Monthly Archives: January 2024

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was out and about on a ‘Tidy Train’ working from Williton to Dunster and back on Saturday 20th January 2024. Photo by trainee secondman Karl Lambert © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The ‘Tidy Train’ ran from Williton to Dunster and back on Saturday 20th and was well manned and had plenty of work to do as it trundled along the line, the volunteers gathering redundant and recycleable materials from the trackside and placing it on the flat wagons that were being towed behind the Class 33 ‘Crompton’. The plan was to take the consignment to Dunster Station to off-load it in the yard there, but points trouble prevented the train from entering the yard so the train returned to Williton with the wagons still loaded, to be dealt with on another day. MANY THANKS to all of the volunteers who braved the cold weather to get this important work done.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was pictured as it left Williton with three empty flat wagons and a well-filled Brake Van on Saturday 20th January 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) propelled the ‘Tidy Train’ back from Dunster and deposited the wagons in the ‘up’ platform at Williton station. The loco was pictured alongside Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 in fading light on Saturday 20th January 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Meanwhile, the WSR Infrastructure Department were busy working near Tribble Bridge where a new retaining wall is being built alongside the embankment. As the wall gains in height, the gap between it and the wall is being filled with graded aggregate to ensure sufficient drainage. The photo below shows one of the WSR’s Road-Rail Vehicles (RRVs) positioned on the line above the new wall. Upon completion of the wall, the track will be removed and relaid with fresh ballast. Hopefully, the 5 mph speed restriction will be lifted some time later this year.

The new retaining wall is being built along the embankment near Tribble Bridge as part of the remediation for the flood damage that occurred back in December 2022. Pictured on Tuesday 23rd January 2024 by Chris Lawton © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

Following the success of the WSR’s Diesel Gala last year, contracts are being negotiated to get another good selection of visiting locomotives for the 2024 event which will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June. The Sunday will feature mixed traction, hopefully with at least one visiting locomotive at work.

The first visiting locomotive to be announced is English Electric Class 50 50033 (D449) ‘Glorious’, no doubt to the delight of the many followers of the class. We will provide details of the other visiting locomotives as soon as arrangements for their visits have been finalised. PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is going to be a great event !

English Electric Class 50 50033 (D449) ‘Glorious’ will be attending the WSR’s 2024 DIESEL GALA that will take place between Thursday 6th and Saturday 8th June 2024. Photo by Tony Middleton © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the very cold wind prevented all but the hardiest souls from working on the loco outdoors last weekend, but new volunteer Viv did do exactly that and put several hours of work into cleaning the accumulations of dirt from the bogies. There is plenty more of such work to be done, so we look forward to warmer weather and getting more volunteers working on this aspect of the restoration.

We will need MORE HANDS to help us get this work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THE WORK ! There is plenty more to do, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

The transmission team continued to make very good progress with the rebuild of the ‘A’ transmission, and the assembly checks that took place last Saturday confirmed that everything was in order and it would be OK to proceed to fit the upper casing. We look forward to this rapidly approaching milestone.

 

D1010 – new volunteer Viv braved the very cold wind at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024 to carry out more cleaning work on the bogies. Well done that man ! Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – the assembly checks that were carried out on the ‘A’ transmission at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024 showed that everything was in order, clearing the way for the upper casing to be fitted. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Thanks to responses to our appeal for help, we now have two new volunteers working on the photographs and the certificates that will soon be on their way to all who have sponsored a patch on D1010. Almost all of the sponsored patches have now been engraved into the new metal on the loco and efforts are now focused on producing the certificates that will be emailed to each sponsor in recognition of their contribution. Here’s an example:

The marking process involves the use of an ink pen to allocate a patch number and define the patch boundaries, then the sponsor’s name or chosen message is written using the ink pen. The vibratory engraving tool is then used to trace the marking while making a deep impression into the steel of the patch. Here’s a close-up:

The patch is then painted over using multiple coats, but the engraving remains in the metal and will withstand many rubdowns and repaints, in fact it is very difficult to remove (which is how we learned to write the text using the ink pen first!). The engraving will last as long as the metal !

