Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019) was used to haul Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) out of the loco shed at Williton on Saturday 30th March 2024 so that the ’33’ could be started up. Martin was at the controls and Secondman Tom was keeping an eye on the clearances as the shunter slowly eased the ’33’ along. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
The repairs on Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) have been completed with the exception of a replacement exhaust bellows that is due for delivery on 5th April and which will be fitted on the 6th. This will then allow the work on the loco to be completed so that it can then be cleared of tools and equipment, then cleaned up, then subjected to the necessary inspections before being made ready for a test run. As a precursor to completion and to allow volunteer loco manager Ian R to check and adjust the engine governor, the loco was hauled out of the loco shed on Saturday 30th by Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019) so that the ’33’ could be started up. Here’s a short video of the startup (click here or on the image below):
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was started up at Williton on Saturday 30th March 2024. Video clip by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019) had been visiting Williton to have a replacement window fitted, as a result of a failure in the scissors mechanism that had allowed the window to drop suddenly. The work on the ’09’ has now been completed and the loco has since moved back to Bishops Lydeard to take up its duties. It will return to Williton again next winter to undergo bodywork repairs and electrical machinery overhauls. Many thanks to JT and Martin for getting the work done so quickly on this small but important member of the DEPG fleet.
Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09 019) has had three plywood panels fitted to cover the window mechanism, the top and bottom sections being easily removable to allow regular maintenance of the scissors mechanism. The loco has now returned to duties at Bishops Lydeard. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 30th March 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) will be in use on Sunday 7th and Sunday 14th April on the 1000 departure from Minehead and the associated 80-mile diagram. These services and all other WSR public services that are scheduled for diesel haulage this year are listed on our ‘DIESEL RUNNING DATES‘ page, so CLICK HERE or on the image below to visit the page and see the range of dates available. We will be providing the loco allocations soon and we will keep this page up to date as we get clarification on the details.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 is scheduled for three days of TEST RUNNING during the coming week, to provide her with a thorough workout and establish her level of reliability. Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) will bring a set of coaches from Minehead to Williton on Tuesday 9th April, and D7017 will attach on the front and take the train to Bishops Lydeard then to Minehead and back, with the ’33’ remaining in the consist as a backup. The pattern will repeat on the Wednesday and Thursday and will total 200 miles of running, provided that everything goes to plan. Keep an eye on our website or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
IMPORTANT DATES:
The first major event of the year will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR which will take place throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, 3rd through 6th May, during which our loco shed will be open to the public, with Rod’s Model Railway sales stand alongside our own DEPG sales stand. Click here or on the image below for more information via the WSR’s website.
WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE
The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. More details soon.
The first visiting locomotive to be announced was English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’, no doubt to the delight of the many followers of the class, and the second visitor has now been announced as BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045), courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Company and a fine example of another well-loved ‘Type 4’ class. A further announcement has just been made, and courtesy of 20189 Ltd, English Electric Class 20 ‘Choppers’ (or ‘Whistling Wardrobes’) 20189 (D8189), in BR blue livery and 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’, in commemorative London Transport livery, will be attending at the event. PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is going to be a great event !
AC RAILBUS W79978 EVENT:
DEPG member Martin Rouse has confirmed that he will be operating his AC RAILBUS number W79978 on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway at a special event at the S&CR over the weekend of 6th and 7th April. Click here or on the image below to go to the details of the event:
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the planning and preparation for the lifting of the locomotive body continues to progress, with a target of disconnecting the bogie thrust brackets in early May so that the loco body can be lifted before the end of May. The engines will be removed from the body to reduce the weight for the lift and this will also allow us to clean up and repaint the engine room and attend to the pipework and air receiver inspections while access is made easy.
Gordon and Leroy have made progress with the removal and clean up of the cooler group pipework, some of which is large, heavy and awkward. Now is the time to deal with these parts, so that they are ready and waiting for the re-assembly phase that will follow the overhaul of the bogies. Work begins on the disconnection of the engines next weekend, in parallel with the cleaning of the bogies, as far as is possible with the loco still mounted on top of them.
Our website now carries a new page, ‘D1010 Progress Report – Jan 2024‘, the content of which will be familiar to DEPG members because it was included in the January Newsletter. This information is now available to all by clicking on this link.
D1010 – pictured outdoors on number 1 road at Williton on 30th March 2024, the loco will soon be going back into the loco shed, which will allow more sponsored patches to be engraved and the electrical re-wiring work to be resumed. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the coolant pipework on this locomotive is large, heavy and awkward, as is evident in this view of the cleanup in progress at Williton on 30th March 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the coolant pipework includes several ‘Saunders Valves’ such as this one, labelled ‘ENGINE COOLING WATER SYSTEM DRAIN’. Pictured at Williton on 30th March 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – another view of the overhauled ‘A’ transmission wearing its first coat of light grey primer, pictured at Williton before it was moved into temporary storage. Photo dated 19th March 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply use the CONTACT FORM on our website to let us know if you can lend a hand.
Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session as soon as the loco gets moved back into the loco shed (the weather has not been cooperative lately!).
The certificates are now being emailed to the sponsors and we have already sent hundreds out with hundreds more to go, so we are very busy with this work. Here’s an example of what we are sending out:
Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print the certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we will be asking for an additional £2.50 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage. We can even put them in frame for you.
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 during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !
Click the image below to sponsor a patch:
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 09 D4107 (09019) – as already covered, this loco has now returned to duties at Bishops Lydeard.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is currently stabled at Bishops Lydeard and will be moving to Minehead on Saturday 6th April to be in position for the 1000 departure from Minehead and the subsequent 80-mile diagram on Sunday 7th April and Sunday 14th April.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – the replacement exhaust bellows should be available this weekend so that the exhaust system overhaul can be completed. The loco will then be cleared of tools and equipment and a cleanup will take place prior to inspection and test. We hope to have this loco released to traffic during the coming weeks.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service and will be undergoing three consecutive days of loaded test running that will be used to accumulate hours and ensure reliability. The loco will be hauling empty coaching stock across the length of the WSR to thoroughly exercise all of her systems and allow us to deal with any small issues arising from her lack of use. Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be tagging along to act as backup in case any issues do crop up. For details of the running schedule, keep an eye on our website or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have now separated the torque converter assembly from the transmission and have started the disassembly of this intricate piece of machinery as part of the step-by-step appraisal of this transmission. The team have also been preparing specialist tooling and fixturing that will allow the dis-assembly and re-assembly work to take place. These Mekydro transmissions are too precious to take risks with, so our rate of progress will be tempered by the need to take great care.
D7018 – the torque converter has been separated from the rest of the Stone Maybach Mekydro K184u transmission so that it can be disassembled and appraised as a separate assembly. The large gear wheel is the input that drives the impeller (which is basically a large pump). The small gear (far left) is the output and is driven by the turbine. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 25th March 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the components of the torque converter were in the process of being separated using the hydraulic ram when pictured at Williton on Wednesday 26th March 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.
Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the cab assembly remains the focus of attention, with more wires appearing every week and more items being re-attached to the driver’s desk. The desk has to be wired up to the corresponding components in the control cubicle, so this is a big task and requires a methodical working approach and a bucket load of patience. When the desk and control cubicle are wired together, the cab will need to be lifted onto the frames so that the rest of the wiring can be connected. Work continues in parallel on restoring the many small parts that are being recovered from storage. Each needs to be identified then cleaned then inspected and repaired if necessary, before it can take its place in the restoration queue. The pictures show the progress!
D9518 – the thorough and careful restoration work continues at Williton, with team member Colin G hard at work rebuilding the driver’s desk. Pictured on Saturday 30th March 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the new wiring that has been installed by volunteer John C is clearly visible in this view, looking down on the driver’s desk at Williton on Saturday 30th March 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the restored control cubicle now features new labelling that is authentic to the original. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 30th March 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 is on standby at Bishops Lydeard and is fully serviceable and ready for work.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is booked to work the 1430 service from Grosmont to Pickering and return on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Sunday 7th April, which incidentally will be the exact same date and time as Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) is booked to depart from Minehead for Bishops Lydeard on the WSR, so we will have two ‘SULZERS‘ in action simultaneously on opposite sides of the Country.
See our ‘ON SHED’ feature further below for an article related to this locomotive.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is stabled on number 3 road at Williton and is ready for action.
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 – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !
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Price : £19.95 |
Price : £17.50 |
The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We are ordering more to keep up with the demand, so meanwhile, items can be placed on backorder.
We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.
In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.
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.
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In very good condition |
THE ORIGINAL 1981 EDITION |
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Price : £5.00 |
Price : £10.00 |
ON SHED – this week, we have a photo of 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ that was taken at Birmingham New Street on Saturday 28th April 1979 but showed some embellishments that were lost some time afterwards, and certainly by the time that the loco emerged from the works after being upgraded to ETH in 1984 (emerging as 47613). The photo below shows two white circles applied below the former route indicator box, silver paint on the valance around the buffer beam, a silver works plate and a logo of some sort below the works plate. There may have been other embellishments as well. Can you help explain this ? Click here for our CONTACT FORM.
Photographer Howard Beveridge has provided us with his photo so that we can fill in this missing item in the loco timeline that appears on our website (click this link). Many thanks to Howard for bringing this to our attention and sharing his photo.
A pair of Class 47s at Birmingham New Street on Saturday 28th April 1979. The one on the left has not been identified, but on the right is our very own 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ with two white discs – and silver paint applied in various places. Can you help explain why the loco was embellished in this way ? Click here for our CONTACT FORM. Photo by Howard Beveridge ©
DEPG NEWS – we are very grateful to the WSR’s volunteer WAGON GROUP for taking on the restoration of our ex-BR ‘Vanwide’ van B784676 that is based at Minehead. The photo below shows the significant amount of work involved in this project. The materials have been provided by the DEPG but the effort and skill comes from the members of the wagon team, so MANY THANKS to the Wagon Group for taking this work on.
The DEPG’s ex-BR ‘Vanwide’ goods van B784676 is undergoing a major restoration in the hands of the WSR WAGON GROUP at Minehead. Pictured on 30th March 2024, volunteer Seb Welsh is hard at work protecting the metal structure of the wagon. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
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 JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open 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