Weekly Roundup – 19-Jan-25
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) had some good company in the form of English Electric Class 37 37423 D6996, 37296) for the first two weeks of the year, thanks to a filming contract. The two locos were pictured in Westridge shed on 17th January 2025 by Europhoenix driver Matt Hunt © CC BY-NC 3.0
The WSR got off to a great start in 2025 with plenty of activity at Bishops Lydeard and elsewhere on the line in connection with a filming contract. We were not able to cover this at the time, but the restrictions have now been lifted and we have a lot to talk about, although our scope has to be limited to traction and vehicles !
English Electric Class 37 37423 D6996, 37296) is almost 60 years old and is still busy at work on the main line, now in the care of Europhoenix. Pictured in Westridge shed at Bishops Lydeard with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) on 17th January 2025. Photo by Matt Hunt © CC BY-NC 3.0
The filming involved the use of four coaches (three Mk 2 and one Mk 3 sleeper) that had been hired and specially prepared ‘elsewhere’ and arrived on the WSR on Monday 6th January behind the ’37’. An issue arose almost immediately, when it was realised that the train was the wrong way around for the filming, and it had to be turned on the triangle at Norton Fitzwarren (the existence of which was quite convenient and saved a lot of time and cost). This gave an opportunity for Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to top and tail the stock with the Class 37, both locos being air brake fitted. Photos of this movement are rare indeed, but we happen to have the following:
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) led the consist along the west chord of the Norton Fitzwarren triangle, heading for Allerford along the truncated spur of the Barnstaple branch. Class 37 37423 D6996, 37296) was at the tail end. Pictured on Tuesday 7th January 2025 by Matt Hunt © CC BY-NC 3.0
A little later and with some decent daylight brightening the picture, a reversing movement placed English Electric Class 37 37423 D6996, 37296) at the head of the consist, ready to draw forward to Barnstaple Junction where the ’33’ would then take charge again and haul the train back to Bishops Lydeard via the east chord. Pictured on 7th January 2025 by Matt Hunt © CC BY-NC 3.0
This extract from the WSR Rule Book, Map 10 shows that the Allerford spur is all that remains of the Barnstaple branch. To see the Rule Book maps and many more, go to the wsr.org.uk website by clicking this link. Image courtesy of WSR plc © CC BY-NC 3.0
The actual filming sequences were ‘off limits’ to all but essential staff and volunteers, so we will have to wait to see the results (we will share the screening information when we receive it), but the visiting loco and stock and associated movements certainly brightened up the month ! WELL DONE to all involved in winning the contract for the WSR and delivering exactly what the director wanted !
With filming duties completed, the loco and stock departed from Bishops Lydeard on Sunday 19th January 2025 and headed for Great Yarmouth. The raw power of the type was clearly being demonstrated as 37423 D6996, 37296) accelerated her train to line speed. Photo by Paul Fleet © CC BY-NC 3.0
Away from the excitement of the film set, the two ‘Cromptons’ were both in action on a ‘Tidy Train’ working on Saturday 18th January, with D6566 (33048) working the train as far as Williton where sister D6575 (33057) swapped places and took the train back to Norton Fitzwarren. The regular swap-over allows both locos to get a balanced share of useage and maintenance, which contributes to their excellent reliability.
Class 33 D6566 (33048) hauled the ‘Tidy Train’ from Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 18th January 2025, seen here at Greenway Wood, just north of Bishops Lydeard station on the outward leg of the journey. Photo by Paul Main © CC BY-NC 3.0
The locos were swapped at Williton, so Class 33 D6575 (33057) worked the return leg and was pictured in the afternoon of Saturday 18th January 2025 while at standstill with a well loaded train at Quarkhill Bridge on the approach to Stogumber Station. Photo by Paul Main © CC BY-NC 3.0
AN EVENT ON THE EAST LANCS RAILWAY (ELR)
On Saturday 18th January, the ELR held an event that showcased their fleet of diesel shunting locos, with rides in their ‘Pacer’ units included for those who wanted a reminder of the riding qualities of those wonderful (!) machines. Demand was so high that a second set had to be coupled up to create a 4-car set. The event was enhanced further by a wide range of preserved diesels being on static display, including Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7076.
WELL DONE to the ELR … and food for thought for the WSR …
Hudswell Clarke ‘Arundel Castle’, works number D1076 of 1959, previously operated as 4002 on the Manchester Ship Canal Railway System and was in use for passenger haulage on the ELR on Saturday 18th January 2025. Pictured at Summerseat Halt by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7076 was on static display at Bury Bolton Street Station on the ELR on Saturday 18th January 2025 along with several other preserved mainline diesels. Photo by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7017 UPDATE
Work is proceeding apace at Minehead, as a combined WSR and DEPG team make progress on the bodywork repairs that are necessary to allow this loco to celebrate her 50th year in preservation in fine style. The team have been removing the bodyside windows and grilles to repair the corrosion damage beneath them, and this has also exposed some additional corrosion that has had to be dealt with.
