Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 returned to Williton on Thursday 15th August 2025 after a 10-month spell at Minehead undergoing a thorough bodywork overhaul and a repaint into the early BR-blue livery that was carried by some ‘Hymeks’ before the rules of standardisation were enforced. Photo by Linda Trott © CC BY-NC 3.0
The big news this week is the RETURN OF ‘Hymek’ D7017 after a 10-month stay at Minehead where this loco has undergone a thorough bodywork overhaul and a complete re-paint into the early BR-blue with the small yellow warning panels. The loco carries the ‘D+EG‘ logo as it did in the early days of the WSR when BR would not allow their double-arrow symbol to be displayed on non-BR locos.
MANY THANKS to all who have donated to and carried out the work on D7017 to bring her up to the standard that we see today.
The loco was started up at Minehead on Tuesday 13th after being prepared thoroughly by Neil, Colin F and Tim, the engine starting straight away and sounding fine. The loco was returned to Williton on Thursday 15th on the back of a service train because the Vehicle Inspection & Brake Test (VIBT) procedure needs to be completed and signed off before the loco can work alone. We expect to be able to complete this inspection work during the coming week, which will then allow the loco to go out on test.
This all bodes well for our 50 YEARS of HYMEKS weekend, the 30th and 31st August, where we expect to have both of our ‘Hymeks’ in use, both singly and together. We will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin and updating our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page with the timetable details as soon as they are released.
D7017 – another excellent repaint carried out by Harry at the Minehead facillity, with much of the work being carried out in his own time as a way of conserving DEPG funds. We are very grateful to Harry and all of the team at Minehead for the high quality work done on this loco. Pictured at Minehead on Thursday 15th August 2025 by Harry Spencer © CC BY-NC 3.0
Click here to go to the WSR’s events page for the ‘Hymek’ weekend.
The coming week offers another interesting mixture of pure steam, pure diesel and mixed traction on the WSR, so please keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page in case the motive power allocations change (we will TRY and keep this page aligned with the latest changes).
Click here to go to the WSR’s Timetable page then click on the day of interest then click VIEW TIMETABLE.
Sign up to our DIESELGEN bulletin service for advance notification of unplanned services.
LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the team continued working on the bogies at Williton on Saturday 9th August, with Leroy being tasked with preparing for the removal of the equalising beams from the ‘A’ bogie. This is not an easy task, so we were not expecting to finish it in one session, and we did not disappoint ourselves ! The team will progress the work during this coming weekend.
In parallel, work proceeds on the cleaning and painting of the brake components from the ‘B’ bogie, with help from the ‘Tuesday Team’ being very much appreciated. We want to get this loco back on its bogies before the winter. If this sounds like a tall order, it is, so COME ALONG AND HELP US MAKE IT HAPPEN !
Get in touch using our CONTACT FORM and we will send you the volunteering application form and take it from there.
D1010 – Leroy was pictured while attempting to release one of the two equalising beams from the ‘A’ bogie at Williton on Saturday 9th August 2025. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the ‘Tuesday Team’ were lending a hand or six with the cleaning up of the many brake rigging assemblies and components from the ‘B’ bogie when pictured at Williton on Tuesday 5th August 2025. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 09 D4107 (09019) – outstationed at Bishops Lydeard in support of WSR operations.
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is being kept very busy and will be outstationed at either Bishops Lydeard or Minehead according to the requirements of the WSR Operations Department.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – on Tuesday 5th August, this loco was lifted and her bogies run out so that an underframe inspection could take place.
D6575 (33057) – the body of the loco was lifted from the bogies using four synchonised electric jacks at Williton on Tuesday 5th August 2025. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
D6575 (33057) – the bogies were then rolled out from under the loco so that the loco underframe could be inspected. This also allowed the bogies to be examined from the top down. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 5th August 2025 by Paul Fleet © CC BY-NC 3.0
No issues were found, so the bogies were rolled back in position and the loco body lowered back onto the bogies. On Saturday 9th, the Class 33 team comprising Ashley, Ben, Charlie, Ian and Tom then set to work reconnecting the traction motor cables, re-fitting the blower bellows, brake hoses, handbrake linkage and AWS receiver, all of which was achieved by crawling under the loco in very hot and dirty conditions to get the job done. WELL DONE TEAM ‘CROMPTON’!
