Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was called upon to take over a steam-hauled service due to a technical issue arising with the rostered loco on Sunday 8th October 2023. The loco is pictured at Williton later in the day, having just returned ‘Light Engine’ from Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
The 2023 running season is drawing to a close, with steam locomotives rostered for the remaining timetabled services during October because of the need to heat the carriages. The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) was rostered for the Sunday services, but these have had to be re-planned for steam haulage due to the ongoing maintenance work on the DMU.
However, things don’t always go to plan, and on Sunday 8th October, BR(W) 0-6-0PT 9466 developed a fault while working the ‘QUANTOCK BELLE‘ dining train and had to wait at Blue Anchor to be rescued by BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ which was ‘borrowed’ from the 1430 departure from Minehead. This left the 1430 in the capable hands of standby loco Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and with no carriage heating – but luckily, the unseasonably warm weather and pleasant sunshine kept the passengers comfortable throughout the journey to Bishops Lydeard !
Well done to driver John G and Secondman Tom C for stepping in at short notice to crew the ‘Crompton’ last Sunday.
Last week, we covered the surprise appearance of privately-owned Class 52 D1048 ‘WESTERN LADY’ at the SVR’s ‘Magnificent Severn’ event, but the good news keeps coming because the Western Locomotive Association (WLA) have announced that the loco has been gifted to their care and will now remain at Kidderminster for the time being while a technical assessment is undertaken. Once the condition of the loco has been established and the cost of restoration to running condition estimated, the membership will need to decide on the next steps. This appears to be good news for the ‘Lady’ and we look forward to hearing more about her in the near future.
Ownership of D1048 ‘WESTERN LADY’ has now transferred to the Western Locomotive Association (WLA) and the loco will be remaining at Kidderminster for the time being. The ‘Lady’ was pictured when on static display at Kidderminster station on Sunday 1st October 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – further progress has been made on the overhaul of the ‘A’ transmission, with the auxiliary shafts now receiving the bulk of the attention. The majority of the bearings on these shafts will need to be replaced because of corrosion damage caused by condensation that has formed within the transmission housing and has dripped onto the shafts. Some of these bearings are very large and expensive, so we will need to find a way to prevent this kind of damage from happening again. This is an issue that affects most preserved locomotives and arises from infrequent use and the need to be worked to get up to operating temperature. We will come up with a solution, although it may take some experimentation. Aside from the transmission work, Gordon has been cleaning up the auxiliary cardan shafts and pipework, as can be seen from the photo below:
D1010 – the auxiliary cardan shafts and some of the pipework from the ‘B’ end were cleaned up and given a coat of primer by Gordon at Williton on Saturday 7th October 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the disassembly of the ‘Group 9’ output shaft of the ‘A’ end transmission was under way at Williton on Friday 6th October 2023, with Peter S doing the heavy lifting (with his fingertips). Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the inner race of bearing 9/28 from the ‘A’ end transmission shows a corrosion mark that has been caused by condensation finding its way along the shaft and into the bearing, and then staying in the same place for a long time. This bearing will be replaced before reassembly. Pictured at Williton on Friday 6th October 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the ‘Group 9’ oil control ring should be held in position by a small pin (marked on the photo above) but the pin was missing, resulting in misalignment of the ring and a reduced oil feed to the bearing. Pictured at Williton on Friday 6th October 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the massive bulk of the ‘Group 9’ output shaft is visible in this view, taken after removal of the bearings and the output pinion. Apart from the corrosion and wear in the bearings, the shaft and pinion are in good condition and are fully serviceable. Pictured at Williton on Friday 6th October 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
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 the 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 here or on 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 currently stabled at Minehead but will move to Williton on Saturday 14th October and will subsequently move to Bishops Lydeard to cover the Christmas workings.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco underwent a brake block change at Bishops Lydeard last weekend, followed by an underframe inspection and traction motor inspection before being given the green light to return to duties. Many thanks to Ian R, Tom C and Ian F for getting this work done.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – further progress with the engine being run up again to check other systems and to exercise the electrical system to ensure reliability. The power check raised some points for further attention, so the engine will undergo a timing check this coming weekend and the injection timing will be corrected if found to be wanting.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is waiting patiently for work to be completed on sister D7017.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continues on the restoration of the cab assembly and the replacement of the electrical wiring loom that runs inside the driver’s ‘desk’. The Class 14 team is currently sharing its time between this project and the 1000-hour service on sister D9526, so we would welcome additional help to keep both sets of tasks moving along. Just respond to this email if you feel that you could help. Thanks !