As we reported last week, the fundraiser for the bodywork repairs for ‘Hymek’ D7017 has now passed the target of £10,000 with a total of £10,684 being raised in the eleven weeks since launching the appeal.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC SUPPORT !
We set the target at £10,000 to cover the expected cost of the work that is already taking place at the WSR’s workshops at Minehead. This sub-contract route was taken to make sure that the loco gets repaired during the winter and is able to take pole position in the celebration of 50 years of ‘Hymek’ preservation that will take place in the summer of this year.
The target has been reached, but we are going to keep the fundraiser open until the work is completed, to make sure that we have sufficient funding to cover any unexpected costs, and make sure that a thorough and long-lasting repair is carried out. All funds donated via this appeal will be allocated to returning D7017 to service in time for the forthcoming season.
Can you help ? Click here to donate £17 to D7017 !
If you can help with this short-term appeal, please make a donation via our website (click on the icons above or below) or by bank app or by sending a cheque to the DEPG at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
The aluminium bodyside windows and grille surrounds have been removed from Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and are now back at Williton to undergo restoration prior to being refitted to the loco. Pictured on Saturday 18th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Preparation work for the re-paint of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has revealed the corrosion that has been taking place behind the trims and grilles along the bodyside. Pictured at Minehead on Friday 17th January 2025 by Neil McCannon © CC BY-NC 3.0
The air vent of the former boiler room of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has suffered from corrosion that has been taking place out of sight, behind the aluminium trim. This area will need to be cut out and new sheet steel welded in. Pictured at Minehead on Friday 17th January 2025 by Neil McCannon © CC BY-NC 3.0
WSR NEWS
The WSR have now published their running calendar for 2025 on their website and social media channels, and we have updated our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page including provisional loco allocations, some of which are subject to change to align with the availability of the locos and the crews. As the information becomes available, we will update our page and send out a DIESELGEN bulletin with the clarification.
Click here or on the image below to visit the WSR’s timetable page:
The WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL has been confirmed as being Thursday 5th through Saturday 7th with a Mixed Traction Day on Sunday 8th of June 2025.
Click here to go to our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page
Click here to go to our ONLINE SHOP
Thank you very much for your support !
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the priority during the last week has been to remove the cardan shafts from the ‘A’ bogie and get them sent out to specialist subcontractor FIROW PROPSHAFTS for assessment and any repairs that may be necessary. The ‘A’ bogie has been largely untouched since being released from under the loco back in July 2024, because effort has been concentrated on the ‘B’ bogie which was known to be showing more advanced signs of wear than the ‘A’ bogie.
As several cardan shafts have now been overhauled and returned to Williton, it has become necessary to send the remaining shafts so that we know what we have that is good and what we have that needs money spent on it. The list is currently as follows:
| Shaft | Loco end | Status |
| Engine to transmission | A | At Firow, awaiting assessment |
| B | At Firow, awaiting assessment | |
| Transmission to Intermediate Gearbox | A | Overhauled, being returned to Williton |
| B | Overhauled, being returned to Williton | |
| Transmission to Dynastarter | A | Overhauled, already back in store at Williton |
| B | Overhauled, already back in store at Williton | |
| Transmission to Serck pump | A | Overhauled, already back in store at Williton |
| B | Overhauled, already back in store at Williton | |
| Bogie shaft 1 | A | Not yet removed from the bogie |
| B | At Firow, in need of repair | |
| Bogie shaft 2 | A | Not yet removed from the bogie |
| B | At Firow, in need of repair | |
| Bogie shaft 3 | A | Not yet removed from the bogie |
| B | At Firow, in need of repair |
This table will be updated as we receive the reports for the shafts that have yet to be assessed. It is no surprise that some of the 50-year-old shafts on the bogies will need repair or replacement – they have lasted a long time already – but we do need to know precisely so that we can budget for the expenditure. Hopefully the remaining three shafts (which have already been freed from their fastenings) will be lifted off the bogie during the next week or two and will be found to be in better condition than those on the ‘B’ bogie.