 

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print these certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we would like to ask for an additional £2 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage (donate via our website or via Membermojo).

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!

 

Details of the work remaining to be done on this restoration project along with a status report of the funding have been included in the new issue of the DEPG Newsletter, which is becoming available for distribution to DEPG members during the next few days. A summary will be posted via roundup soon, but JOIN THE DEPG to get the information in more detail and more quickly.

 

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 based at Williton and is available for duty.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – the replacement cylinder head has now been installed and the eight bolts tightened to the massive torque setting of 750 lb.ft or 1,000 Nm with the use of a torque multiplier and a whole lot of effort from Tom and Ashley. The bolts will need to be re-tightened next week after allowing the bolting stresses to even out, so the lads will be getting another workout soon. The completion of the cylinder head change will allow the team to return their attention to the exhaust system parts, to prepare them for re-fitting. We hope to have this loco back in service some time in March.

D6575 (33 057) – Tom and Ashley (L-R) have their hard hats on in readiness for the lifting of the replacement cylinder head that is visible suspended from the chains alongside the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – a closer view of the replacement Sulzer cylinder head before it was lifted into the loco at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – after lowering the replacement cylinder head into position, volunteer loco manager Ian R (L) checks and explains the critical points to new volunteer Ashley at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – Tom and Ashley provided the turning force to the torque multiplier to achieve the massive 750 lb.ft (1000 Nm) of torque for the cylinder head bolts at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as reported last week, this loco is ready to return to service subject to some test runs that will be used to accumulate hours and ensure reliability. This loco will undergo an oil change when warmer weather returns and will be ready for test running as soon as the WSR re-opens.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – as reported last week, the next steps for the investigation into the control block issues were planned out and the necessary pressure gauges obtained. To eliminate several probable causes, the loco will need to undergo a static engine run during which the additional risk mitigation measures will be put in place to prevent un-commanded movement. The test run will include data gathering from additional pressure monitoring points and will clear the way for the control block to be removed from the loco for inspection and corrective action. This work will take place over the next 4 weeks.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the re-instatement of the sanding gear was the target for Tony this week, with several sander brackets having to be fabricated from scratch due to them being missing when the loco first came to the DEPG back in 2011 (probably as a result of damage due to the frequent derailments in the colliery yards).

Details of the work remaining to be done on this restoration project along with a status report of the funding have been included in the new issue of the DEPG Newsletter, which is becoming available for distribution to DEPG members during the next few days. A summary will be posted via roundup soon, but JOIN THE DEPG to get the information in more detail and more quickly.

 

D9518 – a new sanding valve bracket was being fabricated by Tony at Williton on Saturday 20th January 2024, to replace parts that were missing when the loco was acquired by the DEPG back in 2011. 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 is on standby at Bishops Lydeard for use on engineering trains.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – after receiving a top-end overhaul at Grosmont Works, this loco is now ready to take up duties on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The plan is for this loco to be in use during February.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is stabled on number 3 road at Williton and is ready for use if required.

 

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 feature two more pre-owned books from a collection that has been very kindly donated to the DEPG, both of great interest to readers with a soft spot for the Western Region and offered at very good prices. All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest’ to keep an eye on new postings.

Book:     All change for the West Author : G F Gillham	Book:    35 years of main line diesel traction Author: Colin Marsden
Asking price : £7.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Asking price : £5 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – as mentioned last week, we are actually SHORT of on-shed photographs, which is hard to believe, but is true. To help us maintain this popular feature, please SEND US YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ! Thanks in advance !

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the new issue of the DEPG Newsletter has been completed and will be ready for distribution next week (the online version will be emailed on Sunday 28th). The 44-page A5 newsletter includes information that is not currently available via our website or via the roundup, so JOIN THE DEPG to get the detailed information at the earliest opportunity.

The next DEPG Board Meeting will take place on Saturday 27th January at Williton. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you have any questions that you would like to have placed before the board.

