to South Wales for iron ore mined on the nearby Brendon Hills and two separate railways were built to the town. The first was standard gauge, did not connect to any other line and was built mainly to bring the ore down to the coast. Shortly after it opened in 1861, construction of a second line commenced, a broad gauge branch to Watchet from the Bristol & Exeter Railway?s main line at Taunton. Opened in 1864, it was built for both passengers and freight, and was a success from the start. In 1874, the station at Watchet ceased to be a terminus when the extension to Minehead was opened, whilst the broad gauge era came to an end in 1882, when the line was narrowed to the standard gauge. We are fortunate that, throughout this period, from the beginning of construction of the broad gauge railway at Minehead in 1861, through to the first trains and the development of the harbour and its sidings, Watchet was also at the forefront of early photography. At least two local individuals took up photography and one of them seems to have been engaged to record much of the work undertaken in the 1860s through to the 1870s. Chris Saunders has spent over twenty years collecting together as many of these early and historic images as possible and those featuring the broad gauge railway, the harbour and some of the important buildings constructed during this period are gathered here together for the first time in print. They are accompanied by knowledgeable captions, the dates which they contain for each photograph having often involved hours of careful comparisons and detective work. This marvellous collection of pictures is sure to interest railway enthusiasts and West Somerset historians alike, as well as local residents and visitors to this delightful seaside town. Seller Inventory # 007268
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