Taunton Station first opened in July 1842, as the terminus of the B&E Railway from Bridgwater, a further extension of the line took place in 1844. This linked Taunton to Exeter. Subsequent extension work over the next 30 years saw Taunton linked up with, Bristol, Yeovil, Minehead, Chard and Barnstaple. By 1895 Taunton Station had bay platforms to help the station cope with the smaller branch line trains which would call at the station more often during the day, and to prevent them from blocking the main line.
Taunton's first loco shed was a small two road temporary building which was built at the Bridgwater end of the station. In 1842 it was taken down and moved to the Exeter end of the station. This lasted until 1896 when it was taken down and replaced with a huge brick building with a total of 28 tracks radiating from it, which were filled with steam loco's waiting for their duties, and making use of the avoiding line crossing Station Road away from the main line around the rear of the station.
Taunton around this time gained it's own allocation of loco's and was given it's own shed number of 83B. By 1930 Taunton was still growing, and it was then the quadrupling of tracks were required and installed between Cogload Jn through the station and out to Norton Fitzwarren. Platform lengths were now in excess of 1200ft on the through platforms.
Class 42 (Warship) D867 is seen above at Taunton station on a centre road when the classic centre canopy was still in place. (Photo: Garry Harris)
An unidentied Class 52 (Western) is seen at Taunton with a Paddington experss service to the South West (Photo: Garry Harris)
The Island platforms were mostly used for the long distance (Cross Country) services with the outer platforms used for stopping trains to and from the South West. The outer platforms also housing refreshment rooms, toilets and book stalls for the passengers to enjoy while stopping at the station, or changing trains. Steam Locomotives were the normal form of traction at the time, and the station was never quiet. Passing Express services, pick up freights, and local passenger trains would keep young boys in knee high socks and school shorts happy for hours!
By 1963 Taunton had its own designated Freight Concentration Depot, but the advances made with Lorries and the bulding of better roads and motorways had taken its toll on freight going by rail, with customers finding they had a chaeper alternative to rail. By 1965 the station avoiding line was closed. The Depot followed with it's closure in 1972. Lines lay redundant for many years prior to their remove during the late 1980's when Taunton's track scheme was drastically reduced.
The 1960's hit Taunton hard, with the Beeching era well upon the county town; Taunton lost its vital links to Yeovil, Chard, Minehead and Barnstaple. Passenger numbers inevitably fell with the eventual decline, came yet more closures. This time the two centre platforms and most of the bays were taken out of use around 1967.