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from 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. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was bathed in late afternoon sunshine at Westridge Loco Shelter, Bishops Lydeard, on Wednesday 10th January 2024. Photo by Liam Hebditch © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

The WSR’s Infrastructure Department are having a busy time as they take advantage of their ‘possession’ of the line, which basically means that they have control of the line and nothing can move without their express permission. This is primarily to ensure the safety of the staff and volunteers who are at work on the line in multiple locations. One example is Blue Anchor, where the ‘down’ line (away from Paddington) was dug out and relaid at the end of last year and the ‘up’ line (towards Paddington) was dealt with during the last two weeks. The line is now fit for trains to pass once again, and the next working is a ‘Tidy Train’ that will leave Williton on Saturday 20th behind Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and run as far as Dunster, with volunteers collecting redundant materials from along the lineside and off-loading it all at Dunster Station Yard for sorting and recycling.

Blue Anchor station – the ‘down’ line on the left had already been completely relaid and the ‘up’ line was undergoing spot repairs that have now been completed. Pictured on Tuesday 9th January 2024 by Robin Wichard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Away from the WSR, our friends at the DIESEL TRACTION GROUP (DTG) were making headline news by completing a successful test run of their mainline-registered Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’. The photographers were out in force including our own Gary Lemon, who travelled to Gossington, Gloucestershire (near Stroud) to grab some shots as the ‘Western’ passed by hauling the GB Railfreight (GBRf) 6M42 Bristol Avonmouth to Penyffordd cement train including GBRf locomotive 66714 as far as the Haresfield Loop, just south of Gloucester. Former DEPG Chairman BOB TILLER was on board to make sure that everything went to plan. CONGRATULATIONS to the team at the DTG and many thanks to GBRf for providing the opportunity for this loaded test run. It is great to see a ‘Western’ working hard on the mainline again. Thanks also to Gary for sharing his work with us.

Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ leads GBRf 66714 while powering the 6M42 Bristol Avonmouth to Penyffordd cement train past Gossington, Gloucestershire (near Stroud) on Wednesday 10th January 2024. Photo by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continued on the cooler group refurbishment with the ‘A-end’ assembly being inside the shed, therefore the obvious choice for attention on a freezing cold day. The cleaning up and repainting will be interrupted by the need for some welding repairs to patch some holes that have developed over the years. Luckily, these only amount to a few percent of the total area so are fairly easy to work around.

The transmission team made very good progress with the rebuild of the ‘A’ transmission, with the reverser gears and filling pump installed by the end of the week. Some checks need to be made to ensure that everything is in order before the upper casing section is fitted and bolted down, and we will then be able to proceed with confidence and finish the job.

In preparation for lifting the locomotive from her bogies, some photos were taken from underneath the locomotive, looking upwards at the dampers and thrust brackets that have to be removed before the loco body can be lifted. As expected, there was plenty of dirt and grime present, but the bolts were clearly visible and the pictures tell a thousand words.

Lifting the loco to release the bogies for overhaul will be a major piece of work and we will need MORE HANDS to help us get this work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THE WORK ! There is plenty more to do, so simply use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

D1010 – Ian Fn and Roy (L-R) were hard at work on the ‘A’ end cooler group at Williton on Saturday 13th January 2024. This assembly needs some welding repairs before it can be re-assembled, so this will be a job for Tony. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – Geoff checks to make sure that the anti-rotation lugs of the intermediate reverser shaft bearing housings have engaged correctly within the ‘A’ transmission at Williton on Monday 8th January 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – the hydraulic fluid outlet port that sends the hot fluid to the heat exchanger is clearly visible in this view of the turbine rail installed into the ‘A’ transmission at Williton on Monday 8th January 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – Looking upwards from underneath the loco, the bogie yaw damper can be seen at the point where it attaches to the thrust bracket. The dirt and grime is an accumulation since the loco was last lifted, back in BR days. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th January 2024 by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – Looking upwards from underneath the loco, one set of attachment fastenings for one of the four thrust brackets are visible, with double nuts and split pins for security. Removing these thrust brackets will not be the most pleasant of tasks. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th January 2024 by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Thanks to responses to our appeal for help, we now have two new volunteers working on the photographs and the certificates that will soon be on their way to all who have sponsored a patch on D1010. Almost all of the sponsored patches have now been engraved into the new metal on the loco and efforts are now focused on producing the certificates that will be emailed to each sponsor in recognition of their contribution. Here’s an example:

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print these certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we would like to ask for an additional £2 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage (donate via our website or via Membermojo).

