Weekly Roundup – 11-May-25
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 has returned to service after passing her tests and trials with flying colours – including the hauling of an 11-coach equivalent load (see below for details). Pictured on Saturday 10th May 2025 when departing from Williton with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) for company. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
GREAT NEWS FROM WILLITON: Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 has returned to service after completing a 40-mile test run during which she hauled an equivalent 11-coach load from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead without assistance from the two Class 33s in the consist. This had not been planned, but came about because D7018 missed her departure slot from Williton due to a Serck system oil leak (which was quickly rectified) and departed for Bishops Lydeard in the next available path, which was 90 minutes later.
A very unusual sight at Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 10th May 2025: Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and her travelling companion D6566 (33048) were attached on the front of the service train which was being hauled by D6575 (33057). The trailing load on the ‘Hymek’ was equivalent to 11 coaches. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
To avoid having to wait for a return path at Bishops Lydeard, the ‘Hymek’ and her ‘insurance’ companion Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) were attached to the front of the 12:25 service train which comprised Class 33 D6575 (33057) plus six Mark 1 coaches. As the ’33s’ were not providing power, the consist was the equivalent of an 11-coach trailing load, all of which was hauled through to Minehead by a rather hot ‘Hymek’, with the engine sounding sweet and the transmission performing exactly as it should. A GREAT RESULT !
On departure from Williton, ‘Hymek’ D7018 can be seen at the head of the consist with D6566 (33048) following and D6575 (33057) next in line. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
On the climb from Bishops Lydeard to Crowcombe Heathfield, D7018 accelerated her train to line speed with the transmission changing between first and second gear according to the gradient, exactly as expected. On one occasion where the gradient eased and power was backed off, third gear was engaged automatically, dropping down to second then first when power was re-applied (as it should). The entire test run was recorded on a data logger that had been rigged up for the purpose of analysis, and for evidence of correct function.
The zoomed-out data shows D7018‘s complete loaded test run from Bishops Lydeard (BL) through Crowcombe Heathfield (CH) and on to Minehead (MD). The yellow block is the engine speed data which gives precise engine RPM when zoomed in. The green blocks record the motion of the locomotive, again in precise detail. Recorded on a borrowed Saleae Logic Pro 8 on Saturday 10th May 2025. DEPG © CC BY-NC 3.0
The team were gathered (reluctantly) for a victory photo when back at base with D7018 secured, shut down and cooling, after her exploits. MANY THANKS and CONGRATULATIONS to (L-R) Neil, Colin F, Bob Clegg and to Transmission Team members Geoff and Tim, for their contribution to this success. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 is back in action again on Saturday 17th May 2025, hauling the QUANTOCK BELLE dining train on a PRIVATE CHARTER with a 66-mile diagram, starting at Bishops Lydeard just after midday. See our DIESELGEN bulletin for details.
DIESEL RUNNING ON THE WSR
Our Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be working the Minehead diagram of the BLUE timetable on Saturday 17th and again on Sunday 18th May, offering 80 miles of diesel loco haulage per day.
From now until 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 have stepped aside 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.
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 four visiting locos have been announced and they are D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’, Class 45/1 ‘Peak’ 45108, Class 50 50015 ‘Valiant’ and Class 25 D7535 (25185) so MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND and click on the images below to learn more. It is going to be a GREAT event !
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TIMETABLE LINKS – click on the below links to open a timetable pdf (check the WSR’s website for the latest information):
Click here or on the image below to find out about BRAKE VAN RIDES in the Heritage Freight Train
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’ – work has resumed on the internal clean up that will allow the painters to carry out an internal paintwork refresh – a task that is a lot easier to do while the engines are out of the loco. Meanwhile, Ian F continued his work on the bodyside filling, sanding and painting, in his usual quiet and diligent style. When the loco is back in service, he will deservedly take pride in the knowledge that he painted the complete loco from end to end.
