Monthly Archives: February 2023

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) stands alongside Class 09 D4107 (09 019) at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. The ’09’ is undergoing planned maintenance in the hands of the DEPG while the ’33’ is the designated duty loco and is ready for action. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) has been receiving attention from Ian, Tom, John and Martin as we work through a list of maintenance tasks and deal with some minor repairs. Once completed, the loco will move to the Swindon Shed to undergo some bodywork repairs and be treated to a repaint, but she is second in line to Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) for the paintshop and will have to wait her turn.

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) is moved closer to the covered-over cab of Class 14 D9518 on number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. The shunting signals are being provided by Tom while DEPG Chairman Martin Howard is operating the locomotive. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Now, some really sad news about the loss of Jon Grimwood, son of Mike Grimwood and one of the team who looked after our Class 14 D9526 so well at the Kent & East Sussex Railway last year, who died suddenly last week at the age of 37. We send our heartfelt condolences to Mike and the whole family. Here’s one of the many photos taken by Jon that provides a reminder of happier times in the recent past:

Class 14 D9526 was pictured shortly after arrival at Tenterden Town station on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on Wednesday 13th July 2022 with a 4-coach train from Bodiam. The DEPG-owned loco worked on the line for 18 months between July 2021 and December 2022 and was looked after by Mike, Jon and William Grimwood. Photo by the late Jon Grimwood © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

FLOOD DAMAGE UPDATE:

The survey that has been carried out on behalf of the WSR has confirmed that the embankment at Coombe Florey is safe to use, subject to a temporary speed restriction and regular monitoring. This is excellent news and will allow the railway to re-open in March as planned. The west-facing section of the embankment that slipped into the gardens of the houses below during the night of December 19th 2022 will be carefully excavated so that the retaining wall can be rebuilt and everything made good.

The trackbed still needs attention, so the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) have launched an appeal to raise money get this work done as quickly and efficiently as possible. The WSRA have pledged £25,000 of MATCH FUNDING to effectively double the value of donations made to this appeal, so this is a great opportunity to help make a real difference and get the trackbed sorted out with fresh ballast. Many thanks to the WSRA for this initiative ! Click here or on the image below to visit the web page and get more details:

The landslip affected the western side of the embankment at Coombe Florey, just to the north of Tribble Bridge, and provided an escape route for the deluge of mud and water that ran off from the potato field on the other side of the line during the night of 19th December 2022. Pictured on 19th February 2023 by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The WSR have updated their 2023 timetable and are now showing the planned SPECIAL EVENTS in purple colour. The details of each event are not yet shown on their events page, but are being prepared. The first event this year will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR from 28th to 30th April. More details will be available soon.

The first scheduled diesel-hauled service for 2023 is booked for Friday 7th April and will feature haulage by one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work on the electrical system is progressing in the careful hands of new volunteer Steve who is diligently working through all of the terminals and contacts in the ‘B’ cab to clean and inspect them, renewing parts where necessary. The cab is already looking much better after receiving this attention. The other end of the loco also received attention, with Gordon working inside the ‘A’ cab and Natalie working between the cab and the front of the loco, in a very small space. Further progress was made on the ‘B’ transmission with the overhaul of the filler pump. Here are some photos:

D1010 – the ‘B’ cab is receiving an electrical systems maintenance checkup which involves cleaning, inspecting and replacing wiring components and contacts as necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – at ‘A’ end, Natalie fitted into the small space behind the headcode indicators to perform a cleanup before applying a coat of paint on the inside of the recently-repaired loco skin. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the strainer of the filling pump from ‘B’ transmission shows the debris that was captured by the mesh which would otherwise have gone back through the turbines. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th February 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the centrifugal filling pump from ‘B’ transmission has been completely disassembly and will now be cleaned, inspected and reassembled with new bearings. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th February 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the duty loco and is on standby at Williton. However, she is due to go into the paintshop at the Swindon Shed soon, so her role will transfer to her sister until such time as she is completely refreshed and ready for service again.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is fully serviceable and is also able to take up active duty on the WSR.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – Terry and Nick made a start on the re-fitting of the sanding gear that had to be removed when the loco had to have her bogie springs changed last March.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has a list of items requiring attention and will be allocated resources shortly.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the cardan shafts have been inspected and re-filled with grease, more than 40 years since they last transmitted any power. The inspection showed that the universal joints and splined connections are in good condition, so the shafts were cleaned and painted and will be re-installed on the loco in the very near future. Other areas of progress were in preparation for the cab restoration, with the specialist materials being placed on order. Here’s some photos:

D9518 – the cardan shafts were cleaned up, inspected then filled with fresh grease and prepared for painting at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the two cardan shafts received a coat of primer at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the voltmeter and ammeter await inspection and re-calibration before being re-fitted into the electrical control cubicle. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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 fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is undergoing winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was pictured in the yard at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Sunday 19th February by Luke Wayman © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – new volunteer Tony has been making excellent progress on the maintenance of this loco and is getting very close to being able to start the engine and deal with those tasks that require the engine to be running. The new oil filter assembly is on order, being specially made by BRITISH FILTERS at Plymouth to be directly compatible with the original Vokes type and is expected in two or three weeks from now, so that is the pacing item. Many thanks to Tony for his excellent work on this loco.

Barclay 578 (ROF No. 1) – Tony gets in between the frames to tackle the remaining maintenance tasks at Williton on 14th February 2023. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Barclay 578 (ROF No. 1) – Tony is once again between the frames on a very cold morning to conduct a close-up inspection and check the condition of the drive belts and pulleys. Pictured at Williton on 14th February 2023 by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, 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 – we will need to skip this feature this week as we are running somewhat late ! Please take a look at our webstore for NEW BOOKS and PRE-OWNED BOOKS, the profits from which will go directly towards the upkeep of our loco fleet.

 

ON SHED – following the succesful running of D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF‘ railtour on 13th February 1977, the railtour ran again the following weekend as the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM‘ but D1010 suffered a water leak and subsequent engine shutdown en route and was declared a failure and removed from the train at Cardiff. Her place was taken by Class 37 37179 but the sympathetic BR management had despatched D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ from Old Oak Common to take over the tour at Pontypridd, to the absolute delight of the fans on the fully-booked tour. D1023 was selected for the National Collection and has made the news recently by moving to the Didcot Railway Centre on a 5-year loan from the National Railway Museum. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his excellent photos with us all.

D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ waits at Pontypridd to take over the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM’ railtour to haul it up the valley of the river Taff to Merthyr Tydfil and then back to Paddington via Cardiff Queen Street. Pictured on 20th February 1977 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopses of the recent Board Meetings were sent out by email last weekend to all members for whom we held a valid email address. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you didn’t receive your copy. The next Board Meeting will take place at Williton this Saturday, 25th February, so let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you have a question that you would like to put to the Board.

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO.

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 were pictured together at Westridge, Bishops Lydeard in January 2023. The ’09’ has now moved to Williton to undergo planned maintenance in the hands of the DEPG while the ’14’ stays at Bishops Lydeard, fully serviceable and ready for use if called upon. Photo by Mike Collins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) has now moved from Bishops Lydeard to the DEPG’s South Yard at Williton to undergo planned maintenance and remedial work including some bodywork corrosion repairs. While the ’09’ is out of service, the role of pilot loco at Bishops Lydeard can be covered by our Class 14 D9526 should the need arise. This loco is fully serviceable and ready to run on WSR metals again, after clocking up 768 hours of use at the Kent & East Sussex Railway during the period July 2021 through December 2022.

 

FLOOD DAMAGE UPDATE:

The repairs to the flood damage and landslip at Tribble Bridge are under way and the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) have launched an appeal to help get this work done as quickly and efficiently as possible. The WSRA have pledged £25,000 of MATCH FUNDING to effectively double the value of donations made to this appeal, so this is a great opportunity to help make a real difference and get the line opened again. Top marks to the WSRA for this initiative ! Click here or on the image below to visit the web page and get more details:

The section of track on the north side of Tribble Bridge shows the degree of contamination of the ballast, caused by the run-off from the adjacent fields. Pictured on 8th January 2023 by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The WSR have updated their 2023 timetable and are now showing the planned SPECIAL EVENTS in purple colour. The details of each event are not yet shown on their events page, but are being prepared. The first event this year will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR from 28th to 30th April. More details will be available soon.

