While our 2025 postings have been a bit patchy, research and paper-writing on varied subjects have both advanced. Most work has been on themed papers based on in-depth research, links to which are appearing on the History page Overview.
History papers
Among these is an article by Colin Divall on the declining traffic along the Broadstone-Hamworthy Junction between 1872, when the New Poole Junction (later Broadstone) to New Poole line opened, and 1966, when the last through traffic passed. First published in the South Western Circular, Vol. 20, No.3 (July 2025), pp.114-119, under the title ‘A long time dying: Broadstone to Hamworthy Junction’, 1872-1966′, it used only one illustration. We have updated it with some fresh findings and a lot more illustrations, and have re-published it here. It also extends the story up to 1972, when the final siding traffic ceased. [Hyperlink]
The first stage of an Incidents sub-page was in place in 2025. [Insert hyperlink] It sets the national scene as regards occurrence, investigation and reporting of major incidents, such as crashes between trains, derailments, deaths of notable people, etc., as well as the regulatory role of the Board of Trade. We highlight two major incidents in or just around East Dorset. The first was a fatal derailment on the Hampshire-Wiltshire border south west of Downton in 1884. While just outside our study area, it naturally had repercussions for the Salisbury-West Moors line. A longer report on the Downton case was being prepared during 2025 for publication on this page in 2026. The second case was a two-train collision at Wimborne in November 1896. Colin Divall wove the story from the known facts and some imagination to present to a community group in Bridport, and a later audio recording of the story is available along with a transcript, originally published in the South Western Circular (April 2025). Listen to the audio.
Other elements refer to the provision of a subway at Wimborne, to replace the use of an unsafe crossing at track level, and the death of an MP hit by a passing train. We’re preparing more incidents for future presentation, ranging from the spectacular to the mundane.
Work continues gradually on another paper: Uddens as a railway place, which looks at the evolution and operation of the Uddens Estate Siding and Uddens Ministry of Supply (later Abattoir) Siding. For a rural situation with no station, Uddens has a remarkably complex tale to tell and fresh information is still being uncovered and added. We hope to post this in 2026.
Maps and plans
We’re developing the current Mapping sub-page of the History page to incorporate more detailed larger-scale plans of stations and other installations. First entry during 2025 was the British Railways 1961 station layout plan for Broadstone, which exhibits an extraordinary amount of infrastructure detail, suitable especially for researchers and modellers. This can be viewed here. A similar 1961 plan is available for Wimborne, which requires scanning before it can be uploaded here. Others in the pipeline include the penultimate signalling diagram from West Moors signal box, at the end of the passenger train era.
Social media
While neither of the study curators are social media fans, Peter Russell has maintained a presence on the Castleman’s Corkscrew Facebook group, administered by Duncan Chandler. This has enabled Peter to obtain information from and make contacts with contributors, to post new enquiries, and to correct misunderstandings about the Old Road and connecting lines. It has proven remarkably productive for research and promoting our website, as well as unearthing more rare photos. Membership of the group has grown from well under 1,000 a few months ago to over 2,500 by the end of 2025.
gave national exposure to the 1884 fatal derailment west of the River Avon Bridge, south of Downton.
Upcoming in 2026
Among projects already well advanced, currently underway, or planned to be developed during 2026 are the following:
• Wimborne Station – 50th anniversary of final closure. We have started working with Wimborne Town Council, Wimborne Railway Society and other partners on events to mark this anniversary in May 2027. It’s a one poignant one for our study’s co-directors. We were there on Sunday 1st May 1977, when the ‘Corkscrew Shuttle’ service operated the final passenger-carrying train. Our part in the run-up to proposed 2027 events is to design, print and assemble an interpretive display to be mounted at the river end of the remaining section of embankment where it overlooks the site of the River Stour Bridge. This should contain the outline story of the development and operation of the station between the mid-1840s and its final destruction in the 1980s. The current plaque on a nearby building is the only recognition on the site that the station ever existed. Our display should greatly enhance visitor information on the town heritage trail.
• Wimborne Station 1960 operating schedule. Colin Divall is piecing together information from various sources to show a typical high-summer weekday operating sequence for 1960. This is intended to support his construction of a new 4mm P4 model to scale as far as possible. It’s drawing from documents such as the Wimborne signal box train register, BR working timetables, carriage working notices, engine working notices, period head codes (route discs), etc. This should help create an authentic set of train operations to complement an accurate model of the station.
• The TrainEx era. Between the late-1960s and mid-1970s at Wimborne Station, the mobile exhibition firm TrainEx occupied many of the remaining sidings with ex-BR carriages stripped out for mounting exhibition displays for various businesses, and then touring the UK for promotional purposes. The exhibitions were prepared on site and many locals observed the work and the unpredictable comings and goings of the trains. The story is little recorded and we are assembling as much as we can.
• Broadstone-Hamworthy Junction. While just outside the southern boundary of our study area, this route section is of related interest. Two associates – Mark Woolley and Mike Brown are gathering historical information in connection with upgrading and extension of the Castleman Trailway to reach Hamworthy Station. This is proving to be a useful liaison.
• Photo features. We’ve continued to accumulate some wonderful images of the district’s railways from all periods, and plan to feature themed pieces such as the work of individual photographers, various rail tours both before and after closure to passenger services, the diesel era from 1965 to 1977, the ‘Corkscrew Shuttle’ trains on 1st May 1977, the final demise, dereliction and destruction of Wimborne Station from the late-1970s, and perhaps the remains that can still be seen and may not be familiar to those who have come to live in the area in recent decades. Apart from our own collections, we rely on the generosity of many photographers of times-gone-by to dig out gems from their homes. We shall continue to publish individual images to illustrate points in the various research papers we are posting.
• A literature scoping and review. This will be a record of the known publications that cover all or part of the district’s railways, with a brief review and assessment of their place in the overall story.
• Personal recollections. A number of people familiar with East Dorset railway history and staff involved in operations have been recorded for posterity since the 1990s. Others are coming forward with memories as travellers, enthusiasts, etc. We plan to include a few on the History page.
• The railway staff database. Preparation of this started in 2013 in the lead-up to the 2014 exhibition in Wimborne to mark the 50th anniversary of closure to passenger trains on the Brockenhurst-Wimborne-Bournemouth and Salisbury-West Moors-Bournemouth services. The result by 2014 was far from complete and we’ve been adding gradually to it in subsequent years. Much more remains to be done, particularly drawing on the staff magazines of the L&SWR, Southern Railway and BR Southern Region.
