Weekly Roundup – 12-Sep-21
The major event this week has been the ‘1940s weekend‘ during which we provided our Class 33 ‘Cromptons D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) operating in Top-and-Tail mode for the ‘Watchet Shuttle’ services that have operated four times each day between Bishops Lydeard, Watchet and return. When combined with the steam-hauled trains that worked through Watchet to Dunster (with heritage bus connections to Minehead), it gave visitors seven opportunities per day to get to Watchet to enjoy the 1940s-themed displays and stalls.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) leads the shuttle service towards Watchet on 11th September 2021 as sister loco D6566 (33 048) goes along for the ride. The ‘tail-end charlie’ will haul the working back to Bishops Lydeard. ‘Hymek’ sisters D7017 and D7018 hide behind the decorated fence. Image capture by Railcam UK and the WSR ©
Many thanks to Railcam UK and the WSR for providing these webcam services !
The webcams showed that the event was well patronised without being over crowded and the weather also co-operated, which made for a very pleasant day out by the seaside:
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) rounds the corner at Splash Point with the shuttle service to Watchet on 11th September 2021 with sister loco D6566 (33 048) at the rear to provide the motive power for the journey back to Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Keith Fender © CC BY-NC 3.0
WELL DONE to all who planned, prepared and operated the various attractions that were spaced out along the line and stayed late to tidy up afterwards. Thanks also to those who bought a ticket or merchandise and contributed to the success of the event !
We are now looking forward to our main event of this year, the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND that will take place on this coming Friday 17th and Saturday 18th of September. This will feature our two ‘Cromptons’ plus ‘Hymek’ D7018 and will include running to Norton Fitwarren in the afternoons. Here’s a link to the detailed timetables, as posted in a recent DIESELGEN bulletin. The timetabling is quite intense and has plenty of interest for fans of both types of traction, so please do try and come along to support the event if you can.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) leads sister loco D6566 (33 048) on the climb out of Williton towards Crowcombe Heathfield on an empty stock positioning move on 2nd November 2020. The Mixed Traction Weekend also features double-headed ‘Cromptons’ on the 1545 from Norton Fitzwarren to Dunster and return on Friday afternoon 17th September. Photo by Peter Nicholson © CC BY-NC 3.0
An important point regarding our fifth and final diesel-hauled ‘excursion‘ that was planned for 25th September this year; we have had to change the date of this ‘Hymek’-hauled service to Saturday 16th October because the return to mainline running of the Diesel Traction Group’s Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ has been scheduled for the 25th September, with a PATHFINDER RAILTOURS special from Eastleigh via Gloucester to Kingswear and return.
We know that many of our members and regular supporters will be either riding behind or watching this magnificent loco as she returns to the mainline after a long absence, so we cannot operate a viable service on the same day.
If you have already booked tickets for the ‘Hymek’-hauled ‘excursion’ on the 25th, the WSR ticket office will be in touch with you soon. We thank you for your support and offer our apologies for the change of date and ask for your understanding. We hope that you will be able to join us on the 16th October instead.
A very big THANK YOU to all who have bought and are buying tickets in support of our 2021 diesel-hauled services, and an equally big thank you to all of the volunteers who have been and are involved in putting on the shows !
If you have a question, please reply to this email or fill in the contact form on our website. Please help us and help the WSR make these diesel-hauled services a success by buying a ticket to ride !
LOCO NEWS:
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – as a correction to the information that was included in the previous roundup; the pair of calibrated fuel pumps have not yet been fitted to the loco because they were not available in time, but a complete set of overhauled injectors were fitted to the loco at the KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY last weekend. The fuel pumps will be fitted at the next opportunity.
Class 14 D9526 is safe and sound inside the carriage shed at Tenterden on the K&ESR on 2nd September 2021 while resident D9504 undergoes preparation for a heavy overhaul alongside. Photo by Simon Purvis © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – our ‘celebrity’ remains marooned at Bishops Lydeard because of delays in obtaining permission for her oversize road haulage move from Bishops Lydeard to Pickering on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. We are still waiting for the date and route information. As soon as we know, it will be shared via a DIESELGEN bulletin.
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – we continue to receive donations towards the restoration of this much-loved loco and we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed to the fund to support the £100,000 restoration of D1010.
Our attention remains fixed to making progress with the bodywork repairs so the various grilles and vents were inspected over the weekend and a list of required repairs was drawn up. Work continues on the removal of loose filler on the side that was not restored during the loco’s time at Didcot. We intend to restore the bodywork in sections and paint the loco in undercoat, pending an overall gloss coat upon completion of all other work.
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for the ‘B’ end Voith L630rV transmission converter rail to be sent to a specialist firm for separation and internal inspection. More on this exciting news at a later date when the arrangements have been firmed up.
