1883; Weymouth and the Great Western railway. A signal-mans tale.

The railway finally rolled into the seaside resort of Weymouth in the year 1857. Anyone who’s travelled the Weymouth line knows of the long Bincombe cutting and tunnel that burrows under the Bincombe chalk downs. As a child it was always with a sense of excitement that we would approach this tunnel…as the line began…

1899, Weymouth; The mysterious disappearance of the train driver.

At one time in Weymouth there existed a railway line that ran from Weymouth station, across an iron girder bridge over the large stretch of water known as the Backwater and on to Portland. (Virtually where the new road bridge now sits.) In the year 1899 came a report in the newspapers of the  rather…

Easter at Weymouth in 1896

Weymouth is basically a tradition bucket and spade seaside town, that is how we began our rise as a resort in Georgian times, and so it has been ever since! The town council has the task of helping to promote the town, as it always has done, but as the recession has hit, they have…

Great Western Trippers flock to Victorian Weymouth 1870

One example is July of 1870, almost the entire factory of the Great Western Railway’s carriage and locomotive works set off on their hols on the same day. Nearly 6,000 of them left Swindon station for their various destinations.
Some headed for the bright lights of London, some for the bustling city of Bristol, a few even ventured to Swansea.
An unlucky few were left behind at the works to keep things ticking over at the factory.
That week nigh on 1,500 men, women and children swarmed into Weymouth on the special trains that were run to carry them.