Burnham-On-Sea Railway Heritage Group has been given a £850 boost this week.
The community group is overseeing the installation of historic artefacts around the site of the former Somerset & Dorset Railway line into Burnham.
It received a cheque for £850 from Burnham and Distict Model Railway Club’s John Langley on Thursday following the sale of custom-made model railway carriages.
Ann Popham, Burnham-On-Sea Railway Heritage Group Chairperson, thanked the group and said: “We really loved the idea of you designing a carriage and selling it on our behalf.”
“We will put this towards getting a replica signal box built and put up.”
She explained that once planning consent is secured, the replica signal box will be given to the Town Council. It will then be available to hire by local groups for fundraising through the sale of items such as poppies, flags, tickets, crafts, carnival programmes and more.
Various railway artefacts have already been installed by the group during recent years to commemorate Burnham-On-Sea’s railway heritage.
The items include a replica Station Name Board, located on the site of the former excursion platform of the station.
A Replica Signal, adjacent to the base of the original signal controlling the entrance to the station/coal yard, has also been built.
An information panel, showing the layout of the station and track plan as it was in 1929, has also been sited in the High Street Car Park (formerly the coal yard).
A weather vane, the pointer of which is a railway locomotive carrying the number of the last engine to leave Burnham-On-Sea, has also been positioned on the Town Green.
In addition, a section of the former Marine Drive from the entrance to Burnham-On-Sea Holiday Village to the junction with Pier Street was renamed Old Station Approach. This section of roadway largely follows the track-bed of the line from Burnham-On-Sea to Highbridge.
Mrs Popham added: “Donations are very much appreciated for our projects, however large or small, and can go direct into our Lloyds Bank account, number 17958160, sort code 30-16-95.”
Pictured: The handover of the cheque to the Burnham-On-Sea Railway Heritage Group (photos Burnham-On-Sea.com / David Pearce)
