Weekly Roundup – 02-Apr-23
Class 09 D4107 (09 019) was in use at Williton on the afternoon of Saturday 1st April 2023 to shunt the yard while being test run following maintenance and repairs. The loco is seen on number 1 road at the end of the day, just before taking up her final position. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
The maintenance and repair work that was being conducted on Class 09 D4107 (09 019) has now been completed with the exception of the underframe inspection and lubrication tasks that require the loco to be placed over a pit. On the very wet morning of Saturday 1st April, the reconditioned heat exchanger elements were installed and later in the day, the loco was test run by WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach, who also performed a yard shunt so that ‘Hymek’ D7017 could move to number 2 road in preparation for an oil change. The ’09’ is expected to move back to Bishops Lydeard at some point in the near future, at which time Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 will return to Williton.
Class 09 D4107 (09 019) received two refurbished oil cooler elements as a conclusion of her maintenance and repair work programme at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023. Many thanks to Ian R and Tom who have been working on this locomotive for several weeks to get all of the tasks completed. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 09 D4107 (09 019) has also received attention from other volunteers including Terry, pictured here on 1st April 2023 armed with WD40, a mallet and a determined look as he persuades the radiator shutters to operate smoothly. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 09 D4107 (09 019) differs from the far more numerous Class 08 by having a higher maximum speed as a trade-off against a lower hauling capacity, but these characteristics are quite suitable for a heritage railway. The ‘office’ has a very old-style look, because the design of these machines dates back to the 1940s. Pictured at Williton on 1st April 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
The railway is operating an almost daily schedule of running throughout the Easter holiday period, with our Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) working the 10:00 Minehead diagram under the BLUE timetable on Friday 7th April then again on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th. The timings of these services are as follows:
Depart Minehead at 10:00 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 11:30
Depart Bishops Lydeard at 12:30 arrive Minehead at 13:50
Depart Minehead at 14:30 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 15:55
Depart Bishops Lydeard at 16:35 arrive Minehead at 18:00
As stated last week and repeated for the benefit of anyone who missed the last edition, the ‘Crompton’ will also be covering this same working on Sunday 16th April although this working was previously allocated for Class 14 D9526 haulage. The reason for the change is that the Class 14 has a haulage limit of 4 coaches to maintain time on the long gradients of the WSR and the services that we had planned for the ‘Teddy Bear’ will now be formed of 6 or 7 coaches due to the commercial success of the ‘Fish and Chip’ and the ‘Cream Tea’ services which will take them beyond the haulage limit for the 650hp locomotive, therefore needing Class 33 or Class 35 haulage instead.
While disappointing for our Class 14 followers and volunteers, we cannot risk damaging the loco, so we will be working with the WSR to find suitable services that can be operated with 4 coaches or less and we will be publishing those dates as soon as possible. Meanwhile, our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page has been updated to reflect the changes.
2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:
The railway is open most days throughout the first two weeks of April during which the BLUE timetable will be in operation.
The lineup for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May has been further boosted with the planned appearance of GWR 4-6-0 4953 ‘PITCHFORD HALL’ plus three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet, so an absolute feast for GWR fans ! For details, click this link to the WSR website.
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’ – more progress has been made of the res-assembly of the ‘B’ transmission, with some of the largest components being worked on by Colin F, Geoff and Tim during the last week. Meanwhile, Gordon and Leroy worked on the disconnection of the ‘A’ cooler group while Steve worked on the ‘B’ cab electrics and Ian continued progressing with the bodywork. Andy R and Natalie started work on the brake system overhaul by identifying and removing corroded steel pipework that will be replaced with new pipework before the loco re-enters service. Here are some photos:
D1010 – the large and heavy reverser shaft bearings were replaced at Williton on Monday 27th March 2023. Geoff tightened the housing bolts before fitting this sub-assembly to the splined shaft assembly that is pictured on the right hand side. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the reverser shaft assembly was completed at Williton on Tuesday 28th March 2023 after pressing on two sets of double-helical gear wheels and two bearing housings. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the largest single component in the L630rV transmission is the output gear wheel that is mounted onto the tapered section of the output shaft. This massive part is connected to the output shaft entirely through the friction of the very tight and precise fit of the gear hub to the tapered shaft. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 28th March 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the timeline for this restoration project has been published in the DEPG Spring 2023 Newsletter that has been sent to all registered DEPG members. The details will be published on our website ASAP and covered in a future roundup. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st April 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 now inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton for a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. This loco is expected to be out of traffic until late April.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco moved to Minehead on Monday 3rd April to be in position for her BLUE timetable duties from Friday 7th April onwards.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco was moved from number 1 road to number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023 so that an oil change can be performed and the loco prepared for service under the BLUE timetable on the weekend of 13/14th May.
