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Saturday 20th July 2024 saw the welcome return of a Class 47 to the WSR in the form of West Coast Railway Co’s 47812 (D1916, 47239, 47657) at the tail end of the Railway Touring Company’s 1Z26 Minehead to Paddington special. The majority of haulage power was being provided by Stanier ‘Black Five’ 44871 with the occasional push from the ’47’. Pictured at Williton by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Another busy weekend at Williton, with infrastructure improvement work taking place while the D1010 team continued with the dismantling of the ‘B’ bogie, with no regard for the sometimes inclement weather. In parallel, work continued on D9518 and the ‘transmission team’ were busy moving the castings from the ‘good spare’ to our transmission repair area, to replace the cracked castings from D7018‘s delinquent transmission. Add a yard shunt into the mix to prepare for track repair work the following day, and the obligatory visit to the footbridge to watch the mainline special go through, and it all resulted in very busy but most enjoyable time !

A steam-hauled service train waits at the ‘up’ platform while (L-R) Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 stand in the yard. In the foreground, WSR Infrastructure team member and DEPG volunteer Matt is hard at work in the 5-ton digger to level an area for the storage of large and heavy items (engines and transmissions). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

This coming weekend features all-steam haulage with an enhanced timetable that includes demonstration goods trains and a Quantock Belle dining special, showcasing the three classes of GWR 4-6-0 locomotives that are at present operating on the WSR – namely the ‘Grange’, the ‘Hall’ and the two ‘Manors’. In between these services, there will be some diesel presence as we have two positioning moves planned, plus the DMU will be in use for crew refresher training in the Norton Fitzwarren section. It’s going to be a very interesting weekend – AGAIN !

On Tuesday 30th July, the peak summer YELLOW timetable commences and runs for five weeks, and will see the welcome return to service of the WSR’s Class 115 DIESEL MULTIPLE UNIT (DMU), which will be covering the 11:00 departure from Bishops Lydeard and the 15:25 return from Minehead.

Our locos will next be in use on the weekend of 3rd/4th August when a Class 33 will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days, and also in support of the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY that will take place at Norton Fitzwarren, with BRAKE VAN RIDES being hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. There will also be a shuttle service in operation between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren plaform for the use of show-goers, and this is booked to be operated by the DMU this year.

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend, with 80 miles of haulage available each day. We are currently looking into the options for September’s running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

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. 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Above: The WSRA’s 2024 STEAM RALLY site plan

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – with the worst of the dirt and grime removed from the ‘B’ bogie having been removed by scraping and brushing, the team were able to find the nuts and bolts that needed to be released to allow the brake cylinders to be removed for overhaul. This in turn uncovered more dirt and grime that will have to be scraped and brushed. At the end of the session, Leroy had managed to transfer quite a lot of the dirt and grime to himself, necessitating a complete change of clothes before his journey home on the train. There is a lot of work to be done on each bogie, but we have made a very good start.

D1010 – the ‘B’ bogie was receiving attention from (L-R) Gordon, Leroy and Thomas at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024. Volunteers Viv and Ian F were also ‘on the case’ but managed to avoid the camera on this occasion. The brake rigging was being removed so that the brake cylinders could be extracted for overhaul. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – undeterred by the rain showers, the ‘B’ bogie will remain the focus of attention for several weeks yet. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – and the result of the effort, all six brake cylinders were removed from the ‘B’ bogie. The other two are on a different pallet nearby. Gordon was pictured applying protective tape to the pipe connections at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The Neil McCannon Show

We are very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook’, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

Video clip 1 : Engines out !

Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

 

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

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.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco returned to Williton for allow volunteer loco manager Ian and his team to attend to a defective slack adjuster. The loco will return to duties during the coming week and probably swap roles with sister D6575 (33057).

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is now at Bishops Lydeard and is on standby during the steam event this coming weekend.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled at Minehead and is expected to be returning to Williton on the rear of the steam-hauled 10:00 service from Minehead on Saturday 27th July, to be detached at Williton and stabled in the South yard.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘good spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the castings can be used to replace those that were found to be damaged in D7018‘s current transmission. The damaged castings will be kept along with all of the other damaged parts, in case they need to be repaired at some point in the future. These parts are precious because new replacements will be VERY expensive.

