Weekly Roundup – 14-Nov-25
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 will be in use at the ‘Last Hurrah’ Gala on the Great Central Railway this coming weekend 15/16th November and again on Saturday 22nd November. The unique features of the GCR allow the re-creation of authentic BR-era scenes such as the above, pictured at Swithland Sidings on Tuesday 28th October 2025 by Cameron Walker © CC BY-NC 4.0
Our Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 is going to be out and about on the Great Central Railway throughout this coming weekend as a participant in their ‘Last Hurrah’ mixed-traction gala event, along with visiting Class 27 D5370 (27024) and the GCR Home fleet. The GCR are making the most of D7018 as she will be working again on Saturday 22nd November making 6 round trips on the line, and also participating in their ‘Nightrider’ event on New Year’s Eve. The loco will be staying in Leicestershire until the end of April 2026 so that she can participate in their Spring Diesel Gala, so her ‘Maybach Music’ will be playing to many more audiences – and will no doubt captivate them and leave them all wanting more !
Back at home on the WSR, the RAILWAY 200 ‘inspiration’ travelling exhibition train is visiting Bishops Lydeard between Monday 24th and Saturday 29th November and a SHUTTLE TRAIN service will be running between Taunton Station and Bishops Lydeard Station on Tuesday 25th and again on Friday 28th November – but only for use by passengers with tickets for the Exhibition Train – and more good news, the TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ARE FREE !
Here’s an extract from the WSR’s events page that gives more details:
Inspiration is a static, interactive exhibition train on a 60-stop year-long tour of Britain for Railway 200, the national celebration marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway. It brings the story of Britain’s railways – its past, present and future – to life through immersive displays, personal stories and hands on exhibits.
Inspiration is for everyone, and is fully accessible. Inspiration is designed to engage people of all ages. Curated by the Railway 200 Team and the National Railway Museum, Inspiration features interactive displays throughout four carriages each offering a unique experience.
Click here to visit the WSR’s ‘Inspiration‘ event page and get more details. The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust (WSRHT) will be manning their museum at Bishops Lydeard and operating their MODEL RAILWAY for the benefit of ‘Inspiration‘ ticket holders, so BOOK YOUR FREE TICKETS NOW to avoid disappointment.
What is ‘Inspiration’ ? – watch this YouTube video by clicking here or on the image below:
Inspiration, Railway 200’s Travelling Exhibition Train is visiting Bishops Lydeard at the West Somerset Railway between 24th & 29th November 2025. Video by Railway 200 © CC BY-NC 4.0
Dare it be mentioned, but the Christmas Specials will be starting on Saturday 29th November, the kick-off being the MINEHEAD STATION CHRISTMAS MARKET SPECIAL that departs from Bishops Lydeard at 10:30 on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th, returning from Minehead at 15:00 each day. The graphic below has been borrowed from the WSR’s Facebook page and gives a quick indication of some of the other specials that are on offer. Click here or on the graphic below to go to the WSR’s Christmas Events page:
Click here to go to the WSR’s Timetable page then click on the day of interest then click VIEW TIMETABLE.
All of the Christmas Specials are rostered for steam haulage, but keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN bulletin service for advance notification of unplanned or diesel-assisted services.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2026 – we can now advise that the following events have been confirmed by the WSR, with more details to follow as soon as hire contracts have been finalised.
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’– the weather at Williton turned out to be quite nice last weekend, allowing the team to complete the removal of the secondary springs from the ‘A’ bogie while clean-up work progressed on the ‘B’ bogie.
A welcome boost to morale was the delivery of the refurbished and tested springs, comprising all 12 primary leaf springs (6 per bogie, fully refurbished and each fitted with a new buckle) plus eight secondary coil springs (from the ‘B’ bogie, tested OK) and the two giant secondary leaf springs from the ‘B’ bogie, which were also (thankfully) fit for further use without needing repair. MANY THANKS to OWEN SPRINGS of Rotherham for doing such a fine job on these springs.
D1010 – the reconditioned primary springs (centre pallet) and the tested secondary springs (left and right hand pallets) have been delivered to Williton. Pictured with Class 33 D6575 (33057) in the background on 8th November 2025 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 4.0
D1010 – the full set of 12 primary springs (for both bogies) have been fully disassembled, reconditioned and then fitted with new buckles, an excellent service provided by OWEN SPRINGS of Rotherham. Pictured at Williton on 8th November 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
D1010 – the ‘B’ bogie is getting the ‘Ian F’ treatment in preparation for the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) that needs to be carried out on the bogie frame before the springs can go back in. Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) provides the backdrop at Williton on 8th November 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
D1010 – meanwhile, the ‘A’ bogie was finally separated from it’s secondary springs after a massive effort that had spanned several weeks! Team member Glenn was cleaning up around the coil spring guides when surprised by the photographer at Williton on 8th November 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
D1010 – the ‘A’ bogie with her centre wheelset exposed, now ready for the cleanup to begin. Pictured at Williton on 8th November 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
D1010 – the two massive secondary leaf springs from the ‘A’ bogie were finally extracted and now await cleaning, inspection and testing. Each spring carries one quarter of the weight of the loco body, therefore 19 tons ! Pictured at Williton on 8th November 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
We also made progress on the marking of a new batch of sponsored patches, with four separate areas marked out in a grid pattern and made ready for engraving. The drawings are also being updated to include these new patch areas and this will allow us to generate the certificates as part of the catch-up batch that we are currently working on. Thank you all for your patience !
