Membership
To help support the Trust's conservation and restoration activities, why not join us? It costs from just £14 per year and comes with many benefits, see below. Andy Young, our Membership Secretary, looks forward to welcoming you with a copy of our latest magazine. Click here to purchase membership - or use the drop-down 'Sales' menu. New memberships taken out now will last until the end of 2021.
When ordering membership, any items you require from our online shop can be included at the same time; there is no need to order them separately.
Membership benefits
- Our magazine, Pines Express, four times a year. A wide variety of articles is complemented by photographs from the Trust's extensive archive.
- Access to pdf copies of every Bulletin/Pines Express ever published. That's 298 issues!
- 20% off when buying downloadable S&D images and audio recollections in our online shop.
- 25% off standard travel (excluding special events) on the West Somerset Railway*.
- The Trust's Annual Special Train; with extra low fares and hauled by the Trust's restored S&D 7F, 53808.
- Free museum access and 10% off most purchases in the Trust's shop at Washford*.
- Internet discussion group.
- Mail Order Service.
- Participation in events and restoration work.
(* subject to lease at Washford).
Plus, you will be able - and will be warmly welcomed in doing so - to take part in Trust activites, read on....
Click here to purchase membership.
Take part...
Volunteers are essential for the Trust to operate! In normal circumstances - away from the current national situation - there are all sorts of opportunities for taking part in preserving the memories and rolling stock of the Somerset & Dorset Railway. We cherish our volunteers and have established proper management procedures to encourage and support you.
For example:
We have a small team working on wagon and carriage restoration and even engine overhaul, in our well-equipped workshops – all sorts of tasks to be done, for all levels of skills and all with proper supervision. Current projects include restoration of original S&D Coaches dating from the 1880’s along with a range of historic wagons. Is this something that interests you?
If you are unable to visit Washford regularly, there are plenty of tasks that can be undertaken from your own home – contributing to the Trust’s magazine Pines Express, researching the history of the line, adding information for the website. Is this something you could spare some time for?
If so, the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust needs you. Please contact Nigel Davies at nigeldavies48@gmail.com.
The Trust’s shop is always popular, and a great place to meet and welcome visitors and passengers.
The latest edition of our magazine is the autumn issue and despite the situation with COVID-19, the magazine has increased to 48 pages for the first time - packed with great reading material and photographic content, including:
- 'How do you solve a problem like Templecombe?' Part 2 by Jonathan Edwards. The manoeuvres needed for S&D services to call at Templecombe station on the Southern main line were a noted feature of S&D operation. The second part of the article records that further proposals were shelved culminating in the more-limited rebuilding of Templecombe station in the late 1930s.
- The Highbridge POL depot in WWII. The US Army's Petrol, Oil and Lubricants depot covered a vast area at Highbridge and was linked in to the S&D's Highbridge branch, but very little information has emerged about it... until now. John Palmer provides the detail.
- Southbound with the 'Pines' - another coincidence. Mike Arlett's article in the last issue has photos of the last down Pines from Ivo Peters and Norman Lockett, on both of which can be seen the Motive Power Inspector. His grandson, John Brewster, tells us about his working life.
- The Wells Branch of the Somerset Central Railway: Chris Challis finds plenty of examples of railway activity at Polsham.
- 53808's 50 years with the Trust: Roger Hardingham reflects that the engine has now been in Trust ownership for longer than its previous working life and scrapyard time combined.
- S&D stations part 22. Although not in the wild west, Stalbridge was very much a frontier station, as David Grimwood describes.
- Feedback and Information Requests: the centre-spread photo and 92233 on the Pines Express.
- Jane Riley's art: how Jane's interest in steam was influenced by the view from the school art room window.
- Centre-spread photo: A view from a signal post(!) of the Pines Express passing Templecombe No.2 Junction in 1962, headed by No. 34046 Braunton.
- 53808 on the West Somerset Railway: a fine photo taken close to the Whiskey Trail crossing in autumn 2018.
- 10 pages of Trust and general S&D news.
- Four-page Trust sales supplement.
Our photos show examples of the types of practical activity at Washford (courtesy of Gerry Leyman)
