Weekly Roundup – 29-Sep-24
Both Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and the photographer were enjoying the sunshine on Saturday 28th September 2024 as the loco approached the Stogumber station stop en route to Bishops Lydeard. The ’33’ was working the 80-mile diagram that had originated at Minehead. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0
Last weekend saw the last of the BLUE timetable workings that will be diesel hauled this year, with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) in use on Saturday and Sunday. The timetable now reduces to the 3-times daily service provided by the RED timetable, with diesel power only required for Sundays 6th, 13th and 20th October, although a ‘bonus’ day has been added for Saturday 5th due to the non-availability of the booked steam loco. The final week of timetabled service at the end of October will be all-steam because it is likely to be too cold to operate unheated trains. Although the ’33s’ are capable of providing Electric Train Heating (ETH), there are no compatible coaches in use on the WSR at present, so our operating period is restricted to the warmer months.
On Sunday 29th, the ’33’ was out and about again, but this time carrying a special headcode to mark the birthday of DEPG Trustee and volunteer TOM COURTNEY who happened to be on duty as secondman that day. Although bright at first, the weather took a marked turn for the worse as the day progressed, but that did not present any problems to the 1961-vintage loco.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) in the foreground with Ashley, Tom and Ian on the platform at Williton and (L-R) Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Barclay 578 (ROF 1), Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057), Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and GWR 4-6-0 7812 ‘ERLESTOKE MANOR’ in view. Image taken from the Williton Railcam courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
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.
Click here to go to our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page
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Thank you very much for your support !
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – with so many component parts now removed from the ‘B’ bogie occupying floor space in the loco shed, it became necessary to spend some time working on cleaning up and inspecting some of the most important parts. There is a lot more detailed inspection and measurement to do, but first indications were positive and no ‘horrors’ have emerged. This is very encouraging and allows us to press ahead to arrange the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of the key suspension components, to make sure that there are no cracks or internal fractures that are not visible to the naked eye. The equipment to do this is available at West Somerset Restorations in the ‘Swindon Shed’ to the north of our yard at Williton.
The general scheme of work on the ‘B’ bogie is as follows, with status information added:
- Remove the cardan shafts – completed on 10th August (the shafts will be sent out for overhaul)
- Remove the brake rigging – completed on 24th August
- Remove the primary springs – completed on 24th August (the springs will be sent out for overhaul)
- Remove the equalising beams and pedestals – completed on 21st September.
- Remove the secondary springs – planned for the week ending 20th October
- Inspect the bogie frames, wheel bearings and gearboxes
- Replace the torque reaction rubbers
- Re-assemble using repaired or replacement parts as required.
With the work taking place inside the loco shed already absorbing the available resources, the Chairman and Vice Chairman were left with the task of distributing the contents of six bulk bags of aggregates underneath the loco body to create a suitably flat surface above rail height for volunteers to be able to work on the underside of the loco, in readiness for a major clean up effort at some time in the near future. The result is both safer and much comfortable for our volunteers.
As always, there is plenty to do on this massive locomotive, so please CONTACT US if you are a DEPG member and would like to come along to help.
D1010 – some of the ever-growing collection of component parts that have been removed from the ‘B’ bogie were pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th September 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the DEPG Chairman was pictured while at work under the ‘A’ end of the loco (with appropriate headgear) spreading the contents of six bulk bags of aggregates that were used to create a flat and safe working surface. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the DEPG Chairman then re-positioned the barriers around the loco and performed a walk-around to make sure that the area was tidy and safe. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the stands are marked to identify the four loading points, the heights of which are measured on a regular basis to ensure that the loco body remains stable and securely supported. Measurements confirm that there has been no movement since the loco was first placed on the stands in July. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
We are still offering the SPONSOR A PATCH scheme where your name or message will be engraved into the metal of the loco body as acknowledgement of your donations to the D1010 RESTORATION FUND. We are a bit behind with the engraving but now that the loco body has been determined as safe to work on (and when weather permits!), we can resume the engraving and catch up. There is plenty more metal yet to be engraved, so GET YOUR SPONSORED PATCH BY CLICKING THIS LINK !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities. She will move to Williton in early November to undergo body repairs and a repaint, along with some other maintenance activities that are aimed at keeping her reliable and available for service.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – This loco has now moved to Bishops Lydeard to continue in her role as Duty Loco. Her next booked duties are under the RED TIMETABLE on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has returned to Williton and has undergone an ‘A’ exam. The loco is now ready for service if called upon. In between other tasks, volunteer loco manager Ian R took measurements from the valve guides that were removed from the spare cylinder heads, in preparation for the refurbishment of the spare heads for possible use on D6575 in the future.