D1010 – Barry was busy measuring and marking up the grid that will be used as a guide when engraving the names and messages from the sponsors. To sponsor a patch on D1010, please CLICK THIS LINK. Pictured at Williton on 8th November 2025 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – outstationed at Bishops Lydeard in support of WSR operations. This loco will move to Williton at the end of the operating season so that the most urgent of the bodywork repairs that were started last winter can be continued. Class 14 D9526 will be moving to Bishops Lydeard to cover for the ’09’.
Class 08 08401 (D3516) – last week, we asked if anyone knew where and when this loco had been converted from vacuum braking to air braking and we received several replies that confirmed the place was BREL Swindon Works and the date of outshopping was 7th October 1978.
MANY THANKS to Ian Sugden, Keith Fender and Neale Long for providing us with this information !
Ian’s father, the late Alan Sugden, was the author of the Loco Register books that were published by Platform 5 in the past and Ian now holds the files that contain such detail. Many thanks to Keith for acting as go-between and for obtaining this week’s ‘ON SHED’ photo of 08401 (D3516) and sister 08444 (D3559) from Ian to share with us all. See the updated TIMELINE page for this loco by clicking here.
08401 (D3516) – this loco is now stabled on No 1 road at Williton and will undergo conversion from air braking to dual braking (air and vacuum) during the coming months. The updated timeline of her working life can be found by following this link. Pictured at Williton on 8th November 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Williton so that her planned maintenance work can be continued while outdoors. When the shed is available, she will move indoors so that her leaking engine room roof can be removed and repaired.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco underwent an oil change last Saturday and also had a new set of engine oil filters, which should keep her engine in good shape for another three or four years. The cost of buying the new oil and filters and disposing of the old oil and the contaminated filters is around £2,000 in total, so we only do the oil change when the periodic oil sample reports tell us that it is necessary. This is the same practice that has been used on mainline diesels since the 1970s and saves a lot of waste, while also flagging up the first signs of engine issues such as coolant leaking into the oil or unburnt fuel that ends up diluting the oil. The old adage ‘a stitch in time saves nine‘ is absolutely right in this case.
This loco will soon be moving to Bishops Lydeard where she will remain ‘on duty’ and under cover throughout the winter.
D6575 (33057) – this loco underwent an engine oil change at Williton on Saturday 8th November 2025, the first phase of which was to pump the 400+ litres of life-expired engine oil into the waste oil container alongside the loco, for subsequent removal and recycling. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled on number 1 road at Williton and will undergo some light maintenance work before being ‘winterised’ later this month.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – as mentioned previously, this loco is currently based at Loughborough on the Great Central Railway and will remain there until the end of April 2026. The GCR will be making good use of the loco while she is in their hands, with local support being provided by DEPG Treasurer Paul Tucker, who happens to live very near to where the loco is stabled, and from DEPG Chairman Martin Howard, who will also be in attendance for the run on the 22nd.
Here are the running dates:
| Day and Date | Event | Notes |
| Saturday 15th November | The ‘Last Hurrah’ gala | Link to the ‘Last Hurrah’ GCR page |
| Sunday 16th November | The ‘Last Hurrah’ gala | Link to the ‘Last Hurrah’ GCR page |
| Saturday 22nd November | Steve Fulcher’s charter | email fulch40@hotmail.com |
| Wednesday 31st December | The ‘Nightrider’ | Link to the ‘Nightrider’ GCR page |
| April 2026 | Spring Diesel Gala | Contact the GCR for more info |
On Saturday 22nd November, a charter has been organised by DTG and DEPG member STEVE FULCHER. Here are the details (D7018 services show as ‘Loco D2‘ and are highlighted in yellow), please contact Steve directly using the details below if you would like to ride on this special train. WELL DONE STEVE for arranging this. PLEASE DO TRY AND SUPPORT THIS EVENT because that is the way to ensure that this will be the first of many such ‘Hymek’ charters on this and other lines!
Steve has advised that the Griddle Car will be included in the train and will be open all day, and will offer CURRY in the evening, so if you were in two minds about going along, then this should clinch it. GET ON THE PHONE to Steve or email him and book your ticket now !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued on the electrical system re-wire and on the rebuild of the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine that last served in sister loco D9526. The need to prepare sister loco D9526 for service took some of the resources away temporarily, but the team will be back on D9518 once D9526 departs for Bishops Lydeard.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco will be working a ‘Tidy Train’ on Saturday 22nd November, starting at Williton but ending her day at Bishops Lydeard where she will remain throughout the winter to cover for Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019). Last weekend, a modification was applied to D9526 to allow her coolant level to be topped up without having to climb onto the loco bonnet. This modification involved adding a hose connection, a gate valve and a non-return valve to the existing cooling system pipework to allow a top-up to take place using a standard carriage hose when at the platform. A much safer way of working !
