The new Bath & West Railway will be officially opened at next week’s Royal Bath & West Show
The dual-guage miniature railway has been built thanks to months of hard work by the dedicated members of ESSMEE (The East Somerset Society of Model & Experimental Engineers) who will now make the Bath & West Showground, at Shepton Mallet, their new homebase.
Until now the enthusiastic members have met in each other’s homes or at other railway Societies’ bases around the area. Now at last they have their very own home, and for the last six months have been devoting all their free time to building the railway completely from scratch.
The station is what was formerly the old Somerfield building which has undergone a complete transformation and will serve as workshop and store, as well as the clubhouse for meetings and social events.
Track has been laid down all round the building and two trains should be up and running with carriages to take show visitors for a ride, once the railway is officially opened on Wednesday, June 1st, by the Most Hon. The Marquess of Salisbury, PC, DL, who is President of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.
The circular track is just the first phase of a five year project which, when completed, will see the railway running along the stream, around the lake at the showground, complete with bridges and a 100 ft long viaduct, making a run of approximately half a mile.
The project is being financed by the ESSMEE members, and helped by the revenue generated by charging passengers £1 a head for a ride. The railway will be open throughout the four day Show, at the National Amateur Gardening Show in September, and during various other events held at the Showground throughout the year, carrying passengers on steam, petrol hydraulic and electric trains.
ESSMEE Cahiramn Roger Davis said the Society was delighted to have been able to make the Showground its new home. “There are railway societies at Bristol, Taunton and at West Wiltshire but none in this part of Somerset so we are filling a big gap. We are looking forward to welcoming many new members now we have our own home base,” he said.
Formed four years ago ESSMEE boasts nearly 40 members, from 16 to the more mature, all sharing boundless enthusiasm and a passion for railways and trains and model engineering of all kinds. The Society is keen to attract new members, whatever their interests and level of skills. In addition to its work at its new clubhouse and ground-level track at the Showground, there are monthly meetings either at private tracks or for interesting talks on a wide-ranging number of engineering topics. All those interested will be warmly welcomed.
Royal Bath & West Show Manager Alan Lyons said: “We are delighted to welcome ESSMEE to the Showground and are looking forward to a long and successful association with them. The railway will be a spectacular extra attraction for the Show and for other events throughout the year, eventually taking our visitors to areas of the Showground they might never have seen before.”
Further details are available at ESSMEE’s website http://www.essmee.org.uk or from:
Roger Davis, Chairman 01749 677195 rogerdavis@essmee.org.uk
Patrick McCormack, Public Relations 01749 689037 info@essmee.org.uk