Durston – Yeovil Branch Line Railway

This Branch Line opened in 1853 and closed in 1964.

The Durston to Langport section.

Durston Junction was located east of Durston in the hamlet of Outwood, on the east side of the road bridge over the main line railway.

Here there was the junction, a station, no longer existing, and also a Railway Hotel, which is still there although now a private dwelling with a ‘Keep Out’ sign.

(outwoodAlbum101.jpg 545/6 looking south to the road bridge over the railway, 547/8 the line looking north east with the now derelict site of the junction and station on the right hand side, 549 the line looking sw towards Taunton, 550/1 the old railway hotel, 558/9 the canal and swingbridge,)

From here the railway branched off north east from the main line and swung round in a big curve to head east to Lyng, where it crossed the main road just west of East Lyng.

About half a Km west of Athelney Station, the old line runs parallel with the new main line that goes to Langport and Somerton, and heads south east to cross the river Tone near Athelney Station. This new main line, opened in 1906, shortcut the loop to Durston, and connected to the Bristol Exeter mainline at Cogload junction, south east of Durston.

Carrying on roughly south east the line reached Oathe, and then turned due east before swinging south into Langport West Station.

The Langport to Martock section

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Pictures.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/dbown100/dyrailwayAlbum101.jpg

0472/3/5 Looking south along the Parrett cycleway which uses the old trackbed from near Langport West station, south to the Drayton road. 3541 view from the roadbridge looking down to where the station used to be. 3542 looking the opposite way north towards where the line left the main line. 3544 looking along the road bridge towards Bow Bridge over the river Parrett. 40549 Bow Bridge. 4290 Martock station building. 4292 the old station hotel in Martock, 61546/553 the road bridge over the line at Outwood, 547/8 looking down on the line where Durston junction & station were located, 550/1 The old Station Hotel, 71601/3 the main line to the west of the Athleney road crossing. The branch line came in from Durston from the left, 604 just east of Coat looking towards the village, where the road passed over the line via a bridge?, 605/6 the view looking towards Martock, 607 view from the Coat side, 608 Thorney bridge, 609 looking towards the Westover bridge, 610 looking the same way along the trackbed, 611 looking in the direction of coat, 612/4 views of the bridge, 613 looking toward Thorney, 615 the route of the railway heading back to Langport from the Westover bridge, 616 remains of the bridge from the west, 617 and from the east, 618 the route to the river crossing known as Parrett bridge, on the way to Thorney, 619 looking across the bridge from the Thorney side, 620 looking along the line towards Langport, 621 railway building next to the bridge, 622 west of Langport at Portfield Lane the line swung in from the mainline and crossed this dead end road. This view looks towards Langport west Station, 623 same as before but zoomed in, 624 looking the other way towards the mainline,