The West Somerset Mineral Railway was a standard gauge line in Somerset, England. Originally expected to be long its length as built was , with a branch to Raleigh's Cross Mine. The line's core purpose was to carry iron ore northwards from mines on the Brendon Hills to Watchet harbour on the Bristol Channel. From there the ore was shipped northwards to Newport where it was unloaded onto railway wagons and hauled to ironworks at Ebbw Vale. The line opened as intended in 1861. Passenger services commenced in 1865. The mines' and line's "period of prosperity" ended in 1875 and by 1883 all mining had ceased. The line lingered on for passengers and small goods until 1898, when it closed.
A new mineral venture was attempted in 1907, for which much of the line was re-opened and a -gauge extension was added, but this failed and the line closed again in 1910. A section of the track was used to test and demonstrate an automatic signal warning device in 1911 and occasionally used in that connection up to 1914. The tracks were lifted for scrap in 1917, after which a light railway was laid on part of the trackbed in 1918 to carry timber. This ended in 1920 and the company was wound up in 1925.
The line included a massive rope-worked inclined plane long to bring the ore down a vertical interval on a 1 in 4 (25%) gradient. There were stations on the sections of the line below the inclined plane at Watchet, Washford, and ; trains also called by request at stopping places at Torre and . Three stations were built above the incline but they never carried fare paying passengers. Further extensions were proposed but not built. Several different locomotives were used during the operation of the line including 0-4-0ST "Box" tanks built by Neilson and Company and larger Sharp, Stewart 0-6-0STs. A section of the inclined plane has been scheduled as an ancient monument. It can still be seen, along with the remains of some of the buildings and other structures.
Origins
In the mid-nineteenth century, the proprietors of the Ebbw Vale Iron Works acquired an interest in iron ore deposits in the Brendon Hills on the north side of Exmoor. Iron ore had been known there for centuries but not exploited industrially until the Brendon Hills Iron Ore Company was formed in 1853. At an altitude of over and remote from usable roads, the deposits needed a form of transport to get the ore to South Wales. Thomas Brown (1803–1884), managing partner of the Ebbw Vale company, realised that a railway to the quay at Watchet was the solution. The line was designed by Rice Hopkins.
The Ebbw Vale proprietors formed the West Somerset Mineral Railway for the purpose, and obtained Parliamentary authority on 16 July 1855 for a standard gauge line from Watchet Quay to Heath Poult (or "Exton"). The authorised capital was £50,000. The first sod was cut at Roughmoor on 29 May 1856 and a locomotive was obtained in the following November; however it was put out of action in January 1857 by serious damage to the boiler.
The line was ready for traffic from Watchet to by April 1857, and for the time being that acted as the railhead for the minerals; the line was extended to Comberow ( from the harbour) by December 1857. In the interim, however, another accident occurred when two locomotives collided, killing three men.
Although the line was continuous, it was effectively split into three sections from the south: to along the top of the Brendon Hills, which included a little over a mile where significant gradients were against ore trains the Comberow incline, where the gradient favoured ore trains, and to Watchet harbour where gradients favoured ore trains throughout, with a ruling gradient of 1 in 40.
An Act was obtained on 27 July 1857 to extend the line to Minehead, with a branch to Cleeve; an additional £35,000 capital was authorised, but this work never started.
Comberow incline
The incline is sometimes referred to as the Brendon Hill Incline and occasionally as the Brendon Hills Incline.
A rise in altitude of to reach the mines was accomplished by a gravity worked incline, long, on a gradient of 1 in 4 (25%). To achieve the constant gradient, formidable earthworks were necessary, and construction took four years with a Mr Gunn as the contractor. While this was going on mining had been proceeding apace and large stocks of ore were waiting at the incline head to be conveyed to the harbour. Ore was brought down the incline while it was being completed, from 31 May 1858, and it was not fully finished until March 1861, when two diameter winding drums were installed on a single axle, located below the track, at Brendon Hill. Public goods traffic was accepted from 28 September 1859.