North Dorset Railway

The main station building houses a café and shop. The registered museum displays some of the artefacts donated over the years. The signal box has been rebuilt and fitted with one signal. The south end of the up platform has been rebuilt and the picnic area above landscaped with a garden—an outdoor 'O' scale model railway was built there but was removed in 2019. A new siding was laid to accommodate the catering carriage at present outside the main station platform which serves as additional café accommodation. The down platform waiting shelter has been rebuilt in its original position and now serves as storage. == Stations ==

• Sturminster Newton - A long-term aim of the NDR is to restore the line to Sturminster Newton as stated in the current NDR literature. The 'Railway Garden' in the centre of the town commemorates the previous route of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. NDR has engaged with local councillors and officers to plan a gateway feature including a signal, interpretation boards and a level crossing gate as the trackbed enters Sturminster Newton. • Shillingstone - The base for North Dorset Railway - the only remaining station built to a Dorset Central Railway design in 1863. • Stourpaine & Durweston Halt - In private hands. == Activity ==

In 2009, of the up main track through the station was laid and ballasted using 110a and 113a flat bottom rail and wooden sleepers. The Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter was moved from the isolated goods dock. This was the first standard gauge loco on the Somerset & Dorset mainline south of the Mendips and north of Blandford, since the demolition train departed in July 1967, exactly 42 years before. Progress in 2010 included acquiring a tracked Priestman Mustang excavator, finishing construction of the up platform wall, regrading of the cattle dock track bed and preparations for track-laying, and the connection of the station to the mains drainage system. Northward extension The NDR submitted in December 2020 a planning application for a northward extension over Lamb House Bridge: this was approved in April 2021 with permission to extend the line 400 m north of the station. Trees were felled and bushes cleared on the section of the embankment between the station and Lamb House Bridge. In accordance with the planning permission granted by Dorset Council, a temporary diversion was created allowing the public to continue to use the Trailway whilst a new Trailway was constructed along the eastern side of the embankment so that the trackbed for the Northern extension could be restored along the western side of the embankment. The permanent Trailway diversion was completed during the Summer of 2022 and officially opened in August by Simon Hoare, MP. Throughout the summer of 2022 work continued reconstructing the embankment to the north of Lamb House Bridge and up to Cattle Creep Bridge, which had been excavated after the closure of the line to allow the construction of a tennis court, which was finally completed in late 2024. In July 2025, the extension was finally connected up with the track in Shillingstone Station, with a golden screw being used to secure the final length of track. Then, a few months later in September 2025, the North Dorset Railway was given permission from Dorset Council to change over from a registered museum to an operational railway, with the railways intention to run trains from the station, to the end of the new length of track and back. On the 26 November 2025, after the northward extension had been relaid, the railways resident Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Diesel Loco "Ashdown" became the first locomotive to cross over Lamb House Bridge since the closure of the line in 1966. A month later, on 15 December 2025, JŽ Class 62 30075 would become the first steam locomotive to travel over the new extension and over Lamb House Bridge, as well as being the first time it has moved under its own power since entering preservation after being brought in 1990. The trust is still awaiting formal approval from the Office of Rail and Road to run passenger services over the new line. Southward extension In 2026, the NDR entered a consultation phase with Dorset Council in order to extend the line southwards towards Holloway lane, which would result in the line becoming long. Included in these talks is also the possibility of acquiring land for restoration and storage sheds. == History ==

colours, October 2007 After the closure of Shillingstone railway station on 7 March 1966, and a few years post closure, the Dorset County Council purchased the trackbed for a proposed Shillingstone by-pass. Various furniture manufacturing companies were sited in the former station yard, and during the 1970s, industrial buildings were constructed, some of them making partial use of the station building. The Porter's office was reconstructed, and the Parcels office restored. Track-work within the station was completed by the summer of 2020. == Rolling stock ==

Operational locomotives Locomotives under overhaul, repair or restoration Coaches • MK1 BR M25424 Built 1957. Purchased by the Swanage Railway, but was sold to Shillingstone in 2011. Wagons • Senior Naval Stores Officer (SNSO), 10 ton 4w van, SNSO 535. Built in 1910 for the Admiralty initially at Chatham Dockyard, later at Gosport. Purchased from Gosport in March 1984 and moved to West Somerset Railway. In 2005 this van was donated to Shillingstone. Currently under restoration. • Esso 4w Fuel Oil Tank 3957, Departmental No DB999088, Internal user number 083548. Ex Bournemouth West depot waste oil tanker then was bought by the Swanage railway, before moving to Shillingstone. • L&NWR 4w Non-Vent 10 Ton Box Van, Diagram number 88, Navy number RNAD 335, ex RNAD Bedenham. Moved from Washford to Shillingstone Feb 2016. Currently under restoration. • GWR 10t Ventilated Van 11451 (Code: MINK) Built by GWR at Swindon in 1901 on Lot 418 to Diagram V5. Moved from Washford to Shillingstone Feb 2016. • BR Dogfish ballast wagon. B983184 moved to Shillingstone from Queenborough Rolling Mill in 2013. The Dogfish & Catfish were BR's standard small ballast hopper wagons, almost 2000 being built. Fitted with vacuum brakes from new, many lasted into the 1990s while a program to fit air-brakes to surviving Dogfish wagons was started in 2000. Despite this, the last examples of both types were withdrawn in 2006. • BR ADB904131, 21 ton lowmac transporter wagon, GWR style riveted, Vacuum brake [Diag 2-245 Lot 2592, Built Swindon 1949. • BR Standard Brake Van. Number : B950885. TOPS code : ZTO Built Faverdale, Darlington 1950. Currently being restored. Former exhibits • LMS 20 Ton Brake Van 950194 Scrapped on site. • Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter, arrived in 2007 at Shillingstone. 88DS class, works number 466629 Built 1962, supplied new to Ransomes Simms & Jeffries, of Ipswich. Sold to the Whitwell & Reepham Preservation Society 2013. • Mk3a Ex-Virgin cross-country Open First buffet coach No.10224 built by British Rail in 1970 at their Derby works. The Mk 3 saw service with British Rail before joining the ranks of Virgin Trains rolling stock where it worked until retirement in 2002. It was then stored until 2005 and was used by the Army for bomb disposal training. Purchased for a nominal sum in May 2015, and moved shortly after to Shillingstone. Sold October 2017, and moved off site. • BR Class 08 0-6-0 DE No. 08 995 was built at Horwich Works in October 1959 as number D3854, being renumbered 08 687 in February 1974. It was donated as part of a legacy and the trustees sold it off. • BR 9F 2-10-0 92207, Built by BR (W) in Swindon "A" Shop during May 1959, 92207 was the 13th-from-last steam locomotive to be built for British Railways. It was part of lot number 429 (the final order for main line steam locomotives by British Rail). The owner removed it from site because of lack of appropriate workshop facilities. == See also ==