Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) were bathed in winter sunlight when pictured at Westridge shelter, Bishops Lydeard on Sunday 4th January 2026. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 4.0
Happy New Year !
The news from the DEPG pales into insignificance when compared with the headlines that we have already endured this year, but the tales of our preservation pursuits are hopefully a welcome distraction, maybe even an antidote to the daily flow of ‘other’ news, so let’s start with this:
The DEPG entered the year in a very positive style, with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 hauling the ‘NIGHT RIDER‘ on the Great Central Railway with 10 coaches and BR Standard Class 5 steam loco 73156 at one end, and D7018 at the other end. This 13-coach equivalent load was then hauled the length of the line and back for four runs, starting at 7pm and ending at 1am with a lengthy horn blowing and whistling session taking place as the clock struck midnight. What a great way to see in the New Year !
Welcoming the New Year – D7018 was pictured at Leicester North on the GCR with the ‘NIGHT RIDER’ special service, evidently on the 2026 side of midnight! The loco was pictured in the glow of the red lights on the buffer stop at the GCR’s southerly terminus. Photo by Julie Tucker © CC BY-NC 4.0
Just before the end of 2025, our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was in use for a ‘DMU Drag’ with a difference, as this loco was tasked with moving a Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) vehicle from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. Here’s the background to this move:
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 hauled Class 108 DTCL 54270 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead on Monday 29th December 2025. Pictured approaching Watts Bank (just north of Bishops Lydeard) with ex-GWR ‘Toad’ brake van 68765 bringing up the rear. Photo by Philip Izzard © CC BY-NC 4.0
This severely dilapidated Class 108 vehicle was acquired by the WSR as a source of parts to assist with the return to service of a similar vehicle, DTCL 56495, that was acquired by the WSR in 2024 and has been residing at Williton ever since. The DTCL is a non-powered ‘trailer’ vehicle with a driving cab at one end and a lavatory at the other, and when in service on BR, would have had a first class section and a standard class section, making it a ‘composite’ vehicle. So, the formal description is a ‘Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory’ or a DTCL for short.
The intention is to build one good vehicle out of the two, so D9526 called in at Williton en route to Minehead and collected the so-called ‘party’ vehicle DTCL 56495 which is in much better structural condition but devoid of the internal fittings that are needed to return it to a passenger-carrying condition.
The Class 108’s are aluminium-bodied and did not contain asbestos insulation, so they have survived longer than many other classes of DMU, but both ends of the vehicle are made from steel. The photo of DTCL 54270 below shows the inevitable results of many years in open storage:
The WSR’s recently-acquired Class 108 DTCL 54270 was pictured at Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 13th December 2025 – and the severely dilapidated condition is evident. This vehicle is destined for use a source of spares to assist in the restoration of sister vehicle 56495. Photo by Malcolm Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
The WSR’s recently-acquired Class 108 DTCL 54270 – the driving cab still contains some control equipment and some gauges, but they will all need a thorough and careful restoration to make them of use for sister vehicle 56495. Pictured at Bishops Lydeard on 13th December 2025 by Malcolm Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
Below is some information that has been provided by WSR plc director Malcolm Smith:
“The ex-Mid Norfolk unit is a Class 108 DTCL number 54270 which is the same layout as 56495 (the ‘party’ carriage). It has been purchased for spares only as its body is rotten and beyond salvage, but it has some items we need from it if we are to get 56495 back into service. These are mainly the second-class seats, the lighting rail, the gangway door, the speedo drive and the bogies (which are in good condition). It also comes with a set of Formica panels for the toilet. We will keep spare glass and other items as we strip it but it is destined for the scrap man and, being aluminium, will allow us to recoup the majority of the purchase costs. The plan is to pair the restored Class 108 vehicle with the already-restored Class 117 Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) vehicle 51354 as a two car set.”
Many thanks to Malcolm for providing this information; we look forward to hearing more about this restoration project.
Class 108 DTCL 54270 – an internal view that shows the range of fittings that will be of use for the restoration of sister vehicle 56495. Pictured at Bishops Lydeard on 13th December 2025 by Malcolm Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 108 DTCL 54270 – a view of the underslung equipment that will also be transferred to sister vehicle 56495. Pictured at Bishops Lydeard on 13th December 2025 by Malcolm Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
Another unusual working ….