D1010 – pictured while removing the cardan shafts from the ‘A’ bogie at Williton on a very cold Saturday 18th January 2025, recent recruit Ethan lets his dad Jason release the lock tabs before they both work together to undo the very close-fitting bolts that hold the shafts tight against the flanges. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
The bodyside of a ‘Western’ has three windows per side, one in each engine compartment with sliding glass panes, and a central window with a single fixed pane. The central window on the ‘A’ side of D1010 has been missing for many years and had been replaced by a ‘temporary’ Perspex window and has since been boarded up.
HERE IS A QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE A WINDOW FROM A ‘WESTERN’ ? We know that some centre windows were removed from scrap locos by souvenir hunters during the open days at Swindon Works (all done with permission, of course) and such items might have found their way into garden sheds or perhaps have other innovative uses. If you have one, then D1010 could benefit from you donating it. Here’s a photo that shows the internal detail of one of these windows.
D1010 – this photo shows the rather complicated internal detail of the centre window on the ‘B’ side of the loco. The equivalent on the ‘A’ side of the loco is missing altogether and has been boarded up. CAN YOU HELP ? Pictured at Williton on 4th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Our appeals for MORE VOLUNTEERS are working because we have had two additional potential volunteers come forward in the last week, which is great news, but WE STILL NEED MORE HELP to get this huge loco back on the rails, so please get in touch by using our CONTACT FORM if you are able to join the team.
As mentioned before, apologies to those D1010 sponsors who have yet to receive the photos and certificates for the patches that they have sponsored. The bitterly cold weather is preventing us from spending outdoor time on the engraving, so we will need to leave this work a little longer, at least until the temperature is back in double digits.
Rest assured that every sponsor will receive their certificate and the details of where to find their sponsored patch. We will be making a further push for funds soon, because we have some big ticket items for refurbishment, including the remaining cardan shafts and 32 springs from the suspension system.
MANY THANKS to all who have sponsored and supported the RESTORATION of D1010 !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – there is a big push being made to get the work on this loco completed so that she can return to service in time for the start of the season (mid-March). The major tasks are close to completion, so another week or two should allow us to prepare the loco for her Vehicle Inspection and Brake Test (VIBT). The replacement compressor was re-installed in the loco last Saturday and now needs the electrical connections to be hooked up and the compartment doors fitted back in place. The Oleo buffers have been overhauled and will be delived back to Williton soon. The various welding repairs and other maintenance tasks have been progressed by the team and are close to being finished, so we are getting there!
D4107 (09019) – the replacement compressor has now been installed in the loco and is ready for the electrical hook-up. DEPG Chairman and volunteer Martin gives instruction to Bob while Terry approaches with some additional lighting. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D4107 (09019) – Bob provides some encouragement to the electrical conduit to get it to line up with the compressor housing so that the electrical hook-up can take place. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – as already mentioned, this loco has now returned to Williton to enjoy some rest and relaxation while her sister takes on the role of Duty Loco.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has now become the Duty Loco, after moving to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 18th January.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – already covered. This loco celebrated her 63rd birthday on Thursday 8th January 2025, after entering service at Bristol Bath Road depot on Monday 8th January 1962.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco celebrated her 63rd birthday on Saturday 18th January and was given the ‘gift’ of an overhauled transmission, all nicely painted in ‘Rail Grey’ and ready to be lifted back into the loco. The crane has been booked for Saturday 8th February, after which the loco will undergo some static tests before an engine start is attempted. After startup, there will be more tests before the loco will be allowed to exercise in the yard and eventually go out on a test run.
Between now and the 8th February, work will take place within the loco to prepare for the re-installation of the transmission. One item that needs cleaning and inspection before re-attachment is the transmission heat exchanger, which has the important job of cooling the transmission fluid to keep the temperature within limits when the loco is working hard. The drawing for the heat exchanger was reviewed last Saturday and the data table on the drawing was seen to include some jaw-dropping figures that show just how much work these relatively simple components have to do. Take a look at this:
D7018 – Beyer Peacock drawing number 135335 gives details of the heat exchangers. The item most of interest is that for the transmission, pictured above. The data table includes some interesting information. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – zooming in on the data table of Beyer Peacock drawing number 135335, the flow rates and heat transfer capacities are significant! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the crane has been booked to visit site to lift the cab assembly back on to the frames on Saturday 8th February, so work has now shifted to the engine overhaul and the restoration of the many small parts that have been removed from the loco in the past and will soon need to be re-installed. These driver’s desk gauges show the attention to detail that the team is building into this restoration project. Excellent work indeed !
