S & D - Bournemouth West

Station closed to S&D trains - 2nd August 1965
Station closed to all passenger trains - 6th September 1965
Station closed to goods traffic - 4th October 1965
Station closed officially - 4th October 1965

Seventy one and a half miles from Bath, and you arrived at Bournemouth West station, the end of the route for S&D trains.
Originally built with just two platforms in 1874, being extended to six platforms when the line to Poole was doubled and came into use on the 26th of October 1876. Originally the platforms were numbered 1 - 6 with platform 1 being to the north of the station. This was reversed on the 30th of September 1931.
For a short period between the 3rd of August 1965 and until closure of the S&D later the following year, S&D trains had to either terminate at Bournemouth Central or start and finish their journeys at Branksome.

To the north of the station were goods sidings, one of them leading to a single road goods shed. There were also a couple of carriage sidings adjacent to platform 1 (originally platform 6) to the south of the station.

4F 0-6-0 No. 44561 (S&D No. 61) departs from platform 3
10th Aug 1954

The station area was controlled by Bournemouth West signal box located just to the west of the station at the throat of the platform lines. Situated on the up (southern) side of the line, being constructed mainly of brick. This box was converted to a ground frame on the 1st of November 1965 and this was finally taken out of use on the 5th of September 1966

Approximately half a mile to the west of the station, just before Gas Works Junction at Branksome were numerous carriage sidings and a four road carriage shed. Located on the down (northern) side of the line, this area was later turned into the current EMU depot.
During the second world war on the 15th of July 1940, five war department sidings were opened immediately to the north of the carriage shed. These were later taken over by the Southern Railway on the 30th of June 1947.

This area was controlled by Bournemouth West Junction signal box, located on the up side of the line to the west of the sidings. This was built mainly of brick and closed on the 1st of November 1965, later being replaced by a ground frame to control the new lines leading to the EMU inspection shed area.

FOR MORE DETAILS OF THE 'TRIANGLE' JUNCTION AND S&D LOCOMOTIVE SHED SEE MY BRANKSOME PAGE

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