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

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 based at Williton for the time being and will be in use on Saturday 20th January, working the ‘Tidy Train’ between Williton and Dunster. The train will move slowly along route, gathering up any redundant materials such as old sleepers and any large remnants from the cutting back activities. The mixed material will be taken to Dunster Station Yard, where it will be off-loaded for sorting and recycling. Many thanks to the teams of volunteers involved with these activities.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – the defective cylinder head was removed from the loco last Saturday and preparations were made for the fitting of the replacement cylinder head, hopefully this coming weekend. The defective head will need a new set of valve guides, valves and springs, and it will then be ready for re-use at a future date (these large and heavy parts can be refurbished many times over). There are some areas of bodywork that need repair, and this work will also be dealt with while the loco is under cover.

D6575 (33 057) – the team at work on this loco has been expanded by the welcome addition of driver Neil C (second from left) and new volunteer Ashley (right). Volunteer loco manager Ian R is on the left and secondman Tom is furthest from the camera. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th January 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – the exhaust system comprises several very large and heavy sections. The once-white heat resistant tape wrapping does not contain asbestos. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service subject to some test runs that will be used to accumulate hours and ensure reliability. This loco will undergo an oil change when warmer weather returns and will be ready for test running as soon as the WSR re-opens.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the next steps for the investigation into the control block issues were planned out and the necessary pressure gauges obtained. To eliminate several probable causes, the loco will need to undergo a static engine run during which the additional risk mitigation measures will be put in place to prevent un-commanded movement. The test run will include data gathering from additional pressure monitoring points and will clear the way for the control block to be removed from the loco for inspection and corrective action. This work will take place over the next 4 weeks.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the investigation into the repair or replacement options for the cardan shafts is continuing, but meanwhile, work proceeds on the many other tasks associated with the cab rebuild. The electrical cable conduits and trunkings are in the process of being restored by Andy P and the cab lining is being re-installed by Colin G while Terry works on the restoration of the many parts that are lining up for re-fitting.

D9518 – another specially-shaped length of electrical cable trunking has been restored and is being repainted by Andy P at Williton. Pictured on Saturday 13th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – always the perfectionist, Colin G traces the existing hole positions for the fixing screws before drilling the pegboard cab lining. This careful approach prevents drilling and tapping additional holes and will result in a much better job, so well done Colin ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th January 2024 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 moved to Bishops Lydeard on Sunday 31st December 2023 and is on standby in case a need for an engineering train working arises.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – after receiving a top-end overhaul at Grosmont Works, this loco is now ready to take up duties on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The plan is for this loco to be in use during February.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco stabled on number 3 road at Williton and is ready for use if required.

 

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 feature two more pre-owned books from a collection that has been very kindly donated to the DEPG, this time showcasing the Class 50s. All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest’ to keep an eye on new postings.

Book: 50s to Exeter Author : Roger Siviter	Book: 50s West Exeter to Penzance Author: Roger Siviter
Asking price : £5 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Asking price : £5 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

  

The VERY last few copies of our 2024 DEPG CALENDAR are still in stock at Williton, so this is DEFINITELY your last opportunity to obtain your own copy of this A3-sized 12-page glossy publication which has a theme of DEPG locomotives in ‘then and now’ liveries. Quantities are very limited so PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW to ensure that you get your copy.

Click HERE or on the image below to order you 2024 Calendar

 

ON SHED – a bit of a cheat this week because the photograph is outside the date scope of this roundup, but hopefully we will be forgiven because the weather is about to change and this scene won’t exist this time next week. We are actually SHORT of on-shed photographs, which is hard to believe, but is true. To help us maintain this popular feature, please SEND US YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ! Please use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you have photographs that you could share. Thanks in advance !

The DEPG’s ‘celebrity’ Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ takes on a polar appearance outside Grosmont shed on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Pictured on Thursday 18th January 2024 by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – we aim to produce our ‘DIESEL & ELECTRIC’ Newsletters on a quarterly basis, but events back in August took their toll on the available resource and other catch-up activities have prevented us from completing the Autumn edition. This will be rectified in the coming weeks with a combined Autumn and Winter edition that will be distributed before the end of January. Apologies for this delay.

