Dorset Traction

Dorset, where the South Coast meets the West Country. From golden sandy beaches, to rolling hills, delightful seaside towns, and idyllic country villages, Dorset has long been a popular destination for visitors. Although not a vast railway network several main lines either cut through the county, or finish there. The most famous line to have passed through this county is the now long-closed Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway from Bath to Bournemouth. Many other lines were either also closed over the years; the branch lines to Lyme Regis, Bridport, Portland and Abbotsbury, and the Swanage branch from Wareham - all closed and lifted. The most recent closure has been that of the Weymouth Quay tramway which saw its last train in 1999. Since the end of Southern steam in 1967, and into the modern traction era, Dorset has probably been synonymous with the Class 33/1 and 4TC operation between Bournemouth and Weymouth prior to the 1988 electrification west of Bournemouth.