Weekly Roundup – 26-Jan-25
The English Electric 6KT engine of Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) was started up on Sunday 26th January 2025 after undergoing maintenance at Williton. Volunteers Ian R, Ashley and Tom were in attendance. Photo by Ashley Harris © CC BY-NC 3.0
The engine of the DEPG’s Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) was started up on Sunday 26th January after undergoing winter maintenance that included the fitting of a set of reconditioned fuel injection pumps. After a reluctant start, the loco settled into a steady tickover, but it became apparent that the newly-installed Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) was not working as it should, so running was curtailed to allow the issue to be investigated. There are still several tasks still to be completed on the loco, but our volunteers are continuing to apply their efforts to getting the work done so that the loco can head back to Bishops Lydeard before the start of the 2025 running season.
The last of the set of six reconditioned fuel injection pumps was installed into the engine of Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) by Tom on Saturday 25th January 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
The work on D4107 (09019) also including the replacement of the worn-out compressor with a low-hours unit that was recoved from a Class 31. The Westinghouse type 3CV50 compressor is widely used across various classes of locomotive including Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ and Class 52 ‘Westerns’.
The replacement Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor is shown mounted in position in the close-fitting compartment of Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) at Williton on Saturday 25th January 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
A number of bodywork repairs were carried out on D4107 (09019) during her time at Williton, but several other areas also need attention so the loco will be recalled to Williton next autumn to undergo further work and hopefully also undergo a repaint. In the short term, the criticial areas such as the battery boxes have been repaired and some other areas have been patched temporarily to prevent water ingress and avoid further deterioration.
The heavily-corroded end plate from the Battery Isolation Switch (BIS) compartment was removed (it put up a bit of a fight) and replaced with a new piece of sheet steel, visible in red oxide primer behind the corroded part. Pictured at Williton on Thursday 23rd January 2025 by Anthony Austin © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7017 UPDATE
Work continues at Minehead on the repairs to the corrosion damage that has affected several areas of the bodywork of this 63-year-old locomotive. A combined team of DEPG and WSR volunteers are working alongside the WSR engineering team to keep this project moving forward and ensure that the loco is back in service in time for the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival (5-7th June).
As we reported last week, the fundraiser for the bodywork repairs for ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been kept open with a new target of £12,000 with a total of £10,715 being raised so far.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC SUPPORT !
The new target of £12,000 will cover most of the work being done on the loco, the remaining £3,000 being provided from the DEPG’s general fund. The 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 initial target was reached on 1st January 2025, but we are keeping 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 rainwater ingress below the bodyside grille in the former boiler room of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 shows evidence of corrosion that will be dealt with during the bodywork overhaul. Pictured at Minehead on Friday 24th 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 cardan shafts from the ‘A’ bogie have been released from their fastenings and are waiting for the Fork Lift Truck to become available so that these large and heavy shafts can then be lifted from the bogies and placed on a pallet for shipping to specialist subcontractor FIROW PROPSHAFTS for assessment and repair if necessary. The equivalent shafts from ‘B’ bogie have been found to be in need of replacement due to excessive wear, especially in the splined joint, no doubt as a result of 50+ years of wear and tear. The shafts in the ‘A’ bogie may be equally worn, but we will keep our fingers crossed in case they had been replaced at Laira during the last year of the loco’s life in BR service (we do not have the service records for this period). We can only hope for the best !
D1010 – just returned from Firow Proposhafts with a clean bill of health and a lick of paint, the giant-sized cardan shafts that link the transmissions to the intermediate drive gearboxes were ready to be put in store at Williton, pending their re-installation into the loco. Pictured on Saturday 25th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Meanwhile, Gordon continued with his work on the ‘B’ bogie, eventually managing to remove the primary spring hangers that had been surrounded by compacted and solidified brake dust, resisting the efforts of lesser mortals !
D1010 – pictured holding a primary suspension spring hanger from the ‘’B’ bogie at Williton on Saturday 25th January 2025, Gordon gives the part a quick visual inspection before tagging it and adding it to the pile of items awaiting Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Our appeals for MORE VOLUNTEERS are working because we have had another potential volunteer 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) – already covered above !
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – 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 is being prepared for the re-installation of her transmission and the start of a series of static tests that will hopefully allow the loco to return to service in this, the 50th year of ‘Hymek’ preservation. This loco was the last of the Class to be switched off, being withdrawn from service at Old Oak Common on 16th March, 1975. For more details, get a copy of our booklet ‘HYMEK D7018’ by clicking on this link.
D7018 – the transmission has been repaired and painted and is now ready to be re-installed in the loco, a task that is planned for Saturday 8th February 2025. Pictured with Geoff at Williton on Monday 20th January 2025 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the transmission heat exchanger is the next target for the team. This large and heavy item was moved to the transmission repair facility on Saturday 25th January so that the team can prepare it for re-installation on the transmission casing. Pictured in the loco on Monday 20th January 2025 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the crane has been booked to visit Williton to lift the cab assembly back on to the frames on Saturday 8th February, so the final preparations for this milestone event are taking place at Williton during this coming weekend. Work continues on the engine overhaul, with the cylinder heads being completed and painted, and the cylinder liners also being readied for re-insllation.
D9518 – the Paxman 6YJ cylinder block gets attention from volunteer Nick at Williton on Tuesday 21st January 2025. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – three of the six Paxman cylinder heads are lined up on the bench, ready for re-fitting to the engine. Pictured with Terry at Williton on Saturday 25th January 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – Terry points out the surface that supports the cylinder liners (which have been removed from the engine for cleaning and inspection). A thin copper ring provides the seal beween the cylinder liner and the cylinder block. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th January 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – A close-up view – Terry points out the surface that supports the cylinder liners (which have been removed from the engine for cleaning and inspection). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th January 2025 by Andy Royal © 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 was due to be in use again in the week under review, but poor weather forced a postponement of one week, so we will be covering these moves in the next edition of Roundup.
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 jump from South Wales directly across the Bristol Channel and we feature a photo from Mark Bladwell’s collection, no doubt to the absolute delight of some of the spotters on the platform at Bristol Temple Meads that day, but given the August date, probably not much fun for the passengers in the air-conditioned Mk2 stock (which the ‘Westerns’ were not equipped to power).
The service is the 09:45 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads, which had arrived with D1036 ‘WESTERN EMPEROR’ hauling the failed train loco 50013 (D413) (later to be named ‘Agincourt’). The photo was taken as the ‘Western’ removed the failed ’50’, no doubt to deposit it at Bristol Bath Road Depot for attention. The ‘Western’ had just two years left to run but the ’50’ remained in service until 1988, just days beyond it’s 20th birthday. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photos with us all.
Class 52 D1036 ‘WESTERN EMPEROR’ removes failed Class 50 50013 (D413) from the 09:45 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service after both locos arrived at their destination together on Wednesday 21st August 1974. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting took place at Williton on Saturday 25th January, with a considerable number of topics to discuss and several items requiring follow up. One of the key points of discussion was the loco allocations for this year’s running, details of which will be posted on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and sent out via DIESELGEN as soon as the crew rostering details have been finalised – hopefully during the coming week.
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 !