S&D Emporium

According to Collins Dictionary an Emporium (noun) is a store or large shop

The S&D Emporium, newly fiited out by volunteers and opened for our 2022 operating season, welcomes visitors to browse and buy from our extensive range of Second-hand & Delightful Goods.

Mainly featuring railway themes including books, DVDs, jig saws, collectables and model railway items.  The latter are particularly popular - we carry a wide range from natty little platform fittings, through to some very nice carriages, wagons and locomotives.

Compared with the restricted facilities we had previously, this is indeed an Emporium.  It is housed in a railway vehicle.  For those who like to know these things this vehicle is  a Covered Carriage Truck or CCT (railways love acronyms) and these were a type of railway van with end doors used for moving motor cars or parcel traffic. 

Our CCT came from a supportive Trust member who is pleased to see the vehicle put to good use. CCT vans were often used over the line so it is an authentic vehicle for us to have. It was in a careworn condition when it arrived, but excellent work by our volunteers, has transformed the CCT into the S&D Emporium.  For more information on the vehicle itself visit the “Locomotives and Rolling Stock” page of our web site which includes photographs of the CCT as it arrived.  https://sdjr.co.uk/locomotives-stock/m94438-cct

The Emporium can be accessed from the patio area and is parked next to our ever popular buffet car so you can enjoy excellent refreshments whilst browsing through donated items that have arrived.  Already we are finding it has an appeal to visitors of all ages – literally from eight to eighty and beyond.  Many of our younger visitors are excited by railways and some, with the help of enthusiastic Mum or Dad are building their first model railway.  The stock we often have means that attractive items can be purchased for the layout at much less cost than when buying new items. Inriguing items arrive regularly so it's always worth checking back.

Very soon the Emporium will also feature a scale working model railway in N gauge of Midsomer Norton station and surrounding area just as it was in the late 1950s.  Another attraction for our visitors of all ages so do come and see us on your next visit to the Somerset & Dorset Railway at Midsomer Norton South Station.

If you have any books, model railway items, or railwayana that you would like to donate please contact Roger Burfitt via [email protected] or call in at the railway when we are open.  Even with the extra space we have available we must decline certain items which no longer sell, notably magazines & VHS videos.