Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 was back at Williton when pictured on Saturday 26th April, after passing her air system safety examination with flying colours. The loco is being prepared for a test run that will hopefully allow her to return to service after a two year absence. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
The DEPG’s entire WSR-based fleet of locos underwent air system examinations during the period Tuesday 22nd through Thursday 24th April with subcontract examiner MATT HIGHAM visiting Williton, Minehead and Bishops Lydeard to perform the examinations and test the safety valves that protect the air systems from excessive pressure. Matt’s work covered Class 14s D9518 and D9526 along with Barclay 578 (ROF1) at Williton on Tuesday, then he moved to Minehead where Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 had been positioned over the pit for her air receivers to be examined.
The following day, it was the turn of Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ D6566 (33048) and D6575 (33057) at Minehead, then ‘Hymek’ D7017 who was conveniently already over a pit in the loco shed where she was undergoing her bodywork overhaul. On the Thursday, Matt was back at Williton to assess the air receivers on Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and then his final task before heading home to Derbyshire was to attend at Bishops Lydeard to examine Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019).
Some remedial work requirements were identified on ‘Hymek’ D7017, D6566 (33048) and Barclay 578 (ROF 1), but all of the locos were considered as safe and the remedial work will be carried out over the next few weeks, before Matt returns for final sign-off and to examine the WSR’s Class 03 shunter D2133 and Barclay 579 (ROF 2). MANY THANKS to Matt of HIGHAM’S HERITAGE ENGINEERING for his hard work and adaptability !
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was already over an indoor pit at Minehead, which was handy because she was not fit to be moved outdoors, her roof having been removed for restoration. Neil had the unenviable job of going under the loco and preparing each of the tanks for examination on Wednesday 23rd April 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7017 – removing the many layers of paint revealed the manufacturing date as being 17th March 1961 but the tank is still in good condition and fit for many more years of service. Most of the air receivers (tanks) on a ‘Hymek’ are positioned under the frame and are very difficult to access. Pictured at Minehead on Wednesday 23rd April 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
SATURDAY 10th MAY: NOT A HST RUNNING DAY
Apologies, but the ex-GWR ‘Castle’ class HST that is being stored at Minehead will NOT be in use on the WSR on Saturday 10th May. This is because it has not been possible to make the necessary safety arrangements and complete the maintenance activities in time, despite the very best efforts of many individuals both within the railway and from the external organisations involved with the HST, all of which have been much appreciated.
Apologies to HST fans for this cancellation. We will provide further information about possible future running days as soon as the situation is clarified.
Our Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be working the Minehead diagram of the BLUE timetable on the 10th May, offering 80 miles of diesel loco haulage. We might also be able to have one of our other fleet members out on test that day, so please do try to come along and enjoy the diesel action.
EVENTS ON THE WSR
The WSR’s SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR runs from Friday 2nd May through Monday 5th May and features an intensive steam-only timetable with a whole host of visiting locomotives, both large and small. The DEPG loco depot at Williton will be OPEN TO THE PUBLIC on all four days of the gala and we will have our sales stand operating alongside ROD’S MODEL RAILWAY SALES stand as usual. We will also have the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7‘ in our yard again, offering hot snacks and drinks, and hopefully repeating the success of last year when visitors chose to stay a while at Williton and enjoy some hot food while watching the proceedings from our lineside viewing area. This event does prevent us from working on our locomotives for one weekend, but it provides an additional attraction for the gala as well as being an important annual fund-raising opportunity for the DEPG.
From Saturday 10th May through to the end of September, the DEPG’s Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ and Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ are booked to cover 34 of the 80-mile diagrams that originate from Minehead under the BLUE timetable so we are going to be kept busy ! The YELLOW timetable in the peak of the season will also see appearances by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, fresh from the repaint that is taking place at Williton at the moment. The recent announcement of the visit by the ‘FLYING SCOTSMAN‘ is going to have an impact because several diesel-loco-hauled services will have to be moved to other dates to allow the famous loco to maximise her earning potential, but this is in the interest of the railway and we will need to flex to accommodate this. Our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page provides the information about upcoming diesel-hauled services on the WSR. Click here or on the image below for details:
Just a reminder – our two ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018 are celebrating their 50th year in preservation, with both locos being among the last four of the Class to be withdrawn from service by BR in March 1975. The WSR have kindly agreed to allocate the weekend of August 30th and 31st to showcase the ‘Hymeks’ and we hope to have both locos available for service for that mixed traction event. Please keep the date free and make plans to come along. We will announce the timetable as soon as possible, but it will be based on the BLUE timetable (not yellow as previously advised) that can be reached by clicking on the appropriate days in the WSR timetable (click here or on the graphic below):
Read more about the history of the DEPG and the long association with the ‘Hymeks’ on our ABOUT US pages.
