Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was stabled in a very unusual place during the WSR’s ‘Forties Weekend’ – inside the steam shed at Minehead ! Pictured on 11th September 2023 by Rich Hiscox © CC BY-NC 3.0
Apologies, but this edition of Roundup is another abridged version because of annual vacation time.
Last weekend on the WSR had a 1940s theme centred on Minehead, so our 1961-vintage ‘Crompton’ was hidden away in the steam loco shed. Luckily, everything went to plan so the ‘Thunderbird’ was not called upon, and the many photos that are available via wsr.org.uk showed that the whole railway was well and truly in the 1940s mood. Click here to visit the 1940s event gallery on wsr.org.uk.
Williton signalbox was evidently under threat from an unexploded bomb when photographed on Saturday 9th September 2023 during the WSR’s ‘Forties Weekend‘. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Well done to all volunteers and staff for their massive efforts in delivering such an obviously enjoyable event !
As indicated in the last roundup, we were expecting a timetable revision for the weekend of 23rd/24th September and we can now share the details. The WSR is hosting two GWR ‘Castle’ class High Speed Trains (HSTs) for several weeks, to free up space at Laira depot (Plymouth) while that depot is being tasked with the withdrawal of ‘HSTs’ from frontline services.
By agreement between the WSR and GWR, the weekend of 23rd/24th September has been upgraded from Blue to Yellow timetable and will now include the opportunity for the public to travel the length of the wonderful WSR in air-conditioned comfort and style !
Click here for a link to the Yellow HST timetable
GWR ‘Castle’ class 43153 ‘Chûn Castle’ leads the 1400 Cardiff to Plymouth stopping service away from the Dawlish Warren stop on Sunday 27th August 2023. 43155 ‘Rougemont Castle’ was at the rear of the 4-coach consist. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
The ‘HST’ was conceived in the early 1970s as a stop-gap to the ‘Advanced Passenger Train’ (APT) and turned out to be one of the most successful designs ever – and still delivers one of the best travel experiences on mainline railways more than 45 years after the type were first introduced on express passenger services out of Paddington and Kings Cross. This is a creditable achievement and a tribute to the people who conceived and developed the design and to those that operate and maintain these iconic machines.
The ‘HST’ running opportunity does impact the previous plans that were announced via DIESELGEN and ROUNDUP in relation to our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) because the timetable for the weekend of 23rd/24th September has now been upgraded from Blue to YELLOW (5 trains each way per day). Here’s an updated table showing the revised workings:
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September 2023 dates |
Loco rostered |
Timetable |
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Saturday 16th |
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Sunday 17th |
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Saturday 23rd |
HST plus D6566 (33 048) |
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Sunday 24th |
HST plus D6566 (33 048) |
Apologies to all those who were hoping for a double-headed Class 33 ‘Crompton’ hauled service on Saturday 23rd, but the diesel running that weekend is now set to be attractive to a wider and hopefully new range of visitors, all of whom will be welcomed on the WSR.
Our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:
The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continued on the ‘A’ transmission and on the bodywork of the loco. We will cover the progress in a combined update in the near future.
There are still some patches waiting for sponsors at the ‘B’ end of the loco, so GET IN QUICK TO HAVE YOUR NAME ENGRAVED before the painters reach this end. Many thanks to those who placed their orders during this last few weeks.
Having the loco outdoors has generated an increased interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being engraved with their sponsor’s names or messages. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.
Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, but we are still short of volunteer resources and have not yet been able to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Apologies for the delay, we will get it done ASAP. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!
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 WSR Standby Loco and is stabled at Bishops Lydeard.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is outstationed at Minehead and will handle the Blue timetable workings on 16/17th September.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was tucked away inside the steam shed at Minehead during the ‘Forties weekend’ of 9/10 September, but will be in use on the weekend of 16/17 September. Photo by Rich Hiscox © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – no change this week, still awaiting electrical fault-finding work on the engine speeder valve circuit and the Vacuum Governor circuit.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the work taking place on this locomotive continues to be of an analytical nature as the Root Cause Analysis develops.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continues on several fronts. Details will be posted in a future roundup.
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 – now stabled at Williton and available for use at any time. This loco will be due for a 1000-hour service very soon.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 were pictured together at Williton on Friday 8th September 2023. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a ‘top end’ engine overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Work is proceeding well, but the amount of work being done means that the loco is unlikely to emerge until after the main running season ends, but she will be in very good shape for 2024 and beyond.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the cab of this loco is undergoing an internal repaint in the capable hands of Jon T, but the loco remains serviceable and ready for action.
Barclay 0-4-0 DH 578 (ROF 1) was pictured enjoying the sunshine in a very tidy Williton south yard on Saturday 9th Septmber 2023, courtesy of the Permanent Way team who had dealt with the weeds that had been making the most of the warm and wet summer. Photo by Martin Howard © 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 – apologies, but we will have to skip this feature this week.
ON SHED – apologies, but we will have to skip this feature this week.
DEPG NEWS – the next Newsletter has been delayed by the need to prioritise the investigation work on D7018, but we expect to be able to distribute the Newsletter later this month. Work has begun on the 2024 Calendar and we hope to be able to sell an increased quantity this year.
The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure that your membership is up to date. To vote at the AGM, it is essential that your membership is up to date. If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO. Thank you very much !
KEY DATES for your diary:
GWR ‘Castle’ class HST and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) running on Sat/Sun 23/24 September