BR 1965 Crewe-built Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR‘ continues as our headliner this week after putting in regular appearances on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and earning the admiration of crews, depot staff and passengers. Our ‘celebrity‘ loco was pictured on the approach to Goathland Station on Monday 1st August 2022 by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0
Continuing to hold the spotlight is our Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR‘ who has been busy working public services between Grosmont and Pickering on the NYMR on a daily basis since 19th July and building on her reputation as a fine performer and a pleasure to drive. Again we have the benefit of photographs from our local correspondent Martin Fisher and we send him our thanks for keeping us up to date with the North Yorkshire news.
Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR‘ is pictured just after crossing Lyke Wake Walk, close to the summit of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway which rises to 532 feet above mean sea level (162m). Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0
Thanks again go to Martin Fisher for hiking across the moors and sharing his photographs with us all !
Returning to the forthcoming event on our home line, the WSRA’s STEAM AND VINTAGE RALLY takes place this coming weekend and arrangements are being made by the WSR to support this event by providing shuttle services between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren and diesel shunting locomotives to power the brake van rides that will run along the stub of the former Barnstaple branch line. Click here or on the below image for more details:
The weather forecast is excellent and the exhibitors sections are all fully booked up, so there will be plenty to see and plenty to buy, including items from our DEPG Sales Stand that will be manned by Chris and Mark, and plenty of refreshment choices. Due to the very poor mobile network coverage in this rural location, card readers may not work well, so please bring cash, just in case. We wish the WSRA the very best of luck with this event which has been sorely missed during the last two years. Let’s hope for a bumper attendance this year !
The WSR’s Class 03 shunter D2133 has repositioned from Minehead (MD) to Bishops Lydeard (BL) in advance of heading to Norton Fitzwarren to work the Brake Van rides that will run along the remains of the former Barnstaple branch line during the STEAM AND VINTAGE RALLY. Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) is also visible and is the booked loco for the 11:00 BL-MD-BL services under the YELLOW timetable. Photo by Rich Hiscox © CC BY-NC 3.0
The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) was pictured arriving at Bishops Lydeard on Sunday 31st July 2022 and is booked to work the free shuttle service that will run between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren throughout the STEAM AND VINTAGE RALLY that takes place on Sat/Sun 06/07 August 2022. It is great to see the DMU back in service ! Photo by Dave Fowler © CC BY-NC 3.0
Starting THIS WEEK, the modified YELLOW timetable applies and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) is working the 11:00 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and the 15:25 return service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The ‘Crompton’ will also cover the same service on Saturdays 13th, 20th and 27th August. Details can be found our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page. Any additional or updated information will be announced via DIESELGEN as soon as possible. MANY THANKS for supporting this year’s DIESEL RUNNING program on the WSR.
The usual caveats of loco availability apply, but we will be aiming to deliver the above program of running with the locos indicated and we will provide as much advance notice of any change as possible, using our DIESELGEN and Twitter feeds, so please sign up to keep up to date.
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER continues to gather pace to keep up with the excellent progress on the restoration of the locomotive itself. The last week alone has seen some major donations being received from members and volunteers, in additional to those from the much larger band of Class 52 supporters. We will be updating the fund contributions totals and adding the Gift Aid during the coming days. WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP, so click on the images to make a donation. We know that times are hard, but please do what you can to help.
The ‘CAMPAIGNER’ team continue their work on restoring this massive and complex locomotive. Although bodywork repairs have progressed well, we still have a lot of rubbing down and painting to do, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !
D1010 – one of the headcode frames gets a first coat of maroon paint from long-time DEPG member and volunteer Roy at Williton on Saturday 30th July 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – a view along the ‘A’ side at Williton on Saturday 30th July 2022 shows that repair work has been completed on this side (apart from one small area in the battery box frame) and only the cosmetic work remains – but that is a lot of work to do on a loco that is over 20m in length (68 feet) so please come along and help. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the buffer beam valance at the secondman’s corner of ‘A’ end was cut open and repair work commenced at Williton on Tuesday 26th July 2022. The repair will involve welding-in new metal to replace what has been dissolved by water ingress over the years. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – this view of the diametrically opposite corner at ‘B’ end shows the quality of the finished result, delivered by Colin F and the bodywork team. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 30th July 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the upper part of ‘A’ end has been completely rubbed down to bare metal and is ready to receive a primer coat. The lower part that still carries yellow paint and green primer is unsupported due to corrosion of the underlying structure, so it has to be removed so that the structure can be repaired. That’s a task for the coming weeks. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 30th July 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
To support the work that is progressing in multiple areas on D1010, we launched our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER by offering ‘SPONSOR A PATCH’ where you can donate in support of the bodywork repairs that are taking place on D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and HAVE YOUR NAME ENGRAVED ON THE SPONSORED PATCH or PART.
