New Station for Shepton Mallet?

[whole diary]

[bradshaw]

In the 1840s the Government wanted a through route from Dover to Falmouth, for military reasons, hence the aim of the other S&D^▸ (Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway) - the Southampton and Dorchester - having the station where it is. This also effected the development of the railways in the region in the 1840s and 50s with competing narrow and broad gauge schemes having coastal and central routes.
At one point the S&D was taken over by the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) until they and the L&SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) came to an agreement.

The reversal continued until the new up platform and station building was opened in 1989 with the Weymouth electrification.

The excellent Cornwall Railway Society has these images.

http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/dorchester-to-bournemouth.html

[grahame]

Wilts, Somerset and Dorset - an early line from the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) London to Bristol line, turning off at Thingley Junction and running via Trowbridge and Westbury (first line there) then on to Frome, Yeovil, Dorchester and Weymouth.  Branches added later.

The London and South Western Railway reached Dorchester (South) too and the original platform was layed out there to let the line carry on straight ahead.  However, that never happen - it's said to be because the other line was in the way blocking it, and it turned sharp left to join that line to Weymouth.   Within my memory, trains from Weymouth to London ran round the curve at the station and reversed into the straight platform.

Map

GWR "Great Way Round" in mustard
LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) "Castleman's Corkscrew" in sage (section not built in dashed lines)
Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth in maroon
Later, shorter routes in thin navy