SHILLINGSTONE STATION OPEN DAY 

NOT JUST A CHARITY! 

This event took place on a damp Sunday 11th October and was well attended despite the poor weather. A variety of pristine classic vehicles were on display, ranging from motorcycles to commercial vehicles, which you could get really close to and the owners were on hand to answer questions.

Derek Boyt, the Chairman of the Station Project, explained that the trackway was to be officially opened at 1.30 pm by a North Dorset Disctrict Councillor and the local Shillingstone School were going to return the running board, which used to hang on the signal box. This had been located on the side of the local school shortly after the closure of the station in 1966.

The project needs to raise £950,000 to complete the planned renovation work on the track bed and historic buildings, which have hosted royalty and poets in their heyday.

Later, I spoke with Keith Bottomly, who gave me a brief history of Morning Star, which was build in 1959, but only served for five and a half years before being scrapped. Keith bought the engine in 1986 at which point the engine was renamed. Morning Star was moved from Wigan to Shillingstone in December 2006 and so far £100,000 has been spent on restoring the engine up to main line standards.

Keith is heavily involved in restoring Morning Star and I understand the plan upon completion is for the engine to tour the country on a marketing exercise to display the quality of work that can be undertaken by the restoration workshops in Shillingstone.

These workshops have yet to be built, but planning permission has been granted and plans are underway to set up a commercially viable restoration shed, that will not only support the Station Project, but will also bring vitally needed employment to at least five families in the local area.

Photographs and Text - Marion Bond - Forum Advertiser