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Railway line rebuilt by volunteers officially opens

News imageBBC A green and black steam locomotive in steam approaching the platform at ShillingstoneBBC
Class 62 steam loco 30075 marked the opening of the new line extension

A section of railway line ripped up in the 1960s has reopened after four years of work by volunteers.

A procession of three engines marked the official opening of the track - now totalling half a mile (0.8km) - north of Shillingstone station, Dorset.

The reinstatement of the section by North Dorset Railway follows a 20-year project to rebuild the station, which is now home to a railway museum and cafe.

A day of celebration was held for volunteers and guests. The group hopes eventually to offer brake van rides to museum visitors.

News imageSteam driver Harry Jones leans out of the window of the steam locomotive, facing the camera with his elbows leaning on the ledge and his hands clasped. He is wearing navy blue overalls and has a full brown beard and a head of fair brown hair.
Driver Harry Jones described steam loco Yankee Tank as an "old friend"

One of the first engines on the new track was 1960 Class 62 steam locomotive 30075, Yankee Tank, which has been restored by volunteers at the railway.

Driver Harry Jones said it was "quite an honour" to be one of the first to drive on the extension.

He said: "This engine I stood on the footplate of when I was two years old at East Somerset Railway so, 22 years on, it feels quite a privilege and an honour to be reunited with an old friend and to be making history together."

The procession on Thursday morning was started by the station's youngest volunteer, 13-year-old Joe, who also worked on the engine.

The steam loco was joined by a 1959 Wickham Trolley - a railway personnel carrier - and 1959 diesel locomotive Ashdown for the celebrations on Thursday morning.

News imageNorth Dorset Railway The photographer is on an embankment looking down on eleven people wearing orange hi-viz and hard hats working on a railway line on a bright sunny day. Two mini diggers stand alongside the track and the men are levering the final section of steel into place on the sleepers. On the track in the background is a green steam locomotive.North Dorset Railway
The team spent three years rebuilding the embankment before track laying could begin

Shillingstone station closed in 1966 when the nationalised railways were restructured but, in 2005, a group of locals took on the lease.

Over the years, volunteers repaired the platforms, re-laid the tracks and restored the station building.

Work to extend the track a further 400m north of the station began in 2021 with the diversion of the North Dorset Trailway.

The project was made possible by supporters who bought the land, donated materials, loaned machinery and shared their expertise.

More than 100 volunteers are involved, running the cafe, tending the garden, renovating stock, building infrastructure, and providing technical and administrative support.

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