GB Railfreight Class 66 66710 ‘Karen Harrison‘ was pictured at Bishops Lydeard at the rear of the Railway 200 ‘Inspiration’ exhibition train, shortly after arrival on Wednesday 19th November 2025. The travelling exhibition will be open from Monday 24th through Saturday 29th November – tickets are required but are FREE – click here for details. Photo by Brenden Hill © CC BY-NC 4.0
The RAILWAY 200 ‘inspiration’ travelling exhibition train has arrived at Bishops Lydeard and will be open for pre-booked visitors between Monday 24th and Saturday 29th November. As an added bonus, GWR will be operating a SHUTTLE TRAIN service 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.
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
GWR Class 150 ‘Sprinter’ 150266 was pictured while departing from Bishops Lydeard on a previous Taunton shuttle duty, on Saturday 31st August 2019. Click here for details of the November 25th and 28th shuttles. Photo by Tim Edmonds © CC BY-NC 4.0
ON THE GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY …. THIS SATURDAY ….
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 was pictured at Loughborough Central Station on Saturday 15h November 2025 with the GCR’s Train Heating Boiler Van coupled behind and evidently steaming nicely. This scene will be repeated on Saturday 22nd November and the steam heat will be even more appreciated. Photo by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 4.0
Our Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 is going to be out and about on the Great Central Railway this Saturday 22nd November making 6 round trips on the line, working a charter that 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 further below OR JUST TURN UP AND PAY STEVE ON THE DAY (cash or card) 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.
Back on the WSR, 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 cold and wet weather at Williton last Saturday didn’t deter the team from their seemingly never-ending task of scraping dirt from the bogies, in fact they seemed to be quite happy doing it. Sadly, the duty photographer was not as hardy and didn’t venture out to get any photos, so apologies for that!
The photos that I did take (within striking distance from the shed doors and later in the afternoon) were of the pallets of parts that resulted from their efforts, to show how much more work will be required to clean, inspect, test and restore just this small collection of secondary suspension parts (from just one bogie !)
D1010 – the secondary coil springs and spring hangers from just one side of one bogie are enough to fill a pallet. It will take many hours of work to clean up each of these component parts and make them ready for inspection and test. Pictured at Williton on 15th November 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
D1010 – the coil springs are fitted around guides that take the form of tubes welded to baseplates that are in turn bolted to the bogie frame. The giant ‘mushrooms’ in the previous photo fit inside these guides, and the centre void is then filled with grease (crude, but it seems to have been effective). Pictured at Williton on 15th November 2025 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
Rain stopped play on the marking of more sponsored patches, which was annoying because the areas to be marked were ready and waiting. Tomorrow’s weather looks very doubtful, but hopefully we will get a good day soon. Thank you all for your patience !
Class 08 08401 (D3516) – last week, with thanks to Ian Sugden for referencing his father’s Loco Register‘ books and to Neale Long for his ‘deep dive’ into his collection of Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RTCS) ‘Railway Observers‘, we reported that this loco was converted directly from vacuum braking to air braking at BREL Swindon Works in October 1978 with no intermediate ‘dual braked’ period. This presents a challenge because the air braking equipment was installed in places where we need to re-install some of the vacuum braking equipment. Undeterred, volunteer loco manager Ian and his team have already started work on the detailed planning of how to modify the loco so that the dual-braking drawing can still be followed and the loco subsequently certified.
08401 (D3516) – it seems that another of our new volunteers has migrated towards Ian’s team – Ethan W was spotted on board our newest acquisition at Williton on Saturday 15th November 2025. In the loco lineup on No. 1 road are Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ D6566 (33048) and D6575 (33057) – plus a cameo appearance by Ian ! Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
Meanwhile, the vacuum braking equipment was retrieved from storage by Martin on Saturday, then cleaned up and checked by Ian and Ben on Sunday, then painted by Linda and Kaz on Tuesday. The results of this series of efforts are shown in the photos below:
08401 (D3516) – the vacuum brake components were retrieved from storage by Martin at Williton on Saturday 15th November 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
08401 (D3516) – the Westinghouse vacuum exhauster and motor were cleaned up and checked by Ian and Ben on Sunday 16th and were painted by Linda and Kaz on the following Tuesday. Pictured at Williton on 18th November 2025 by Linda Trott © CC BY-NC 4.0
08401 (D3516) – the mounting beam that carries the Westinghouse vacuum exhauster and motor has a hollow core that is used as the vacuum reservoir, therefore a very sensible space-saving feature. Pictured at Williton on 18th November 2025 by Linda Trott © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco will be moving to Williton tomorrow, Saturday 22nd November, so that she can receive attention to bodywork corrosion around the cab roof and bonnet. Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 will be moving to Bishops Lydeard to cover for the ’09’ – click here to view the DIESELGEN bulletin to get the details.
D4107 (09019) – this very useful dual-braked loco (air and vacuum) has been on duty at Bishops Lydeard since April and will now move to Williton to undergo bodywork repairs. Pictured at Bishops Lydeard on 19th November 2025 by Henry Reid © 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 is moving to Bishops Lydeard tomorrow, Saturday 22nd November, where she will be ‘on duty’ in support of the Christmas seasonal steam-hauled services. She may not get much use because all of the Christmas services are rostered for steam haulage this year, but the upside is that she will be under cover throughout the winter. Click here to view the DIESELGEN bulletin to get the details.
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 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 OR SIMPLY SHOW UP AND PAY STEVE ON THE DAY (cash or card) 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.
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, and volunteer Andy P made good progress on painting the battery box lids. The full team will be back on D9518 once D9526 departs for Bishops Lydeard.
D9518 – the undersides of the battery box lids were the target for volunteer Andy P at Williton on Saturday 15th November 2025. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
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). Click here to view the DIESELGEN bulletin to get the details.
In readiness for her return to service, the recently-applied cabside transfers were treated to a spray coat of varnish, which will help protect the transfers from the worst of the weather.
D9526 – careful preparations were being made by Colin G at Williton on Saturday 15th November 2025 before he applied a spray coat of varnish to the cabside transfers. Photo by Andy Royal © 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. This loco makes an appearance in the ‘On Shed’ feature later in this issue of Roundup.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco is stabled outdoors on Number 3 road at Williton and is fully serviceable, and has been used several times during the last few weeks to move locos around the yard.
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 – this week, we have received permission to share a photo that was taken at Crewe Works in late 1983 or early 1984, where our very own 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ was receiving a heavy overhaul and being converted to Electric Train Heating (ETH), to subsequently emerge as 47613.
As stated on our Loco Timeline page, her steam boiler had been isolated in February of 1982, probably as a result of a boiler failure, thereby restricting the loco to freight-only use in the colder months and reducing her overall usefulness. Luckily, the decision was taken to upgrade her to ETH, a move that guaranteed her long-term survival.
It is interesting to note that the loco had been so thoroughly disassembled, but still displayed her nameplates proudly !
This photo of 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was taken at Crewe Works some time in late 1983 or early 1984, during a heavy overhaul that resulted in the loco being upgraded to Electric Train Heating (ETH) capability and being renumbered as 47613. Photo by Peter Blunn © CC BY-NC 4.0
Many thanks to Peter Blunn and to Howard Beveridge for obtaining permission for us to share this photo.
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 in the last few weeks, with varied themes but all of great interest. Apologies for the delay in getting these new books shipped out, but they are on their way now and the backlog is clearing, so please 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.
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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.
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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: the next Board of Trustees meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 13th December. If you are a DEPG member and you have a question that you would like to put to the Board, please use our CONTACT FORM or write to us at our registered address.
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 !