Weekly Roundup – 17-Nov-24 – coming soon
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Weekly Roundup – 10-Nov-24
A very untypical form of motive power was undergoing maintenance at Williton on Saturday 9th November 2024 – the WSR Infrastructure Team’s Geismar cart was in need of some TLC which was duly provided by Martin with help from big Darren and the Fork Lift Truck. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
With no public trains running on the WSR until the end of November, the WSR infrastructure team have been gearing up to make the most of the lack of trains and get the maximum amount of work done. One of the tools that saves a lot of time when engineering possessions are in place and the engineers have full control of the line is the Geismar cart, a simple portable petrol-engined cart that can take four people from the nearest access point to the site of the work in a quick and easy (but bumpy) way. If only it worked properly. Enter the DEPG and our Chairman Martin, who enlisted the help of fellow volunteer Darren and set to work to find and fix the issue. After cleaning out the fuel system and applying some overall TLC, the engine was starting easily and running more smoothly, but there is more work to do so we will have the cart back at the yard again in the near future to complete the task. Meanwhile, it was declared as OK to use with care and is back in action.
The WSR Infrastructure Team’s Geismar rail cart was pictured outside the Swindon Shed on Friday 8th November prior to receiving attention from the DEPG. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Last week, we reported that DEPG Treasurer PAUL TUCKER had been passed as a driver of our Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) but in fact two of our Trustees were passed on that day with NEIL McCANNON also getting his WSR ticket for both the ’09’ and Barclay 578 (ROF1). This provides us with a lot more flexibility and allows these two experienced drivers to shunt the yard using our smaller locomotives when the need arises. Well done both !
Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) was in use for driver refresher training at Williton on Saturday 2nd November 2024, with WSR Traction Inspector John Leach pictured assessing DEPG volunteer and driver Neil McCannon. Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 complete the line up. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Another loco type that Neil has his eye upon is the visiting GWR ‘Castle’ HST set comprising power cars 43154 and 43155 and four Mark 3 coaches, which has been in store on the WSR since the summer. The HST is being kept in main line running condition and undergoes regular inspection and routine maintenance from GWR volunteers. To take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of the GWR staff, Neil went along to Bishops Lydeard on Friday 8th to ‘learn the ropes’ so that he can assist with looking after the set while it is on WSR metals.
Although slightly outside the date range of this roundup, the HST needed to be moved to Minehead on Monday 11th November so Neil went along for the journey and will probably be wanting to add the HST to the long list of traction types for which he already holds a driver’s ticket !
Former GWR ‘Castle’ HST set 43154 & 43155 was pictured at Blue Anchor on Monday 11th November 2024 while en route to Minehead for winter storage. DEPG volunteer and Trustee Neil McCannon was on board, familiarising himself with the engineering aspects of the GWR engine care and maintenance regime. Photo by Janice Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0
Just a reminder, the railway is closed to the public until the start of the Christmas special services from 30th November onward. The format of the Christmas services has changed this year, so our diesels will not be rostered for duty, but they will be on standby and available to provide support if needed. Click here or on the image below to review the WSR Christmas seasonal offerings:
DIESEL RUNNING DATES for 2025
We don’t yet have the details available for 2025 but we understand that the running pattern will be very similar to that of 2024, so the 2024 DIESEL RUNNING DATES page can be used as a guide, temporarily. Good news – the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL has been confirmed as being Thursday 5th through Saturday 7th with a Mixed Traction Day on Sunday 8th of June 2025.
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’ – the focus moved to the assessment of the primary suspension components so that we could determine the repair plan and get the necessary parts on order. First, the spring hangers were separated from the compensating beams and the various spacers and bushes separated from each other (where possible – some were locked solid !). The Swindon drawing provides the detail but it is very hard to use and even harder to reproduce in a small file size because the drawing itself is huge, the full size of the drawing boards of old. To make it easier to understand, we have also included the exploded drawings from the CAD model created by our engineering volunteer Barry Quest.
D1010 – BR Swindon drawing SW/SL/3626 issue F dated 1st November 1967 entitled MODIFIED COMPENSATING BEAM & SPRING HANGER. Photo from the DEPG archive © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – an extract from page 5 of document DEPG-TS-004 that shows the arrangement of the primary suspension. Drawn by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – an extract from page 9 of document DEPG-TS-004 that shows the detailed breakdown of the compensating beam within the primary suspension. Drawn by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – two of the four spring hangers attached to the compensating beams showed only slight wear, but the other two had worn bearings and seized pins, such as item B30 above. All four spring hangers will be overhauled and repaired or replaced as necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 9th November 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
The outcome of the investigation was that two of the four spring hangers had serviceable bearings, but the other two did not, the bearings having seized up due to corrosion, with the bushings taking over the work of the bearings, the result being worn bushings. All of these ‘wear parts’ will be replaced as a matter of course.
Meanwhile, Gordon finished off a ‘good day at the office’ by fitting new hydraulic hoses to the ‘B’ cooler group. The refurbishment of this major assembly has now been completed, all bar some paintwork, which will be finished off next weekend. WELL DONE TEAM !
D1010 – the refurbishment of the ‘B’ cooler group is almost complete, all except some paintwork. New hydraulic hoses were fitted at Williton on Saturday 9th November 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Apologies to those D1010 sponsors who have yet to receive the photos and certificates for the patches that they have sponsored. After ‘almost’ catching up in the Spring, the lifting of the loco and subsequent need to get the bogie overhaul project underway has depleted the resource for the patch engraving and a backlog has built up again.
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 14 cardan shafts and 32 springs.
MANY THANKS to all who have sponsored and supported the RESTORATION of D1010 !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is now inside the loco shed at Williton where work has already started on a lengthy schedule of work that includes repairs as well as winter maintenance. The key tasks are as follows:
- Repair or replace the Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor due to excessive wear in the pistons and bores.
- IN PROGRESS – the worn out compressor has been removed from the loco. The replacement compressor is of the opposite ‘hand’ and needs alteration to match the loco fittings.
- Remove the front buffers and send them out for overhaul (or replace them).
- Remove the batteries and repair the corroded battery boxes.
- IN PROGRESS – the batteries have been removed. The compressor housing needs to be removed next, to allow access for bodywork repairs.
- Assess the loco for other bodywork repairs and arrange the repairs as necessary.
- IN PROGRESS – the cab roof requires welding repairs. The cab interior roof lining needs to be removed to allow access.
- Inspect the running gear, repair or replace worn parts as necessary.
- Perform scheduled maintenance (engine and auxiliary machines, switchgear)
- Remove the carbon pile voltage regulator, replace with an electronic type.
- The electronic AVR is in stock. The changeover will only take place after completion of roof repairs.
- If sufficient time is available, refresh the paintwork.
Quite a list, but this loco is an essential tool for the WSR so we have a duty to keep her reliable and dependable. She will be returned to Bishops Lydeard in time for the start of the 2025 operating season.
D4107 (09019) – the worn-out Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor has now been removed from the loco. Pictured on Sunday 10th November 2024 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0
D4107 (09019) – the replacement is a reconditioned Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor from our spares stock. The only minor detail is that this is the opposite hand to the one that has been removed, so we need to swap parts from side to side to make it compatible. Grrrrrrr ! Pictured on Sunday 10th November 2024 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0
D4107 (09019) – the corrosion that is evident between two compartments will result in both compartments having to be stripped of their contents before welding can be carried out. Pictured on Sunday 10th November 2024 by Tony Austin © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco has now moved to Bishops Lydeard where she will act as the duty loco for that end of the line. The ’33’ will be available to support the WSR Christmas services that originate from Bishops Lydeard, should the need arise.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is outstationed at Minehead and is available to support engineering and infrastructure workings and any other duties that may come along. The loco will return to Williton at some point for planned maintenance work to be carried out.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – after launching a short-term fundraiser on the 1st November 2024, we are delighted to announce that the supporters of this wonderful locomotive have already raised more that £3,500 which takes us a third of the way to our target of £10,000 so THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC SUPPORT !
The fundraiser is short-term because the WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED, with the WSR engineering team at Minehead having been contracted to do the repairs. This ensures that the loco receives the bodywork corrosion repairs that she needs before a repaint can be carried out. Although the loco looks quite good from a distance, a closer inspection reveals that corrosion is taking place from behind the skin panels, and this will soon result in perforations and further deterioration. A stitch in time saves nine, which is why we are getting the work done NOW.
Here’s the basis of our appeal for funds:
As the first locomotive to be saved for preservation by the Diesel & Electric Group (the forerunner of the DEPG) back in 1975, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has built up a significant following and is very much loved. This loco has had an excellent year, working public service trains on 10 separate days and achieving 100% availability, although she has started to look rather shabby of late. As D7017 is now approaching her 50th year in preservation, it will be appropriate to have her bodywork overhauled and repainted in time for her 50th anniversary, so arrangements have been made to have the work carried out at the Minehead workshops of the West Somerset Railway.
The work involves a number of areas around the body where corrosion has taken hold from the inside and resulted in perforations of the body panels. The metalwork behind the corroded panels will need to be cut out and replaced, so this is not a quick job. The DEPG’s volunteer welders are tied up on other projects that would be unfairly affected by queue-jumping D7017, so the opportunity was taken to follow-up on an offer from the Minehead team and a repair and repainting contract has been agreed. The work has already started and the loco will be back with us in a matter of months so that other maintenance work can continue at Williton.
We need help raising funds for the work that is about to be carried out. This is a short-term appeal so please give this your attention and help by making a donation via our website (click on the icons below) or by bank app or by sending a cheque to the DEPG at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
D7017 – work has already started on the bodyside corrosion repairs which are being carried out under contract by the WSR Engineering team. Pictured at Minehead along with some steam loco tender wheelsets on Friday 8th November 2024 by Rich Hiscox © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have now moved to to the examination and reassembly of the control block stack that is the ‘hydraulic brain’ of the transmission. Once reassembled, this assembly will be subjected to static testing using an electric hydraulic fluid pump so that we can simulate the various input and output conditions and ensure that the transmission takes the appropriate action without any issues. The testing phase will take several weeks to get the test equipment and test method right, so that we can be confident of the outcome.
MANY THANKS to our Transmission Team for taking such care with this precious transmission !
D7018 – with the high level of care and attention to detail that have become the trademarks of the transmission team, volunteer Tim reassembles the top control block before returning it to the transmission for testing. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 29th October 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the control block is built up in layers, each face of each layer carrying grooves which form the circuits for the hydraulic fluid when the corresponding block is bolted on top. Cleanliness and flatness are essential ingredients. Pictured at Williton on Monday 4th November 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – with the third and fourth layers added, the control block stack is now complete and is ready to be hooked up to the test rig for static testing. Pictured at Williton on Monday 4th November 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – plans are being drawn up for the re-fitting of the cab assembly onto the loco frames, hopefully before the end of November. This will allow work to resume on the electrical wiring, specifically the interconnections between the equipment that is already fitted to the loco frame and the control cubicle that is already installed in the cab.
An essential component will be the authentic ‘Tico‘ material that is used as a sound and vibration insulation layer between the cab and the frames. An order totalling £1,500 has been placed and the specially-cut material should be with us in a week or two, fingers crossed !
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 help us by making a donation via our online store (click here or on the image below) or by sending a cheque to the address at the bottom of this email. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – no change – this loco is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her engine and her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and has now been put back into service just in time to see action on the last day of the 2024 timetable. The loco is now in good running order and we hope that she will pick up some work on the Christmas specials, even if only on the empty coaching stock (ECS) movements. We look forward to a very successful 2025 running season !
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco was in use on Saturday 2nd November for driver training at Williton, resulting in Paul Tucker and Neil McCannon being passed as drivers.
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: the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard is now available and in stock at Williton. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
ON SHED: this week, we feature another photo from Mark Bladwell’s collection, this time at Bristol Bath Road in October of 1974. The subject of his camera was D1064 ‘WESTERN REGENT’, still looking quite smart more than two years after receiving the dual brake conversion at Swindon. This loco was a fairly early casualty of the culling of the flagship hydraulics, being withdrawn at the end of 1975 when only 12 years old. The reason for the early withdrawal was a minor collision with sister D1046 ‘WESTERN MARQUIS’ at Laira depot, resulting in both locomotives being withdrawn due to there being no budget to cover the repair work.
Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.
D1064 ‘WESTERN REGENT’ was pictured on shed at Bristol Bath Road depot, directly opposite the platform at Bristol Temple Meads, on 10th October 1974. This loco was delivered new to Cardiff Canton depot from Crewe works in May 1963 and was withdrawn from Laira depot in December 1975 after colliding with a sister loco. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: the next edition of the DEPG NEWSLETTER has been completed by editor MARK BLADWELL and has now been distributed to all DEPG members (let us know if you haven’t received your copy). The newsletter contains information that is not available via the roundup or via the website, and is sent to DEPG members by email or post, according to the preference stored in Membermojo. To receive the newsletter, all you need to do is to become a member of the DEPG !
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 !
- Repair or replace the Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor due to excessive wear in the pistons and bores.
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Weekly Roundup – 03-Nov-24
Barclay 578 (ROF 1) and Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) (L-R) were both in action at Williton on Saturday 2nd November 2024 for driver training purposes. The ’09’ is normally based at Bishops Lydeard but has come ‘home’ for repairs and maintenance during the winter. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Sunday 3rd November marked the end of the running season on the WSR and at many of the heritage railways across the UK, the next four weeks being devoid of public trains, giving the engineering and infrastructure teams an opportunity to get their tasks prioritised.
It also gave the DEPG an opportunity to recall Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) to Williton from her operational base at Bishops Lydeard, so that she can undergo some major repairs and enjoy a double dose of care and attention, administered by our volunteers.
Re-positioning the ’09’ from Bishops Lydeard presented a training opportunity for DEPG Treasurer PAUL TUCKER, who already held a driving ticket on the Great Central for Class 08/09 but had never driven the type on the WSR. That was remedied on Saturday 2nd and followed up by a session on Williton yard pilot Barclay 578 (ROF1) meaning that Paul now has a WSR ticket for both types of shunter in addition to his list of larger types. Well done Paul !
Taking advantage of the quiet period, the infrastructure team are running one of their ‘TIDY TRAINS‘ on Saturday 9th November, 2024 with Class 33 ‘Crompton D6566 (33048) booked to depart from Bishops Lydeard at 0815 to go to Norton Fitzwarren to collect a flat wagon, then running the length of the line to Minehead and back. There will also be a steam loco out on test and an Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) working on Saturday, so the line will still be alive with activity. And in case that is not enough, the ‘Castle’ class HST that is currently in storage at Westridge near Bishops Lydeard is being re-located to Minehead on Monday 11th and there will also be a steam loco working on an ‘eco coal’ evaluation ! All of these workings are subject to change or cancellation at short notice, but will be welcomed for the interesting sights and sounds that they bring to the railway.
Former GWR ‘Castle’ HST set 43154 & 43155 was pictured with BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ at Westridge near Bshops Lydeard on Sunday 3rd November 2024. Photo by Dave Fowler © CC BY-NC 3.0
Just a reminder, the railway is closed to the public until the start of the Christmas special services from 30th November onward. The format of the Christmas services has changed this year, so our diesels will not be rostered for duty, but they will be on standby and available to provide support if needed. Click here or on the image below to review the WSR Christmas seasonal offerings:
DIESEL RUNNING DATES for 2025
We don’t yet have the details available for 2025 but we understand that the running pattern will be very similar to that of 2024, so the 2024 DIESEL RUNNING DATES page can be used as a guide, temporarily. Good news – the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL has been confirmed as being Thursday 5th through Saturday 7th with a Mixed Traction Day on Sunday 8th of June 2025.
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’ – with the need to make space in the loco shed for Class 09 shunter, the ‘B’ cooler group was finished off so that it could be moved out of the way, then the ’09’ was brought into the shed and positioned between the shed doors and D1010’s ‘B’ bogie. This still left enough room for the cooler group to be stored inside the loco shed, which is where it will stay until another suitably safe and dry place is found for it. The end result was a very unusual sight that could easily be mistaken for a giant snowblower !
Class 09 ‘snowblower’ D4107 (09019) was pictured in the loco shed at Williton on Saturday 2nd November 2024 with D1010’s ‘B’ cooler group in front of it. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
The excellent restoration work that has been carried out on the ‘B’ cooler group is now to be repeated on the ‘A’ cooler group, with repair work already in progress. One of the hydraulically-powered fan motors was found to have a failed bearing, so the fan unit will be removed for overhaul. This is the only one of the fan units that has exhibited any kind of trouble, which is very good considering their age.
In the background, work continued on the clean-up and inspection of the many parts that have now been removed from the ‘B’ bogie. More on this next week.
D1010 – a view of the restored ‘B’ cooler group from the inside. The 48 individual cooling elements will be re-fitted at a later date. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – a view of the as-yet unrestored ‘A’ cooler group after removal of the fan grilles and the walkway. The fan motor on the right hand side needs to have a new set of bearings and seals. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Apologies to those D1010 sponsors who have yet to receive the photos and certificates for the patches that they have sponsored. After ‘almost’ catching up in the Spring, the lifting of the loco and subsequent need to get the bogie overhaul project underway has depleted the resource for the patch engraving and a backlog has built up again.
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 14 cardan shafts and 32 springs.
MANY THANKS to all who have sponsored and supported the RESTORATION of D1010 !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is now inside the loco shed at Williton where work has already started on a lengthy schedule of work that includes repairs as well as winter maintenance. The key tasks are as follows:
- Repair or replace the Westinghouse 3CV50 compressor due to excessive wear in the pistons and bores.
- Remove the front buffers and send them out for overhaul (or replace them).
- Remove the batteries and repair the corroded battery boxes.
- Assess the loco for other bodywork repairs and arrange the repairs as necessary.
- Inspect the running gear, repair or replace worn parts as necessary.
- Perform scheduled maintenance (engine and auxiliary machines, switchgear)
- Remove the carbon pile voltage regulator, replace with an electronic type.
- If sufficient time is available, refresh the paintwork.
Quite a list, but this loco is an essential tool for the WSR so we have a duty to keep her reliable and dependable. She will be returned to Bishops Lydeard in time for the start of the 2025 operating season.
Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) is now inside the loco shed at Williton and will undergo repairs and maintenance before returning to Bishops Lydeard in the Spring. Pictured on Saturday 2nd November 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) has two compressors, the larger of which was fitted during the conversion to dual braking (vacuum and air) in 1969. This Westinghouse 3VC50 machine has now become worn out and is in need of repair or replacement. Pictured while undergoing disassembly at Williton on Sunday 3rd November 2024 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco has now moved to Bishops Lydeard where she will act as the duty loco for that end of the line. The ’33’ will be available to support the WSR Christmas services that originate from Bishops Lydeard, should the need arise.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is outstationed at Minehead and is available to support engineering and infrastructure workings and any other duties that may come along. The loco will return to Williton at some point for planned maintenance work to be carried out.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – after launching a short-term fundraiser on the 1st November 2024, we are delighted to announce that the supporters of this wonderful locomotive have already raised more that £2,500 which takes us 25% of the way to our target of £10,000 so THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC SUPPORT !
The fundraiser is short-term because the WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED, with the WSR engineering team at Minehead having been contracted to do the repairs. This ensures that the loco receives the bodywork corrosion repairs that she needs before a repaint can be carried out. Although the loco looks quite good from a distance, a closer inspection reveals that corrosion is taking place from behind the skin panels, and this will soon result in perforations and further deterioration. A stitch in time saves nine, which is why we are getting the work done NOW.
Here’s the basis of our appeal for funds:
As the first locomotive to be saved for preservation by the Diesel & Electric Group (the forerunner of the DEPG) back in 1975, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has built up a significant following and is very much loved. This loco has had an excellent year, working public service trains on 10 separate days and achieving 100% availability, although she has started to look rather shabby of late. As D7017 is now approaching her 50th year in preservation, it will be appropriate to have her bodywork overhauled and repainted in time for her 50th anniversary, so arrangements have been made to have the work carried out at the Minehead workshops of the West Somerset Railway.
The work involves a number of areas around the body where corrosion has taken hold from the inside and resulted in perforations of the body panels. The metalwork behind the corroded panels will need to be cut out and replaced, so this is not a quick job. The DEPG’s volunteer welders are tied up on other projects that would be unfairly affected by queue-jumping D7017, so the opportunity was taken to follow-up on an offer from the Minehead team and a repair and repainting contract has been agreed. The work has already started and the loco will be back with us in a matter of months so that other maintenance work can continue at Williton.
We need help raising funds for the work that is about to be carried out. This is a short-term appeal so please give this your attention and help by making a donation via our website (click on the icons below) or by bank app or by sending a cheque to the DEPG at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
D7017 – a very unusual sight – a diesel in the steam shed at Minehead ! Pictured while being assessed for the required repair work on 26th October 2024 by Adrian Read © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have made tremendous progress in the rebuilding of the Mekydro K184U transmission, with their focus now being on the careful setting-up of the clearances around the six clutch actuator pistons and their associated lever arms. Each has adjustments in three planes that require shims to be added (or subtracted) to get the levers in exactly the right place. This is important for reliable operation, because care taken on the bench now will minimise the risk of jamming when in service. This phase of work involves a lot of assembly then measurement then disassembly then adjustment – then repeat that cycle multiple times to get it right and make sure that it stays right !
MANY THANKS to our Transmission Team for taking such care with this precious transmission !
D7018 – with the aid of the torch lighting up the gaps either side of the ‘stress bolt’ that is an extension of the actuator piston, the clearance in the ‘fore and aft’ direction can be seen to be equally shared either side of the contact surfaces. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 28th October 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – in this case, the adjustment washers are of precise thickness and are often referred to as ‘shims’ even though this term is generally reserved for flat strips of sheet metal or foil. The brass shims were not up to the job, as can be seen from the fractures. The replacements will be made from stainless steel. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 28th October 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued on preparing the frames for the re-fitting of the cab assembly. A visit to a specialist supplier in Cornwall was made to obtain the authentic ‘Tico‘ material that is used as a sound and vibration insulation layer between the cab and the frames. An order totalling £1,500 was placed and the specially-cut material should be with us in a few weeks from now.
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 help us by making a a donation via our website (click here or 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 – no change – this loco is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her engine and her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
D9526 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road at Williton, this loco will undergo an engine ‘top end’ service when she gets her turn to go inside the loco shed, probably in the New Year. Pictured on Friday 1st November 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and has now been put back into service just in time to see action on the last day of the 2024 timetable ! The loco put in a spirited performance to recover time when she took over the Whitby to Pickering service at Grosmont from BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 92134 which was 25 mins late arriving at Grosmont. The 47 crew executed a slick changeover and the train left 15 minutes down, leaving a smoke trail of its own (this was the first piece of hard work since the engine and exhaust repairs were carried out).
Apologies to DAVE Tibbett for wrongly crediting his photo to ‘Phil’ last week. Our photos this week are from regular contributor MARTIN FISHER, so thank you very much for sharing your work with us all.
Martin also drew our attention to a YouTube video that features ‘NORTH STAR’ and that spirited departure, which can be found by following this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHMeWRhEuFA
47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was pictured at Grosmont on Sunday 3rd November 2024 while waiting to take over the late-running 14:30 Grosmont to Pickering and return service. Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0
47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was hard at work on the NYMR on Sunday 3rd November 2024 when pictured departing Grosmont for Pickering on the last day of the 2024 running season. Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – as previously stated, this loco was in use on Saturday 2nd November for driver training at Williton, resulting in Paul Tucker being passed as an additional driver.
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: the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard is now available and in stock at Williton. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
ON SHED: last week’s rare and interesting photo of North British Class 41 D601 ‘ARK ROYAL’ derailed at Menheniot (near Liskeard), Cornwall generated several responses and appears to have been new information for all of the respondents. The photo was provided by DEPG member David Hingston and we very much appreciated being able to share it.
This week, we featured another photo from Mark Bladwell’s collection, with a wonderful lineup of heavy haulers, pictured at Westbury Stabling Point in June of 1974. Happy times indeed! Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.
A lineup of ‘Wizzos’, D1070 ‘WESTERN GAUNTLET’, D1055 ‘WESTERN ADVOCATE’, D1036 ‘WESTERN EMPEROR’ and D1051 ‘WESTERN AMBASSADOR’ were pictured while at rest between heavy haulage duties on Saturday 29th June 1974. The location was Westbury Stabling Point, a great place to find the Class during the twilight of their careers. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: the next edition of the DEPG NEWSLETTER has been completed by editor MARK BLADWELL and will be ready for distribution to all DEPG members next week. The newsletter contains information that is not available via the roundup or via the website, and is sent to DEPG members by email or post, according to the preference stored in Membermojo. To receive the newsletter, all you need to do is to become a member of the DEPG !
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 !
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Weekly Roundup – 27-Oct-24
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was basking in the autumn sunshine while positioned over the pit at Minehead for an underframe examination on Saturday 26th October 2024. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
With the 2024 running season drawing to a close, Minehead steam depot was less crowded than is usually the case, so the opportunity was taken to position Class 33 ‘Crompton D6575 (33057) over the pit to undergo an underframe examination while the steam engines were busy working the BLUE timetable services. Everything was found to be in good order so the ’33’ will remain at Minehead for a while longer, but will return to Williton at some point to undergo winter maintenance, to keep her in the condition that has allowed her to achieve 100% availability for the third consecutive year. An OUTSTANDING achievement, so well done to ‘Team Crompton’ for looking after her so well !
This coming weekend brings the 2024 running season to a close with the BLUE timetable featuring all-steam workings on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd. The railway will then close until the start of the Christmas special services from 30th November onward. The format of the Christmas services has changed this year, so our diesels will not be rostered for duty, but they will be on standby and available to provide support if needed.
DIESEL RUNNING DATES for 2025
We don’t yet have the details available for 2025 but we understand that the running pattern will be very similar to that of 2024, so the 2024 DIESEL RUNNING DATES page can be used as a guide, temporarily. Good news – the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL has been confirmed as being Thursday 5th through Sunday 8th of June 2025.
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’ – the focus continued to be on the tidying up and organising of the many parts that have already been removed from the ‘B’ bogie, but some opportunities did arise to allow work to be carried out on other things. The fine weather allowed Ian F to get back to the hard work of rubbing down and filling the loco bodyside, a task that he never seems to tire from. We can safely say that there is not one inch of D1010 that Ian hasn’t already rubbed down personally and painted, and he is going around again, so he deserves a medal for his diligence !
In an effort to clear some floor space, six more cardan shafts (there are 14 in total on a ‘Western’) were prepared for shipping out to the specialist subcontractor for cleaning and inspection. As none of the bogie shafts have been changed in preservation, all six examples are from the BR-era and are around 50 years old, so we might get a big bill to have them brought up to the required standard. From the limited inspection that we could perform, they appear to be in remarkably good condition, so our strategy is to send them for inspection rather than replace them automatically. This is the ‘on condition’ approach that we are taking with the overhaul of D1010.
In the coming weeks, we will be performing inspection and dye penetrant testing on some of the key components that have been removed from the ‘B’ bogie so that we can formulate a detailed repair plan for each part. This will take a while to do, but will allow us to get the process moving and we can then start to plan the re-assembly, which will be a turning point for the project.
Many thanks to our volunteers for progressing the work on this massive loco !
D1010 – volunteer Ian F was pictured while taking a well-earned break to enjoy the sunshine at Williton on Saturday 26th October 2024. Ian has already worked his way around the complete bodyside at least once, rubbing down and filling and painting, and is now making another round. Such dedication! Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – six more cardan shafts were prepared for shipment to the specialist subcontractor for overhaul. Each shaft in this batch is from BR days and is around 50 years old. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – viewed through the fan covers of the ‘B’ cooler group, Gordon could be seen releasing the hydraulic hoses from the fan motors. All of the flexible hoses are way past their expiry dates and will be replaced as a matter of course. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Apologies to those D1010 sponsors who have yet to receive the photos and certificates for the patches that they have sponsored. After ‘almost’ catching up in the Spring, the lifting of the loco and subsequent need to get the bogie overhaul project underway has depleted the resource for the patch engraving and a backlog has built up again.
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 14 cardan shafts and 32 springs.
MANY THANKS to all who have sponsored and supported the RESTORATION of D1010 !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is normally based at Bishops Lydeard but will move to Williton on Saturday 2nd November to undergo body repairs and a list of other maintenance tasks that will hopefully still leave time for a repaint. This loco is an essential tool for the WSR so we have a duty to keep her reliable and dependable. She will be returned to Bishops Lydeard in time for the start of the 2025 operating season.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Williton but will be moving to Bishops Lydeard on the afternoon of Saturday 2nd November, to cover for Class 09 shunter D4107 (09019) while that loco is at Williton for attention. The ’33’ will be available to support the WSR Christmas services that originate from Bishops Lydeard, should the need arise.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was trundling through Williton with a train of Empty Coaching Stock for Minehead on Wednesday 23rd October, passing her slightly older sister D6566 (33048) in the process. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – after hauling an ECS move from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead on Wednesday 23rd October, this loco underwent an underframe examination over the pit at Minehead on Saturday 26th with no issues arising. The loco will return to Williton at some point in the near future for repairs to the corroded rainwater gutter in the engine room and possibly some other bodywork repairs, but work on Class 09 D4107 (09019) will take priority.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – after having an excellent season and achieving 100% availability, this loco is currently stabled at Minehead and has now been assessed for body repairs and repainting, the cost of which is going to reach £10,000. In addition to bodywork, the loco will need to have her auxiliary cardan shafts overhauled due to excessive wear in the joints and splines. Several other maintenance tasks are also on the list for this winter.
As the first locomotive to be saved for preservation by the Diesel & Electric Group (the forerunner of the DEPG) back in 1975, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has built up a significant following and is very much loved. This loco has had an excellent year, working public service trains on 10 separate days and achieving 100% availability, although she has started to look rather shabby of late. As D7017 is now approaching her 50th year in preservation, it will be appropriate to have her bodywork overhauled and repainted in time for her 50th anniversary, so arrangements have been made to have the work carried out at the Minehead workshops of the West Somerset Railway.
The work involves a number of areas around the body where corrosion has taken hold from the inside and resulted in perforations of the body panels. The metalwork behind the corroded panels will need to be cut out and replaced, so this is not a quick job. The DEPG’s volunteer welders are tied up on other projects that would be unfairly affected by queue-jumping D7017, so the opportunity was taken to follow-up on an offer from the Minehead team and a repair and repainting contract has been agreed. The work is about to start and the loco will be back with us in a matter of months so that other maintenance work can continue at Williton.
We need help raising funds for the work that is about to be carried out. This is a short-term appeal so please give this your attention and help by making a donation via our website (click on the icons below) or by bank app or by sending a cheque to the DEPG at Williton. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
Some photos of the work required:
D7017 – the Great British weather has taken its toll on the bodywork of our long-serving and much loved ‘Hymek’. A contract repair has been arranged, with the work being done by the WSR’s Minehead Engineering team to include welding work and a repaint. The above five photos were taken at Minehead on 31st October 2024 by Andy Palk © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ continued their VERY careful and diligent work on the re-building of the Mekydro K184u transmission, with special attention being given to each of the six clutch actuator mechanisms to ensure they each have smooth movement and security. Anything going wrong in this area will result in damage to the dog clutches, of which we only have a few precious spares remaining. We need to give the team time and space to work on this to get it right, so we are limiting our coverage of this phase of the work. We have every confidence in the team and we know that they will deliver the goods.
The whole process has been helped along by close support from leading diesel-hydraulic preservationist Paul Koch, who happened to have a complete set of technical bulletins and manuals that have now been loaned to the team to allow us to follow the revised procedures that were developed in 1964, after the initial period of teething troubles had settled down. The revisions to settings and tolerances have now been applied to the rebuild, giving us a much better chance of getting a reliable outcome. Step by step, we are getting there. Many thanks to Paul and our own Transmission Team for their careful work !
D7018 – the clearance between the clutch operating arm and the ‘stress bolt’ that is an extension of the actuator piston is defined in three planes, x, y and z, the ‘z’ axis being measured in this view. Each clearance needs to be checked and adjusted by shimming. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 21st October 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – Transmission Team member Geoff and team leader Colin F (L-R) study some of the many documents delivered by Paul and Kay Koch during their visit to Williton on Monday 21st October 2024. Photo by Kay Koch © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the focus has shifted to the loco frames to make them ready to receive the refurbished cab assembly. We hope to be ready to lift the cab back onto the frames at the end of November or in early December. One task that was dealt with last weekend was the installation of the Standstill Detector, a small but essential item that prevents changes of direction from taking place until the loco has come to a complete stop. This device is very hard to access, so it has been re-installed before the cab goes back on, while it is still possible to get at it to wire it up.
Meanwhile, the work in the cab itself has set a new standard, a real labour of love that is instantly recognisable from the quality of the work and the excellent finish. Marvellous indeed !
D9518 – the driver’s desk in the restored cab is a clear display of the quality of the work that is taking place. It is going to be as good as the day it was built ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the attention to detail and the quest for authenticity comes from the restoration team members themselves. Colin G was pictured sitting between two examples of his work in the restored cab at Williton on Saturday 26th October 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – this restored Standstill Detector was made by Westinghouse in 1964 and is still fully functional today. It has now been re-installed on the loco frames, underneath the cab. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 26th October 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0
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 help us by making a a donation via our website (click here or 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 – no change – this loco was is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her engine and her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. The repair work has now been completed by specialist contractor HERITAGE RAIL and the loco has had a test run and been passed as ready to resume her duties. It is rumoured that she might make an appearance on the NYMR diesel diagram this coming Sunday, 3rd November (it is just a rumour, so don’t travel without getting confirmation from the NYMR).
47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was out and about on a test run on the NYMR on Tuesday 22nd October 2024. Photo by Dave Tibbett © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco will be in use on Saturday 2nd November for driver training activities that will take place in the South yard at Williton. The more drivers that are passed to drive her, the more useful she will be.
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: the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard is now available and in stock at Williton. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
ON SHED: last week, we featured another photo from Mark Bladwell’s collection, with the infamous D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ pictured at the head of a Paddington express … and we asked where and when ? … but received no correct replies ! Mark came to the rescue with full details of his photograph, revealed in the updated caption below. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.
Class 52 D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ was pictured at the head of the 1A15 service to Paddington, due to depart from Swansea High Street station at 12:53 on Saturday 25th August 1973. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
This week, we have a wonderful and rare image of North British Class 41 D601 ‘ARK ROYAL’ derailed at Menheniot (near Liskeard), Cornwall and receiving attention from the re-railing team and from uniformed ‘experts’, no doubt each providing helpful advice. The photo belongs to DEPG member David Hingston and features his father, and we are very grateful to him for sharing it with us all. Here is what David has to say about his photo:
“A few weeks ago you were asking for photos of Class 22s and I knew I had one somewhere which might be of interest as it featured a derailment. I hunted high and low but couldn’t find it … until now! That’s what happens when you move house. Actually I haven’t found the original, but have discovered that I had already scanned it and saved it to my PC. So here it is.
Turns out not to be a Class 22 at all, but D601 ‘ARK ROYAL’. The location is the west end of Menheniot Station in East Cornwall and I have labelled it 1963, although I am not sure how I know that, unless it is written on the back of the missing photo. Certainly it would have been around that time as it was withdrawn at the end of 1967.
My father was the ganger of that length and he was called out on a weekend to attend – that’s him in front of the nearest buffer with his foot resting nonchalantly on the rail, probably in an attempt to convey that everything was under control (for the photographer?).It appears that the derailment occurred while crossing back from the down to the up line, maybe because of some weekend workings requiring “wrong line” running between there and Liskeard. The branch in the background went into the adjacent quarry and from the shine on the rails looks to be still in use at that time.”
Many thanks to Dave for sharing his photo with us all.
North British Class 41 D601 ‘ARK ROYAL’ was pictured while receiving urgent attention from the re-railing team at Menheniot, Cornwall some time in 1963. The loco was five years old at the time but only had four more years in service before being withdrawn with the other four of her classmates in December 1967. Photo from the David Hingston collection © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: work continues on the planning of the yard and depot in support of the lease renewal process that is moving along in the background. More news on this in the near future. The future of the Old Goods Shed is a major consideration and ideas for the re-purposing of this Grade II listed building are also ‘in the works’.
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 !
-
Weekly Roundup – 20-Oct-24
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was back in action again on Saturday 19th October 2024, this time working an engineering train that consisted of the rail-mounted crane, a flat wagon and a brake van. Pictured on the level crossing at Blue Anchor by Robin Wichard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Versatile and hard working Class 33 ‘Crompton D6575 (33057) had another busy weekend, with engineering trains on the Saturday and the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return on the Sunday. This public service marked the last timetabled diesel working for the season because the lack of train heating is becoming an issue, although the weather has been milder than it could have been for the time of year.
This coming weekend sees the BLUE timetable return with all-steam workings on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and on the following weekend, in anticipation of busy trains during the half-term week, with the PUMPKIN EXPLORER TRAIL being established in recognition of Halloween. The railway will then close until the start of the Christmas special services from 30th November onward.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was pictured at Minehead on Saturday 19th October 2024 while shunting stock to assemble her engineering train before departing for Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Jacob Nickolls © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
Last weekend saw the last of the booked diesel running dates for 2024 so our next period of scheduled running will be in the Spring of 2025. We don’t yet have that detail available but we understand that the running pattern will be very similar to that of 2024, so the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page can be used as a guide.
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’ – with so many parts now removed from the ‘B’ bogie and awaiting cleaning and inspection, it became necessary to stop further dismantling and spend a bit of time organising the parts and storing them in the second-hand stillages that had recently been acquired. Effort was also expended on cleaning up the cardan shafts so that they could be strapped to pallets and sent out for specialist overhaul. There are seven shafts per engine/transmission/bogie set, so 14 in total and a significant expense is looming, considering that most of these shafts are the originals from BR days. Below are some photos giving the scale of the task, with the parts from one bogie filling six stillages !
Work continued on the ‘B’ cooler group which is close to being completed and will next undergo testing with blanking plates bolted in place of the cooling elements. This will allow a pressure test to be carried out and allow us to find any leaks that were missed the first time around. If OK, the cooler group will then be finished and can go outside again.
Many thanks to our volunteers for progressing the work on this massive loco !
D1010 – one of the second-hand stackable stillages acquired by the DEPG, filled with some of the brake rigging components that had been removed from the ‘B’ bogie. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – by the end of the day, seven stillages and two palletloads of parts had been safely stored in the new (but rather muddy) container. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th October 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – DEPG Chairman Martin checks the cargo before transporting it to the container for storage. Gordon seems to have transferred some of the dirt from the cardan shafts to himself! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the ‘B’ cooler group is getting closer to completion, having been turned over to allow a weld repair on the previously hidden side. The next step will be the pressure test. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Apologies to those D1010 sponsors who have yet to receive the photos and certificates for the patches that they have sponsored. After ‘almost’ catching up in the Spring, the lifting of the loco and subsequent need to get the bogie overhaul project underway has depleted the resource for the patch engraving and a backlog has built up again.
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 14 cardan shafts and 32 springs.
MANY THANKS to all who have sponsored and supported the RESTORATION of D1010 !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is normally based at Bishops Lydeard but will move to Williton on Saturday 2nd November to undergo body repairs and a list of other maintenance tasks that will hopefully still leave time for a repaint. This loco is an essential tool for the WSR so we have a duty to keep her reliable and dependable. She will be returned to Bishops Lydeard in time for the start of the 2025 operating season.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Williton and is ready for use if required. The replacement seals for the exhauster are on order and will be fitted during the winter shutdown period. The new seals will resolve the oil leak that caused the sticking brushgear issue of a few weeks ago.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has now moved to Minehead and will be positioned over the pit on Saturday 26th October 2024 for an underframe inspection and lubrication maintenance. The loco will return to Williton at some point in the near future, for repairs to the corroded rainwater gutter in the engine room and possibly some other bodywork repairs. The loco shed is going to be in demand over the winter !
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – after having an excellent season and achieving 100% availability, this loco is currently stabled at Minehead and has now been assessed for body repairs and repainting, the cost of which is going to reach five figures. In addition to bodywork, the loco will need to have her auxiliary cardan shafts removed for overhaul due to excessive wear in the joints and splines. Several other maintenance tasks are also on the list for this winter.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ continued their VERY careful work on the re-building of the Mekydro K184u transmission, with multiple assembly and disassembly cycles ensuring that clearances and tolerances are checked and double-checked. This is vital to ensure that the transmission is set up correctly to give it the best possible chance for smooth and reliable operation. The spare parts situation is getting very tight, so we need to keep the risks to a minimum. Luckily, each member of our team has plenty of patience and a very good eye for detail, so we are in safe hands.
D7018 – transmission team member Tim checks the fit of one of the gear selector arms against the actuator rod (not visible) that is driven by the piston P3 that is built into the control block (see below). Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 15th October 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – this extract from the Maybach Mekydro K184 Assembly and Parts Manual shows what lurks below the surface of the seemingly innocent steel plate in the previous photograph. DEPG archive © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the focus continues to be the work on the engine and on the cab refurbishment, with the Tuesday team tending to handle the engine work. The cab assembly has now reached the point where it can be lifted back on to the loco frame, so Colin G shifted his attention to preparing the underframe to which the cab will be fastened. This work is expected to take a few more weekends, then we will be arranging for a crane to come to site to do the lifting.
D9518 – the underframe that supports the cab is now being prepared by Colin G in readiness for the cab to be re-mounted, indicating that we are not far away from being able to arrange a crane to do the lifting. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the removable cab roof section has now received its final coat of paint and is close to being ready for re-fitting to the cab. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her engine and her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. The repair work has now been completed by specialist contractor HERITAGE RAIL and the loco has passed the various tests that signal that she is ready to resume her duties. All we need now is some running opportunities, which are not too easy to come by in late October. Hopefully some work will come along during the Christmas period.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is fully serviceable and is waiting for her next opportunity to shunt the yard at Williton.
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: the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard is now available and in stock at Williton. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
ON SHED: this week, we feature another photo from Mark Bladwell’s collection, with the infamous D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ pictured at the head of a Paddington express … but where and when ? The loco was painted blue in October 1970 and last worked in December 1973, so that gives a fairly narrow time window. The two 10 mph speed restrictions and the Class 08 shunter on the sidings outside the station are additional clues and memory-joggers. No doubt Mark will be able to provide more information, and would have if I had remembered to ask him, but until next week we invite readers to send in their opinions about where and when this photo could have been taken. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.
Class 52 D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ was pictured while at the head of a Paddington service – but where and when ? Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: a Board Meeting took place at Williton on Saturday 19th October, with a wide range of topics being discussed and a new member co-opted to the Board to assist with the ever-growing workload. The vacancy on the Board has existed for some time but has now been filled by DAVID OSWALD who joined the DEPG as a volunteer in June of this year. David’s background is in the construction industry and he maintains his diverse collection of working heritage construction machinery himself, in addition to his various other activities of running a smallholding in Cambridgeshire (he is planning to relocate to West Somerset!). We welcome David and look forward to him lending a hand on some of the projects that are on the stocks at Williton, both when he is on site at Williton and when working remotely.
D1010 – Volunteers David and Sid took a break from dismantling the brake rigging on the ‘B’ bogie to do some therapeutic dirt scraping on the ‘A’ bogie outdoors at Williton on Wednesday 21st August 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
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 !
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Weekly Roundup – 13-Oct-24
DEPG trustee and driver Neil McCannon was evidently enjoying his day at the desk of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) when pictured at Blue Anchor on Sunday 13th October 2024. The loco was working an extended turn to cover for a steam loco. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
A very unusual but highly enjoyable day was bestowed upon Class 33 ‘Crompton D6575 (33057) and her crew last Sunday 13th October 2024, when the loco found herself promoted from the 12:30 out and back 40-mile diagram to the 10:15 twice out and back diagram, with an extension to Norton Fitwarren on the first return leg to run around her train because the run around loop at Bishops Lydeard was occupied.
The DEPG crew comprising driver Neil McCannon and secondman Mark Bladwell responded to the request to book on duty earlier and finish later to accomodate a timetable change that was made necessary by a temporary shortage of steam locomotives at Bishops Lydeard. The solution to the shortage was to combine the 12:30 service with a planned ‘QUANTOCK BELLE‘ lunchtime dining service that comprised a ‘public’ section and a ‘dining’ section. An efficient solution that ensured that all timetabled services were covered and the public had the benefit of a mixed traction day, also as timetabled.
The loco took the train to Norton Fitzwarren platform then uncoupled to move to Barnstaple Junction at the south-eastern extent of the line, adjacent to the Bristol to Exeter main line, where the loco reversed to take the east chord to Allerford Junction, then reversed again to re-couple with her train.
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 3.0
This additional activity came after a week where the loco had deputised for the booked steam loco on several days of RED TIMETABLE running, showing the versatility of the ‘Cromptons’ and underscoring their deserved reputation as the workhorses of the line.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was pictured at Barnstaple Junction alongside the Bristol to Exeter main line while preparing to run around her train at Norton Fitzwarren on Sunday 13th October 2024. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
This coming weekend sees the LAST of the booked diesel running dates for 2024, so try and come along to the WSR on Sunday 20th to take the 12:30 service from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and back.
NOTE: An additional unpublished goods train working will take place on Saturday 19th when the ‘Crompton’ will work a freight from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and back. The booked departure time from Bishops Lydeard is 10:45 but this could be varied to suit operational reqirements.
Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of the remaining diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
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’ – further progress was made on the ‘B’ bogie last weekend, the details of which will be shared in a future edition of roundup. Many thanks to all of our volunteers and to the sponsors for making the restoration plan come to life.
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard but will move to Williton on Saturday 2nd November to undergo body repairs and a repaint, along with some other maintenance activities that are aimed at keeping her reliable and available for service.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – proving the old adage ‘a stitch in time saves nine’, the issue with her No. 1 exhauster motor was traced to sticking brushes resulting from oil contamination from a leaking oil seal. The exhauster will be exchanged for an overhauled spare at some time in the near future, meanwhile the inspection interval will be reduced to ensure that the brushgear remains clean and free to move as intended. The loco is stabled at Williton and is ready for use if required.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is outstationed at Bishops Lydeard and holds the role of Duty Loco. Her next booked duties are a goods train working on Saturday 19th October and the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return service under the RED TIMETABLE on Sunday 20th October.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is currently stabled at Minehead so that she can be assessed for body repairs and repainting before eventually moving back to Williton for other repairs and winter maintenance.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was pictured in unusual surroundings on Thursday 10th October 2024 while being assessed for body repairs by the engineering team at Minehead. Barclay 0-4-0DH number 579 (ROF 2) is in the foreground. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ continued their careful work on the re-building of the Mekydro K184u transmission with attention being given to establishing the correct working clearances for the shafts and the gear selector forks. This is a process that involves multiple assembly and disassembly cycles, so patience is a definite virtue !
Luckily, our team members have bucketloads of patience available to add to their incredible attention to detail.
D7018 – the upper housing was trial fitted at Williton on Tuesday 8th October 2024 with volunteer Tim in charge of the hoist. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – moments later, the upper housing is in position and ready for the end float measurements to be taken. Bringing these parts together allows specially-dimensioned shims to be defined and manufactured, the fitting of which will involve opening it all up again ! Pictured at Williton on 8th October 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the team continue their work on the engine and on the cab refurbishment, with teams at work on Tuesdays and Saturdays in addition to the many hours of work that take place away from Williton. More details in the next edition of roundup.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. The repair work has now been completed by Heritage Rail Ltd and the loco is ready to begin a short programme of test running to confirm that she is ready to return to work.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is fully serviceable and is waiting for her next opportunity to shunt the yard at Williton.
BOOK REVIEW: the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard is now available and in stock at Williton. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
ON SHED: this week, we feature another photo from Mark Bladwell’s collection, with the infamous D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ pictured at Cardiff Central station, just a few months after that station changed from being known as Cardiff General. Worse was to come a few months later, because this very loco was involved in a fatal accident at Ealing during the early stages of its journey from Paddington to Oxford. The lessons learned from this accident resulted in simple modifications being made to all locos in the BR fleet, with battery box safety catches now standard equipment on all rail vehicles.
The loco was pictured in happier times while working the 1Z13 Paddington to Fishguard Harbour relief service, which connected with the ferry service between Fishguard in West Wales and Rosslare in Ireland. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.
Class 52 D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ was pictured at Cardiff Central Station on Saturday 25th August 1973 while working the 1Z13 Paddington to Fishguard Harbour relief servce. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: the next Board Meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 19th October. if you are a member of the DEPG and would like to have a question placed before the Board, then please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM. If you are not a member, then PLEASE JOIN US !
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 !
-
Weekly Roundup – 06-Oct-24
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) relocated from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard on Tuesday 1st October and took a rake of Empty Coaching Stock with her in readiness for the start of the red timetable later that day. Photo by Jo Ward © CC BY-NC 3.0
On Sunday 6th October, the crew of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) reported that the No. 1 exhauster was arcing excessively, so volunteer loco manager Ian went along to check it out. After carrying out an inspection, Ian concluded that the exhauster motor needed a more detailed investigation so the loco completed the rest of her RED TIMETABLE diagram running on her No. 2 exhauster then ran ‘light engine’ to Williton where sister D6575 (33057) was ready and waiting to swap back into the role of ‘Duty Loco’. No doubt the offending exhauster will be quickly diagnosed and a repair carried out in the next week or two.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) returned to Williton on Sunday 6th October 2024 and took up a position on No. 1 road in front of Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. A very nicely mirrored photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of the remaining diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
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’ – to reduce the amount of floor space being taken up by component parts now removed from the ‘B’ bogie, a number of second-hand stackable steel stillages were acquired and collected by Paul and Julie Tucker, with delivery to Williton taking place on Wednesday 2nd October. The stillages will stack up to four high but we will only be stacking them two high for storage inside the ‘D1010 container’.
D1010 – a vanload of second-hand steel stillages have been acquired by the DEPG for the purpose of storing the many component parts that have been removed from D1010’s bogies. Pictured on 2nd October 2024 by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – Gordon continued his work on the ‘B’ bogie at Williton on Saturday 5th October 2024, with his attention being focused on the lubrication reservoirs for the axle box spring bearings. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the normally inaccessible lubrication reservoirs had become filled with oily dirt over the years, but had still performed their function in the case of 5 of the 6 axle boxes. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 5th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities. She will move to Williton in early November to undergo body repairs and a repaint, along with some other maintenance activities that are aimed at keeping her reliable and available for service.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – This loco has now returned to Williton to undergo repairs to her No. 1 exhauster motor.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is now outstationed at Bishops Lydeard and has taken up the role of Duty Loco. Her next booked duties are under the RED TIMETABLE on Sunday 13th October.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has had a great season, achieving 100% dispatch reliability and delivering consistent and excellent performances. She will remain at Minehead for a while so that she can be assessed for body repairs and repainting before eventually moving back to Williton for other repairs and winter maintenance.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – a review meeting took place at Williton on Saturday 5th October to debate and develop Colin’s proposals for the static test rig that will be used to put the control block and control mechanisms through their paces in advance of returning the transmission to the loco. Suffice it to say that Colin’s work was up to it’s usual standard, so the work will proceed as planned !
Details of the test rig and test plan will be covered in a future roundup.
The review team were pictured while surrounded by Mekydro hardware at Williton on Saturday 5th October 2024. From left to right, Martin Howard, Colin Foxhall, Clive Burrows and Neil McCannon. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the ‘Tuesday Team’ made further progress with the overhaul of the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine and a parallel effort from Colin G and Andy P saw further progress on the cab and desk fittings. Some brand new bronze handles for the straight air brake valves were cast at Bridport Foundry to replace missing parts, the new parts being indiscernible from the old after several hours of ‘fettling’ work in the hands of Colin G.
D9518 – the connecting rods of the left and right cylinders are different – the connecting rod of the right-hand piston rotates around that of the left-hand piston, which in turn rotates around the crankshaft. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 5th October 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the newly-manufactured brake handle on the left compares very nicely with the original but painted example on the right. The new handle was cast by Bridport Foundry. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 5th October 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. The repair work has now been completed by Heritage Rail Ltd and the loco is ready to begin a short programme of test running to confirm that she is ready to return to work.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is fully serviceable and is waiting for her next opportunity to shunt the yard at Williton.
BOOK REVIEW: the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard is now available and in stock at Williton. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
ON SHED: apologies, but we will need to skip this popular feature this week due to lack of time.
DEPG NEWS: the next Board Meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 19th October. if you are a member of the DEPG and would like to have a question placed before the Board, then please let us know by replying to this email or by using our CONTACT FORM. If you are not a member, then PLEASE JOIN US !
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 !
-
Weekly Roundup – 29-Sep-24
Both Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and the photographer were enjoying the sunshine on Saturday 28th September 2024 as the loco approached the Stogumber station stop en route to Bishops Lydeard. The ’33’ was working the 80-mile diagram that had originated at Minehead. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0
Last weekend saw the last of the BLUE timetable workings that will be diesel hauled this year, with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) in use on Saturday and Sunday. The timetable now reduces to the 3-times daily service provided by the RED timetable, with diesel power only required for Sundays 6th, 13th and 20th October, although a ‘bonus’ day has been added for Saturday 5th due to the non-availability of the booked steam loco. The final week of timetabled service at the end of October will be all-steam because it is likely to be too cold to operate unheated trains. Although the ’33s’ are capable of providing Electric Train Heating (ETH), there are no compatible coaches in use on the WSR at present, so our operating period is restricted to the warmer months.
On Sunday 29th, the ’33’ was out and about again, but this time carrying a special headcode to mark the birthday of DEPG Trustee and volunteer TOM COURTNEY who happened to be on duty as secondman that day. Although bright at first, the weather took a marked turn for the worse as the day progressed, but that did not present any problems to the 1961-vintage loco.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) in the foreground with Ashley, Tom and Ian on the platform at Williton and (L-R) Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Barclay 578 (ROF 1), Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057), Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and GWR 4-6-0 7812 ‘ERLESTOKE MANOR’ in view. Image taken from the Williton Railcam courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
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’ – with so many component parts now removed from the ‘B’ bogie occupying floor space in the loco shed, it became necessary to spend some time working on cleaning up and inspecting some of the most important parts. There is a lot more detailed inspection and measurement to do, but first indications were positive and no ‘horrors’ have emerged. This is very encouraging and allows us to press ahead to arrange the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of the key suspension components, to make sure that there are no cracks or internal fractures that are not visible to the naked eye. The equipment to do this is available at West Somerset Restorations in the ‘Swindon Shed’ to the north of our yard at Williton.
The general scheme of work on the ‘B’ bogie is as follows, with status information added:
- Remove the cardan shafts – completed on 10th August (the shafts will be sent out for overhaul)
- Remove the brake rigging – completed on 24th August
- Remove the primary springs – completed on 24th August (the springs will be sent out for overhaul)
- Remove the equalising beams and pedestals – completed on 21st September.
- Remove the secondary springs – planned for the week ending 20th October
- Inspect the bogie frames, wheel bearings and gearboxes
- Replace the torque reaction rubbers
- Re-assemble using repaired or replacement parts as required.
With the work taking place inside the loco shed already absorbing the available resources, the Chairman and Vice Chairman were left with the task of distributing the contents of six bulk bags of aggregates underneath the loco body to create a suitably flat surface above rail height for volunteers to be able to work on the underside of the loco, in readiness for a major clean up effort at some time in the near future. The result is both safer and much comfortable for our volunteers.
As always, there is plenty to do on this massive locomotive, so please CONTACT US if you are a DEPG member and would like to come along to help.
D1010 – some of the ever-growing collection of component parts that have been removed from the ‘B’ bogie were pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th September 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the DEPG Chairman was pictured while at work under the ‘A’ end of the loco (with appropriate headgear) spreading the contents of six bulk bags of aggregates that were used to create a flat and safe working surface. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the DEPG Chairman then re-positioned the barriers around the loco and performed a walk-around to make sure that the area was tidy and safe. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the stands are marked to identify the four loading points, the heights of which are measured on a regular basis to ensure that the loco body remains stable and securely supported. Measurements confirm that there has been no movement since the loco was first placed on the stands in July. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
We are still offering the SPONSOR A PATCH scheme where your name or message will be engraved into the metal of the loco body as acknowledgement of your donations to the D1010 RESTORATION FUND. We are a bit behind with the engraving but now that the loco body has been determined as safe to work on (and when weather permits!), we can resume the engraving and catch up. There is plenty more metal yet to be engraved, so GET YOUR SPONSORED PATCH BY CLICKING THIS LINK !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities. She will move to Williton in early November to undergo body repairs and a repaint, along with some other maintenance activities that are aimed at keeping her reliable and available for service.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – This loco has now moved to Bishops Lydeard to continue in her role as Duty Loco. Her next booked duties are under the RED TIMETABLE on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has returned to Williton and has undergone an ‘A’ exam. The loco is now ready for service if called upon. In between other tasks, volunteer loco manager Ian R took measurements from the valve guides that were removed from the spare cylinder heads, in preparation for the refurbishment of the spare heads for possible use on D6575 in the future.
D6575 – two of the valve guides from the Sulzer type LDA cylinder heads were inspected for wear by volunteer loco manager Ian R at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has had a great season, achieving 100% dispatch reliability and delivering consistent and excellent performances. She will remain at Minehead for a while so that she can be assessed for body repairs and repainting before eventually moving back to Williton for other repairs and winter maintenance.
Click on this link or on the graphic below to visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the transmission that is being repaired at Williton at the moment is one of very few surviving examples of the type, and we need to minimise the risk of damaging this transmission, which could be the outcome if we put it back into service before we are sure that it is operating correctly.
On completion of an overhaul in BR days, the transmission would have been installed in a test rig where it could be put through its paces at maximum speed and maximum power, but such a rig is massive and the output from the transmission has to be loaded by a dynamometer which then has to dissipate more than 1 Megawatt of power, so it is not a trivial piece of kit.
In place of this, we intend to perform a functional test of the overhauled control block to make sure that the inputs and outputs are in line with expectations, then we will install the transmission in the loco and carry out a series of static tests before applying power. After that, there will be a programme of test running to build up confidence and prove the reliability. This programme of testing is defined by a Test Plan and the last week has been dedicated to drafting this plan in preparation for a review meeting that will take place on Saturday 6th October.
So, there are no photos of the overhaul this week, but we will be sharing a summary of the agreed test plan in a future roundup.
Two years ago – Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 was pictured on the approach to Blue Anchor station with the 12:30 service from Bishops Lydeard. Photo dated Sunday 25th September 2022 by Glyn Warren © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the ‘Tuesday Team’ are continuing with the overhaul of the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine that was previously installed in sister loco D9526 in parallel with the work that is taking place on the cab assembly. The cab roof section that was being worked on by Andy P last week has now got into the hands of Colin G so that he can restore it in an authentic way, complete with 1960s ‘pegboard’ lining and aluminium trim. The Class 14s were built to a very high standard by BR Swindon Works and Colin is aiming to reach the same heights. Well done Team D9518 !
D9518 – the interior details of the removable cab roof section are being carefully restored in an authentic way by volunteer Colin G. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 28th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was is now stabled outside on Number 1 road at Williton and is likely to remain there until the new year. When space becomes available in the loco shed, she will be going ‘indoors’ for some maintenance work, which will include attention to her bodywork, to make sure that she is in good shape for the 2025 running season.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has been out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. The repair work was contracted out to Heritage Rail Ltd and the work was taking place in the first week of October. We hope to see the loco out and about again during October.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is fully serviceable and is waiting for her next opportunity to shunt the yard at Williton.
BOOK REVIEW: a new release this week is the FOURTH volume in ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ series by Andy Chard. The standard set by Andy’s first volume was repeated admirably in the second and third volumes, and the success of the format continues with high levels of advance sales for this much-anticipated volume 4.
GET YOUR COPY FROM THE DEPG and help us maintain your favourite loco fleet while enjoying a very good read !
Click here or on the image below to go the DEPG online store where this book is available from stock for £34.95 per copy.
DEPG CALENDAR 2025
The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image above to GET YOUR COPY – WHILE STOCKS LAST – for £14 plus p&p.
ON SHED: last week, we shared a photo and a reminiscence from DEPG member Trevor Tremethick in relation to the 23:45 service from Paddington to Penzance in the mid 1970s. Some fifty years later, roundup reader Michael Newman commented thus:
“Had to laugh at Trevor’s comments regarding the journey details of his photo of the 23:45 Paddington to Penzance with 1010 in the 1970s because I had done this journey recently with the awful sounding Class 57s. The actual trip was ruined by freezing cold air conditioning and floodlight-like lighting which wasn’t dimmed all night ! I wouldn’t recommend that journey to anyone.”
Many thanks to Michael for sharing his experience. Do you have a story to tell ? Please share it with us all.
Here’s another image from Trevor’s collection, this time featuring our first acquisition – Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017, pictured in the repair shop at Old Oak Common with the roof section above the engine removed, just 6 months before the end of ‘Hymek’ workings on BR. By this time, D7017 was one of only ten examples of the class remaining in service, so a visit to the repair shop would have been dicing with death. Lucky for us, the loco made it right through to the end, being withdrawn on 13th March 1975, just three days before the very last survivor, sister DEPG loco D7018.
Many thanks to Trevor for sharing his photo with us all.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 is pictured inside the Repair Shop at Old Oak Common depot on Saturday 21st September 1974, surrounded by spare bogies and with the roof off, no doubt a scary experience for the loco at that late point in her career. Photo by Trevor Tremethick © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: the next Board Meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 19th October. if you are a member of the DEPG and would like to have a question placed before the Board, then please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM. If you are not a member, then PLEASE JOIN US !
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 !
-
Weekly Roundup – 22-Sep-24
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was in use on the weekend of 21st/22nd September and ran with special headboards on both days. The Saturday workings carried a ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ headboard in memory of DEPG volunteer MIKE EVANS who passed away last year. Pictured at Bishops Lydeard by Barrie Childs © CC BY-NC 3.0
The weather took a dramatic turn for the worse last weekend, with low cloud and intense downpours reminding us all that summer was most definitely in retreat. However, the weekend was brightened up by the sight and sound of our Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 in use on the 10:00 departures from Minehead and the subsequent 80-mile diagrams on the Saturday and Sunday.
Being the last opportunity for diesel-hydraulic running this year (our diesel-electric ‘Cromptons’ still have five more workings booked – see our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page), we attached some special headboards to commemorate two of our friends and volunteers who passed away last year.
D1007 ‘WESTERN TALISMAN’ was the favourite of MIKE EVANS and his special headboard adorned the loco on the Saturday, and D1051 ‘WESTERN AMBASSADOR’ was the favourite of CHRIS SHIELDS and his special headboard was carried on the Sunday. We miss both volunteers and we will always remember them.
The Sunday was also the 51st anniversary of the ‘HYMEK SWANSONG‘ railtour that marked the end of scheduled passenger service use of the ‘Hymeks’, only ten of which survived through to the end of that year out of an original class strength of 101 examples. Several of the travellers on board the train last Sunday recounted their memories of the ‘Swansong’, adding to the significance of the event.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was in use on the weekend of 21st/22nd September and ran with special headboards on both days. The Sunday workings carried a ‘WESTERN AMBASSADOR’ headboard in memory of DEPG volunteer CHRIS SHIELDS who passed away last year. Pictured at Bishops Lydeard by John Kite © CC BY-NC 3.0
The loco performed admirably and concluded her booked workings for 2024 by achieving a 100% availability result, which is a significant turnaround from the previous years and a credit to the hard work put in by Neil and the team at Williton. Well done team !
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
This weekend sees the last of the BLUE timetable (4 services each way per day) workings until the half-term week (end of October), with the RED timetable (three services each way per day) taking over from Tuesday next week. This gives us one running opportunity per week, which will be the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return on Sundays 6th, 13th and 20th of October with Class 33 D6566 (33048) most likely to be covering all three. The last week of public services this year will be Saturday 26th October through Sunday 3rd November (Mon/Fri excepted) when the BLUE timetable will apply – but steam only (it will be a lot colder by then and the steam-operated carriage heating will no doubt be much appreciated!).
Our versatile ‘Cromptons’ will find further running opportunities on non-public workings including two next week (a DIESELGEN bulletin will be sent out ASAP) and our Class 09 D4107 (09019) will continue to be in regular use at Bishops Lydeard right up to the end of the season, after which it will move to Williton for attention to bodywork and for various other light repairs and maintenance during the winter.
Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
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’ – the second of the two equalising beams presented less of a challenge to Gordon and Leroy on Saturday 21st, showing the benefit of experience gained by the removal of the first beam after an all-day struggle during the previous Saturday. If only there was a work instruction for this kind of overhaul, it would make life so much easier !
The beam and the associated pedestal was then inspected for damage, but only showed the effects of wear in the bushings, with pick-up marks that were indicative of the lack of lubrication caused by the grease nipples being encased in solidified dirt and not being visible for many years. Each part will be thoroughly cleaned and inspected in fine detail before we decide on the repair or replacement of the part.
The general scheme of work on the ‘B’ bogie is as follows, with status information added:
- Remove the cardan shafts – 100% completed on 10th August
- Remove the brake rigging – 100% completed on 24th August
- Remove the primary springs – 100% completed on 24th August
- Remove the equalising beams and pedestals – 100% completed on 21st September.
- Remove the secondary springs – planned for the week ending 20th October
- Inspect the bogie frames, wheel bearings and gearboxes
- Replace the torque reaction rubbers
- Re-assemble using repaired or replacement parts as required.
As always, there is plenty to do on this massive locomotive, so please CONTACT US if you would like to come along to help.
D1010 – the equalising beams of the ‘B’ bogie have now been removed along with the so-called ‘pedestals’ that allow the beams to pivot in the centre. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the uppermost surface of the ‘pedestal’ includes two grease nipples that were buried for years in rock-hard solidified brake dust and had not seen an application of fresh grease since BR days. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the ‘pedestals’ are fabricated steel parts and include small tubes that feed the grease to the bushings that carry the pivots for the equalising beams. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the bushings in the ‘pedestals’ have suffered due to lack of lubrication, as witnessed by the pick-up marks on the outer surface of the bushing. These parts will be inspected and replaced as necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the cooler group from the ‘B’ end was picked up by the Fork Lift Truck driven by Martin and moved out of the loco shed so that it could be turned over to allow repairs to continue on the other side. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the cooler group from the ‘B’ end was turned over and then placed on spacers on the adjacent road so that welding repairs and repainting could be completed on the side that was previously inaccessible. Stalwart volunteer Roy inspected the huge assembly to pick out the next target for his paintbrushes. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
We are still offering the SPONSOR A PATCH scheme where your name or message will be engraved into the metal of the loco body as acknowledgement of your donations to the D1010 RESTORATION FUND. We are a bit behind with the engraving but now that the loco body has been determined as safe to work on (and when weather permits!), we can resume the engraving and catch up. There is plenty more metal yet to be engraved, so GET YOUR SPONSORED PATCH BY CLICKING THIS LINK !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities. At the end of the season, she will move to Williton to undergo body repairs and a repaint, along with some other maintenance activities that are aimed at keeping her reliable and available for service.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – This loco has taken up the role of Duty Loco at Minehead. Her next booked duties are under the BLUE TIMETABLE on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has returned to Williton and has undergone an ‘A exam. The loco is now ready for service if called upon.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco will remain at Minehead for a while so that she can be assessed for body repairs and repainting. The loco will eventually move back to Williton for other repairs and winter maintenance.
Click on this link or on the graphic below to visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the rate of progress has notched up again as the team return from their summer vacations and pick up where they left off. The new (and expensive) bearing for the primary shaft had now been delivered, installed and checked for correct operation and dimensioning. The first layer of the control block was then re-installed into the top housing and carefully inspected in readiness for the next layer to be added. Every step is logged and checked to make sure that nothing is missed. These transmissions are too precious to take chances with.
D7018 – the brand new bearing for the primary shaft of the 4-speed geartrain was fitted at Williton on Monday 16th September 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the first layer of the control block was installed and inspected at Williton on Tuesday 17th September 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – meanwhile, the loco minus its transmission is destined to remain outdoors and be subjected to the Great British climate. Pictured at Williton on Sunday 22nd September 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the ‘Tuesday Team’ are powering ahead with the overhaul of the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine that was previously installed in sister loco D9526. The pistons and cylinder liners have been removed from the engine and will undergo careful cleaning, inspection and measurement to determine if they are fit for further service. The team were diverted on Saturday 21st by the need to work sister D9526 to Minehead and back for an underframe inspection, but Andy P remained at the depot to work on the restoration of the cab roof – a very good sign that the cab is well on the way towards full restoration.
D9518 – the aluminium cab roof was the subject of Andy P’s attention at Williton on Saturday 21st September 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was worked to Minehead on Saturday 21st along with ‘Hymek’ D7017 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) so that she could be positioned over the pit for an underframe exam and a brake adjustment. The loco returned to Williton later that same day, working ‘Light Engine’, with Class 33 D6575 (33057) in tow, the two ‘Cromptons’ having been swapped at Minehead.
L-R: Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was towed to Williton by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on Saturday 21st September 2024, the ’14’ having been over the pit at Minehead for an underframe inspection and the ’33’ having been swapped over with sister D6566 (33048) so that she could return to Williton and undergo an ‘A’ exam. The ‘A’ bogie of D1010 can be seen on the right. 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 but is currently out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. Only one of the 12 cylinders appears to be affected, but further investigations will be carried out as part of the repair work. A subcontractor has been engaged to allow the work to proceed quickly, and the completion date is scheduled for early October.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is fully serviceable and is waiting for her next opportunity to shunt the yard at Williton.
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 volunteers 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: after several weeks of promoting the CLASS 22 BOOKS, we need to make our readers aware of some bargains that are available via our ONLINE STORE in the form of several pre-owned books that have been reduced in price to stimulate sales. Take a look at these and other titles by clicking this link or by clicking on the images below:
MANY THANKS to all who have donated books to the DEPG and thanks also to those who have bought them, with every purchase generating funds for the upkeep of the DEPG loco fleet.
The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image above to GET YOUR COPY – WHILE STOCKS LAST – for £14 plus p&p.
ON SHED: this week, we are not quite ‘on shed’ because the loco still has 30 miles to run before it can take a rest at it’s destination, but here’s a photo that is crying out for sharing. The loco is our very own D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and this photo and the narrative below have been kindly provided to us by new member Trevor Tremethick. Here are Trevor’s words on the subject:
“1010 is on the 23.45 Paddington to Penzance, Truro 12.08.74. It was a horrible train that dragged around Swindon, Chippenham, Bath and Bristol, and didn’t get into Truro until 0815 the next morning. We called it ‘The Rigor Mortis’ as the passengers were rather ‘stiff’ by the time they got off at Truro! Some had to go on to Penzance of course. The headcode was 1B83. I suffered this train on several occasions coming home from London.”
Many thanks to Trevor for sharing his photos and his memories with us all.
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was pictured at 08:15 on the morning of Monday 12th August 1974 when departing from the Truro station stop with the 1B83 Paddington to Penzance service. This train had departed from Paddington at 23:45 the previous day, using the ‘Great Way Round’ route ! The DMU on the right is on the Falmouth branch that still enjoys an intensive shuttle service today. Photo by Trevor Tremethick © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: the Williton Infrastructure Division (WID for short) is the tongue-in-cheek moniker for two of our long-serving volunteers, Paul Tucker and Graham Perry, who team up several times a month to stay over at Williton for a long weekend and focus on making infrastructure improvements, with activities ranging from major ground works for additional ISO containers through to minor but essential items such as making sure that the kettles are working in the mess room ! We will leave you to guess at which activity is considered as the most important.
One of several tasks that they dealt with last weekend was the tidying up of the DEPG’s extensive collection of lifting tackle, all of which had been subjected to its 6-monthly inspection a few weeks beforehand and colour coded red to show that it had been passed as fit for use by the insurance assessor. The colour will change in 6 months and the new colour will be applied to those items that pass the next inspection. This is a simple but effective method that is widely used in industrial and workshop environments.
Here’s a photo of the upgraded storage area for the lifting equipment, nice and tidy with labelling applied to each hook to identify the item that should be hanging there. Let’s hope that our volunteers keep it tidy and properly organised.
The lifting tackle storage area at Williton was re-organised by the ‘Williton Infrastructure Division’ over the weekend of 21st/22nd September 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Many thanks to the ‘WID’, whose efforts often go unreported and seldom hit the headlines, but are making constant progress towards enhancing the facilities and capabilities of the DEPG. Well done guys !
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 !
-
Weekly Roundup – 15-Sep-24
A bit of a surprise on the first day of the WSR’s ‘FORTIES EVENT’ – Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was attached at the rear of the 10:40 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service. The 1960’s loco was being moved to Minehead to provide cover for a steam loco that was giving a bit of trouble. In the end, the diesel was not needed until the following day. Pictured at Crowcombe Heathfield with WSR ‘Mogul’ 9351 on Saturday 14th September 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0
The WSR took on a 1940s look for the weekend of 14/15th September as each station along the line hosted a range of special activities with a 1940s theme, everything from unexploded bombs through to song and dance. The blue skies of the Saturday had clouded over by the Sunday, but the weather remained good and the event was very well attended, with several additional trains running and wartime goods trains adding to the interest on the Saturday.
On the Sunday, one of the steam locos developed a fault so the goods trains had to be cancelled and our Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was ‘requisitioned by the authorities’ and pressed into action on four passenger services, to ensure that the full published passenger service was provided. Very useful locos, these Class 33s !
DIESEL RUNNING DATES
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be hauling the BLUE timetable diesel turns on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September with 80 miles of haulage available each day.
As the ‘Hymek’ is currently stabled at Williton, there will be a ‘Light Engine’ working on Saturday morning, leaving Williton at 0900 and arriving at Minehead at 0935 so that the ‘Hymek’ can take up position at the head of the 10:00 service to Bishops Lydeard.
Catching a ride behind D7017 will be Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048), both going to Minehead for different reasons. The ’14’ will position over the pit at Minehead so that an underframe inspection can be carried out. The ’33’ is fresh from an ‘A’ exam at Williton and will take over as Duty Loco from sister D6575 (33057) who will in turn catch a ride behind D9526 when she returns to Williton later in the day. These additional workings should make for some interesting photo opportunities. See our DIESELGEN bulletin for more details.
Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.
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’ – the hard work on the ‘B’ bogie resumed on Saturday 14th as the team, comprising Gordon, Ian F and Thomas, turned their attention to the equalising beams that distribute the weight between the outermost pair of axles in the bogie. The beams are hung from inverted ‘pedestals’ that are bolted into place within the bogie frame and are very difficult to access, especially when plastered with dirt and grease. After many hours spent cleaning and preparing, the retaining bolts on the pedestal bearings were eventually released and the first of the two equalising beams extracted. The associated pedestal was then easy to access and removal took a matter of minutes. Having done the first one, the others should be ‘easy’ ….. but everything is relative !
The general scheme of work on the ‘B’ bogie is as follows, with status information added:
- Remove the cardan shafts – 100% completed on 10th August
- Remove the brake rigging – 100% completed on 24th August
- Remove the primary springs – 100% completed on 24th August
- Remove the equalising beams and pedestals – 50% completed on 14th September.
- Remove the secondary springs
- Inspect the bogie frames, wheel bearings and gearboxes
- Replace the torque reaction rubbers
- Re-assemble using repaired or replacement parts as required.
As always, there is plenty to do on this massive locomotive, so please CONTACT US if you are a DEPG member and would like to come along to help.
D1010 – volunteer Ian F was hard at work preparing for the extraction of the equalising beams of the ‘B’ bogie at Williton on Saturday 14th September 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the first of the two equalising beams of the ‘B’ bogie sees the light of day after 50+ years of being incarcerated inside the bogie frame. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – and it’s out, complete with the ‘pedestal’ that allows it to pivot and transfer the load from one axle to another. The only issue is that it pivots a little too easily due to the amount of wear in the bearings. Some remedial work is required. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the component parts of the ‘pedestal’ that sits inside the bogie frame and carries the equalising beam that transfers some of the load from one axle to another. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
We are still offering the SPONSOR A PATCH scheme where your name or message will be engraved into the metal of the loco body as acknowledgement of your donations to the D1010 RESTORATION FUND. We are a bit behind with the engraving but now that the loco body has been determined as safe to work on, we can resume the engraving and catch up. There is plenty more metal yet to be engraved, so GET YOUR SPONSORED PATCH BY CLICKING THIS LINK !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities. At the end of the season, she will move to Williton to undergo body repairs and a repaint, along with some other maintenance activities that are aimed at keeping her reliable and available for service.
Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019) was basking in the sunshine at Bishops Lydeard when pictured on Sunday 15th September 2024. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – This loco will take up the role of Duty Loco when she arrives at Minehead on Saturday 21st September. Her next booked duties are under the BLUE TIMETABLE on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will return to Williton on Saturday 21st September to undergo an ‘A exam and several other items of planned maintenance.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled at Williton and will be moving to Minehead to take up her duties on the diesel diagram of the BLUE TIMETABLE on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September.
Click on this link or on the graphic below to visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – our ‘transmission team’ were back in the saddle with immediate results on Monday and Tuesday 9th/10th September with an excellent balance of action and care. The photos show that the re-assembly of the transmission is moving forward, but with trial assembly of each stage to allow measurements to be taken and the necessary clearances obtained and verified. This careful approach will pay dividends and allow us to have the required level of confidence when we get to the testing phase in the near future.
D7018 – the oil pump was disassembled to check for cleanliness and damage. Everything was OK but the bearings were not great so they were exchanged with those from the ‘good spare’. Pictured at Williton on Monday 9th September 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the massive torque converter assembly was trial fitted to the primary geartrain shaft of the transmission at Williton on Tuesday 10th September 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – having the torque converter in position allowed the end float of the primary geartrain shaft to be measured at the far end. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 10th September 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the team are powering ahead with the overhaul of the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine that was previously installed in sister loco D9526. The pistons and cylinder liners were removed from the engine, exposing the crankshaft journals, all of which were in very good condition. Here are some photos:
D9518 – the six pistons from the Paxman ‘Ventura’ 6YJXL engine were removed and arranged on the steel table in front of the ‘Tuesday Team’ (L-R, Terry, Nick, Tony and Linda) at Williton on 10th September 2024. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the six cylinder liners were also removed for inspection and to allow the sealing surfaces to be cleaned and inspected. So far so good ! Pictured at Williton on 14th September 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is moving to Minehead on Saturday 21st (along with ‘Hymek’ D7017) and will then position over the pit for an underframe exam and a brake adjustment. The loco will return to Williton later that same day, working ‘Light Engine’, with Class 33 D6575 (33057) in tow.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but is currently out of service because of a coolant leak from the liner of cylinder B3. Only one of the 12 cylinders appears to be affected, but further investigations will be carried out as part of the repair work. A subcontractor has been engaged to allow the work to proceed quickly, and the completion date is scheduled for early October.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – our loco may not have been used much during these last few weeks but her twin sister, number 579 (ROF 2), has been busy, moving ex-GWR coaches from Dunster sidings to the new West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust (WSRHT) workshop at Washford, where restoration can take place under cover. The moves were performed as ‘top-and-tail’ with Class 03 shunter D2133 at the rear and at walking pace, because these coaches have not moved in a very long time.
Barclay 579 (ROF2) was in use to haul several ex-GWR coaches from Dunster Sidings to Washford on Monday 9th September 2024. Each coach was moved separately at walking pace with the Barclay in the lead and Class 03 shunter D2133 at the rear. Photo by the WSRHT © CC BY-NC 3.0
BOOK REVIEW: with the closedown news from PROJECT 22 reported in the Roundup for 25-Aug-24 still fresh in our minds, we will continue to feature Anthony Sayer’s detailed analysis of the Class 22 for one more week and we will also include the Class in the ‘ON SHED’ feature further below. Both volumes of these books are in stock and ready for those who want to learn more about these extinct machines. Even though they were seldom at the top of the loco spotter’s list of favourites, they still have a right to exist and it is sad that not a single example of Classes 16, 21, 22, 29, 41 or 43 remain, a total of 164 main line locomotives that were built in Glasgow for BR by the North British Locomotive Company.
To find out more, consider purchasing VOLUMES 1 and 2 of THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.
VOLUME 1 – Setting the Scene VOLUME 2 – Detailed Insights
Volume 1 tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author. Volume 2 delves into their service record and extensive modifications list, ending with details on their final disposal. None were saved.
Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !
The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image above to GET YOUR COPY – WHILE STOCKS LAST – for £14 plus p&p.
ON SHED: one more photo on the Class 22 theme before we move on, again from regular contributor BARRY GAY, this one taken on a Wednesday afternoon in September 1971, almost exactly 53 years ago, at Hemyock, a villiage in the Blackdown Hills near the Devon-Somerset border, 5 miles south of Wellington. This was the terminus of a branch line from Tiverton Junction that had been built as the Culm Valley Light Railway back in 1876, and was kept alive until 1975 by the existence of a United Dairies creamery. Here are Barry’s words on the subject:
“D6336 shunting milk tanks at Hemyock on Wednesday, September 22, 1971. The Class 22 worked in with the empties from Exeter at 15.35, leaving with 5 full tanks at 16.30. The Hemyock and Torrington milk trains continued with Class 22s until the end of the year, in fact until Saturday, January 1, 1972 when D6339 worked the last Class 22-hauled Hemyock and D6333 the last Torrington. Both trains arrived at Exeter St Davids within 5 minutes of each other, uncoupled, with the locos going to Exeter stabling point where they were immediately withdrawn. The milk tanks would have been put on the 6A21 St. Erth-Kensington later that evening hauled by a Class 52 !!”
Many thanks to Barry for sharing his photos and his memories with us all.
North British Type 2 Class 22 D6336 was pictured on Wednesday 22nd September 1971 while shunting 6-wheeled milk tank wagons at Hemyock, the terminus of the 7.5 mile (12 km) Culm Valley branch line that joined the main Bristol to Exeter line at Tiverton Junction. Photo by Barry Gay © CC BY-NC 3.0
DEPG NEWS: last week’s roundup included a brief summary of the proceedings of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the DEPG that took place at Williton on Saturday 7th September. A detailed report is being prepared and will be included in the next Newsletter. Any DEPG members who would like to receive the detailed report sooner or by email are invited to request a report by using our CONTACT FORM or emailing the subject ‘AGM REPORT‘ to contact@deg.org
The Financial Report for 2023 has now been filed with Companies House and the filing with the Charity Commission will be completed later this month (this must be done before 31st October).
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 !