The next DEPG Board Meeting will take place on Saturday 27th January at Williton. Please use the CONTACT FORM on our website to let us know if you have a question that you would like to have placed before the board.

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from 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. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

 

The DEPG yard at Williton was shunted on Saturday 23rd December 2023 to move D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ outside so that Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) could go into the shed for attention to her exhaust system. The shunt lineup also included Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and the whole consist was being propelled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 while Barclay 578 (ROF 1) kept hold of the brake van on number 4 road. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

The new DEPG year started with a flourish of activity that took advantage of the revised loco positions in the shed, with a start being made on the dismantling of the exhaust system of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057). This loco has been a star performer over recent years and volunteer loco manager Ian R wants to keep her in top condition by addressing a developing issue before it affects reliability.

 

Both Ian and Tom had been noticing increasing amounts of leakage from her exhaust system due to aging seals and gaskets, and had worked out a programme of winter maintenance that could be addressed during the traditionally quiet period between Christmas and Easter. The work involves removing the roof of the ‘Crompton’ so that the heavy components can be lifted out using the 2-tonne crane in the shed. Having the loco under cover will also allow some areas of bodywork corrosion to be repaired. Overall, the work is expected to take around two months.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was moved into the loco shed on Saturday 23rd December 2023 for winter maintenance involving repairs to her exhaust system and attention to some bodywork corrosion. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The railway is now closed to the public until Saturday 23rd March and the infrastructure engineers have control of the line so that they can progress their various improvement projects. In the event that an engineering train needs to be hauled from A to B, we have Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) available at Williton and we have Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 available at Bishops Lydeard, in addition to the WSR’s own diesel shunting locomotives.

 

On the last day of 2023, the WSR moved the ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ train from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead but did so in the hours of darkness, so that the spectacle could be viewed along the length of the line. The weather was very poor, but this did not prevent spectators from gathering at the stations, their patience being rewarded when the steam-hauled working passed through with lights ablaze ! A very nice piece of public relations work by the WSR, and many thanks to the staff and volunteers who gave up their time on New Year’s Eve to make it possible.

BR(WR) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ was pictured heading the ‘WINTERLIGHTS’ empty coaching stock through Stogumber towards Minehead on New Year’s Eve 2023. Photo by Steve Leek © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The WSR’s 2023 Christmas programme has been VERY SUCCESSFUL and a big ‘thank you’ has gone out to all staff and volunteers involved with delivering these services – and to the passengers who bought the tickets to ride on them. Well done all !

 

 

WSRA ‘BUY A BAG OF BALLAST‘ CAMPAIGN 

The West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) has reported that the campaign to buy bags of ballast has resulted in two complete truckloads (40 tonnes in total) being provided to the infrastructure teams so far, so WELL DONE and THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who contributed. Our 23-mile-long railway needs plenty more, so please buy a bag or two whenever you can. Thanks !

Ballast purchased via the WSRA’s ‘BAGS of BALLAST’ scheme was delivered to Dunster station yard on Monday 8th January 2024. Photo by Jeff Price © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Each bag of ballast (approximately half a ton per bag) costs £13 and each year, the railway needs hundreds of bags of fresh ballast, so CLICK HERE or on the image below to buy a bag of ballast. THANK YOU VERY MUCH and well done to the WSRA and all their supporters !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – with the loco outdoors and the weather at the start of the year being somewhat wet, attention turned to those tasks that could be done from within the loco shed, the cooler group refurbishment being an obvious target. The cooler groups each comprise a 2-tonne steel structure containing hollow sections for the water tanks and attachment points for 48 radiator elements, 24 per side. The upper part of the structure forms a roof section and includes two hydrostatically-driven fans. All in all, when including the pipework, valves, sensors and switches, it amounts to a lot of work …. x2 !

The transmission team took a break from D1010 during the first week of the year, but we have plenty of progress to report in the next edition of roundup.