GWR Class 57 ‘Body Snatcher’ 57604 ‘Pendennis Castle’ (formerly D1859, 47209 before conversion) and the ‘Night Riviera’ Sleeper train – with 57312 (D1811, 47330 before conversion) at the rear – were pictured on a very foggy Sunday 21st December 2025 heading for WSR metals after passing Norton Fitzwarren junction. The working was a test run to turn the train on the Norton triangle. Photo by Peter Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
Following the visit of 57310 on Tuesday 16th December 2025 (as reported in the Weekly Roundup of 19-Dec-25) on a test run associated with a plan to use the Norton Fitzwarren triangle to turn Class 800 ‘IETs’ or ‘Flying Cucumbers’ as they are sometimes known, two more Class 57s appeared through the fog on Sunday 21st December while working GWR’s ‘Night Riviera Sleeper’ set and proceeded to turn it by running west toward Allerford (on the former Barnstaple branch) then reversing northwards via the West Chord towards Allerford Junction, then heading southeast on the Norton platform line to rejoin Network Rail metals at Barnstaple Junction (refer to the map further below).
Why ?
Throughout the last week of February and the first week of March, there will be an engineering blockade near Plymouth, where the River Plym bridge at Marsh Mills (near the A38 flyover) is being replaced. This will result in a lot of sets being stabled away from Laira, including Tavistock Junction yard (west of the blockade) and Exeter St Davids and Fairwater yard (east of the blockade). The WSR triangle at Norton Fitzwarren will be used to turn some sets, but this will be done by GBRf crews, which is why test runs are being undertaken ahead of time to ensure crews have time for familiarisation and route proving.
Many thanks to GWR for providing us with this information (via Jon Tooke).
This extract from the WSR Rule Book, Map 10 shows that the Allerford spur is all that remains of the Barnstaple branch. To see the Rule Book maps and many more, go to the wsr.org.uk website by clicking this link. Image courtesy of WSR plc © CC BY-NC 4.0
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| 57312 was pictured heading north towards Norton Road Bridge and Allerford Junction on Sunday 21st December 2025. Photo by Peter Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0 | 57604 was at the rear as the train headed north towards Allerford Junction after passing under Norton Road Bridge on Sunday 21st December 2025. Photo by Peter Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0 |
This visit of the GWR ‘Night Riviera Sleeper’ set to WSR metals may be the one and only working of its kind, so we are very grateful to Peter Smith and to Malcolm Anderson for braving the cold and foggy weather to capture these images.
GWR Class 800 ‘Flying Cucumber’ 800304 was pictured passing milepost 165 just west of Norton Fitzwarren Junction on a foggy Sunday 21st December 2025. The ‘IET‘ did not go as far as Barnstaple Junction so it did not reach WSR metals on this occasion. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 4.0
Another rare movement:
En-route from Laira to a storage facility in Ely, Cambridgeshire, former GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST power cars 43004 and 43042 were captured on video while hauling 8 coaches through Exeter St Davids on Thursday 8th January 2026. Click here or on the image below to watch the video that has been shared with us by Steve Thorneley:
Just like the old days – a 2+8 HST working from Laira (Plymouth) led by ex-GWR HST power car 43004 with 43042 at the tail was captured on video while passing through Exeter St Davids en route to Ely on Thursday 8th January 2026. Click here or on the image above to watch the video that has been shared with us by Steve Thorneley © CC BY-NC 4.0
IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2026 – the following major events have been confirmed by the WSR, and the dates for a wide range of special services have also been announced – see the WSR Events Page for details and dates.
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’– the tedious and laborious task of removing all of the paint from the relevant areas of the ‘B’ bogie continued on several days during the Christmas and New Year period, with a view to allowing the Non-Destructive Testing to take place during the coming weeks. In parallel, Colin F and Reece have been overhauling the water pumps from the ‘A’ and the ‘B’ engines and have also been preparing two of the spare pumps – it is a bit like a production line when these guys get going !
D1010 – the water pump from the ‘A’ engine (upper left) and the ‘B’ engine (lower left) are being overhauled along with two spares (on the right), both of which are quite rusty by comparison. Pictured at Williton on 3rd January 2026 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 08 08401 (D3516) – this loco is now on No 2 road outside the loco shed while Ian and his team work on the detailed planning for the conversion to dual braking. In parallel, the sourcing of the remaining few special parts is ongoing (vacuum chambers, door panels, pipework and so on).