D7017 was moved to number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023 so that an oil change can be performed. This will then complete the work needed to prepare her for service during the weekend of 13/14 May. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is awaiting attention to a short list of issues that were identified during the loaded test run that took place in December 2022. Work is expected to start on this loco in late April, after completion of sister loco D7017. The issues will be addressed in time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the team are making good progress although team leader Simon P has been out of action for the last few weeks due to a health issue. We all wish him well for a speedy recovery – but the best we can do to cheer him up is to continue making progress on his favourite loco project. Here are some photos covering the recent activities:
D9518 – following the visit of Terry, Nick and Tony to the Yeovil Hydraulics facility on Tuesday 21st March 2023 to use their press to install the new bushings into the brake hangers, the pins and brake block holders have now been attached to three of the six parts, pictured at Williton on 1st April 2023. The other three hangers need some more work to get them to this stage. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – meanwhile, Colin G applied a final coat of paint to the frames that will soon be carrying the battery boxes, which are just visible on the floor alongside the loco, wrapped in plastic sheeting. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the sections of new steel pipework that were made by Terry the previous week were pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023. The new pipework will have the surface rust removed and will be painted white to signify compressed air. White is also used for vacuum pipes, such as the larger diameter pipe behind. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.
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 – as stated previously, the haulage turns that were allocated to this loco have had to be cancelled due to the need to haul 6 or 7 coaches on those days. This is the result of the commercial success of the WSR’s ‘Fish and Chip’ and ‘Cream Tea’ specials which require the full length rake of coaches. We are in discussion with the WSR about suitable alternative dates where the Class 14 could be loaded with no more than 5 coaches and we will send out a DIESELGEN bulletin as soon as we have that information.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has been in use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, covering for a steam locomotive that had developed a fault. The diesel developed a fault of her own over the weekend and that has caused her to be stood down for repairs, but the required parts are available and hopefully the loco will be available for service again soon.
47077 (D1661 47613 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was in use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Monday 27th March 2023. Photo by Tom James © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is waiting for an engine test run so that the overspeed setting can be adjusted and verified. This will be followed by a Vehicle Inspection & Brake Test (VIBT), after which the recent work done on this loco will be considered as complete and the loco will be ready to move outdoors.
Barclay 578 (ROF 1) – inside the loco shed on number 3 road, waiting for test and inspection before she can be moved outside and made available for use. Pictured on Saturday 1st April 2023 by Andy Royal © 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 have started shipping copies of the latest in the DIESEL DAWN series of booklets that are published by Mortons Media Group, VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so order your copy now ! This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 ! We have been provided with a Book Review by regular contributor Neale Long and we will be including this in the next edition of Roundup.
We can also supply any of the previous six volumes, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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. Thank you very much for your support !
Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.
ON SHED – this week, we have another photo taken at Bristol Bath Road by Mark Bladwell, this time featuring a pair of Class 31s that have been nicely spruced up for Royal Train duties. Does anyone have any information about the working that brought them to Bristol ? If so, please use our CONTACT FORM to share your knowledge with us all. Thanks !
A rare sight indeed, and many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.
Class 31 31259 (left) was pictured at Bristol Bath Road depot along with sister 31258, both carrying headcode ‘1X00’ on Royal Train duties on 28th May 1975. Both locos were based at Old Oak Common depot at the time. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 25th March and a synopsis of the meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.
We take this opportunity to thank those volunteers who work on infrastructure projects that are out of the public eye and often not reported in Newsletters or Roundup. Last weekend, in very wet and stormy weather, DEPG stalwart Jon Tooke was at work in Williton yard, sorting out issues and keeping key pieces of equipment in working order. In parallel, Graham was working at home, compiling the mailshot for the Spring Newsletter, and he will back at the yard this weekend working on the new Oil Store.
Many thanks to those who work behind the scenes, including those working for the sales and marketing team, those compiling training records, those writing booklets and articles, researching and creating locomotive and component drawings, arranging new parts, the list is endless – but all of these efforts are very much appreciated !
Jon Tooke was at work in a very wet and cold Williton yard on Saturday 1st April 2023, maintaining the handset for the 10-tonne crane. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
The SPRING 2023 DEPG Newsletter (issue #63) has been distributed to all registered DEPG members, both by post and by email, so please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you haven’t yet received your copy.
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 includes 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:
EGGSTRAVAGANZA : Saturday 1st through Thursday 16th April
WSR SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May 2023
WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023
DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.
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