Further work took place on the behind-the-scenes with the detailed planning for the lifting of the loco to release the bogies for overhaul. This will be a major piece of work and we will need MORE HANDS to help us get this work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THE WORK ! There is plenty more to do, so let us know by using the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

D1010 – Ian Fn turned his attention to the ‘A’ end cooler group at Williton on Saturday 30th December 2023. The various liveries carried by D1010 were gradually turned to grey. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Thanks to responses to our appeal for help, we now have two new volunteers working on the photographs and the certificates that will soon be on their way to all who have sponsored a patch on D1010. Almost all of the sponsored patches have now been engraved into the new metal on the loco and efforts are now focused on producing the certificates that will be emailed to each sponsor in recognition of their contribution. Here’s an example:

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print these certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we would need to ask for an additional £2 donation per certificate to cover paper, ink and postage.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

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 now back at Williton and was in use on Saturday 6th January for a practical demonstration session for a new batch of trainee secondmen, under the instruction of WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach. The loco was repeatedly coupled and uncoupled to the brake van and each of the trainees had an opportunity to get ‘hands on’ with what must have been some very cold steel ! Many thanks to John for running these training courses !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was in use for shunting training at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024. The three trainee secondmen were under the instruction of WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG trainee Ian Fs was grappling with the vacuum brake pipe on Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) while instructor John Leach and fellow trainee Paul looked on. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – work is progressing rapidly on the exhaust system overhaul, the exhaust system having been completely removed from the locomotive by the end of the week. The rocker covers were also removed from the eight cylinder heads, and this showed that one cylinder head was suffering with leakage through the valve guides. This one head will be removed and replaced with a spare from our stock to prevent any delays in completing the work. The roof section is a steel framework which is covered with translucent fibreglass, so the opportunity will be taken to clean this assembly in parallel to the work taking place withing the loco. Here are some photos showing the progress:

D6575 (33 057) – the exhaust system comprises several very large and heavy sections that have to be unbolted and lifted out of the loco. The once-white heat resistant tape wrapping does not contain asbestos. Volunteers Ian and Tom were pictured while hard at work at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – the view of the engine at the end of the day, with all of the exhaust system removed and the exhaust ports of the eight cylinder heads clearly visible. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – some of the exhaust system components awaiting cleanup and inspection after being removed from the loco at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D6575 (33 057) – the roof section is awaiting a cleanup after being removed from the loco. The huge exhaust port will be the first area for attention. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service subject to some test runs that will be used to accumulate hours and ensure reliability. Our spare Westinghouse air compressor (one in each ‘Hymek’ and two in the ‘Western’) was painted by Linda at Williton last Tuesday, and is now ready to go back into storage until it is needed. The worksplate fitted during it’s last overhaul states that the warranty expired in October 1993 !

The recently-acquired spare Westinghouse compressor was painted by Linda at Williton on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 and is now ready to go back into storage. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The worksplate on the spare Westinghouse compressor advises us that the warranty expired in October 1993, a mere 30 years ago. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th January 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – no change this week.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the investigation into the repair or replacement options for the cardan shafts is continuing and visits have been made to review spares held by other groups. The most likely outcome is that several ‘old’ shafts will need to be gathered up and sent to a specialist subcontractor so that at least one set of serviceable shafts can be made from them. The easier option is to buy a set of new shafts, but this will cost upwards of £10,000 and would be the subject of additional fund raising, so it is being viewed as a last resort.

Meanwhile, work proceeds on the many other tasks associated with the cab rebuild. The electrical cable conduits and trunkings are in the process of being restored by Andy P at Williton to ensure that they are all ready and waiting for when their re-installation time comes along.

D9518 – The electrical cable trunking covers were restored and repainted by Andy P at Williton on Saturday 30th December 2023. 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 moved to Bishops Lydeard on Sunday 31st December 2023 and is on standby in case a need for an engineering train working arises.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has been undergoing a ‘top end’ engine overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but we are pleased to report that the work has been completed and the loco has also completed her static testing. The loco was taken out on a loaded test run on Friday 22nd December and some additional faults flagged for attention. The plan is for this loco to be in use during February.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco stabled on number 3 road at Williton and is ready for use if required.

