The Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth Railway

The Bath and Thingley line to Weymouth has seen notable changes over the years. Originally, the junction with the GWR main line was at Thingley, allowing direct access to London. Later, a new line was added through Bradford-on-Avon to Bathampton to improve connections from Bristol and Bath. As coal was transported via the Severn Tunnel from South Wales, shipping services to the Channel Islands flourished, initially for produce and later for holidaymakers. This trend continued until the 1960s, when rising car ownership reduced rail travel. The line's history is detailed across thirteen chapters, covering early developments, locomotives, and passenger services, with eleven appendices on signal boxes and shed allocations.