D9518 is sharing the Williton loco shed with her younger sister D9526 while the latter undergoes a 1000-hour service. Pictured on Sunday 8th October 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – a collection of sheet steel parts have been restored and painted and are lined up for re-installation at Williton. Pictured on Sunday 8th October 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 is inside the shed at Williton and work is proceeding on the 1000-hour service. The tasks involved with this service have been quite invasive and labour intensive, but the work is close to completion. This loco will then move to Bishops Lydeard to cover for Class 09 D4107 (09 019) while that loco undergoes bodywork repairs.
D9526 is undergoing a 1000-hour service inside the loco shed at Williton before she heads off to Bishops Lydeard for winter duties. Pictured from the ‘B’ end on Sunday 8th October 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 is undergoing a 1000-hour service inside the loco shed at Williton before she heads off to Bishops Lydeard for winter duties. Pictured from the ‘A’ end on Sunday 8th October 2023 by Andy Royal © 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. After a delay in obtaining replacement cylinder head studs, work has now reached the reassembly stage. Here are some photos that were taken during a recent visit by our Tom Courtney:
47077 – the loco has been out of service for the whole 2023 season because of fractured cylinder head bolts, but remedial action is being taken and the loco has been undergoing a thorough ‘top end’ overhaul at Grosmont works. Pictured inside the shed at Grosmont on Monday 10th October 2023 by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
47077 – this photo of the top of the engine block shows the high standard of work that is being carried out by the team at Grosmont. Pictured at Grosmont on Monday 10th October 2023 by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
47077 – the twelve cylinder heads have already been refurbished and are ready and waiting to be re-installed. Pictured at Grosmont on Monday 10th October 2023 by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is currently inside the loco shed but is ready to take up her place outside the shed, where she can proudly display her new cabside lettering.
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 just added a new title to our online store and we now have stock available of the THIRD VOLUME in the very successful ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard, published by Platform 5. These popular books are very interesting, very well produced and will no doubt sell quickly. Click here or on the image below to buy this book from our online store. Well done Andy !
Also becoming available via the DEPG ONLINE STORE is this sought-after new book by former BR apprentices Mike Woodhouse and Graham Howell describing the ‘PYRAMID OF DIESEL HYDRAULICS‘ that comprise the D600, D800, D1000, D6300, D7000 and D9500 series of locomotives (classes 41, 42/43, 52, 22, 35 and 14). This book has been selling like hot cakes and has already had to be reprinted to meet the demand !
Available from the DEPG from Friday 20th October for £15 plus £3.50 P&P. Click here or on the image below to order this book.
ON SHED – last week, we featured a photo of D1041 ‘WESTERN PRINCE’ that had been brought to our attention by Paul Fleet, and this week we have another shot of the same loco at an unknown location and an unknown date. The headcode displaying the loco number puts this in the 1976-77 period, but if any of our readers have more information to share, then we will be pleased to report the details next week, including the name of the photographer, if known.
D1041 ‘WESTERN PRINCE’ was looking the worse for wear when photographed at this unknown location, some time in 1976 or early 1977. This loco survived in service to the very end of the diesel-hydraulic era (Feb 1977) and is now cared for by the Bury Hydraulic Group on the East Lancashire Railway. Photographer unknown.
DEPG NEWS – the activities at the DEPG continue to place significant demands on our volunteers and we need to share the load among more hands. This does not just apply to the maintenance and restoration of our locos, but it also applies to the hidden background tasks such as running the online store, producing the newsletters, publishing booklets, handling the pre-owned books and selling them to raise funds. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. Thank you !
The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure 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 !