The first scheduled diesel-hauled service for 2023 is booked for Friday 7th April and will feature haulage by one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – planning ahead and preparing for the cooler groups to be lifted out for corrosion repairs, Leroy continued his work on the removal of the radiator elements at ‘B’ end, with each segment requiring steam cleaning then pressure testing before being stored safely. Work on the turbine rail of the ‘B’ transmission has progressed well, so the large and heavy assembly has now been put to the side to allow work to take place on the other sub-assemblies within the main housing. To fund the parts and materials that are needed to keep all of this work moving, the outlines of another batch of sponsored patches have been marked onto the bodyside of the loco, in anticipation of new sponsors coming forward. The photos and certificates for all of the existing patch sponsors are being prepared now and will be sent out during the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience !

D1010 – the radiator elements are being removed from the ‘B’ end cooler group to allow welding repairs to take place. Leroy was pictured at work at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – one of the radiator elements from the ‘B’ end cooler group, after being removed from the loco by Leroy at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the work on the turbine rail from the ‘B’ transmission has now been completed and it will be re-installed in the main housing as soon as the overhauling of the other sub-assemblies has been completed. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 7th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – another section of new steel has been marked with the outline of 18 patches, this time on the ‘B’ side at ‘B’ end of the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the duty loco and is on standby at Williton.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is fully serviceable and is also able to take up active duty on the WSR.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – Neil continued with his work on the installation of additional fuses in the exhauster circuits, to add protection in the event of an exhauster motor failure. As designed, the circuits did not take account of this possibility, putting other items of equipment at risk, which is not acceptable these days, when authentic spares are almost impossible to obtain.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has a list of items requiring attention and will be allocated resources shortly.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more large items were receiving attention at Williton last weekend, with the pair of Cardan shafts being cleaned up and readied for inspection. One shaft connects the engine to the transmission, the other connects the transmission to the final drive gearbox. Here’s some photos:

D9518 – the cardan shaft that connects the engine to the transmission was brought into the shed at Williton to be cleaned and inspected on Saturday 11th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – a close-up of the universal joint of the cardan shaft that connects the transmission to the final drive shows that some TLC is going to be required to restore this part to its former glory. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the flexible air hoses that connect to the reverser actuator were found to leak like sieves when pressurised. This was no suprise, considering that they are probably more than 50 years old. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st January 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the old flexible air hoses, pictured at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the new flexible air hoses, made from the original fittings, pictured at Williton on Tuesday 11th February 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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 fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is undergoing winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the tasks remaining for the maintenance work on this loco are now limited to those that require to have the engine running. The new oil filter assembly is on order, being specially made by BRITISH FILTERS at Plymouth to be directly compatible with the original Vokes type.

 

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, 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 – we will need to skip this feature this week as we are running somewhat late ! Please take a look at our webstore for NEW BOOKS and PRE-OWNED BOOKS, the profits from which will go directly towards the upkeep of our loco fleet.

 

ON SHED – this week, we remind ourselves of the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF‘, the very last railtour that was successfully worked by our very own D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ back in 1977, just two weeks before the end of mainline diesel-hydraulic locomotive era. The railtour originated at Paddington and ran to Cardiff via Gloucester, then to Pontypridd, then climbed to the heads of three valleys in turn (Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare) before heading back to Paddington. What a great day out, behind a great loco ! A detailed account of this railtour is included in our booklet ‘D1010 WESTERN CAMPAIGNER – From Merehead to Minehead‘. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ runs around its train at Merthyr, 600 feet above sea level, before heading back to Pontypridd then to Aberdare with the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF’ railtour on 13th February 1977. Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopsis of the recent Board Meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all members for whom we hold a valid email address (sorry for the delay). 

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO.

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was used for a shunting practical training session under the watchful eye of WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023. Sister loco D6575 (33 057) also gets into the picture. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The south yard at Williton was in use for a shunting training session on Saturday 4th February, during which the five trainee secondmen that are currently undertaking the course were put to work on coupling and uncoupling, learning the proper techniques and most importantly, learning how to ensure that their own safety and that of others is protected.