This loco will be open to visitors on all four days of the forthcoming SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL event and will be a popular attraction, being mounted on stands at the north end of our yard. This provides a unique viewing opportunity, and we will have volunteers on hand to explain the design of the underframe and the stressed skin construction, features that would not normally be apparent during a ‘conventional’ viewing. D1010‘s two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines will also be on display, along with a transmission and a cooler group and one of her bogies. NOT TO BE MISSED !
D1010 – volunteer Jason tackles the cleanup of the transmission bay at the ‘A’ end of the locomotive. On a sunny day, it gets very hot and uncomfortable inside the loco, and the tarpaulin covering the cooler group opening makes it ten times worse. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – while taking a break from the heat, volunteer Ethan R checks out the driver’s seat and declares his intention to learn to drive this very loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the bodywork is getting better and better, thanks to the effort being put in at Williton by volunteer Ian F. Pictured on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © 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 a major gala event 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) – outstationed at Bishops Lydeard in support of WSR operations.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco will be in use on a ‘Tidy Train’ on Friday 16th May and will then remain at Bishops Lydeard so that she can be positioned over the pit to allow scheduled maintenance to take place over the weekend.
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 worked the first diesel loco-hauled services of the season on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May and will be back in action on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May – see our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the welding work is approaching completion, with all of the major repairs done, but there is a list of localised repairs that are needed at the corners of the loco and at the bottom edges of the cab fronts, the usual places where rainwater gets trapped and corrosion can take hold. The bodyside valances are being cleaned up and prepared for re-fitting to the loco, and it will soon be time to apply a coat of primer and start to build up the paint layers again. We are still hopeful of getting this loco completed in time for the gala.
D7017 – the lower skins of the cab fronts are rust traps on most loco types, and the ‘Hymeks’ are no exception. The corroded metal will be cut out and new steel welded in. Pictured at Minehead on Tuesday 5th May 2025 by Neil McCannon © CC BY-NC 3.0
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| Above: The corner valances need localised repair | Above: Harry at work on a bodyside valance section |
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Above: the repairs around the former boiler room door have now been completed. |
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D7017 – work proceeds apace at Minehead, as evidenced by these photos, all taken on Tuesday 5th May 2025 by Neil McCannon © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – already covered, this loco will be in use on Saturday 17th May on a charter special, after which she will return to Williton.
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 continues on multiple fronts to get this loco ready for her planned appearances at the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL 2025. The engine work has now been completed and the next step is to re-assemble the air intake bellows and refit it to the turbocharger (see photos below). The bodywork repairs are progressing well, with the new steel side sheets being installed, so that the repaired and repainted battery boxes can be re-fitted to the loco. There is a lot more to do, but the pace of progress is very encouraging. Well done Team !
D9526 – Terry is showing us the leather bellows that connects the air intake to the turbocharger. This was literally ‘coming apart at the seams’ but has now been repaired and needs to be reassembled with the internal stiffening box and the clamping plates. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – the clamp plates and stiffening boxes are laid out on the bench with a very old spare part on the far left (which uses internal stiffening rods, rather than the stiffening box approach). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – the cab roof section, nicely restored. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – the Paxman 6YJXL engine is being put back together ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – the Paxman 6YJXL cylinder heads and rockers covers are back on. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9526 – it is definitely a team effort. At Williton on Saturday 10th May 2025, Terry was working on the engine with assistance from Thomas, while Colin G was attending to the bodywork, a parallel path approach that also gains support from Andy P and the ‘Tuesday Team’. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and has been out and about on most days in the last six weeks because the NYMR has had to switch to a diesel-hauled service in the face of an elevated lineside fire risk. Luckily, ‘NORTH STAR’ is performing very well and playing her part in sharing the diesel fleet workload.
47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was pictured approaching Levisham on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Monday 5th May while piloting resident Class 37 37264 (D6964). The ’47’ was on a positioning move. Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0
47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ arriving at Levisham on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Monday 5th May with Class 37 37264 (D6964) behind and with the marvellous NER Autocar number 3170 alongside. Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco is available for service as required.