We intend to raise £100,000 for the whole restoration project so please help us by using one of the below links to make a donation:
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Donate £1 to D1010£1.00 -
Booklet – D1013 WESTERN RANGER£7.50 incl VAT excl P&P -
Booklet – D1062 WESTERN COURIER£7.50 incl VAT excl P&P -
Booklet Pair – D1013 and D1062£10.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Donate £10 to D1010£10.00 -
Booklet – D1010 – From Merehead to Minehead£15.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Book – Western Venture£15.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Book – Backtracking Around V by Bernard Mills£18.95 incl VAT excl P&P -
Book – Plymouth to Penzance£20.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Book – Class 37s in the Far West£22.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Donate £25 to D1010£25.00 -
Sponsor a Patch on D1010£25.00 – £40.00
After selecting a donation link, you will then be able to use the quantity buttons to select the precise value that you want to donate. Please remember to select the GiftAid option if you are eligible because this will give us a 20% boost via a contribution from HM Government. Thank you very much for supporting the D1010 Restoration Appeal !
In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – no change expected until our Autumn Work Week (30-Oct through 07-Nov) which is when we hope to start on the bogie spring change project.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is ready for the Mixed Traction weekend 17-18 September.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – we are very happy to report that donations to our D9518 restoration fund continue to build and we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed to the fund to support the £10,000 restoration of D9518.
Our Class 14 team are making significant progress on several fronts as can be seen from the photos below:
D9518’s restored battery box is now ready for primer and undercoat at Williton on 11th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518’s corroded cab door frame was repaired by Colin F on 11th Setember 2021 and is now ready for priming and undercoat. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518’s electrical cubicle is undergoing careful and thorough restoration at Williton in the hands of John C. Photo taken on 11th September 2021 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518’s frames are in the Swindon Shed at Williton and are seen undergoing preparation for a repaint with work being progressed by long-time member and volunteer Andy P on 11th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
We intend to raise £10,000 for the whole restoration project so please help us by using one of the below links to make a donation:
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Donate £1 to D9518£1.00 -
Donate £10 to D9518£10.00 -
Booklet – DIESEL DAWN 7 – WESTERN REGION CLASS 14£12.99 incl VAT excl P&P -
Donate £25 to D9518£25.00 -
Book – BR Swindon Type 1 – Class 14 – Vol 1£27.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Book – BR Swindon Type 1 – Class 14 – Vol 2£27.00 incl VAT excl P&P -
Donate £100 to D9518£100.00
After selecting a donation link, you will then be able to use the quantity buttons to select the precise value that you want to donate. Please remember to select the GiftAid option if you are eligible because this will give us a 20% boost via a contribution from HM Government. Thank you very much for supporting the D9518 Restoration Appeal !
If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to operational condition – and see her haul passenger coaches for the first time in her life!
Andrew Barclay 578 (ROF 1) – this loco is receiving attention for an air circuit fault that is preventing the main reservoir from charging. More news will be provided on this issue when fault-finding progresses.
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who are hard at work cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !
BOOK REVIEW – it may not be a book but it is printed, so we will cover it under this heading! We are pleased to announce that the DEPG 2022 CALENDAR is at the printers and we hope to receive quantities this week, in time for the Mixed Traction Weekend event. Here’s a summary of the 12 high-resolution photos that have been so kindly donated by our members and supporters this year:
Here is an animated video that steps through the calendar month-by-month:
We have been able to keep the price the same as last year, so the calendar will again cost the princely sum of £1 per month, so we think that is a bargain that is not to be missed. Click here to order your copy while stocks last.
We have now added some of the donated PRE-OWNED BOOKS to our online store, so take a look at these newly-added titles in case they are missing from your collection:
| Title | Author | Price | Notes |
| The Power of THE 50s | John Vaughan | £10 | Some marks on jacket |
| I tried to run a railway | Gerard Fiennes | £10 | Second edition 2016, as new |
| British Railways Stinks | Dave Smith and colleagues | £10 | 2019, as new |
| BREL Locomotive Works | John Vaughan | £10 | Faded spine, otherwise fine |
| Diesels on the Regions – LMR | Gavin Morrison | £10 | Faded spine, otherwise fine |
| The Western Class 52s | Norman Preedy | £12.50 | 2015, as-new |
| The Class 47 Years | Bernard Mills | £12.50 | 2017, as new |
| British Rail Main Line Locomotives | Pip Dunn | £20 | 2013, as new |
| Class 50 Life and Times | Colin J Marsden | £20 | 1991, but in brand new condition |
All of these books have been kindly donated by members and supporters and ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of pre-owned books goes directly to the D1010 restoration fund. Please reply to this email or use our contact form if you have books that you would like to donate. We welcome your donations!
ON SHED: we will need to skip this feature this week, but we hope to include it again next week.
DEPG NEWS: We can now focus on the remainder of our running season, the highlight of which is the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND this Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September. This running opportunity will feature an extension to Norton Fitzwarren to provide both additional mileage and additional interest from this little-used section of the line and also includes an evening journey to Blue Anchor and back behind D7018. This is our big event of this year and we will have a sales stand at Bishops Lydeard and at Williton, so PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT US AND THE WSR !
DEPG WEBSITE: Now updated with the new 2022 CALENDAR and the newly-added PRE-OWNED BOOKS (there are plenty more yet to be added, so keep an eye on this product category).
WSR NEWS: The Chairman of the WSR, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, has written to all staff and volunteers thanking them for their massive contribution in delivering a successful summer season so far, with the main events of the season still to come, namely the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND and the AUTUMN STEAM GALA.
This is great news and provides encouragement and further motivation to all those across the whole WSR family of organisations who have been working so hard to overcome the constant challenges of the last year or two. Well done to all !
Go to previous Weekly Roundup post