The ‘Tuesday Team’ also lent a hand by re-fitting two of the four bogie retention brackets and re-attaching the vacuum exhauster silencers and ensuring their security. The remaining inspections tasks are due to be completed this coming weekend and we hope to see the loco go out on test after being re-fuelled (fuel has been arranged for Tuesday 19th August).
D6575 (33057) – pictured on the concrete lifting pad on the south side of the ‘Swindon Shed’ at Williton on Saturday 9th August 2025. The team consisting of (L-R) Charlie, Tom, Ashley, Ben and Ian R had spent the entire day underneath the loco, re-connecting the various cables and linkages ! Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as covered previously, this loco is now back at Williton for completion of her Vehicle Inspection & Brake Test (VIBT) and will soon be ready to go out on a test run to prove her reliability and provide driver refresher training. No issues arose during the engine start and run to Williton, so everything is looking good for our 50 YEARS of HYMEKS weekend, the 30th and 31st August, where we expect to have both of our ‘Hymeks’ in use, both singly and together.
We are very grateful to everyone who has donated to or worked on D7017 during her bodywork overhaul. Your efforts are a fitting tribute to this loco, in HER FIFTIETH YEAR IN PRESERVATION !
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is at Williton and is fully serviceable and available to the WSR for use as a ‘Thunderbird’ loco if required. The focus of attention has been on sister loco D7017 but D7018 remains ready to go and may be used in support of her sister when test running.
D7018 is stabled on the Goods Shed road at Williton while her big sister D7017 gets the attention. D7018 is fully serviceable and is ready to go. Pictured on Saturday 9th August 2025 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work on the engine rebuild has slowed down due to resources being applied to D9526 to support the WSR through the peak summer season, but progress continues to be made on the electrical wiring and on the cab superstructure, as per the photo below:
D9518 (NCB No. 7) is stabled inside the loco shed on No. 3 road at Williton while undergoing a full re-build. The cab-to-engine bulkhead was treated to a coat of glass by DEPG volunteer Andy P on Saturday 9th August 2025. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco did not operate as planned last week because of a loose fuel injection pump drive coupling that was causing concern by refusing to stay bolted up tightly. The loco returned to Williton on the back of a Class 33-hauled passenger service and then moved into the loco shed. The issue has now been sorted out and the loco given an ‘A’ exam, and is expected to be made available for service next week.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco continues to be in regular use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is being kept busy by the steam ban that has been re-introduced following some significant fires on the moors. Our volunteer loco manager Ian R went up to the NYMR to ride behind our ’47’, but the loco was in the shed undergoing routine maintenance, so he had to ride behind a ’37’ instead !
47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was pictured inside the shed at Grosmont on the NYMR while undergoing routine maintenance on Monday 4th August 2025. The loco was out and about on the NYMR later in the week. Photo by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this little loco is available for use as required.
If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !
NEW CLOTHING RANGE:
The new range of clothing that was launched at the SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL continues to be a big success, even though it has created a bit of a logjam for orders. Our supplier is getting back to shipping mode and our back orders are now on the move. APOLOGIES if your order has been delayed, but don’t delay if you want some of this new clothing, PLACE YOUR ORDER via our ONLINE STORE, just click this link to give it a go !
So far, we have launched the 50 YEARS of HYMEKS range and a configurable HYMEK and WESTERN range, and in the works are similarly configurable ranges covering the Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ and the Class 14 ‘Teddy Bears’ with those garments likely to be available in September. Here’s a taster of what is on offer and available to order NOW via our website:
The range of colours has now been expanded and the range of sizes now includes LADIES SIZES. Please let us know via our CONTACT FORM if the colour and size combination that you want is not showing as an option online.
The new designs are available in the following garment types, some of which have not yet been added to our website, so again please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you want. Here are the prices:
| Garment type |
Price |
| T shirt |
£22 |
| Polo shirt |
£25 |
| Sweatshirt |
£35 |
| Hoodie |
£37 |
| Fleece |
£40 |
| Other ? Tell us what you want ! |
Use our CONTACT FORM |
Although the prices of the new range are higher than before, the prices are competitive and are in line with the quality of the garments. These are really nice pieces of work and the ability to personalise your choice is another definite advantage.
We look forward to receiving your order, the profits from which will directly support the DEPG !
ON SHED
A short while ago, we featured the photo below and we asked for opinions about what might have been going on. We received two responses from regular contributors NEALE LONG and BRIAN RINGER, as follows:
From Neale: “The image depicted of 1634 at Bletchley shed with roof panels open, leads me to think that the coolant header tank needed replenishing. Class 47s were notorious for all sorts of leaks and this may have been what was being investigated. The headcode displayed, if correct, would be some form of empty coaching stock run out-of-course as a special, Bletchley being close to Wolverton Works, leads one to think that it brought over a unit/stock for overhaul and then retired to Bletchley where all was not found to be well. That’s the best I can come up with. The locomotive at the time was allocated to the D16 division of the LMR, which was Nottingham, meaning in effect it was a Toton based locomotive. The LMR at the time allocated their rolling stock resources on a Divisional basis for some arcane reason.”
From Brian: “You asked for info regarding this rather unusual maintenance setting for 1634 at Bletchley. 1E Bletchley was my local shed, but I can only guess at what was going on because the depot was intended for maintaining the LMR AM10 (Class 310) outer suburban fleet. As a result all roads inside the maintenance shed were 25kV wired. I can only imagine that 1634 has been put on the outside fuelling road, which is unwired, and with no “working at height” regulations in 1970 the local fitters have used the ladder to sort out the problem on the Brush Type 4. On risk assessment, either falling off a ladder or touching the 25kV overheads, it seemed like a “no brainer” to the fitters!!
Many thanks to our correspondents for providing this insight and thanks to Andy Galpin for providing the photo.
Bletchley Depot on the 15th August 1970, and six-year-old Class 47 1634 (47052) was undergoing some kind of ‘al fresco’ maintenance involving an open roof and a ladder. This loco entered service on 10th November 1964 and worked for more than 38 years before being withdrawn and sent for scrap in April of 2003. Not a bad innings. Photo by Andy Galpin © CC BY-NC 3.0
Another of Andy Galipn’s photos from a week or so later depicts two fairly new machines ‘on shed’ at Crewe Diesel Depot, namely two-year-old Class 50 number 416 (50016 later ‘Barham) and six-year-old Class 47 1728 (47136, 47621, 47839 ‘Pride of Saltley’). Both were allocated to the LMR’s D05 Stoke Division at the time. Andy provides the following notes:
“416 & 1728 found at the back of Crewe Diesel depot during an ‘unofficial’ visit on Wednesday 26th August 1970. I am rather intrigued by the small white disc on the Class 50’s windscreen that seems to be plugged in further down via a coiled air line – any ideas? I also love the two ancient wheelbarrows and the red flag in the foreground! 1728 was later to become Virgin’s 47839 ‘Pride of Saltley’.”
MANY THANKS to Andy for sharing his photo with us all.
Please send in your photos of locos on shed, at the platform or in action, because we appreciate them all, any Class, any place, any time, the more varied, the better. Use our CONTACT FORM to get in touch. Thanks !
Crewe Diesel Depot on Wednesday 26th August 1970 and 416 (50016 later ‘Barham’) was on shed alongside 1728 (47136, 47621, 47839). The equipment in the foreground belongs to an earlier era ! Photo by Andy Galpin © CC BY-NC 3.0
NEW BOOK ON SALE
The FIFTH volume of ‘THE BEATEN TRACK’ has now been released and is available to order via the DEPG’s online store. This series of books by ANDY CHARD has been an amazing success, and we expect this fifth volume to be equally impressive and as successful as the earlier releases. Well done Andy !
Click here or on the image above to get your copy (priced at £35.95 per copy)
There are many other new and pre-owned book titles on our online store – click here for details.
DEPG NEWS:
The date of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) will be Saturday 13th September and the meeting will be held at Williton as usual. We will be sending the AGM information package out to all members who are on the fully-paid-up register on 21st August. We will use the ‘paper’ or ‘paperless’ setting in your ‘Membermojo’ account to determine if you want a mailed or emailed version of the AGM calling notice, so check your setting by using the link or simply scan the QR code further below. Thank you !
More progress has been made on our recently-acquired Fork Lift Truck (FLT) and ‘Cherry Picker’, with both machines receiving the attention of our volunteers last week. The FLT was repainted (where necessary) by the ‘Tuesday Team’ and the ‘NiftyLift’ aerial platform had the basket safety rails painted yellow by Reece on Saturday. Well done all !
The next edition of the DEPG Quarterly Newsletter has been produced by Mark Bladwell and has been sent out by mail or email to all members who were on the register of members on 28th July. Please get in touch using our CONTACT FORM if you have not received your copy. Many thanks to Mark for keeping the Newsletter production running on time.
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 !
Go to the previous Roundup post
