29 members from far, wide and locally, gathered at Cranmore station for 10am to kick off our long weekend in the West Country. Open early, the station buffet was doing good business, as it did all day.

Many having noted our intended 2-car DMU ticking over in the vicinity of the former bitumen tanker sidings, normal P1 was occupied by some BR Mk 1 coaches. At 10.15 we were told to move to the not normally used P2, reached by the foot crossing at the west end of the platforms. There is no shelter on this platform and it was raining lightly but that didn't dampen anyone's spirits. At around 10.30, the immaculately preserved, inside and out, Class 108 DMU (DMBS 51909 & DMCL 56271) left the sidings and, after a reversal, arrived at the rare P2. Everyone boarded; the first move was to continue east to the NR limit, a mere 9ch beyond the platform, then back through Cranmore P2 and via the public run to Mendip Vale. Participants noted some significant changes (TRACKmaps p13A 2023). Apart from P2 being rebuilt and resurfaced, Cranmore station loop has been significantly shortened at the west end. The fixed diamond crossover in the P1 line has gone, replaced by a facing point (from the west) in that line, which still crosses the Cripple Siding on the level to access the former tanker sidings. The original layout dates from GWR days designed to avoid facing points in passenger lines to sidings etc, even though this could result in rather complicated pointwork. This all happened over the winter shutdown http://www.minorrailways.co.uk/trackplans/eastsomerset.pdf is a 29 May 2023 previous plan.

Cranmore West (where visitors could once alight to look round the sheds) has gone, the concrete platform removed. Last served on Sun 31 Oct 2021, it was temporarily closed from 8 Mar 2022 due to the state of the platform. It came from Ilton Halt on the former Taunton to Chard line and was the original western terminus when the ESR (re)opened on 4 Apr 1980 to Merryfield Lane. Then, Cranmore was used by inward BR bitumen trains; scheduled passenger services were not extended further east to there until 23 Jun 1985, when they were also extended west from Merryfield Lane to Mendip Vale.



There was a possible BLS first at Mendip Vale; ESR P'Way staff travelling with us produced a gauge checker to test the headshunt, where some immovable wagons and what's thought to be ex-MoD crane 63063 are stored. After confirming it was 1,435mm, we ran up to the stock, reversed and ran back via the station run round loop to just short of Merryfield Lane. Here, another gauge check was made in the Up siding; ESR staff could not recall any use for over 10 years and the driver had never been in during 25 years of driving - that's what we like to hear! After the gauge was confirmed as standard, some keys were borrowed from the main line track to fill empty chairs at the siding (another BLS first?). Our tour then proceeded about a carriage length into the siding and, after reversing out and replacing the keys in the main line, changed direction again, then pausing for a photo stop at Merryfield Lane. This short isolated platform is generally served on request by the DMU but not by loco-hauled stock.






Returning to Cranmore, Port of Bristol 39 (Sentinel S10218) had been started up and moved the coaches from P1 to P2. A chance for haulage by this loco was available during this manoeuvre and taken. The first compartment was 'LADIES ONLY' and locked, those in the second compartment of the non-corridor stock met the loco owner who expounded its interesting history in full detail! This move allowed the DMU to enter P1, where we boarded for a run east to the NR limit and back through the platform to where the line from P2 joins the P1 line, with overlap. This ended with another reversal back into P1, for a lunch break, sampling the good quality catering in the Station Café.

Rides were then available on the 400yd, 7¼'' miniature railway from Cranmore (both sides of the loop and onto the new turntable 'top & tail' with 'Fred' and Toby-esque 'No24') towards Cranmore West. Past the carriage shed was disconnected for remodelling. The miniature is being much extended to behind the former West station; preliminary groundworks have taken place and the track is on site. Their miniature men were very friendly and participants could visit their interesting (and warm!) bothy.

This was a chance to visit the Sentinel and steam sheds on foot to view more locos and stock. Also during the lunch break, PBA39 moved about 200 tonnes of wagons and non-passenger coaching stock out of the bitumen siding nearer Cranmore station, clearing it to the end, except for 3 wheel sets. With everyone back on the DMU after lunch and a delightful smell of Oil of Wintergreen permeating the carriage, indicating that track joints were not the only ones lubricated that day, we ran westwards for a reversal. Then it was traversal of the full length of said siding right up to the aforementioned wheel sets. Then we did about half of the other, slightly longer, siding, further progress being prevented by the presence of immovable stock, some without wheels, undergoing restoration.






We returned to P2 for a short break while '39' pulled the ESR dining coaches and a rake of six (mainly) milk tanks - one for water (most specially transported to the railway for a photo charter), out of the Cripple Siding*. They ran through P1 to the NR limit, giving us just enough room to enter P1 and cover the full length of the cleared siding. [*Wagons of Restricted Mobility Siding perhaps, nowadays?]

That was followed by a 'tandem' move, the DMU and 39 coupled, the latter just powering enough to keep up at the rear of the DMU, taking us to the entrance to the sidings for the steam and diesel sheds.

The DMU then did the line between the steam shed and the mainline, to where it joins the headshunt for the diesel shed. This allowed '39' to extract the contents of the northerly steam shed road (Collett 2-6-2T 4110 and Collett Hall 4-6-0 converted to Saint 2999, now named 'Lady of Legend') onto the main line to the west. While this was happening, we were able to disembark from the DMU and walk over to the Sentinel shed. The nice people gave cab rides from the shed to just before the line exiting the workshop, in pristine restored red Sentinel S10165 'Joan'. It is remarkable how spacious the cabs are; they give great all round visibility too. Most present then joined the Sentinel for its final run into the Sentinel shed (left hand road). Thanks duly given, and point clipped, we reboarded the DMU to cover to within one wagon length of the east headshunt end. Our tour then returned to west of the steam shed and went in, covering the length of the northerly road (both are through) to the east door.

Finally, we ran back out onto the main line to cover the other steam shed road to its west end door, then back to the main line for a return to Cranmore P1 by 16.00. Many thanks to the ESR for an excellent and very enjoyable day, their careful manoeuvring of stock allowed maximum coverage of what could be made available on the day. There was also a souvenir Edmondson ticket available.



Even those who had been on our tours before did new track and the winter alterations are another step towards P2 coming into public use (the old St Erth footbridge has been donated to the line). We were pleased to contribute £1,300 to this friendly railway. It was discovered that NR had devegetated their section of the branch, replaced 400 sleepers and were relaying the access points. Although mainly to allow aggregate trains to shunt onto the line at Merehead West Jn, it will allow mainline tours to visit again (UK Railtours plan to do this on Sat 6 Jul). Oh, and Strawberry Fields? The area was, and still is, famous for growing strawberries and they used to go out by train but not a Beatle in sight.