D9518 – the missing gauges from the driver’s desk have been found and restored to their former glory. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th January 2025 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the original AEI pressure switches (Start Oil Pressure Switch and Run Oil Pressure Switch) from the loco have been overhauled and found to be working perfectly, even though they are 60 years old ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th January 2025 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0
Quality work needs to be funded, so we will continue to appeal for funds to support the work, right up to the point where the loco is completed. Any surplus will then be used to ensure her proper care and upkeep. If you like what we are doing, please make a donation via our website (click on the icon below) or by bank app or by sending a cheque to the DEPG at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco celebrated her 60th birthday on Monday 6th January, as announced in an earlier post (click here for the post and for a video clip of her most recent engine run). This loco will enter the loco shed some time in the spring and will undergo engine maintenance and receive a paint refresh in time for her appearance at the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL 2025.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and we look forward to seeing this loco being in regular use during 2025 !
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco has been very busy shunting both yards at Williton in connection with the re-location of the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust’s carriage collection from Williton to Washford. This loco will be in use again next week, so we look forward to being able to share some more photos in a future roundup. Here’s a photo of one of the coaches that this little loco has been shunting:
The WSRHT‘s Collett 1935-vintage Third Class Corridor coach, TK 5856, pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th January 2025 by Malcolm Anderson © 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: this week, we are featuring a new release from Pen & Sword, another in the series of locomotive studies by ANTHONY P. SAYER and no doubt destined for similar positive reviews, as has been the case for other publications from this author (click here for details). His target this time is the short-lived Class 23 ‘Baby Deltic’, a rare example of a product from the English Electric stable that did not deliver on it’s promises. Anthony digs deep into the background and presents the story in his usual style, complete with fine detail.
Here’s the description text that has been provided by the publisher, Pen & Sword:
“The British Railways ‘Pilot Scheme’ orders of 1955 included ten English Electric Type 2 diesel-electric locomotives deploying Napier ‘Deltic’ engines. These locomotives, more colloquially known as the ‘Baby Deltics’, were introduced into traffic during 1959 for use on the Eastern Region of British Railways. This book looks at the history of the Class 23s, making extensive use of available but previously unpublished archive material, covering their introduction, technical idiosyncrasies, appearance design and performance. Issues with the original ‘Deltic’ engines were ultimately dealt with via a major rehabilitation exercise during the 1963-65 period; whilst various re-engining options were considered , including a new ‘U’ series English Electric high-speed engine design, the original Napier engines were ultimately retained. The work involved in the whole rehabilitation process is discussed in detail using internal English Electric archive material and forms a central focus of research. The fleet survived intact until 1968, when withdrawal commenced as a direct result of declining traffic levels across the UK, with successive National Traction Plans progressively selecting the less successful, non-standard and ‘numerically-challenged’ classes for removal from traffic. All ten locomotives were withdrawn by March 1971. Individual locomotive histories, allocations, fire and accident incidents, liveries and detail differences, storage and disposals are provided for each locomotive.”
Price £32 – NOTE: RRP is £35 so save £3 by buying from the DEPG !
Click here to obtain your copy of this new book.
Other books in this popular series are also available from the DEPG online store (classes 14, 17 and 22)
More new books will be added to our website during the coming days. Here’s a quick preview – please use our CONTACT FORM if you would like us to reserve one or more of these titles for you:
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| The Railways of South Wales 1975-1995 Part 1 – by Michael Rhodes – price £21.95 | The Berks & Hants Line – 40 Years from the Lineside – by Stephen Dance – price £22.95 |
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| Railways of Cornwall – A Decade of Change – Part 1 – by Keith Barrow – price £20.95 | Winners & Losers – Loco Bashing Tales from the 1990s – by Andy Chard – £18.95 |
ON SHED: this week, we move to South Wales and a photo of a nice clean Class 37 (there were some!) at Cardiff Canton (CF) shed, taken by the late Mike Evans in June of 1984. The ’37s’ were the backbone of South Wales operations, covering most of the numerous freight workings of the time, but some (with steam heat boilers) also covering passenger workings.
The subject loco, 37229 (formerly D6929) had been named ‘The Cardiff Rod Mill‘ just one month prior, which explains the tidy condition of the loco when it was captured by Mike’s camera. The loco was delivered new to Swansea Landore (LE) depot in February of 1964 and was a steady performer for the next 40 years before ending up at Booth’s scrap yard in Rotherham.
Class 37 37229 (D6929) ‘The Cardiff Rod Mill’ was on shed at Cardiff Canton in the company of a Class 45/46 ‘Peak’ and a Class 33 ‘Crompton’ in June of 1984. Photo by the late Mike Evans © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – the next meeting of the Board of Trustees will take place at Williton on Saturday 25th January. If you have any questions that you would like to place before the Board, please get in touch by using the CONTACT FORM on our website.
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 !