D7017 UPDATE
The depth of affection for this loco has been demonstrated by the £16,823 that has been donated in a matter of months to cover the cost of bodywork repairs that will give the loco another lease of life to add to the 50 years she has already spent in preservation. A BIG THANK YOU goes out to the 98 people who have donated to this project, keeping it moving forward to ensure that the loco will be back in service in time for the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival (5-7th June).
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC SUPPORT !
This funding will ensure that the loco gets repaired in time to be able to take pole position in the celebration of 50 years of ‘Hymek’ preservation that will take place on 30th and 31st of August this year.
The fund will remain open until the work is completed to make sure that we have sufficient funding to cover any unexpected costs, so don’t despair if you haven’t yet donated, because we can still accept your donation !
All funds donated via this appeal will be allocated to returning D7017 to service in time for the forthcoming season. Any excess will be carried over to 2026 but still allocated to D7017.
Would you like to help ? Click here to donate £17 to D7017 !
If you want to make your contribution towards the repair work on D7017, please make a donation via our website (click on the icon above) or by bank app or by sending a cheque to the DEPG at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
The WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL will take place from Thursday 5th through Saturday 7th June with a Mixed Traction Day on Sunday 8th. The first three of the visiting locos have been announced and they are D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’, Class 45/1 ‘Peak’ 45108 and Class 50 50015 ‘Valiant’ so MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND and click on the images below to learn more. It is going to be a GREAT event !
The Bury Valiant Group’s Class 50 50015 ‘Valiant’ will be participating in the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival ! Photo by Tom McAtee © CC BY-NC 3.0
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 focus being placed on the need to get our two ‘Hymeks’ back into traffic for their 50th anniversary year has drawn resources away from D1010, but this is only temporary and the focus will swing back onto D1010 after the diesel gala so that we can get the bogies overhauled and get the loco back on her feet. Meanwhile, the underframe cleanup and the background work on the sourcing of the replacement parts continue to make their unseen progress.
The cooler group from ‘A’ end was turned to the upright position on Saturday 26th so that the work on this assembly can be completed and a hydraulic test carried out.
D1010 – the cooler group from the ‘A’ end of the loco has been turned ‘right way up’ so that work can continue towards the completion of this assembly. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th 2025 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Our appeals for MORE VOLUNTEERS are working 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. With two gala events coming up, we will be engraving the patches during the open days and will soon catch up – and hopefully attract some additional sponsorship !
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) – this loco underwent an air system exam at Bishops Lydeard on Thursday 24th April and passed with a clean sheet. This loco will be in use before and after the steam gala, being the preferred form of traction for use when loading and unloading visiting locomotives from road transport trailer ramps.
D4107 (09019) -was pictured while resting in Westridge steam shelter at Bishops Lydeard after passing her air system safety examination on Thursday 24th April 2025. Photo by Matt Higham © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco returned to Williton from Minehead on Wednesday 23rd April for planned maintenance, but was put to work on Friday 25th on a ‘Tidy Train’ that ran along the line from Norton Fitzwarren as far as Washford, then reversed, with the loco propelling from the rear.
D6566 (33048) – the driver, guard and trainee guard discuss the arrangements for the return leg of the journey where the ’33’ will be propelling the train from the rear. Pictured at Washford on Friday 25th April 2025 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
THIS LOCO WILL BE HEADING FOR THE SPA VALLEY RAILWAY for the weekend of 13th to the 15th June 2025 to participate in their ‘Cuckoo Line Gala’ event !
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is now outstationed at Minehead as the ‘duty loco’, ready and waiting to be called upon at short notice. This loco is rostered to work the first diesel loco-hauled services of the season on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May – see our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – work is proceeding on several fronts, with the WSR’s resident welder Buzz making good progress on replacing the corroded metalwork while WSR painter Harry works on sanding and preparing the loco for a full repaint. In parallel, Neil is working on the door frames and fittings while Graham tackles the cab interiors and Jeffrey tackles the roof sections.
The work on both ‘Hymeks’ is scheduled to be completed a few weeks before the diesel gala, so we are working on two parallel paths for risk mitigation.
D7017 – the newly-fabricated section of steelwork below the radiator grille has now been put in position and is being prepared for welding. Pictured at Minehead on Tuesday 22nd April 2025 by Neil McCannon © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7017 – on the other side of the loco, WSR painter Harry was hard at work with the needle gun, removing rust and old paint so that he can prepare the surface for priming and undercoat. Pictured at Minehead on Wednesday 23rd April 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco was towed (dead) back to Williton from Minehead by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) on Wednesday 23rd April after successfully completing her air receiver and air safety examinations. Some ‘yard exercise’ is planned at Williton to build further confidence before the loco goes out onto the WSR line for a test run. The loco is being fitted with datalogging so that the correct performance of the transmission can be verified and the evidence gathered in support of her release to traffic, which is not too far away now.