However it wasn't all doom an gloom, passenger trains were still very much in abundance with a wide range of loco's which would be seen during the freight decline. A typical summer Saturday in 1975 can bee seen below (With thanks to Chris Perkins):
| TIME | HEADCODE | FROM | TO | LOCO |
| 06:00 | 1V58 | NEWCASTLE | PAIGNTON | - |
| 06:08 | 1V55 | HULL | PAIGNTON | - |
| 06:16 | 4v46 | BRADFORD | PLYMOUTH | 46012 |
| 06:26 | 5B80 | CARDIFF | NEWTON ABBOT | - |
| 07:00 | 5E94 | BRISTOL | TAUNTON | - |
| 07:06 | 2B51 | TAUNTON | BRISTOL | - |
| 07:33 | 1B78 | BRISTOL | PLYMOUTH | - |
| 07:55 | 1E94 | TAUNTON | NEWCASTLE | - |
| 08:05 | 5A06 | PLYMOUTH | OLD OAK COMMON | - |
| 08:13 | 1M88 | PLYMOUTH | LIVERPOOL | - |
| 08:23 | 2B06 | BRISTOL | TAUNTON | - |
| 08:30 | 1V54 | STIRLING | NEWTON ABBOT | 47026 |
| 08:40 | 4V10 | GLASGOW | EXETER | GOODS! |
| 08:50 | 1B81 | BRISTOL | PENZANCE | - |
| 08:54 | 1A35 | PLYMOUTH | PADDINGTON | - |
| 09:01 | 1A42 | TAUNTON | PADDINGTON | - |
| 09:12 | 1S27 | PLYMOUTH | EDINBURGH | 46033 |
| 09:25 | 1A39 | PAIGNTON | PADDINGTON | D1055 |
| 09:29 | 1B88 | WORCESTER | PENZANCE | 47246 |
| 09:38 | 1B91 | OXFORD | PAIGNTON | 47254 |
| 09:51 | 1B03 | PADDINGTON | PENZANCE | D1028 |
| 09:57 | 1B08 | WORCESTER | PAIGNTON | 47262 |
| 10:05 | 1E30 | PLYMOUTH | LEEDS | 45036 |
| 10:11 | 1B11 | CARDIFF | PENZANCE | D1037 |
| 10:12 | 1V57 | EDINBURGH | PLYMOUTH | 46011 |
| 10:15 | 1A45 | PENZANCE | PADDINGTON | D1013 |
| 10:17 | 1B05 | PADDINGTON | PAIGNTON | 47498 |
| 10:27 | 1B99 | PADDINGTON | BARNSTAPLE | 31259 |
| 10:28 | 1E20 | PAIGNTON | NEWCASTLE | 47248 |
| 10:39 | 1V59 | BIRMINGHAM | PAIGNTON | 46025 |
| 10:41 | 1M00 | PAIGNTON | NOTTINGHAM | 45102 |
| 10:46 | 1B15 | PADDINGTON | PAIGNTON | 50019 |
| 10:56 | 1M90 | PAIGNTON | LIVERPOOL | 47138 |
| 11:01 | 1V34 | KENSINGTON | ST AUSTELL | D1047 |
| 11:08 | 1V62 | DERBY | PAIGNTON | 45007 |
| 11:14 | 1M25 | PAIGNTON | DERBY | 46009 |
| 11:18 | 1V63 | WOLVERHAMPTON | PENZANCE | 47227 |
| 11:21 | 1A55 | PAIGNTON | PADDINGTON | 50032 |
| 11:26 | 1B18 | SWANSEA | PAIGNTON | D1022 |
| 11:29 | 1M89 | PAIGNTON | MANCHESTER | 47226 |
| 11:41 | 1B25 | PADDINGTON | PENZANCE | D1058 |
| 11:47 | 1A59 | PLYMOUTH | PADDINGTON | D1069 |
| 11:51 | 2B22 | BRISTOL | TAUNTON | DMU |
| 11:57 | 1E60 | PAIGNTON | LEEDS | 45053 |
| 12:01 | 1B15 | PADDINGTON | NEWQUAY | 47101 |
| 12:06 | 1M85 | PENZANCE | LIVERPOOL | 47058 |
| 12:09 | 1V69 | BIRMINGHAM | PAIGNTON | D1040 |
| 12:15 | 1E37 | PAIGNTON | BRADFORD | 46012 |
| 12:22 | 1V70 | DERBY | PENZANCE | 45051 |
| 12:24 | 2B31 | TAUNTON | BRISTOL | DMU |
| 12:24 | 1A69 | PENZANCE | PADDINGTON | D1056 |
| 12:31 | 1B33 | PADDINGTON | PAIGNTON | 47032 |
| 12:34 | 1A75 | PAIGNTON | PADDINGTON | 47119 |
| 12:40 | 1V71 | BRADFORD | PENZANCE | 45018 |
| 12:43 | 1M95 | NEWQUAY | MANCHESTER | 47343 |
| 12:50 | 1A79 | PENZANCE | PADDINGTON | 47076 |
| 12:55 | 1B35 | PADDINGTON | PAIGNTON | 50044 |
| 13:02 | 2B30 | WESTON SUPER MARE | TAUNTON | DMU |