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 feature a NEW BOOK entitled ABSOLUTELY WESTERNS and published last week (Friday 9th May 2025) by Totem Publishing and compiled by Roger Geach from photos taken by the late Peter Crawley. Here’s the publisher’s write up on their newest book:
“The Western Region’s mighty Class 52 locomotives left an enduring legacy, captivating rail enthusiasts across the country. In ‘Absolutely Westerns’, the late Peter Crawley’s passion for these legendary machines is brought to life through his rare and evocative photographs.
Compiled and expanded with detailed captions and additional research, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into the final years of the Westerns, from their workings on the Swansea to Leeds service to memorable moments at Plymouth, Reading, and Dawlish. Featuring insights into the excursions and railtours of the era, this is an essential read for those who fondly remember the Westerns and the golden age of British Rail.
A long-awaited publication, this book stands as a fitting tribute to Peter Crawley and the enthusiasts who dedicated themselves to documenting these iconic locomotives.”
Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, supporting the restoration of D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’.
There are many other new and pre-owned book titles on our online store – click here for details.
ON SHED: last week, we featured a photo by Andy Galpin of a North British Locomotive Company (NBL) Class 43 ‘Warship’ passing Didcot at speed, and we asked if anyone could provide the detail as to which service the ‘Warship’ was operating. Here is the response that we received from regular contributor NEALE LONG:
“Lovely image by Andy Galpin of D853 ‘THRUSTER’ at Didcot on a passenger working 1A37. Well, I was aware that the working was likely to be a Hereford/Worcester-Paddington service, a frequent working for a NBL Class 43 towards the end of their working days, but what I couldn’t pin down was the actual working itself. So, in such circumstances, I turn to an old friend of mine, the noted diesel-hydraulic historian and DTG member Mr Mark Alden. Mark was very kindly able to confirm that 1A37 was the 1215 Worcester-Paddington. My thanks of course to Mark for providing the requisite information as he so often does.”
The next day, Andy was on the platform at Reading General Station where he was able to photograph another NBL Class 43 ‘Warship’ this time maroon-liveried D834 ‘PATHFINDER’ which was working the 1A19 service towards London Paddington (and yes, if you know what the 1A19 service was, please tell us!).
Also in the picture is a vintage (1939 style) Southern Region Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) at the ‘new’ platform that was constructed in 1965 to allow the former Reading Southern railway station to be closed and all services concentrated at Reading General. The EMU could be a ‘HAL’ or a ‘SUB’, it is hard to say, and the headcode seems to be ’35’ which would fit because that would be the Reading General to Waterloo via Richmond service. Please let us know if you have more detailed information.
Many thanks to Andy for sharing his photos with us all, and thanks to Neale and Mark for the information that they have provided.
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.
North British Class 43 ‘Warship’ 834 ‘PATHFINDER’ was pictured at Reading General on 14th August 1970 while working the 1A19 service to Paddington. Alongside is a 1939-vintage Electric Multiple Unit (possibly a HAL or a SUB ?) carrying the headcode 35 on the Reading to Waterloo via Richmond service. Photo by Andy Galpin © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS – after the success of the WSR’s Spring Steam Spectacular where we opened our yard and shed to welcome the gala visitors on each of the four days of the event, we are now preparing for our next major event which will be the SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL where we will again be open to the public for the three gala days and also for the mixed traction Sunday.
The very popular model railway trader ROD SAUNDERS will have his sales stand in our shed at Williton and we will also have our own sales stand in operation with new merchandise and many other attractions and facilities such as tea, coffee and hot food, but all of this takes organising and we will be short of ‘boots on the ground’ because so many of our volunteers will be crewing locos. We need help to prepare our locos including such basic but essential activities as WASHING AND POLISHING !
In fact, we need to replicate steam loco practice and create a CLEANING GANG of volunteers who can meet at the yard during the week, and concentrate on washing, cleaning, painting and polishing, so that we can achieve standards of presentation that are equivalent to those of the steam locos that operate on the WSR. Four or five NEW volunteers would be perfect, ideally on Tuesdays to get started, but any day of the week after training and familiarisation has been completed.
CAN YOU HELP ? 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 !