 

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 feature two pre-owned books from a collection that has been very kindly donated to the DEPG. A search online revealed that two books in particular command a higher price than might be expected, so we are featuring these two books below for the purposes of gathering feedback on their value. All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store.

Book: APT – A promise unfulfilled Author : Hugh Williams	Book: BR in the Eighties Authors: David St John Thomas and Patrick Whitehouse
Asking price : £45 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Asking price : £15 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

  

The last few copies of our 2024 DEPG CALENDAR are still in stock at Williton, so this is probably your last opportunity to obtain your own copy of this A3-sized 12-page glossy publication which has a theme of DEPG locomotives in ‘then and now’ liveries. Quantities are very limited so PLACE YOUR ORDERS NOW to ensure that you get your copy.

Click HERE or on the image below to order you 2024 Calendar

 

ON SHED – sorry, but we will need to skip this feature this week due to lack of space.

 

DEPG NEWS – we aim to produce our ‘DIESEL & ELECTRIC’ Newsletters on a quarterly basis, but events back in August took their toll on the available resource and other catch-up activities have prevented us from completing the Autumn edition. This will be rectified in the coming weeks with a combined Autumn and Winter edition that will be distributed before the end of January. Apologies for this delay.

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from 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. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

 

 

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HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of our members and supporters ! Let’s hope that 2024 is going to be a better year for everyone, wherever they are in the world.

 

Here’s a quick roundup of the last 12 months to remind us of the highs and lows that we encountered during 2023:

 

JANUARY 2023 – Our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 returned to the WSR after her very successful visit 18-month to the Kent & East Sussex Railway during which she clocked up 768 hours of use !

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 were pictured together at Westridge Loco Shelter, Bishops Lydeard in January 2023. Photo by Mike Collins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

FEBRUARY 2023 – Class 09 D4107 (09 019) moved to Williton for a month, to undergo maintenance and repair work in the hands of the DEPG.

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

 

 

MARCH 2023 – Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was in use for crew refresher training purposes, running in the section between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was pictured while stabled at Westridge Carriage Sidings, just south of Bishops Lydeard, on Saturday 18th March 2023 as Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 returned from Norton Fitzwarren on a driver refresher turn. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

APRIL 2023 – the WSR re-opened with a mixture of steam and diesel-hauled services, helped by some early warm weather. Sadly, at the end of this month, we lost our Class 14 team leader and good friend SIMON PURVIS at the age of 61.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was pictured as she approached Williton with the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service under the BLUE timetable on Sunday 16th April 2023. Photo by Edward Martin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The late Simon Purvis, thoroughly immersed in his work on Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 at Williton on Saturday 15th October 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

MAY 2023 – Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) emerged from the paint shop at WSR Restorations in Williton, resplendent in her early-BR livery with the addition of the small yellow warning panel. An excellent paint job indeed !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) returned to action on Saturday 27th May 2023 looking absolutely top notch after a re-paint at WSR Restorations in the Swindon Shed at Williton. Pictured upon arrival at Crowcombe Heathfield station with the 16:35 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service, photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

JUNE 2023 – we worked alongside our WSR colleagues to deliver the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival, a 3-day event featuring intensive timetabling and FOUR visiting locos, the headliner being Class 55 ‘Deltic’ 55009 (D9009) ‘ALYCIDON’ but equally appreciated were Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33 002 (D6501) ‘Sea King’, Class 24 D7659 (25309, 25909) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9551.

Class 55 ‘Deltic’ 55009 ‘ALYCIDON’ was pictured approaching Goviers Lane Crossing at Watchet on Thursday 8th June 2023. Photo by Martin Rouse © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

JULY 2023 – our Class 52 ‘Western’ D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ lightened her load by having both of her cooler groups and her ‘A-end’ transmission lifted out for overhaul. The crane stayed overnight to complete other tasks early the next morning, minimising the overall cost and preventing annoyance to our neighbours. Many thanks to Heaver Brothers for their help.