The training session was part of course that is being run by WSR Diesel Traction Inspector (and DEPG member) John Leach, and the loco driver on the day was our Chairman, Martin Howard. Here’s some more photos that show the trainees receiving instruction from John:

The space between Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and the ex-GWR ‘Toad’ brakevan provides the forum for John Leach to demonstrate the art of coupling and uncoupling to five trainees, (L-R) Simon, Paddy, Tom and Chris plus Karl in the second row (out of camera) as a practical follow-up to a classroom session that took place earlier in the day. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Trainee secondman Paddy gets ‘hands-on’ with the couplings while his fellow trainees look on. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Trainee secondman Paddy gets one-to-one instruction and guidance from John Leach while coupling the brakevan to Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The secondman training courses start in September each year and include classroom and practical sessions prior to route learning that will take place when the line re-opens in the springtime. Candidates are selected after careful consideration by the WSR Footplate Standards Panel because places are limited and the intense training consumes considerable resources. Luckily, both John and Martin give their time freely to pass on their knowledge and maintain the highest of standards, so MANY THANKS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION !

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

Last week, we reported that the WSR had published their 2023 timetable and we updated our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to include the class of loco that will haul the services that are booked for DEPG loco haulage between now and June. More details will be added as soon as we have agreed the allocations for the services in June and beyond.

Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work on the transmission repair has progressed to the stage where the completed turbine rail has been set aside to allow work on other transmission components to catch up. The reverser assembly and the output shaft assembly are the next two ‘targets’ for Colin F and his team. Meanwhile, Leroy started work on removing the radiator elements from the cooler group so that they can be cleaned and pressure tested. Once prepared, the cooler groups at both ends of the loco will be lifted out for corrosion repair work to be undertaken. The electrical work is being progressed by new volunteer Steve, while Gordon, Ian F and Chris attend to the various bodywork restoration tasks that are needed to get the loco back to her former glory. Here’s some photos: 

D1010 – the bolts that secure the first stage turbine runner to the secondary shaft require tightening to a very high torque setting, making it a two-man job. The effort is provided by Tim (L) and Colin F at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023. The somewhat easier task of taking the photo was handled by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – after re-assembly of the turbine rail, the final position of the secondary shaft must be measured carefully and checked against pre-determined dimensions to ensure proper axial clearances between the turbines and the impellers. Tim was pictured taking the measurements at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – this very unusual view looking down on the bogie from inside the locomotive is only possible because the ‘B’ transmission has been removed, creating a giant rectangular hole in the floor. The bogies will soon be receiving their share of the attention as the restoration project progresses. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in use for the secondman practical training session on Saturday 4th February 2023, as reported earlier.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will soon be returning to active duty on the WSR.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the special-purpose lifting brackets that were used when the loco was lifted from her bogies last year are going to be loaned to the Diesel Traction Group for use on fellow survivor D7029, so to avoid our embarassement, our Publicity Officer Mark Bladwell took on the task of making them look decent before they get shipped to Kidderminster.

Our Hymek lifting brackets received a clean-up and re-paint courtesy of Mark B at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – there are a number of tasks outstanding on this loco and all will be tackled in good time for the start of the new season. One point of detail is that some of the pressure gauges in the cab are modern equivalents of the original style of gauge, because the original style supplied by LAYCOCK-KNORR are unavailable. When the ‘Hymeks’ were withdrawn from service, many parts were acquired by souvenir hunters, some of which may still exist today. So, in the interests of authenticity, we are asking DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE GAUGES THAT YOU COULD OFFER FOR USE IN D7018 ?

D7018 – the driver’s desk includes two pressure gauges that were supplied by the Original Equipment Manufacturer LAYCOCK-KNORR. The extract shows the two authentic gauges in more detail. The left-hand gauge displays the main reservoir pressure, the right-hand gauge displays the bogie brake pressures and is a ‘duplex’ gauge having two needles, in this case one on top of the other, one painted red for ‘A’ bogie, the other being white for ‘B’ bogie. Photos by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the progress continues on multiple fronts as we march onwards with this project. The materials for the refurbishment of the cab are being placed on order so that work can start on this major sub-assembly as soon as sufficient space is available inside the loco shed. Here’s some photos to tell the story:

D9518 – the disassembly of the Paxman 6YJXL V-6 diesel engine that last ran in D9526 is progressing. In this view, Nick is removing the exhaust manifold that occupies the centre of the ‘Vee’. The engine has been rotated in the ‘turnover rig’ to allow easy access. Pictured at Williton on 31st January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the engine governor is a very important piece of equipment and will be overhauled before further use. Pictured in Terry’s careful hands at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the dent that was previously visible in the curving corner of the end frame has been carefully rectified by Colin G and now carries a further coat of paint. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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 fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and will undergo winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the maintenance work on this loco continues to progress in the capable hands of new volunteer Tony, the next step being to flush the fuel system with fresh fuel and ensure that the contamination issue has been resolved. The oil filter replacement issue is also progressing and should be resolved in the coming week, which will allow a start-up attempt to be made immediately after completing the oil change.

