Introduction

The signal-box at Writhlington (also known as Writhlington & Braysdown) was situated just north of Radstock on the main line of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR) on the section from Bath Junction to Evercreech Junction in the county of Somerset which was known historically as the 'Bath Extension'. The Somerset and Dorset Railway (S&DR) opened its 'Bath Extension' from Evercreech Junction to Bath in 1874 and then the S&DR became the S&DJR in 1875 when the line was leased jointly by the Midland Railway (MR) and London & South Western Railway (L&SWR). (Click here to read more about early S&DR/S&DJR Signalling and the nature of the original signalling and layout arrangements on the Bath Extension.) After the Grouping of the railways of Great Britain in 1923 the S&DJR became a Joint line under the control of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) and the Southern Railway (SR), who were the successors to the MR and L&SWR respectively. When the railways of Great Britain were nationalised in 1948 the Joint line came under the control of British Railways (Southern Region) (BR(SR)), but in due course control of the old Bath Extension section passed to British Railways (Western Region) (BR(WR)) until the line closed on 6-March-1966.

Note: the first signal-box (SB) to be opened at this location was known as 'Foxcote', but this was reduced to ground-frame status in 1877 and then replaced in 1894 by a new box. The new box was known initially as 'Writhlington & Braysdown' and was one of the few S&DJR SBs to be built at a location other than a passenger station or junction, existing purely to control various colliery sidings. In due course the SB's name was shortened to just 'Writhlington', but the location was often described colloquially as 'Braysdown'. For simplicity the name 'Writhlington' is used generally in RailWest for this location except where the context requires the specific use of the names 'Foxcote' or 'Writhlington & Braysdown'.

A train on the Down Siding in front of the signal-box circa-1900		Signal diagram supplied to the Board of Trade in 1894

To be completed...

© CJL Osment 2023
Images from the WCRA collection.