Restoration of the Engine Shed

Engine Shed roof in the process of being removed by contractors.
Credit: Gavin Moore, 27/11/2003

The East Somerset Railway has a fine engine shed, built to a Victorian design and providing excellent facilities for looking after the railway’s historic steam locomotives. Unfortunately, during the Autumn of 2002, what had been a most valuable asset suffered a near disaster when a partial collapse of the roof ocurred during a storm. The cause was corrosion of the steel structure brought about by the effects of smoke and steam over many years of use.

Now the East Somerset Railway wants to replace the roof and once again provide good facilities for the public to be able to see and appreciate the local railway heritage and for its volunteers to maintain the engines. Some of the work will be done by the ESR’s volunteers but much of it will need to be performed by contractors which will cost £30,000 – well beyond the limit of the ESR’s own resources.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has been approached to see if the project would qualify for a grant. Unfortunately, the preliminary application was rejected forcing the ESR to look for help elsewhere. The ESR is therefore launching an appeal to find all of the money itself. It is looking to raise the money in the form of sponsorship, donations and grants and is approaching as many potential donors as possible including local authorities, businesses, support agencies and the public.

To make a personal donation, click here to open up a donation form (requires Adobe Acrobat reader), which includes a Gift Aid declaration

For larger donations, the ESR is offering a package of benefits to encourage businesses in particular to become sponsors. It is hoped that companies will be keen to provide support both for the heritage and the local community in return for media publicity and other benefits.

For more information about the appeal, or to send a donation, the East Somerset Railway may be contacted at Cranmore Station, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 4QP, by phone on 01749 880417 or by email to info@eastsomersetrailway.com.

Engine Shed roof fully removed.
Credit: Jim Cobb, 18/01/2004