Although a “pale shadow” of its former glory as a four-tracked station yet also requiring an avoiding line to keep services flowing, Taunton was still a significant railway centre in my childhood, with stabling point and parked up locos, plus an 08 shunter often bustling about. It had an extensive goods yard – later converted to a freight concentration depot – and eventually with the general rundown of goods traffic, the deviated lines became only used infrequently, and the platforms for the middle roads were mothballed. I can remember the DEPG’s logo on a hymek parked by the depot, and odd items of stock awaiting a more permanent home nearby. Knowing that the trackbed was still free, I also longed for a connection to be made to the West Somerset Railway to make the change from one to the other easier.
A pair of D63XXs share tracks with three steamers alongside Taunton depot buildings – D6331 still with original circular headcode flaps and the other with inset boxes – in the Summer of 1964. Both diesel locos carry white rear-end lamps – a steam age practice soon considered unnecessary. Photo: M Clements 64###AJ01-TAU-D6331-PARKD
In strong sunshine casting deep shadows and masking young trainspotters, D812 ‘THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE’ arrives with a down service at Taunton. Even in “green and yellow” days, the central platform has already been denuded of station furniture and weeds grow in clumps. In the bay platform opposite waits a Minehead shuttle DMU. 6####IH01-TAU–D812-PAS_D
At the end of the ’60s, a maroon ‘Western’ runs into Taunton from the east with a passenger train bearing side-hung yellow carriage boards. Behind it is the former Water Tower, a striking landmark for many years, now bearing its ‘Freight Concentration Depot’ sign, denoting the goods yard’s rejuvenated purpose. 6###CM02-TAU-D10##-PAS_D
At Norton Fitzwarren, a Class 47 heads westwards in the evening gloom with a passenger service. Semaphores and telegraph wires are still dominant, and the loco displays the headcode for an inter-regional working as it races along. 7####EL01-TAU-47###-PAS_D
D1054 “WESTERN GOVERNOR” is parked next to the stabling point building, across from the west end of Taunton Station’s “down” platform. The asbestos panels of the walls and window coverings above brickwork are replicated in the buildings on either side. 7####EC01-TAU-D10##-PARKD
47230 draws into Taunton Station on 20th July 1974 alongside D1025 “WESTERN GUARDSMAN” heading the 1B39 10.56 Paddington-Penzance. Spotters stand together on the down platform, switching their attention away from the Brush to new interests, and young scrawny trees have been planted on the island platform to avoid the monotony of the now bare surface. 740720A01-TAU-LOCOS-PAS_D
The western approach to Taunton Station, where a Class 50 on an up passenger service heads into the station as the driver of a ‘Western’ looks back before pulling off. The long pedestrian bridge is in view, as is stock destined for the West Somerset Railway at left. 740914A01-TAU-SGNLS-VI__E
With plastic lettering instead of the relief aluminium versions it wore for most of its BR service, 7017 is parked by the old depot building at Taunton, liberally covered in appropriate warning messages. It was a relief to see this tangible sign of preservation as I passed by, to and from Penzance. Photo: Derek Canning 750808A01-TAU-D7017-PARKD
The Eric Curnow Collection 