D1010 – the 4.5 tonne Voith hydraulic transmission was lifted out from ‘A’ end of the loco at Williton on Monday 24th July 2023 so that it could undergo a complete overhaul in the care of the DEPG ‘transmission team’. The rain had stopped a few hours before the lifting operations began. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

AUGUST 2023 – the peak season ‘Yellow’ timetable included an out-and-back working that was ideal for our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. The expanded pool of drivers allowed her to be used on 3 out of the 5 weeks, sharing the roster with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057).

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 worked the YELLOW timetable services on Tuesday 8th August 2023 – which was unexpected because Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) had been booked for that turn. Pictured at the delightful Blue Anchor station by Tony Latham © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2023 – the planned ‘DEPG at 50‘ event had to be postponed due to the misdemeanours of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018, but a surprise visitor in the form of a GWR mainline ‘Castle’ set brought the crowds to the railway instead. The GWR green livery blended into the WSR scenery very nicely.

A GWR Class 255 ‘Castle’ set was in use for the special Yellow Timetable on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September 2023, creating plenty of photo opportunities and interesting passenger experiences. Power car 43162 ‘Caerhays Castle’ was leading and 43042 ‘Powderham Castle’ trailing when pictured on the approach to Doniford Halt while working a Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service on Saturday 23rd September 2023. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

OCTOBER 2023 – our Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 went out on a test run following electrical system repairs that had kept her out of service for most of the season. The test run was a success and the loco will be ready for service in 2024. Sadly, this was an awful month as we lost two of our volunteers, CHRIS SHIELDS aged 64 and MIKE EVANS aged 63, and also DEPG member and well-known railway preservationist and author PETER NICHOLSON, aged 75. They are all sadly missed.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st October 2023, coupled up to Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and waiting for Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 to join the consist for a combined test run to Bishops Lydeard and back. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Williton Loco Shed was the venue for Rod’s Model Railway Sales stand and for our own DEPG Sales Stand for each day of the 2023 Spring Steam Spectacular event. The late Chris Shields covered the sales stand duty on the Saturday and again on Sunday. Pictured on 29th April 2023 by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the late Mike Evans was pictured while tidying up after needle-gunning the bodyside of his favourite loco at Williton on 26th February 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The late Peter Nicholson on board Class 17 ‘Clayton’ D8568 at Bishops Lydeard on 18th June 2022. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

NOVEMBER 2023 – our ‘transmission team’ reached a milestone with the completion of the turbine rail from the ‘A’ transmission of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’, after a complete overhaul of the this complex piece of precision engineering. The overhaul of the ‘B’ transmission had been completed earlier in the year and the experience gained had allowed the ‘A’ transmission to be turned around in a matter of weeks. Well done team !

D1010 – the end cover of the turbine rail output shaft was pressed on at Williton on Tuesday 28th November 2023, with Tim watching over the process. This closed up the assembly in readiness for the milestone completion stage that took place later that day. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DECEMBER 2023 – our Class 47 had been out of use all summer after suffering some cylinder head bolt failures, but a complete ‘top end’ overhaul was undertaken at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and ‘NORTH STAR‘ was back in action, just before year end.

Darkness fell but test runs up and down the yard continued at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Thursday 14th December 2023 as our 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was checked out following the ‘top end’ overhaul that has been taking place at Grosmont over the past few months. Photo by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Closing the year 2023, Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 hauled the last train of the year, an Empty Coaching Stock move from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, which the ‘Teddy Bear’ took over at Williton from ‘Winterlights’ stalwart D6566 (33 048).

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was pictured at Williton at 17:28 on Sunday 31st December 2023 as she prepared to depart with a Mark 3 sleeper coach and a brake van in tow. Photo by Edward Martin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

As always, we are very grateful for another year of support from our members and volunteers, and those from the wider railway ‘family’, who have contributed their time and funds to allow the DEPG to continue its work. The continued patronage and financial help from all who support the railway and appreciate the locomotives that run upon it is essential and very much appreciated. Thank you !

 

Many more items of news from 2023 can be found by browsing our website. Sign up for ROUNDUP to have the news delivered to your emailbox on a weekly basis.

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – the WSR’s 2024 Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th June 2024, with mixed traction on Sunday 9th, so keep these dates free and make a plan to attend !

 

 

 

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