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, 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 – this week, we have a collection of all ten volumes of the ‘Diesel Enthusiast’s Pocket Guide” published by Bradford Barton in 1981, all of which are in very good condition. These booklets have been donated by a supporter and will be sold AS A COMPLETE SET for the benefit of the DEPG loco of your choice, so send us a bid via our CONTACT FORM if you would like to add these to your collection.

The titles in this series are:

1. Eastern Region South
2. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
3. Northern England
4. L M Region South
5. L M Region North West
6. Wales and Borders
7. Thames – Cotswold
8. Wessex and West Country
9. South and South East
10. Scottish Region

If you want to donate to the DEPG loco of your choice and get some interesting books in return, use our CONTACT FORM to send your bid.

 

ON SHED – with the news last week that D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ had moved from the National Railway Museum (NRM) at York to the Didcot Railway Centre for a 5-year stay, it seemed fitting that we feature an image of this loco this week. The photo below shows D1023 in the last year of her service life, when she was relegated to secondary services and heavy freight work and before she was ‘spruced up’ for her railtour role. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

Requiring all its tractive effort from its two mighty Maybachs, D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ hauls its heavily-loaded stone wagons around the tight curve into the reception sidings at Westbury. Pictured in the summer of 1976 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopsis of the recent Board Meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all members for whom we hold a valid email address, hopefully later this week.

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO.

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

Class 52 D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ has moved from the National Railway Museum to the Didcot Railway Centre and was pictured in Didcot West Yard on 28th January 2023 by Richard Jermyn of The Great Western Society © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The big news last weekend was the surprise move of preserved Class 52 D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ from the National Railway Museum (NRM) at York to the Didcot Railway Centre that is operated by The Great Western Society. The press release that was issued by the Centre states that the loco is on loan as a static exhibit for a period of approximately 5 years.

Affectionately known as ‘Fusebox’, D1023 was the last diesel-hydraulic locomotive to benefit from a full overhaul at Swindon Works and was selected for preservation as part of the National Collection. She worked the very last diesel-hydraulic loco-hauled train on British Railways, hauling the ‘WESTERN TRIBUTE’ railtour from Paddington to Swansea to Plymouth and back to Paddington on Saturday 26th February 1977 in tandem with preserved classmate D1013 ‘WESTERN RANGER’, bringing the curtain down on the diesel-hydraulic mainline loco era.

The loco moved most of the distance from York by road, so the cardan shafts between the bogies and the transmissions had to be removed to allow the loco to negotiate the ramp onto and off from the low loader. The loco is not in full working order and the NRM does not currently have any plans to restore it to operating condition, but having this National Collection asset available to view at Didcot will no doubt attract more visitors and help to tell the story of the much-loved and characterful diesel-hydraulics.

Didcot was the first preservation home of our very own Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 from 1975 onwards and later became the home of our Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ (though in the guise of D1035 ‘WESTERN YEOMAN’) until both DEPG locos re-located to Williton in 1991. The Centre owns and operates a Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’, number D9516 and an original GWR Railcar No. 22 and many other locomotives, items of rolling stock and artefacts, making it a very interesting and worthwhile place to visit. With this latest acquisition, it has definitely jumped up towards the top of my list !

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

Further to the release of the WSR’s 2023 timetable last week, we have now updated our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to include the class of loco that will haul the services that are booked for DEPG loco haulage. More details will be added as soon as we have agreed the allocations for the services after the Diesel Gala in June, but dates prior to June have now been firmed up.

Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continues on three separate fronts, with the bodywork, the electrical work and the transmission work all making progress, supported by the continued success of the SPONSOR A PATCH appeal that allows us to buy the materials that are needed for the restoration program. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of our labour is provided free of charge by our volunteers, so we repair and re-use original parts where we can, but some new parts and materials are unavoidable – for example, the very expensive bearings for the transmission. Here’s some photos:

D1010 – the new metal at the ‘B’ end of the locomotive has been marked up and numbered so that the names of the sponsors can be engraved through the paint and into the metal. The sponsors will soon be receiving their certificates and photographs. Pictured at Williton on 28th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the end cover for the second stage torque converter was re-fitted at Williton on Tuesday 24th January 2023. Colin F (L) and Nick were pictured while checking to ensure that the parts were properly lined up. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the heavy-duty splines of the secondary (driven) shaft that engage with the reverser assembly are clearly visible in this view of the assembled turbine rail. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 24th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – at the other end of the turbine rail, the brand new bearing that supports the secondary shaft has been fitted in position and the bolts tightened. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 24th January 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco has now taken up the role of duty loco and is available for use by the WSR.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco received a set of calibrated air and pressure gauges during the weekend, but not before they were treated to a fresh coat of paint by volunteer loco manager Ian R, as below:

D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) benefited from new sets of calibrated air and vacuum gauges, some of which needed a touch-up with some black paint before re-installation. Ian R was pictured with the gauges at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is next in line for an oil and filters change that will take place before the start of the 2023 running season.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – there are a number of tasks outstanding on this loco and all will be tackled in good time for the start of the new season.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the tired batteries that were removed from D7017 were good enough to put to use on Saturday 28th January when the recently overhauled Westinghouse compressor was wired up and run to test for the proper function of the control system that regulates the air pressure and protects in the event of an over-pressure situation. Even after almost 40 years out of use, everything was found to be working perfectly !

D9518 – with the temporary batteries connected, the opportunity was taken to test the marker lights. The result: obviously another pass ! Pictured at Williton on 28th January 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – several panels and a number of doors for the electrical cubicle were undergoing various stages of painting at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – Colin G (L) and Simon P were pictured while hard at work at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023, with Colin painting the air pipes (white) and Simon working on the standstill detector valve. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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 fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and will undergo winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – a direct replacement has not yet been found for the unrecoverable oil filter, but in the worst case, modifications will be made to accomodate a modern type. Several other tasks have already been dealt with, so the fuel system flush and refill – and the startup – is getting closer.

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, 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 – last week we said we would be trialling a different approach by offering a selection of pre-owned books that have been donated by members and supporters, but on the basis of a bid. We started with ‘CLASS 50 – A PICTORIAL JOURNEY’ by DAVID CABLE and today we add two more titles by the same author, as below:

RAILS ACROSS BRITAIN by David Cable ISBN 1473849136 (217 pages)

RAILS ACROSS EUROPE – Northern and Western Europe by David Cable ISBN 1473844282 (245 pages)

CLASS 50 – A PICTORIAL JOURNEY by David Cable ISBN 1473864410 (198 pages)

 

If you want to donate to the DEPG loco of your choice and get a good book in return, make a bid by using our CONTACT FORM.

 

ON SHED – staying with the series of photos by Kelvin Lumb, this week we step back 24 years to a cold but bright Saturday 27th January 1979, when the ‘WELSH WIZARD‘ railtour from Paddington stopped at Barry before heading further west to traverse lines that were freight-only, with traction provided by a Class 37 and a Class 50. The tour had originally been planned for a pair of Class 50s but a shortage of ‘Hoovers’ meant that a Class 37 was substituted instead, to provide this unusual mix. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

The ‘WELSH WIZARD‘ railtour paused at Barry on Saturday 27th January 1979 with 37 286 at the head and 50 008 ‘THUNDERER’ behind. The ’37’ served in South Wales for 33 years, exclusively based at Cardiff Canton before being withdrawn in 1999, but the ’50’ is still with us today and is often seen on mainline duties, operated by Hanson & Hall. Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 28th January and a wide range of subjects were discussed and decisions taken. A synopsis will be produced during the next week or so and will be emailed to all members for whom we hold a valid email address.

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. If you are a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice).

If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO.

If you are not a DEPG member, then NOW is a good time to join ! Click on the image below to create your own membership account. We welcome new members !

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post