Facilities and Expertise
West Somerset Restoration is managed and funded by the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) and is based in the Swindon Shed, which is a Grade II Listed building at Williton Station on the West Somerset Railway (WSR). The Swindon Shed was originally situated on the site of the Swindon Railway Works before it was moved to Williton in 1991.
West Somerset Restoration's primary objective is to support and maintain the WSRA locomotives and locomotives ceded to the WSRA by agreement. The workshop provides a heavy engineering facility complementing those facilities of the WSR at Minehead and maximises our engineering potential. This also allows for the development of an educational and heritage centre of excellence.
The WSRA moved into the Swindon Shed from Minehead in 1995. Since settling in the engineering team has completed the overhaul of WSRA locomotive No 6412 and is currently working on an extensive and complicated restoration of Bulleid Pacific No 34046 Braunton.
Although our core activities are railway based numerous commercial engineering tasks have been completed for a number of non-railway customers. The team at Williton is keeping traditional engineering alive and flourishing in Somerset and will undertake a wide range of tasks for one off or small batch production including:
