Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) was used to shunt BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 2-6-4T 80064 from the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ to the North Yard at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024, in preparation for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Twice a year, for the steam and diesel galas, we open our loco shed and yard to the public so that we can show our locos and our facilities to the gala visitors and hopefully drum up donations, sales from our merchandise stand, some new members, some new volunteers, ideally all four!
As our depot is normally a working facility, it takes some time to organise it so that the public can access it without risk, and that takes an amount of effort away from our restoration and repair projects. It is, however, a small price to pay because we need the funding to allow our project work to progress. In the words of the early American astronauts, ‘No bucks, no Buck Rogers’ and this applies to loco restoration as well.
The headline photo shows one of the WSRA’s steam locos being shunted from the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ in the North Yard at Williton to the South Yard so that the loco can go on display at the steam gala that is taking place this weekend. This BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ loco 80064 is ‘out of ticket’ and in need of a boiler overhaul which is an expensive repair, so it has been gifted to the WSRA (also a registered charity) by the owning group for the purpose of the loco being restored for use on the West Somerset Railway. In fact, one of our regular and long-serving volunteers was a member of the previous owning group and played a major part in getting this sought-after class of loco to the WSR.
The whole of the South Yard at Williton has been opened up for the gala, allowing visitors to take photos from locations that were previously only available to hivis-clad volunteers. A mobile catering van has also been brought in to provide welcome refreshment to those who want to spend some time looking at the many items on display in the yard and in the shed at Williton, so if you are planning to attend at the gala, please plan to make a stop at Williton !
The flower planters at Williton Depot were given a welcome refresh by Linda, just in time for our ‘open shed’ steam gala weekend 3-6 May. Thank you very much to Linda and also to Wendy, who tended them last year and kindly donated towards this refresh. Photo by Linda Trott © CC BY-NC 3.0
Also in the news last week was Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 which was in use on Saturday 27th April on a ‘pick up goods’ working centred on Williton but running to both ends of the line to pick up and drop off wagons and coaches so that they would be in the right place for the steam gala. As it was almost exactly one year since we lost volunteer Class 14 team leader SIMON PURVIS, these workings were dedicated to his memory and carried his initials (or as close as we could get to them) in the headcode.
Some photos of these unusual workings are included below:
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was pictured at a wet Williton Station on Saturday 27th April 2024, preparing to haul a van, a coach and a brake van to destinations along the route, including Norton Fitzwarren. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
This photo shows Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 at Norton Fitzwarren after running around the triangle to turn the complete train so that the verandah of the ‘Toad’ brake van is at the southerly end of the line. Pictured on Saturday 27th April 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was pictured at Blue Anchor station on Saturday 27th April 2024 en route to Minehead with a train of mixed vans and wagons. The perfect locomotive for the job ! Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:
There won’t be any scheduled diesel loco running during the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event that is taking place between 3rd and 6th May, but Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be back in action the following weekend on Sunday 12th May with the 1230 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and the return service under the RED timetable.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer
The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.
We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.
A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ
IMPORTANT DATES:
The first major event of the year is the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR which is taking 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 coming 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. Also visiting, courtesy of 20189 Ltd., are 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. THE LATEST NEWS is that Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ will be joining the lineup, so please MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !
An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – efforts were concentrated on preparing the loco for a short trip to the North Yard at Williton, then into the ‘Swindon Shed’ to position the loco over the pit so that the bogie thrust brackets that transmit the traction forces and braking forces from body to bogie and vice versa can be disconnected. This is a very difficult and dirty job, but cannot be avoided as the brackets must be released before the loco body can be lifted.
Undeterred by the amount of grime and dirt, volunteer Viv clambered into the space that is normally occupied by the transmission and set about scraping the dirt away from several of the areas that we will need to access. There is much more dirt and grime underneath the loco, but that is being saved up for the team who will go into the pit on Saturday 4th May !
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.
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 reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.
D1010 – looking into the gap between the bogie and the underframe, the result of 50+ years of accumulating dirt and grime is evident. This the view before being given the ‘Viv’ treatment. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – and after the ‘Viv’ treatment, some of the main features of the bogie and underframe become clearer, although much more work is still needed. It will become a lot easier when the loco body is lifted out of the way. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – a sneak preview of things to come – the image shows the loco being towed to the North Yard by Barclay 578 so that it can be shunted into the ‘Swindon Shed’ and positioned over the pit. Williton webcam image captured on Friday 3rd May 2024 courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR ©
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 when the loco return to our yard.
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) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – now back at Williton for some planned maintenance work which includes replacing the brake blocks and performing an ‘A’ examination.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Williton as the Duty Loco for the duration of the steam gala. Next in use on Sunday 28th April on the 1230 service to Minehead and return. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have separated the sections of the damaged geartrain and removed the No. 5 directional clutch which, as expected, was found to be badly damaged and beyond repair. Luckily, we have spare parts from the previous transmission that ran in D7018 back in BR days and for another 20 years in preservation until 1995, when the loco suffered a major engine failure and was withdrawn for heavy overhaul.
The damage to the clutch has led to significant shock loading of the selector arm and slipper plates, all of which show signs of damage. The fork itself is visibly bent and the selector shaft is twisted at the top. Again, these parts are available from the old transmission, avoiding a very expensive piece of specialised forging and machining.
The search for the root cause will continue, because the damage that has been uncovered is most probably the result of something else that went wrong, so we need to work it out and take action before we put it all back together and risk damaging it once again. Spare parts are few and far between. Here are some photos, all taken on 22nd or 23rd April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0:
D7018 – the shaft with the damaged clutch was lifted out at Williton on Monday 22nd April 2024 using a specially-fabricated but simple lifting beam, adjusted to keep the assembly in balance. The shaft comprises multiple sections that will come apart if lifted incorrectly. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
 |
 |
|
Above – the selector fork for No. 5 clutch is visibly bent (the yellow line has been added for emphasis – it should be vertical). |
Above – the inner item is the spring-loaded baulk ring and it has been driven past the control slot and has become jammed. |
 |
 |
|
Above – the small black pieces of wire are the remains of the spring that returns the disengaged baulk ring to the blocking position. |
Above – the cage that holds the return spring has been broken into several pieces. |
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 – further progress has been made with the wiring and pipework, and the team have been busy working on the subassemblies and components that are needed to progress the cab assembly. The need to prepare the depot for the public open days has sapped some of the available resource, but the pace will quicken from next week onward as volunteers return to their restoration tasks.
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 now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway during the week and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is stabled in the yard at Williton and has been busy of late, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.
Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was active again at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 and was used to haul D1010 out of the shed so that the shed could be cleaned in preparation for the Open Weekend. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !
BOOK REVIEW – 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 !
 |
 |
|
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 have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.
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.
 |
 |
|
Price : £5.00 |
Price : £8.50 |
ON SHED – this week, we feature a study of D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ by well-known photographer and author ROGER GEACH. This photo was taken almost exactly 49 years ago and shows D1010 over the pit in the running shed at Plymouth Laira Depot, which is another coincidence because D1010 is over the pit in the ‘Swindon Shed’ at Williton at the very moment of writing this roundup.
The headcode depicts 6B09 which suggests that the loco had recently worked the daily milk empties from Acton to St Erth. Many thanks to Roger for providing us with this photo.
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was pictured over the pit in the running shed at Plymouth Laira Depot on 27th April 1975. Photo by Roger Geach © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting took place at Williton on Saturday, 27th April. A synopsis is being prepared and will be emailed ASAP to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.
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 !
