Blue Anchor railway station
| Blue Anchor | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
| Place | Blue Anchor |
| Area | West Somerset |
| Coordinates | 51°10′53″N 3°24′09″W / 51.18152°N 3.40239°WCoordinates: 51°10′53″N 3°24′09″W / 51.18152°N 3.40239°W |
| Grid reference | ST021434 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Bristol and Exeter Railway |
| Operated by | West Somerset Railway |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| 1874 | Opened |
| 1971 | Closed |
| 1976 | Opened in preservation |
| Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
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Blue Anchor railway station is situated in the seaside village of Blue Anchor, Somerset, England and close to the larger village of Carhampton. It is on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway and houses the museum of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust.
The station was first opened on 16 July 1874 by the Minehead Railway as Blue Anchor. Suggestions that it was called 'Blue Anchor Excursion Platform' or 'Bradley Gate' have been shown to be incorrect. In 1874 it had only one platform which faced the beach, but the second track and platform were built by the Great Western Railway in 1904 which had taken over the railway in 1897. At the same time the signal box was opened to control new gates on the level crossing which carries the Carhampton road across the line at the west end of the platforms. A goods yard was finally opened west of the level crossing in 1913.
In 1934, as part of general upgrading of the Minehead branch, the platforms and passing loop were extended. A camp coach was stabled here from the summer of 1934 and the present railway company still maintains three camp coaches for its volunteers today.
Goods traffic was withdrawn in 1963 and passenger services ceased from 4 January 1971. The line from Minehead was reopened by the West Somerset Railway on 28 March 1976 and on to Williton on 28 August in the same year. Camp coaches once again grace the goods yard where they provide overnight accommodation for volunteers working on the railway.
The station buildings have been restored and the waiting room on the westbound platform was converted to a railway museum in 1985. It opened in 1986 under the auspices of the West Somerset Railway Steam Trust. Staffing is provided by the Friends of Blue Anchor Railway Museum, who also undertake fundraising activities. The museum now contains around 550 items, mainly related to the Great Western Railway or other West Country lines.
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