D7018 – volunteer Darren appeared to be using DEPG Publicity Officer Mark B as target practice when pictured using the new Ehrle cleaning machine at Williton on Saturday 26th April 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – inside the loco, volunteers Thomas and David installed the proximity sensors into the bracket that had been fabricated by Colin F and Tim for the purpose of datalogging the selected gear. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th April 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – volunteers Thomas and David were pictured inside the loco at Williton on Saturday 26th April 2025 after installing the sensors and wiring them up to the junction boxes. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the need to prepare sister D9526 for her period of occupation of the loco shed has drawn resources away from D9518 temporarily, but work continues on the electrical rewiring and on the restoration of the many component parts.
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 – work on this loco is absorbing most of the effort of the ‘Small Engine Division’ because of the need to get the loco completed and tested before the end of May. The engine work is progressing while the bodywork repairs move forward in parallel. We look forward to having this loco outshopped in pristine condition in time for her appearance at the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL 2025.
D9526 – the doors at ‘A’ end are being cleaned up internally and repainted while the headcode indicator boxes are receiving an overhaul. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th April 2025 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – at ‘B’ end, the headcode indicator boxes have also been removed. The photo shows the deteriotation of the indicator blind, which will need to be replaced. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th April 2025 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – the battery boxes have been repaired and are now receiving several coats of paint to help extend their life. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th April 2025 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and has been out and about on most days in the last three weeks because the NYMR has had to switch to a mostly diesel-hauled service in the face of an elevated lineside fire risk. Luckily, ‘NORTH STAR’ is performing well and is able to share in the increased diesel fleet workload, much to the delight of the DEPG Treasurer.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco passed her air receiver examination but with a two year restriction on her certificate, due to the effects of corrosion. This gives us helpful advance notice of the need to work out the best way of resolving the issue without affecting the appearance of the loco.
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: The sale of books, both new and pre-owned, is a valuable source on income for the DEPG and is a growth area, especially as the search engines regularly return DEPG results on the first page, greatly increasing the chances of making a sale and boosting DEPG coffers.
We are always on the lookout for donations of pre-owned books featuring any class of diesel or electric traction. We often receive mixed donations that include steam-era books as well, but we make sure that the steam titles get passed to our colleagues in other voluntary groups around the WSR, so MANY THANKS to those who have donated and if you have books to pass on, then PLEASE KEEP DONATING !
This week, we feature ‘GREEN DIESEL DAYS‘ by Derek Huntriss, but this copy is the 2005 HARDCOVER version which has superior reproduction compared to the later softcover version. This pre-owned Ian Allan booklet is offered at the excellent price of £6.50
There are many other pre-owned book titles on our online store – click here for details.
ON SHED: last week, we featured a photo that had been shared by DEPG member Andy Galpin and depicted one of the North British Type 2 Class 22 diesel-hydraulic locomotives (click here for books about these locos) approaching Didcot with the 8A44 freight working, and we asked readers for information about the origins of this service. We hit the jackpot when DEPG member and former BR Freight Sector Manager BRIAN RINGER responded with the below:
“You asked the question in the last newsletter about the “On Shed” photo of Class 22 No. 6326 entering Didcot Yard on 8A44, what was it and where had it come from? Unfortunately I don’t have a London Division WTT for 1970 but am pretty certain that when I worked in the area, 8A44 was the morning Reading West Junction Yard to Didcot Yard local trip – known locally as the “Didcot Fly”.
It worked local freight traffic to the Didcot area and in this case the first two wagons were COVHOPS destined for Associated British Maltsters at Wallingford and would be loaded with grain. The next three tank wagons will have fuel for the local fuelling and servicing point at Didcot. Beyond that the photo isn’t clear but are probably coal wagons for the local coal merchants. The Didcot Fly returned to Reading as 8A79 1535 Didcot to Reading west Junction, with a stop at Cholsey where it shunted down the Wallingford branch to the ABM grain terminal sidings.”
Many thanks to Brian for sharing this information with us all.
If you have photos that you would like to share, please let us know via contact@depg.org and we will happily include them in future editions.
This week, we jump back to Cardiff for a view of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33050 (D6568) at the head of the Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour service back in June of 1985. These locos were the dominant traction on these services after displacing the Class 31s in 1980 until they were themselves displaced by the new generation Class 155 ‘Sprinters’ in May of 1988.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33050 (D6568) was carrying the headcode ’89’ signifying that she was working the Portsmouth Harbour service when pictured at Cardiff Central Station in June of 1985. These locos were displaced from these services by Class 155 ‘Sprinters’ in May of 1988. Photo by Mike Evans © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – we are preparing for several events this year, the first being the Spring Steam Spectacular where we will have an ‘open shed’ and welcome gala visitors who have an interest in engineering and restoration in addition to steam or diesel locos. We will have a sales stand in operation with new merchandise and many other attractions and facilities such as tea,coffee and hot snacks, but all of this takes organising and we are rushed off our feet making sure that our locos are made available for booked services. CAN YOU HELP ? WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH SALES ! If you can help, please use our CONTACT FORM and let us know. Thanks in advance !
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 !