For the sum of £25, this scheme offers you a chance to sponsor the restoration of this much-loved locomotive, with your personal contribution being recorded and documented on a set of drawings that will be made available at our Williton depot on running days and open days. For those who prefer to remain anonymous, a unique reference number or code word will be allocated and engraved instead.
See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details !
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is at Williton and has been returned to service subject to close monitoring of the engine oil condition. We expect to swap her with sister D6575 (33 057) when that loco’s next ‘A’ exam becomes due, probably towards the end of August.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is currently at Bishops Lydeard and is rostered for regular use during August as per our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – an unavoidable interruption in the rate of progress this week due to non-availaibilty of the people with the appropriate knowledge and the need to perform some maintenance tasks on sister loco D7018. Progress is expected to resume this coming Saturday with a view to getting the loco out on test later this month.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the 87-litre V-16 Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD870 engine is being re-assembled at Williton and was pictured on 24th July 2022 awaiting the re-installation of two of the fuel injectors so that the cam box can be aligned properly before tightening the bolts. Then, the cam box covers can be replaced and the air intake ducting re-assembled. Photo by Mike Evans © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco moved from Minehead to Williton ‘light engine’ on Saturday 30th July and has taken up position outside the Old Goods Shed on Number 1 road. Some maintenance tasks needed to be done, including replacing a failed windscreen wiper control, so these tasks were given priority to keep the loco available for service if called upon.
The next scheduled dates for ‘Hymek’ running are the 10:00 and 14:30 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard return services on Sat/Sun 3rd/4th September. Between now and then, our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ will be in regular use, so keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for updates or join the DIESELGEN email bulletin group (which also includes information about non-public services, where the information is available to us sufficiently in advance).
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and her crew comprising (L-R) secondman Cameron, driver and DEPG chairman Martin Howard and secondman under training James were pictured taking a well-earned break between turns at Minehead on Saturday 23rd July 2022. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – progress continues on preparing and restoring small components, all of which are necessary for the re-assembly of the braking system, so there was little outwardly visible progress to photograph this week. An important step forward was the ordering of two replacement ‘Layrub’ couplings for the generator drive shaft. These couplings are similar to those shown in the adverts pictured below that date from 1947 and 1952, so it could be said that Swindon’s 1964 design of the Class 14s was based on mature technology !
The two replacement couplings have been ordered from Twiflex and will be genuine Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts for this critical application. Any failure in service could cause serious internal damage to the transmission and the generator, so we need to mitigate this risk by being very careful. Being now classed as ‘heritage components’, these are of course EXPENSIVE and we searched long and hard before biting the bullet and paying the money. We did receive a discount for being a charity, for which we are appreciative. MANY THANKS to the D9518 fund contributors for making this purchase possible.
D9518 – the generator drive shaft of the Class 14 uses ‘Layrub’ couplings like this. This promotional image is dated 1952 and has been provided courtesy of Graces’s Guide – a very interesting source of information on British industry and manufacturing. © CC BY-SA 4.0
This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. 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 full operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is still in regular use and performing well on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Last week, a fractured exhaust bellows caused some consternation because the loco was booked to work, but a spare part was arranged from local stock held for sister loco D9504 and the local Class 14 team performed the repair and put the loco back in service, so many thanks to Mike Grimwood and team for saving the day!
D9526 was pictured at Tenterden Town Station while waiting time at the head of a service to Bodiam on Saturday 30th July 2022. Completing the 1960s scene is the iris blue MGA dating from 1958 that is owned by photographer Robin Moira White © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – covered previously – now in regular service on the NYMR.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco is fully operational and is stabled in the yard at Williton. She is hiding under a tarpaulin to prevent the fresh paintwork from being damaged by seagull droppings.
If you can help by donating your time, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !
BOOK REVIEW – being short of time this week, we will just include this reminder that we have added a new book to our online store from Amberley Publishing and featuring GREEN DIESELS from the late 1950s through to the 1970s. This softcover book is an interesting read and is well worth the price of £14.99 so please support our online store and click here to buy your copy. Thanks !
PLEASE NOTE that we can supply any book from PLATFORM 5 or PEN & SWORD or AMBERLEY via our online store. If the title that you want is not listed on our webstore, just email us or use our CONTACT FORM to tell us what you want and we will arrange it, the profit margin on the sale going to the LOCO FUND OF YOUR CHOICE.
Don’t miss these two excellent new titles, the profits from which will go to the D9518 Restoration fund:
ON SHED – not exactly ‘on shed’ but there was a shed nearby …. just not in this picture ! The two Ruston & Hornsby industrial diesel locos are pictured with ex-BR Class 03 03079 (D2179) at the Derwent Valley Light Railway at Murton Park in York, during an enthusiasts evening event that took place on Friday 29th July 2022 and was evidently very well patronised. The ’03’ was built at Doncaster in 1960, the same year as Ruston 0-4-0DM ‘ROWNTREE & CO Ltd No. 3’ in the foreground. The loco visible behind No. 3 is another Ruston 0-4-0DM number 327964, this time dating back to 1953 and formerly in use with British Sugar. It was reported that everyone was having a good time ! Many thanks to regular correspondent Neale Long for sharing his photo with us all.
Three of the many preserved shunting locomotives of the Derwent Valley Light Railway collection were pictured during an enthusiasts evening event at Murton Park, York on Friday 29th July 2022. Photo by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – the DEPG is delighted to confirm the appointment of TOM COURTNEY to the Board of Directors with effect from 24th July 2022 in a new role that will allow existing Board members to transfer some of their tasks to Tom, particularly those tasks that relate to operations, such as monthly billing and recording of loco movements. This is an important task that is becoming more complex as we now have locos running on three railways, all of which insist on being billed in a timely manner.
Local resident Tom has been volunteering at Williton for many years and is a fully qualified secondman. He is also a member of the Class 33 maintenance team and has developed a familiarity with this very important class of locomotive. We can now start to load him up with additional responsibilities, all of which will help him further develop his knowledge and skills. WELL DONE TOM for stepping up to the plate and taking on more work for the benefit of the DEPG !
Tom will be standing for formal election at the forthcoming AGM which takes place at Williton on Saturday 3rd September 2022.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was supporting the ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ services and qualified DEPG secondman – and now DEPG Director and Trustee – Tom Courtney was also on duty on the cold and wintry evening of Friday 26th November 2021, pictured while the loco waited between turns at Bishops Lydeard by DEPG Chairman and loco driver Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
A synopsis of the last Board Meeting will be sent out later this week to all members for whom we hold a valid email address. A hard copy of the last three synopses will be sent out with the next edition of the quarterly DEPG NEWSLETTER, which is scheduled for mailing in mid August.
Our new online membership system is working well and feedback has been very positive. Membership is INCREASING STEADILY ! If you haven’t done so already, please take a look at your membership record and make sure that it is correct. You will also be able to select ‘paper’, ‘paperless’ or ‘paperless except newsletter’ communication, according to your preference. In the event of any discrepancies that you can’t resolve directly via Membermojo, please email Membership Secretary Chris Shields using members@depg.org so that he can make the correction for you. Thanks for helping us reduce the administrative effort required for managing memberships (for the benefit of our loco fleet).
WSR NEWS: the next event on the WSR will be the ‘FORTIES WEEKEND‘ that takes place from Saturday 10th through Sunday 11th September when the DEPG facility at Williton will again be open to the public, complete with ROD SAUNDERS and his model railway sales stand. Please make a plan to come along to this event in support of both the WSR and the DEPG. Timetables for planned diesel running are now being published via our new DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and any updates will be shared via our DIESELGEN email bulletin service.
Don’t forget that the WSRA will be hosting the long-awaited return of the STEAM & VINTAGE RALLY at Norton Fitzwarren this coming weekend, so please try to attend what promises to be a very enjoyable event !
The timetables and the dates for the 2022 special events are as follows, so please make a note and ADD THESE DATES TO YOUR DEPG CALENDARS:
