Weekly Roundup – 13-Feb-26
D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was pictured at Treherbert, at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley in South Wales, while running around the RPPR “WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF” railtour on Sunday 13th of February 1977. Photo by the late Tony Gale © CC BY-NC 4.0
Today is the 49th anniversary of the “WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF” railtour that ran from Paddington to Aberdare, Merthyr and Treherbert at the heads of the valleys of South Wales with our very own D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ doing the heavy hauling. The railtour route was via Gloucester to Cardiff then to Pontypridd and then to the very end of three of the valley lines, reversing at Pontypridd each time.
The “relief” ran a week before the main tour because of the very high demand for tickets, and both tours were a sell-out. Although booked to work both railtours, D1010 developed a fault on the outbound leg of the second run and was substituted when she reached Cardiff, so the ‘relief’ was to be her last successful railtour and literally the ‘high spot’ of her 14-year working life.
The photo shows the loco running around her 10-coach train just beyond Treherbert station, at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley and 1000 feet (302m) above sea level. With railtour participants and spectators so close to a moving loco, it also reminds us of a time when the enforcement of rules was ‘flexible’ according to the circumstances !
Many thanks to Roger Geach for sharing Tony’s photo with us all.
Back to the future, here’s a reminder that Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 is going to feature in a special program of running on the weekend of 28/29 March to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the re-opening of the Minehead branch. After closure of the branch by BR in January 1971, the first public services under the auspices of the WSR ran on Saturday 28th March 1976, initially from Minehead to Blue Anchor, then extending to Williton in the summer and then to Stogumber, finally reaching Bishops Lydeard in 1977.
Click here to go to wsr.org.uk to browse the photos from that first year.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the re-opening, long-term WSR resident Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be in use on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March 2026 and will be working alongside home fleet steam locos to both kick-off the 2026 season and to commemorate the hard work and dedication of all those who made the re-opening possible, 50 years ago. Click here or on the image below for more details of this anniversary weekend.
As covered in the roundup last week, five of our diesels celebrate their 65th anniversaries this year, so the WSR have arranged a DIESELS AT 65 event that will take place on the three days of the August Bank Holiday weekend, where an enhanced timetable will provide interesting haulage opportunities featuring Classes 09, 33 and 35. The details are being worked out now, but meanwhile, KEEP THESE DATES FREE in your diaries and make a plan to attend to enjoy a great weekend of 65-year-old ‘modern traction’ !
Here’s the Facebook posting that was published by the WSR earlier this week:
The DIESELS at 65 event adds to the KEY DATES FOR 2026, some of which covered in the graphic below. The WSR’s EVENTS and EXPERIENCES web page gives details on some of these events, and will be expanding soon to include the recently-announced events. Click here or on the graphic below to go to the WSR Calendar Page for details and dates.
SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL
The WSR have announced another visitor from the Wensleydale Railway in the form of Class 47 47714 (D1955, 47511), wearing the striking ‘Rail Express Systems (RES)‘ livery. This loco was built by Brush Traction at Loughborough and was one of later deliveries, entering service as D1955 in November 1966 and allocated to the ‘Western Lines’ pool of the London Midland Region (LMR). The loco became 47511 after conversion to Electric Train Heating (ETH) in March 1974 and was selected for conversion to push-pull operation, becoming 47714 in March 1985. While our own Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ is away at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, it will be great to have a ‘47‘ back at work on the WSR and this loco will no doubt be very popular.
Previously-announced Class 37 37250 (D6950) is another crowd-pleaser and will definitely help swell the crowds and make the event even more enjoyable than usual.
DEPG locos of classes 08, 09, 14, 33 and 35 will also be in use and Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ will be open to visitors at Williton Yard, along with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 and Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1).
The DEPG depot at Williton will be open to the public and will be offering hot drinks and snacks from the ever-popular ‘Irie 7’ team, together with a seated viewing area, Rod’s Model Railways sales stand and the DEPG merchandise stand, plus cab visits to locos on shed and depot tours. NOT TO BE MISSED !
Click here or on the image below to go to the WSR’s event page:
Our popular DIESEL RUNNING DATES page is in the process of being updated to cover the planned diesel-hauled services for 2026, but it will take a little longer to define the loco allocations. Meanwhile, the basic framework is there and the loco allocations will be added as soon as the information has been confirmed by the WSR. There is a lot of diesel running planned for the WSR this year. Click here or on the image below to take a look:
08401 (D3516) Dual Braking Conversion Project – UPDATE
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
As covered in previous roundups, the DEPG have launched an appeal for donations toward the estimated £5,200 cost of converting recently-acquired Class 08 shunter 08401 (D3516) from air brake to dual brake by the restoration of the vacuum brake equipment that was originally fitted to the loco when built at Derby Works in 1958.
In addition to funds being raised via the popular fundraising site Gofundme, donations have also been received via our online store, via our membership app ‘Membermojo’ and directly into the DEPG bank account. The balances of these four fundraising channels have been totalled up and are as follows:
| Donations via | Donation amount | Gift Aid |
| Gofundme | £1,450 | £208 |
| DEPG online store | £290 | £60 |
| Membermojo | £250 | £62 |
| Direct to bank | £732 | £183 |
| TOTALS | £2,722 | £513 |
| COMBINED TOTAL |
£3,235 |
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Donations to the 08401 Dual Braking Conversion Project, as at 13th February 2026
THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who have donated to this cause !
This is EXCELLENT NEWS for 08401 and will help us get the work done in the shortest possible time and help to get this loco into service on the WSR. This loco has never been used for passenger haulage, so 2026 could be a big year for 08401 !
As stated previously, we have a ‘mystery benefactor’ waiting in the wings with a pledge for match-funding that will double the value of all donations towards this cause. As a charity, the DEPG is also able to claim Gift Aid that will add another 25% to the value of donations, where the donor is a taxpayer and agrees to allow the DEPG to claim Gift Aid. It all adds up, so please help if you can and click here or on the image below or further below, thank you very much !
For those who prefer to donate directly, rather than via Gofundme, we have set up several donation ‘products’ on our online store. Click here or on the image below to go to the 08401 donations page:
If you prefer to use online banking, the DEPG bank details are as follows (note – please email contact@depg.org after making Gift Aid donations via online banking, so that we can properly identify your donations):
Sort Code: 09-01-54 Account Number: 79983488
Account name: THE DIESEL AND ELECTRIC PRESERVATION GROUP LIMITED
Click here to visit the 08401 (D3516) dual-braking project page
As the DEPG is a registered charity, any donations made to a defined cause are applied only to that cause, so your donation will make a difference to the project of your choice. Thank you very much !
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – taking a short break from the rather tedious task of cleaning and prepping the ‘B’ bogie, attention shifted to gathering the last batch of cardan shafts from the ‘A’ end of the loco and placing them on a pallet for collection by the transport that was returning the shafts from the ‘B’ end after refurbishment.
These large and heavy shafts are originals from BR days and are in the need of some work to bring them back into serviceable condition. The work has turned out to be more expensive than anticipated due to the ‘special’ features of these obsolete shafts, but the revised restoration fund data that was included in the most recent DEPG Newsletter (No. 72) has been updated to reflect the high costs.
The fact that these shafts can be refurbished after all this time is a tribute to the quality of the originals !
D1010 – Four cardan shafts from the ‘A’ end of the loco were made ready for sending out for refurbishment. From left to right, the engine-to-transmission shaft, the centre-axle-to-trailing-axle shaft, the centre-axle-to-intermediate-gearbox shaft and the intermediate-gearbox-to-leading-axle shaft. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 10th February 2026 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 08 08401 (D3516) – this loco is stabled in the South Yard at Williton and is available for use (in air brake mode) for any shunting duties that might be required. Meanwhile, design work is taking place to draw up the new pipework that is needed to reinstate the vacuum brake system, and the additional electrical control equipment is being assembled and made ready for installation.
08401 (D3516) – the additional electrical switchgear needed for the dual-brake conversion is being assembled and wired up by Ian R and his team. The contactors for the exhauster and the exhauster speed-up circuits were pictured at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 4.0
08401 (D3516) – the panels that form the housing in which the exhauster will be mounted have been acquired from a scrapped loco and are in the process of being restored to their former glory. DEPG volunteer Roy was busy with the primer when pictured at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is getting priority attention so that she can be returned to duty at Bishops Lydeard in time for the start of the 2026 running season (late March). The cab floor needs some further work to replace the rotted plywood layer but the more invasive task of repairing the cab roof will need to wait until 08401 (D3516) is dual-braked and able to take over from the ’09’ so that this loco can then be taken out of service for a complete cab and roof overhaul. Meanwhile, Ian R and his team are working their way through the list of maintenance tasks and making good progress.
D4107 (09019) – nice and dry inside the loco shed, this loco was receiving further attention to her rotted cab floor when pictured at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is outdoors on No 1 road and is next in line to enter the loco shed so that her leaking engine room roof can be removed and repaired. While in the shed, several other maintenance tasks will be carried out, including the removal and replacement of one of her two vacuum exhausters.
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 where she is exposed to the vagaries of the Great British weather. During a short lull in the almost-continuous rainfall last Saturday 7th February, Neil and JT managed to get a tarpaulin secured over the cooler group fan aperture in an effort to reduce the amount of water that is accumulating on the loco deckplate. Typically, the amount of rain has reduced since this task was completed, but we can be fairly sure that there will be more rain to come, so the effort will not have been wasted !
