AJC
Western Thunderer
I came across this unlikely scheme while doing some cross referencing in the day job, working for the Victoria History of the Counties of England (known to most as the 'VCH'). Now the idea of that outfit is to produce a parish by parish history of England from the beginning of human habitation to the ever-moving present. Back in 1898 this was thought to be something that could be quick, simple, encyclopaedic and commercial. The more alert of you might have noticed that it is now 2015 and, er... well, it makes the gestation of our little empires pale into insignificance.
Anyhow, the tramway scheme is mentioned in the volume for Castle Cary (Somerset volume 10) which bounds the territory of volume 11 (Queen Camel and the Cadburys, due out in May) and although it never got beyond the act of parliament granted in 1891, it is outlined in some detail in the London Gazette, the archive of which is available, free, online. The relevant pages are here:
Page 6293 | Issue 26226, 24 November 1891 | London Gazette | The Gazette
The scheme seems to have been for a standard gauge roadside tramway carrying agricultural produce and other sundries between Somerton, Keinton Mandville, Castle Cary and Evercreech. The account given in the London Gazette appears to show several schemes, but in fact these are simply divisions of the same scheme divided by parish boundaries. The system started on the eastern edge of Somerton, proceeding along what is now the B 3153, crossing the A 37 at Lydford, the GWR at Castle Cary and thereupon proceeding north to the S&DJR at Evercreech Junction. All this and a branch(!) from Kingweston to - and with @Simon's Pomparle's Siding scheme in mind - Butleigh.
Google Maps
Obviously, this never went anywhere, but it seems an interesting sort of a thing in the spirit of the Wantage or Wisbech and Upwell tramways. Now had it been built, I imagine it would have made connections with the GWR at Castle Cary as well and might just have made it through the First World War, struggled as far as the second and, in all likelihood, been wound up shortly afterwards.
Given the number of unlikely schemes associated with the S&DJR over the years that have appeared in model form I can't help but think that there's a layout in all of this somewhere... Any takers?
Adam
Anyhow, the tramway scheme is mentioned in the volume for Castle Cary (Somerset volume 10) which bounds the territory of volume 11 (Queen Camel and the Cadburys, due out in May) and although it never got beyond the act of parliament granted in 1891, it is outlined in some detail in the London Gazette, the archive of which is available, free, online. The relevant pages are here:
Page 6293 | Issue 26226, 24 November 1891 | London Gazette | The Gazette
The scheme seems to have been for a standard gauge roadside tramway carrying agricultural produce and other sundries between Somerton, Keinton Mandville, Castle Cary and Evercreech. The account given in the London Gazette appears to show several schemes, but in fact these are simply divisions of the same scheme divided by parish boundaries. The system started on the eastern edge of Somerton, proceeding along what is now the B 3153, crossing the A 37 at Lydford, the GWR at Castle Cary and thereupon proceeding north to the S&DJR at Evercreech Junction. All this and a branch(!) from Kingweston to - and with @Simon's Pomparle's Siding scheme in mind - Butleigh.
Google Maps
Obviously, this never went anywhere, but it seems an interesting sort of a thing in the spirit of the Wantage or Wisbech and Upwell tramways. Now had it been built, I imagine it would have made connections with the GWR at Castle Cary as well and might just have made it through the First World War, struggled as far as the second and, in all likelihood, been wound up shortly afterwards.
Given the number of unlikely schemes associated with the S&DJR over the years that have appeared in model form I can't help but think that there's a layout in all of this somewhere... Any takers?
Adam
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