Overview
The S&D Joint Railway was jointly operated by the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR). After the 1 January 1923 Grouping joint ownership of the S&D passed to the LMS and the Southern Railway.
Its attractions were its quirky individuality, its fascinating and varied scenery (captured particularly by the photographs and pioneering cine films taken by Ivo Peters), and the way it seemed to struggle against overwhelming odds. Its main line climbed to 811 feet (247 m) above sea level at Masbury, and it contained several single line sections, but on summer Saturdays it managed to handle a considerable volume of holiday trains, when it seemed every possible locomotive was drafted into service to handle heavy trains requiring double-heading and banking over the steep gradients.
Its origins lay in times before the railway network in England had settled, and both local and strategic aspirations structured the line’s earliest days. Work has now started to restore some remnants of the S&DJR to working condition.
Read more about this topic: Somerset And Dorset Joint Railway