With long time local pannier 8745 plus another and a 14xx coupled to its auto coach in the yard, plus a GWR Railcar at the far end of the station, there is a lot of action at Yeovil Pen Mill in this undated shot. The Pannier was at Yeovil Town from the grouping until November 1963 (but in store from May to July '63)before disappearing off to Bath Green Park then Gloucester, and 2213 seen here on a stopping passenger service was a St Philips Marsh loco throughout the 1950s until withdrawn in November 1960.

The canopy end to the island platform 1 & 2 has just been painted white, the ladder still rests against it, but the one on platform 3 and the footbridge still require attention. The old square post of the starting signal with the route selector banner has also received its first coat (black still to be done), so it is safe to assume the same team would attend to the bracket signal as well. The backboards to the bracket signal were dirty white in a September 1959 dated photo so this suggests this shot pre-dates their repainting by at least 2 years or so, say spring 1955-6 which seems to fit with the locos, elderly wooden bodied auto coach and wagons.

Note the smart looking Toad beyond the open wagons, the last three of which look to be loaded with loco coal, the remainder are either in engineering service or have delivered minerals (lime?) to the bins on the far right. Of course many coal merchants were also lime merchants in rural areas especially in the summer months, so this makes sense. Initially given that these wagons are foul of the turnout I thought the brake van might be trapped but referring to the wonderful R.A Cooke track plans confirms that all the sidings, bar one, in this yard were double ended so access could be from the far end. They were in fact used as a mini marshalling yard for the area remaining remarkably busy until the line to Yeovil Town closed on 3rd March 1967.