D7018 – it was a casting swap-over at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024. The nicely painted castings are actually part of the defective set, the lower portion of which has developed cracks that will only get worse if left unrepaired. The dark grey parts have been recovered from the ‘good spare’ which has now become a parts donor. The castings have to be swapped as a set to ensure that alignments are preserved. Photo by Andy Royal © 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 – work continued on the preparation of parts for the cab assembly, with a line-up of the refurbished gauges that need to be re-installed into the driver’s desk (both sides of the desk). Some of the gauges have faults that cannot be repaired, so we will need to source some replacements. Hopefully, we can maintain authenticity.

D9518 – the two tachometers (one for each side of the driver’s desk) were part of the instrument line-up at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024. These instruments show the engine speed, which is normally in the range 600 to 1500 rpm. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the speedometers is ready to be re-installed. In this case, the maximum permitted speed is denoted by the red line at 40 mph, which is correct for a Class 14. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – let’s not forget that the engine overhaul is taking place in parallel to all of the other work. This photo shows the two oil pumps that are driven from the idler wheel. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

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 currently stabled at Williton and is next booked for duties at the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY at Norton Fitzwarren over the weekend of 3rd/4th August. This loco will be providing the motive power for the brake van rides, which are always a popular fund-raiser at the event. If you want to get some Class 14 haulage along the remains of the former Barnstaple branch, then head over to the STEAM RALLY next weekend !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

The NYMR are obviously keen to get her back into service because the loco features in their latest advertising campaign – and rightly so !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have ANOTHER NEW book on offer: VOLUME 2 of THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

         

           VOLUME 1 – Setting the Scene                                   VOLUME 2 – Detailed Insights

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. 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 !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

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 below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: another photo from the collection of long-term DEPG member PHIL GRAY, this photo is particularly relevant following the recent announcement that the Royal Mail is to cease the use of the few remaining mail trains that still operate on the UK network. Back in 1982, things were very different, as this photo shows. Of the six carriages that have recently arrived at Camarthen station in West Wales, three of the vehicles are dedicated to mail and parcels. These Travelling Post Office (TPO) trains were commonplace throughout the network until the traffic moved to road. The last TPO ran in January 2004.

The Class 33 has probably brought the train from Fishguard Harbour and the 47 is probably going to take it forward to London via Swansea and Cardiff. If anyone has detailed information about these workings, then please let us know by replying to this email or by using our CONTACT FORM.

Many thanks to Phil for sharing his photographs with us all.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33032 had just detached from a passenger service that included a Travelling Post Office section when pictured at Camarthen station on 10th September 1982. This station is situated on a spur from the Swansea to Fishguard Harbour line, so all trains have to reverse here. The Class 47 at the far end of the island platform is probably positioning to take the train forward to Cardiff and beyond. Photo by Phil Gray © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: a Board Meeting took place at Williton on Saturday 20th July, a synopsis of which will be prepared and will be made available to all DEPG members as soon as possible. The next Board Meeting will take place on Saturday 31st August. If you have a question that you would like to have placed before the Board, please reply to this email or use our CONTACT FORM.

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the DEPG has been scheduled for Saturday 7th September, to take place at Williton Depot, starting at 1400. We will be sending formal AGM notices to all members during the coming weeks. Please make a note of this date and come along to help, support and guide the DEPG for the long-term benefit of our heritage loco collection.

 

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 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 Weekly Roundup post

Two ‘Type 3’ locos from the early 1960s, side-by-side at Minehead on the morning of Saturday 13th July 2024, showing their distinctly different design styles. On the left, Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co (BRCW) Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and on the right, Beyer Peacock (Hymek) Ltd’s Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

       

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was the 76th member of the fleet of 98 locomotives and entered service on 4th November 1961. Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was the 18th member of the fleet of 101 locomotives and entered service on 8th January 1962. Photos from the DEPG archive © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The diesel-hauled services on the weekend of 13th/14th July were shared between two distinctly different locomotives that are almost the same age and were built by private firms (not BR workshops) to do similar work on two distinctly different regions of BR. The diesel-electric Class 33 ‘Crompton’ was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited (BRCW) at Smethwick, Birmingham for use on the Southern Region (SR), and the diesel-hydraulic Class 35 ‘Hymek’ was built in Gorton, Manchester by a consortium that was led by the famous Beyer Peacock company with partners Bristol Siddeley and J. Stone, for use on the Western Region (WR).