D7017 – a tarpaulin has been placed over the cooler group fan aperture to reduce the amount of water entering the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
D7017 – some baling out was required and Neil was the man on the job at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
D7017 – winter maintenance included the replacement of the flexible hoses that connect the CO2 fire extinguisher cylinders to the distribution pipework. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is currently under cover at Swithland on the Great Central Railway and will remain there until called into action at the end of February. The GCR will be using the loco for some charter services and also for their SPRING WEEKEND (although this is not yet showing on the GCR website), 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:
We have also been made aware that dates have been announced for DRIVER EXPERIENCE opportunities on the GCR – click here or on the image below to go to the GCR website. The initial batch of places were sold very quickly, but let them know if you are interested and they may be able to set up another opportunity.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the two teams (Saturday and Tuesday) are working in parallel to keep the work on this loco moving along. More progress this week with the cylinder heads and rocker arms now mounted, meaning that completion of this 26-litre V6 diesel engine is not too far away.
D9518 – the cylinder heads have been fitted and the rocker arms are in place. Very good progress indeed! Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 10th February 2026 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is currently based at Bishops Lydeard where she will remain until relieved by Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019).
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont 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 has been taken from stock at Williton and sent to a specialist subcontractor for reconditioning before sending it to the NYMR for installation into 47077. This work is planned for completion by the end of February and is likely to have a hefty price tag associated with it.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco was moved from Number 4 road to Number 1 road at Williton last Saturday so that her batteries could be re-charged. However, after start-up, the loco refused to run smoothly and is thought to need some attention to her fuel filters. Attention will be given when the resources are available and the weather permits. Meanwhile, Class 08 shunter 08401 (D3516) is available for shunting duties.
Class 08 shunter 08401 (D3516) and Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) were braving the appalling weather when pictured at Williton on Saturday 7th February 2026. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 4.0
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 Saturdays and Tuesdays 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:
Feeling the cold ? Go ahead and order a fleece jacket or sweatshirt via our ONLINE STORE, just click on this link or on the images below to give it a go !
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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. Delivery is currently around ONE WEEK from receipt of order, so place you order now to take advantage of this short lead time.
We look forward to receiving your order, the profits from which will directly support the DEPG !
ON SHED – last week, we featured a photo by Andy Galpin of an almost brand-new Class 90 at Carlisle Station, resplendent in her INTERCITY ‘Swallow’ livery. This resulted in a response from RICHARD SMITH who provided us with the following narrative and photos:
“The photo by Andy Galpin of 90004 at Carlisle piqued my interest as I realised I had photographed the same locomotive from the same position. Having checked my records I now see that my picture was taken on Saturday 9th April 1988. The locomotive must only have been in traffic for a few days at the time. I’m making an assumption that it was being used for driver familiarisation and training.
I was a long way from home that particular day as my late father had offered me a seat on a Hertfordshire Railtours 125 Special over the Settle Carlisle and back via Newcastle, Doncaster and York. We boarded at St Albans. Sadly I failed to record the power car numbers, but I took a picture at Appleby which is attached.
Also photographed at Carlisle were 86407 ‘The Institution of Electrical Engineers’, 85010 and 08844. The 08 and the 85 are both now cut up, but the 86 is stored and the 90 is still in service.”
Many thanks to Richard for sharing his memories and photos with us all.
Class 90 90004 was just 5 days old and gleaming when pictured at Carlisle Station on 9th April 1988. Photo by Richard Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 85 85010 (E3065, 85103) was also taking a rest at Carlisle on 9th April 1988 while Class 08 shunter 08844 (D4012) seems to have been a bit more active. Photo by Richard Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
Class 86 86407 (E3176, 86007, 86607) was also pictured at Carlisle Station on 9th April 1988, somewhat grubby but still looking the part with that fine (and very appropriate) nameplate. Photo by Richard Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
This ‘INTERCITY 125’ HST set was in use on a Hertfordshire Railtours special when pictured at Appleby Station on 9th April 1988. Can you help identify the power cars used on this service? Photo by Richard Smith © CC BY-NC 4.0
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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 have been TWO NEW RELEASES from Bernard Mills and Platform 5 in the last week or so, with Parts 2 and 3 of the ‘PADDINGTON TO PENZANCE during the Diesel Era‘ going on sale together – which is a little strange, but it is correct !
Both books are now in stock so PLACE YOUR ORDERS via our online store NOW ! Click here or on the images below to go to the relevant pages on our online store. WELL DONE BERNARD, we look forward to reading and enjoying these two new books !
There are many other new and pre-owned book titles on our online store – click here for details.
DEPG NEWS: the latest edition of the DEPG Newsletter has now been printed and has been mailed and emailed to DEPG members this weekend (hard or soft copy depends on the preferences that you have set in your membership account). WELL DONE to editor Mark Bladwell for getting the Newsletter completed on time once again! If you are a DEPG member and have not yet received your copy, please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know. Thanks !
The DEPG newsletter is free for DEPG members – join us to get your copy, either by email or post, depending on your preference.
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 !