Gillingham to
Salisbury
Salisbury
Gillingham
An additional note on Gillingham box provided by Martin Duff N.R. Operations Manager
Gillingham box fringed with Salisbury and Templecombe. It could also be switched out, and if Templecombe was switched out too, then that created a long single line section from Tisbury to Yeovil Junction. This box, together with Templecombe and Sherborne crossing were abolished in phase 1 of the re-control to Basingstoke in February 2012. Image 9759 shows the very first train, 5L91 (empty carriages, Salisbury Depot to Yeovil Junction) entering the new Basingstoke West of England signalling panel area from Tisbury loop at 04.24 on Monday 27/02/2012 - it had been a long weekend of work for us all and commissioning came just before 04.00. The exterior photographs of Gillingham SB were taken late afternoon on Friday 24 February - the last day the box worked. After closure, it was reduced to ground frame status. With a release provided by Basingstoke WOE, the operator can control movements locally between the Up Main (furthest from the box) and the up siding. This was a one time Shell Star siding and handled fertiliser traffic for UKF (the same flows which served Truro, Bridgwater, Torrington and Carmarthen). Images 3558/3562 show the interior of the ground frame November 2012, a condition which remains today. It was a fairly busy box and at certain times of the day Waterloo - Salisbury trains are extended to Gillingham before starting back, mainly to cater for large swathes of school children.
Gillingham box fringed with Salisbury and Templecombe. It could also be switched out, and if Templecombe was switched out too, then that created a long single line section from Tisbury to Yeovil Junction. This box, together with Templecombe and Sherborne crossing were abolished in phase 1 of the re-control to Basingstoke in February 2012. Image 9759 shows the very first train, 5L91 (empty carriages, Salisbury Depot to Yeovil Junction) entering the new Basingstoke West of England signalling panel area from Tisbury loop at 04.24 on Monday 27/02/2012 - it had been a long weekend of work for us all and commissioning came just before 04.00. The exterior photographs of Gillingham SB were taken late afternoon on Friday 24 February - the last day the box worked. After closure, it was reduced to ground frame status. With a release provided by Basingstoke WOE, the operator can control movements locally between the Up Main (furthest from the box) and the up siding. This was a one time Shell Star siding and handled fertiliser traffic for UKF (the same flows which served Truro, Bridgwater, Torrington and Carmarthen). Images 3558/3562 show the interior of the ground frame November 2012, a condition which remains today. It was a fairly busy box and at certain times of the day Waterloo - Salisbury trains are extended to Gillingham before starting back, mainly to cater for large swathes of school children.

DSCF9759 The very first train enters the Tisbury loop (top of panel, left hand side) Monday 27th February 2012. 5L91 is the illuminated train number. On the top level from left to right is Tisbury loop, followed by Gillingham station and then proceeding to the lower level left hand side is Chard Junction with its level crossing and TV monitor above. Going the right beyond the end of the loop are the automatic half barrier crossings at Broom and Axe Copyright Martin Duff
Semley
Tisbury
Dinton
Wilton
Wilton Junction
Salisbury
Salisbury Map courtesy Google Maps. Zoom and Pan to see track layouts Pan to the left to see Wllton Junction and Quidhampton Quarry. Pan to the right to see Tunnel Junction and Laverton Loop.
Salisbury area satellite view courtesy Google Earth. Pan and zoom as required.
Salisbury Shed

Superb Bird strike an incident observed at Salisbury in 1981
A photo I have just digitised from my collection at Salisbury that your readers may be interested in.
50002 arrived at Salisbury on the 15:15 Waterloo to Exeter on the 18th July 1991 having hit a bird on route, within a couple of minutes the engine was released and is seen leaving its coaches. It did a quick turn on Laverstoke triangle and then departed only a few minutes down.
I'm the chap in blue on the right filming and the incident can be seen at 59 mins and 10 seconds on a Waterloo Exeter video below I made a few years back. (photo Terry Baker)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDRNQGnX2Jc&t=3371s
Please feel free to share the video Keith as you kindly did with my Cornish one a few years ago.
Kind Regards, Martin Baker
50002 arrived at Salisbury on the 15:15 Waterloo to Exeter on the 18th July 1991 having hit a bird on route, within a couple of minutes the engine was released and is seen leaving its coaches. It did a quick turn on Laverstoke triangle and then departed only a few minutes down.
I'm the chap in blue on the right filming and the incident can be seen at 59 mins and 10 seconds on a Waterloo Exeter video below I made a few years back. (photo Terry Baker)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDRNQGnX2Jc&t=3371s
Please feel free to share the video Keith as you kindly did with my Cornish one a few years ago.
Kind Regards, Martin Baker
The video is well worth watching too.
The old GW Station at Salisbury - and the Lion
Terry Waldron
Terry Waldron
A shot of Salisbury GWR Station, it appears to be prior to 1957 but no actual date known. Note the Lion Heads on the edge of the canopy. These feature in many other GWR Stations, all thought (but not proven) to be of IKB Design. There were some 200 lions in total, as far as I have found, in the main to stations built between 1854 and 1860. At least 4 Lions Heads are known to exist, 1 at Didcot, 1 at Swindon Steam 1 at NRM and 1 in private collection. Photo Courtesy of Salisbury Railway Social Club Regards Terry Waldron