ESR - East Somerset Railway The East Somerset Railway (ESR) is an ex-Great Western Railway branchline running through the Mendip hills near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, UK. Steam trains run all year, with a 5-mile round trip through the rolling countryside. The East Somerset Railway was inaugarated in 1855 and opened as a broad-gauge line from Witham on the Westbury to Weymouth line to Shepton Malletin 1858, extending to Wells in 1862. Unfortunately, the line was not commercially successful and it was sold to the Great Western Railway in 1874. The railway continued on GWR and then BR hands, essentially unchanged, until 1963 when passenger services were withdrawn. Freight traffic was also reduced and the line cutback. Bitumen trains continued to Cranmore until 1985 and stone trains still use the branch as far as Merehead Quarry. Railroads of United Kingdom

ID number: 1155995163 Hits since: Sat Aug 19, 2006 Hits: 26

Comments? Rate It [ 0.00 / 0 Votes ] Report dead link!