Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was pictured at Blue Anchor station on Thursday 11th April 2024 while waiting for WSR 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351 to bring the ‘down’ train into the platform and relinquish the token for the section towards Williton. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has just completed three days of TEST RUNNING during which she covered 130 miles while hauling Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and six Mark 1 coaches, giving her quite a workout. The only issue that affected the test running was a split radiator element gasket that resulted in a coolant loss on the first day of the test, resulting in curtailment of the diagram and an afternoon spent undergoing repair at Williton. This loco has seen very little use over the last four years and had become unreliable as a result, so the purpose of this intensive period of running was to shake down all such issues and get the loco back into regular running condition. This has been achieved, with the loco being allowed to return to Williton by herself, without the need for D6566 to tag along as insurance.
Congratulations to the volunteers involved in preparing the loco for her ordeal and to those volunteers whose crewed her throughout the three days of the test !
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – Gordon made a start on disconnecting the two MD655 engines in preparation for them to be lifted out of the loco to reduce the weight for the loco body lift. Removing the engines will make a significant reduction in the weight to be lifted and will simplify the lift procedure. The down side is that we need to fabricate or modify some engine stands because we only have two and they are both in use already. It’s a long shot, but if anyone happens to have two spare Maybach engine stands (or something similar), then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know.
Gordon was assisted by new volunteer Thomas, who was attending at the yard for a ‘taster day’. From our summing-up chat at the end of the session, we can safely say that Thomas will be back whenever he can fit us in with his busy work schedule, and we will be delighted to see him at any time.
The loco has now been moved back inside the loco shed for a while, to allow our volunteers to progress with tasks that have been impossible to manage outdoors because of the poor weather, such as the bodywork and the electrical repairs. We also have a large number of sponsored patches to be engraved onto the loco while she is dry.
Our website now carries a new page, ‘D1010 Progress Report – Jan 2024‘, the content of which will be familiar to DEPG members because it was included in the January Newsletter. This information is now available to all by clicking on this link.
D1010 – while stabled outdoors on number 1 road at Williton, the loco was covered by a blue tarpaulin so the sunlight reaches the interior with a blue tint. On Saturday 6th April 2024, volunteers Thomas (L) and Andy R (R) were pictured inside the loco while discussing the work to be done to disconnect and remove the MD655 engines. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the final drive gearbox and cardan shaft of the inboard axle can be seen clearly when looking down on the bogie through the gap that is normally occupied by the ‘B’ transmission. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th April 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the loco was shunted from number 1 road outdoors to number 2 road indoors at Williton on Saturday 6th April 2024. The motive power was provided by Barclay 578 (ROF 1) via Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057), all of which were dormant during the shunt. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – DEPG trustee, driver and volunteer Paul T uncouples the loco and provides an opportunity to study three locomotive designs at Williton on Saturday 6th April 2024, the wedge-shaped leading edges of the Class 52 ‘Western’ and the Class 35 ‘Hymek’ being entirely different to the curvature of the Class 33 ‘Crompton’. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply use the CONTACT FORM on our website to let us know if you can lend a hand.
Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session as soon as the loco gets moved back into the loco shed (the weather has not been cooperative lately!).
The certificates are now being emailed to the sponsors and we have already sent hundreds out with hundreds more to go, so we are very busy with this work. Here’s an example of what we are sending out:
Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print the certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we will be asking for an additional £2.50 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage. We can even put them in frame for you.
The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !
Click the image below to sponsor a patch:
See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco has now returned to duties at Bishops Lydeard.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is currently stabled at Minehead after a busy week supporting the test running of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and will be heading the 1000 departure from Minehead and the associated 80-mile diagram on Sunday 14th April. She will relocate to Bishops Lydeard with the Empty Coaching Stock to allow the WSR to transition from Blue to Red timetable on Tuesday 16th April. See our DIESELGEN bulletin for more details.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) has been busy supporting the test running of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017, providing the ‘insurance’ that allows a loco to be test run on a public service day. Pictured at Minehead on Tuesday 9th April 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – the work on this loco has now been completed and we are waiting for the opportunity to carry out a loaded test run that will allow the engine to get up to maximum operating temperature, at which point we can check the exhaust system and ensure that there no leaks. In the meantime, we have a lot of cleaning up to do in the engine room, and the cabs will also need a thorough clean before the loco is returned to service. Can you help ? Please use our CONTACT FORM if you are able to offer your time and skills in the maintenance and support of your favourite locomotives.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already stated, this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weekends. We hope to get this loco rostered for some public services in the near future, so keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have been making careful progress in the disassembly and inspection of the torque converter components and have removed the impeller and turbine from the housing. As expected, these parts are marvellous examples of 1960s engineering and are in remarkably good condition considering their age. The stampings on the worksplate gives the date of the last overhaul as being 9th December 1971, more than 50 years ago !
The work involves the design and manufacture of special tooling to ensure that no damage is caused during disassembly or re-assembly, because spare parts are not available and any damage will be expensive and time-consuming to resolve. This is the reason why the locomotive has been removed from consideration for running this year. We do not want the transmission team to feel that they are under pressure.
D7018 – the main components of the torque converter comprise the impeller in the centre, driven from the engine, and the turbine around the outside, which drives the wheels of the locomotive via the gearboxes. A marvellous piece of 1960s engineering. Pictured at Williton on Wednesday 3rd April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D7018 – the large and expensive axial control bearing from the torque converter appears to be in very good condition and suitable for further service. Pictured at Williton on Wednesday 3rd April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !
Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.
Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the cab assembly continues to be the focus of attention, with more progress being made by the team every week. There has also been progress with the cardan shafts, but no conclusions have been reached as yet, so research continues into the options available to us.
D9518 – Terry (L) was quick to grab new volunteer Thomas (R) at Williton on Saturday 6th April 2024, and the two of them set to work preparing the transmission flanges for the re-installation of the cardan shafts (we like to think positively!). Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – further progress was made by volunteer John C who continued his careful and diligent work on the cab and desk wiring. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th April 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is on standby at Bishops Lydeard and is fully serviceable. This loco will work an engineering train to Minehead on Saturday 13th April and will then return to Williton. See our latest DIESELGEN posting for more details.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco relocated from Grosmont to Pickering by heading up the 1710 service on 7th April so that she could be in place for a week of work on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. We look forward to sharing photos of this very popular loco at work in the next edition of roundup.
See our ‘ON SHED’ feature further below for an article related to this locomotive.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is stabled on number 3 road at Williton and has seen action several times during the last few weeks. A very useful engine !
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 !