D6575 – two of the valve guides from the Sulzer type LDA cylinder heads were inspected for wear by volunteer loco manager Ian R at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has had a great season, achieving 100% dispatch reliability and delivering consistent and excellent performances. She will remain at Minehead for a while so that she can be assessed for body repairs and repainting before eventually moving back to Williton for other repairs and winter maintenance.
Click on this link or on the graphic below to visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the transmission that is being repaired at Williton at the moment is one of very few surviving examples of the type, and we need to minimise the risk of damaging this transmission, which could be the outcome if we put it back into service before we are sure that it is operating correctly.
On completion of an overhaul in BR days, the transmission would have been installed in a test rig where it could be put through its paces at maximum speed and maximum power, but such a rig is massive and the output from the transmission has to be loaded by a dynamometer which then has to dissipate more than 1 Megawatt of power, so it is not a trivial piece of kit.
In place of this, we intend to perform a functional test of the overhauled control block to make sure that the inputs and outputs are in line with expectations, then we will install the transmission in the loco and carry out a series of static tests before applying power. After that, there will be a programme of test running to build up confidence and prove the reliability. This programme of testing is defined by a Test Plan and the last week has been dedicated to drafting this plan in preparation for a review meeting that will take place on Saturday 6th October.
So, there are no photos of the overhaul this week, but we will be sharing a summary of the agreed test plan in a future roundup.
Two years ago – Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 was pictured on the approach to Blue Anchor station with the 12:30 service from Bishops Lydeard. Photo dated Sunday 25th September 2022 by Glyn Warren © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the ‘Tuesday Team’ are continuing with the overhaul of the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine that was previously installed in sister loco D9526 in parallel with the work that is taking place on the cab assembly. The cab roof section that was being worked on by Andy P last week has now got into the hands of Colin G so that he can restore it in an authentic way, complete with 1960s ‘pegboard’ lining and aluminium trim. The Class 14s were built to a very high standard by BR Swindon Works and Colin is aiming to reach the same heights. Well done Team D9518 !
D9518 – the interior details of the removable cab roof section are being carefully restored in an authentic way by volunteer Colin G. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. The repair work was contracted out to Heritage Rail Ltd and the work was taking place in the first week of October. We hope to see the loco out and about again during October.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is fully serviceable and is waiting for her next opportunity to shunt the yard at Williton.
BOOK REVIEW: a new release this week is the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
DEPG CALENDAR 2025
The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image above to GET YOUR COPY – WHILE STOCKS LAST – for £14 plus p&p.
ON SHED: last week, we shared a photo and a reminiscence from DEPG member Trevor Tremethick in relation to the 23:45 service from Paddington to Penzance in the mid 1970s. Some fifty years later, roundup reader Michael Newman commented thus:
“Had to laugh at Trevor’s comments regarding the journey details of his photo of the 23:45 Paddington to Penzance with 1010 in the 1970s because I had done this journey recently with the awful sounding Class 57s. The actual trip was ruined by freezing cold air conditioning and floodlight-like lighting which wasn’t dimmed all night ! I wouldn’t recommend that journey to anyone.”
Many thanks to Michael for sharing his experience. Do you have a story to tell ? Please share it with us all.
Here’s another image from Trevor’s collection, this time featuring our first acquisition – Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017, pictured in the repair shop at Old Oak Common with the roof section above the engine removed, just 6 months before the end of ‘Hymek’ workings on BR. By this time, D7017 was one of only ten examples of the class remaining in service, so a visit to the repair shop would have been dicing with death. Lucky for us, the loco made it right through to the end, being withdrawn on 13th March 1975, just three days before the very last survivor, sister DEPG loco D7018.
Many thanks to Trevor for sharing his photo with us all.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 is pictured inside the Repair Shop at Old Oak Common depot on Saturday 21st September 1974, surrounded by spare bogies and with the roof off, no doubt a scary experience for the loco at that late point in her career. Photo by Trevor Tremethick © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: the next Board Meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 19th October. if you are a member of the DEPG and would like to have a question placed before the Board, then please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM. If you are not a member, then PLEASE JOIN US !
The DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!
JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.
If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.
We look forward to hearing from you !