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is currently outdoors on No. 1 road but will soon move into the loco shed and be positioned under the crane so that her Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor can be removed to give access to her main generator. This level of disassembly is necessary to allow access to the generator so that the brushgear can be cleaned and examined and new brushes fitted. While the loco is inside the shed, a few repair tasks will be undertaken in and around the cab to make her fit for another year of service before she can be stopped for a cab roof repair (which is a significant task on a loco of this type), by which time our Class 08 08401 (D3516) should be dual-braked and ready to take over as Bishops Lydeard station pilot.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is outdoors on No 1 road and is having one of her vacuum exhausters removed for overhaul. 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 based at Bishops Lydeard where she will remain ‘on duty’ and available for use if required.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled outdoors on number 1 road at Williton and is receiving some light maintenance and undergoing internal cleaning. The loco will undergo Ultrasonic Axle Testing at a date to be arranged, in preparation for some visits to other railways.
D7017 – the very low and very bright ‘wolf moon’ was pictured shining through the cab windows at Williton on the cold and clear late afternoon of Saturday 3rd January 2026. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – 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 using the loco for some charter services and also for their SPRING WEEKEND, in addition to their DIESEL GALA in April. Please do try and go along to one or more of these events to show your support for D7018 and help ensure that her visit is a big success !
Here are the running dates for D7018 on the GCR:
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more progress is being made on this loco by the combined efforts of the Tuesday and Saturday teams. The battery box covers have now been re-fitted to the loco and the wiring and pipework is progressing in parallel with the rebuilding of the engine. The following photos show the work that has been taking place:
D9518 – the battery box covers have been repaired, repainted and re-fitted to the loco, as seen in this photo taken at Williton on 23rd December 2025 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 4.0
D9518 – looking down onto the newly-fitted battery box cover. Pictured at Williton on 23rd December 2025 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 4.0
D9518 – looking through the ‘short end’ of the loco (above the transmission), the newly-fitted battery box cover can be seen on the far side of the frames. Pictured at Williton on 23rd December 2025 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 4.0
D9518 – the engine is now ready for coolant leak testing, a Schrader valve having been fitted to a blanking plate to allow the system to be pressurised for test purposes. Pictured at Williton with Terry pointing to the valve on Saturday 3rd January 2026. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now based at Bishops Lydeard where she will remain throughout the winter to cover for Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019).
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been ‘stopped’ because of an issue with her ‘triple pump’ – which is an electrical machine that is a combined water pump, oil pump and fuel pump, all driven from one big DC electric motor.
The spare triple pump at Williton was in need of an overhaul and has now been stripped down so that the motor can be sent out for reconditioning before sending it to the NYMR for installation into 47077. This work is planned for completion by the end of February.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco is stabled outdoors on Number 4 road at Williton and is fully serviceable. The loco will be started up this coming weekend and run for a while, in order to keep her in good condition and ready for use when 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 !
NEW CLOTHING RANGE:
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. Go ahead and place your orders 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. We intend to offer a Class 14 design in the coming weeks.
The range of colours has 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 |
These garments 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 a very unusual photo of a loco that evidently had a bit of a rough entry into industrial use, but has happily survived and is now being cared for on the East Lancs Railway. The loco is an example of a Class 01, a shunting loco that was built by Andrew Barclay & Sons for BR way back in 1956 !
This loco was withdrawn from BR service in May 1966 as surplus to requirements and sold to A. King & Sons of Norwich, a scrap dealer who was in the process of cutting up railway locomotives and needed a shunting loco to move them around. Luckily, the ’01’ managed to avoid being cut up itself and survived in industrial use until 1984 before entering preservation.
Many thanks to Christopher Burton for sharing his photo with us all.
Andrew Barclay Class 01 0-4-0DM shunter D2956 was pictured in Cambridge Yard in February of 1966 minus wheels (!) before being sold to A. King & Sons of Norwich in May of that year. This loco is now preserved at the East Lancs Railway. Photo by Christopher Burton © CC BY-NC 4.0
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
There are many new and pre-owned book titles on our online store – click here for details.
Do you have a space on your wall where your 2025 DEPG calendar used to be ?
ACT NOW to grab one of the last few calendars before they are all sold. In fact, the last box of DEPG 2026 A3 CALENDARS is emptying and the last copies will soon be heading out of the door, so if you haven’t ordered yours already, then NOW IS THE TIME TO PLACE YOUR ORDER!
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: there will be another training session taking place at Williton this coming Saturday (10th), where four trainee secondmen will be undergoing practical training under the close supervision of DEPG member, author and WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach. We are very grateful to John for the time and effort that he dedicates to ensuring that our trainees are well equipped for their future role on the footplate – and hopefully for their rapid progression towards becoming diesel drivers on the WSR.
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 !