Winfrith Newburgh

The Station
Winfrith Newburgh station has two platforms and a signal box, allowing trains travelling in opposite directions to pass, as well as a coal yard, goods shed and mail order warehouse sidings, a milk yard and houses the railways Carriage and Wagon sidings. During the early years of WLR operation (early 2000's) Winfrith Newburgh formed the Northern terminus, however no evidence of this remains, as trains now regularly pass at this station. The station began as a simple run round loop and siding prior to the platforms being constructed, the down platform being build first. However the station building has been one of the latter buildings to have been completed, coming long after the up platform was built.

The crossing loop on the Up side at Winfrith Newburgh is the shortest on the railway, only able to hold 5 full-length coaches and a short to medium length locomotive, whilst the down loop is able to hold a little more than this due to the positioning of the overlap. As a result, the signalling of the entire railway is built to suit this.

The track layout of this station has not long been completed either, with the milk yard being the last sidings to go in. This was due to the complex arrangement of the double slip required to access 2 sidings in a short distance, as well as facilitate a trap siding to avoid runaway vehicles straying over the mainline.

Work is still progressing at this station, with various buildings requiring construction.

Winfrith Newburgh Signalling
The signalling on the entire WLR is built to favour trains departing this station, and giving the signalman here the greatest control over train movements on any of the sections of the line. This is due to the length of the loops here, whilst facilities to accept trains at either extremities of the line allow for trains longer than that. Any train being sent here must be described prior to allowing a release, with trains shorter than the fouling points given priority over longer ones if a passing movement is to take place. The signalman is also able to simply not allow trains into the section either side of it, with the Worgret Junction end having a starting signal on the WN frame, and the West Lulworth section requiring a line clear indiction being given on its block instrument. Winfrith Newburgh is able to send trains from it without the acceptance of boxes either side of it, though this requires good communication to ensure there are no more trains than loops! WN has the added curiosity that the milk yard is accessed from the Up side, but situated on the down. A diamond crossing is included, and the detection of the points allowing access to the milk yard are tied into the block section, and set the section to "Line Blocked" when set reverse.

A Welling handle is provided should the detection fail and the section remain blocked even though the points are normal.

Winfrith Newburgh History

 * 2003 - By mid 2003, track had reached the site of the station, and a run round loop had been installed
 * 2004 - Work north of the station had begun, and locomotives were able to run round as well as stable stock in a siding, as well as the carriage and wagon sidings
 * 2005 - Work to the north of the station, over Longhill Viaduct, as well as installation of platforms had enabled trains to cross platforms using the viaduct stub. By the end of 2005, trains were able to progress to Worgret Halt.
 * 2006 - Track laying progresses and trains are able to access the down sidings, and the milk yard headshunt, whilst work was underway to construct the double slip. The milk yard was laid by the end of this year.
 * 2007 - The station building was finished, along with the foot crossing.