D9526 – the coolant top-up modification was assembled on the bench before being fitted to the loco. The hose filler connection is the same as that used for coaching stock. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 8th November 2025 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
D9526 – the coolant top-up modification was fitted inside the engine compartment of the loco at Williton on Saturday 8th November 2025. This allows the cooling system to be topped-up when at the platform by simply opening one of the engine bay access doors and connecting a standard carriage water hose. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco continues to be based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and we hope that she will be rostered to assist with some of the Christmas Specials, to help keep her in good operating condition.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco is stabled outdoors on Number 3 road at Williton and is fully serviceable.
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 !
NEW CLOTHING RANGE:
Good news – we believe that our supplier is now up to date with deliveries, so if you think otherwise then please get in touch with us by using our CONTACT FORM. So, now is the time to place your NEW order via our ONLINE STORE, just click this link to give it a go !
So far, we have launched the 50 YEARS of HYMEKS range and a configurable HYMEK and WESTERN range, and we now have the new design for the Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ featuring two locos side by side, one in green livery and the other in blue, or both in blue. Please let us know if you would like to order a combination that is not obvious on our online store – we are adding more options on a weekly basis.
New design for the DEPG Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. Click here to place your order !
We hope to have a new design for the Class 14 ‘Teddy Bears’ soon. Here’s a review of what is on offer and available to order NOW via our website:
The range of colours has now been expanded and the range of sizes now includes LADIES SIZES. Please let us know via our CONTACT FORM if the colour and size combination that you want is not showing as an option online.
The new designs are available in the following garment types, some of which have not yet been added to our website, so again please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you want. Here are the prices:
| Garment type | Price |
| T shirt | £22 |
| Polo shirt | £25 |
| Sweatshirt | £35 |
| Hoodie | £37 |
| Fleece | £40 |
| Other ? Tell us what you want ! | Use our CONTACT FORM |
Although the prices of the new range are higher than before, the prices are competitive and are in line with the quality of the garments. These are really nice pieces of work and the ability to personalise your choice is another definite advantage.
We look forward to receiving your order, the profits from which will directly support the DEPG !
ON SHED – as mentioned previously, this week we have a fine shot of two Class 08 shunters that have both made it safely into preservation and are both currently serviceable, 08401 (D3516) having joined the DEPG fleet in October 2025 and 08444 (D3559) having been based at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in Cornwall since 1987.
Both were built at Derby Works in 1958 and were allocated to Doncaster (36A) at the time of the below photograph before heading in different directions, one east, one west. However, both are now together again in the West Country, and their future is assured.
This photo of 08401 (D3516) and sister 08444 (D3559) was taken at Doncaster Works on Saturday 22nd October 1977. Both 1958-vintage locos survive in preservation today. Photo by Ian Sugden © CC BY-NC 4.0
Many thanks to Ian for sharing this photo with us all.
Please continue to send in your photos of locos on shed, at the platform or in action, because we appreciate them all, any Class, any place, any time, the more varied, the better. Use our CONTACT FORM to get in touch. Thanks !
NEW BOOKS ON SALE
Not one but THREE new books were added to our online store last week, with varied themes but all of great interest. The new Platform 5 books are arriving tomorrow and will be shipped out over the weekend, so GO AHEAD AND PLACE YOUR ORDERS via the DEPG online store now !
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Part 1 of a 3-part series by Bernard Mills, this new book is sure to be a big success. Click here to place your order (for shipment in mid-November).
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Volume 2 of a 3-volume series by Michael Rhodes, this new book is going to be of great interest to many readers. Click here to place your order (for shipment in mid-November).
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A rugged A5 wirebound booklet that will be essential reading for operators and crew of the popular Class 33 ‘Cromptons’, this book will also be of value to those with a broader technical interest. Click here to order your copy. |
There are many other new and pre-owned book titles on our online store – click here for details.
The DEPG 2026 A3 CALENDAR is available for sale and the recent uptick in shipments has prompted us to include it in the roundup ! Click here or on the following image to see a mini-presentation that steps through each page and gives the flavour of the contents. MANY THANKS to all of the photographers who donated their work for the benefit of the DEPG !
DEPG NEWS: our Publicity Officer Mark Bladwell has been busy again, this time producing another edition of the DEPG Quarterly Newsletter, right on time as usual!
This 32-page edition has been sent out to all DEPG members who were on the membership register on 3rd November, either by mail or email according to the preferences set in your membership account. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you are a member but haven’t received your copy one way or another. Not a member ? Then click here to sign up to become a member or to re-join!
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 !