| 13:07 | 1M93 | PAIGNTON | MANCHESTER | 47189 |
| 13:07 | 1B39 | PADDINGTON | PENZANCE | D1033 |
| 13:14 | 1M22 | PENZANCE | MANCHESTER | 45003 |
| 13:15 | 1V74 | LEICESTER | PAIGNTON | 45028 |
| 13:23 | 1A05 | PAIGNTON | PADDINGTON | 50009 |
| 13:32 | 1M39 | PENZANCE | WOLVERHAMPTON | 46038 |
| 13:36 | 1B45 | PADDINGTON | PENZANCE | 47080 |
| 13:38 | 1V75 | SHEFFIELD | PAIGNTON | 47110 |
| 13:43 | 1M23 | PAIGNTON | NOTTINGHAM | 46032 |
| 13:48 | 1V76 | LIVERPOOL | PENZANCE | D1011 |
| 13:51 | 1E22 | NEWQUAY | NEWCASTLE | 45016 |
| 13:56 | 1V77 | NOTTINGHAM | PAIGNTON | 45143 |
| 14:03 | 1M28 | PAIGNTON | BIRMINGHAM | 47262 |
| 14:04 | 1V42 | LIVERPOOL | PAIGNTON | 47333 |
| 14:09 | 1A15 | NEWQUAY | PADDINGTON | D1025 |
| 14:18 | 1V48 | MANCHESTER | PENZANCE | 47230 |
| 14:18 | 1E21 | PENZANCE | BRADFORD | D1052 |
| 14:29 | 1A19 | PENZANCE | PADDINGTON | D1070 |
| 14:32 | 1B53 | PADDINGTON | PAIGNTON | D1065 |
| 14:35 | 1V82 | MANCHESTER | PENZANCE | 47495 |
| 14:49 | 1A34 | PAIGNTON | OXFORD | 47254 |
| 14:51 | 1B55 | PADDINGTON | PAIGNTON | 50046 |
| 14:58 | 1V83 | BIRMINGHAM | NEWQUAY | 45141 |
| 14:58 | 1M96 | PENZANCE | MANCHESTER | 47221 |
| 15:18 | 1C74 | PAIGNTON | SWANSEA | D1022 |
| 15:26 | 1A39 | PAIGNTON | PADDINGTON | 47498 |
| 15:30 | 1Z37 | PLYMOUTH | BRISTOL | 46011 |
| 15:31 | 1V85 | MANCHESTER | PAIGNTON | 45030 |
| 15:40 | 1M49 | ST AUSTELL | CREWE | 45064 |
| 15:41 | 1B65 | PADDINGTON | PENZANCE | 47088 |
| 15:50 | 1V86 | BRADFORD | PAIGNTON | 45056 |
| 15:55 | 1M54 | NEWQUAY | NOTTINGHAM | 47474 |
| 16:00 | 1V87 | NEWCASTLE | PAIGNTON | 46024 |
| 16:08 | 1A45 | PENZANCE | PADDINGTON | D1059 |
| 16:12 | 4B10 | BRISTOL | PLYMOUTH | |
| 16:29 | 1A99 | BARNSTAPLE | PADDINGTON | 31259 |
| 16:35 | 1M36 | PAIGNTON | BIRMINGHAM | 46025 |
D1022 is seen parked in the Yard at the back of Taunton station. (Photo: David Marshall)
Taunton had a mixed forutne over the years, it became a leading railway 'hub' with it's own allocation of steam (and later diesel) locomotives. From an abundance of freight came closure and removal of once vital artories which delivered and distributed goods to and from Taunton.
During the 1970's/80's little money was invested in the station upkeep, and under British Railway the station fell into a poorly maintained run down building, a complete contrast to it's former status on the railway map. Although many don't agree with Railway Privativastion implimented by the Conservatives prior to their demise, it has been very good news for stations all over the country!
Taunton under privatisaiton and investment is looking fanstastic again, clean, tidy, painted, plenty of facilities, new waiting shelters (Although nothing like the ones which used to span the center platforms!), and new information screens. Although Taunton isn't the bustling railway centre it was all those years ago, it has just about enough traffic to maintain a small community of Rail Enthusiasts which can often be seen on and around the station premesis.