Both locomotives were built for similar mixed-traffic duties, but with differing specifications. The ‘Cromptons’ (so called because their electrical equipment was supplied by Crompton Parkinson) were designed with Electric Train Heating (ETH) and dual brakes (air and vacuum) to be compatible with the rolling stock on the mostly-electrified network in the South and South-East of the UK. The name ‘Hymek’ is an abbreviation of Hydro-Mechanical, which described the type of transmission, the trade name for which was ‘Mekydro’, hence the use of the Germanic spelling. The ‘Hymeks’ were fitted with steam generators (‘boilers’) because they took over from steam locos hauling steam-heated rolling stock. They were not fitted with train air braking because the vacuum brake was the requirement on the WR at the time, a decision which went against the ‘Hymeks’ in the mid-1960s when air braking was introduced on the new Mark 2 coaching stock and on all new freight vehicles.

Although many locomotives of other classes were converted to dual braking and ETH as they received their major overhauls, these upgrades were not applied to the ‘Hymeks’ because the diesel-hydraulics had been labelled as ‘non-standard’ by BR in 1965 and were to be eradicated by the early 1970s. Our locos, D7017 and D7018, were among the last four of the Class to operate on BR, back in March 1975. The ‘Hymeks’ are rare and powerful beasts, with only four surviving in preservation (click here for details).

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 called at Stogumber on Saturday 13th July 2024 while working the 10:00 service from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, being the first leg of her 80-mile diagram that day. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The ‘Cromptons’ on the other hand, benefited from their forward-looking specification that was to become the BR standard, and the Class was still in use in significant numbers more than 40 years after their introduction, with our D6566 (33048) being retired in 1997 (and almost immediately started her new career on the WSR), whereas D6575 (33 057) continued on the mainline until suffering a bogie fire in 2005, entering service on the WSR in 2012 after receiving extensive repairs. Very useful locos indeed !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) worked the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard 80-mile diagram on Sunday 14th July 2024, and was pictured while departing from Washford Station. The volunteer Permanent Way gang have evidently been working wonders in the Station Yard. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Here’s a message from Mark Bladwell regarding Coins and Notes:

     “I would like to thank all who have donated banknotes and coins to the Group. Where a name and address have been provided I have thanked you personally. The proceeds are still providing a very useful income to the Group’s funds which are being used for General Funds. However we still need more !

We require:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p’s
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars/Cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

Please contact me at the depot address or by email to publicity@depg.org “

 

Many thanks to Mark for organising this fund-raising activity and for handling the work that arises from it. The resulting donations have been very useful for DEPG funds, so thank you ALL !

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

We are entering a quiet period for diesel haulage because there are two events organised for this weekend and next, each featuring steam, with our locos on standby and only likely to be used in the event of an issue arising with one of the rostered steam locos.

Then, on Tuesday 30th July, the peak summer YELLOW timetable commences and runs for five weeks, and will see the welcome return of the WSR’s Class 115 DIESEL MULTIPLE UNIT (DMU), which will be covering the 11:00 departure from Bishops Lydeard and the 15:25 return from Minehead.

Our locos will next be in use on the weekend of 3rd/4th August when a Class 33 will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days, and also in support of the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY that will take place at Norton Fitzwarren, with BRAKE VAN RIDES being hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. There will also be a shuttle service in operation between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren plaform for the use of showgoers, and this will be either the DMU or a rake of coaches with a diesel ‘top and tail’.

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend, with 80 miles of haulage available each day. We are currently looking into the options for September’s running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

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. 

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

Sadly, the PHOTO CHARTER that had been organised by DON BISHOP for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has not generated a sufficient number of bookings to cover its costs, so it has had to be CANCELLED. This is very disappointing for Don and the DEPG and for all of the supporters who had made a booking, but charters such as this are very expensive and must at least break even. We hope that Don will not be too discouraged and will try again at some point in the near future.

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Tuesday 16th through Sunday 21st July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Above: The WSRA’s 2024 STEAM RALLY site plan

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – after an intense period of planning and checking, checking and planning, the lifting and lowering of the loco body went well, the four load columns of the loco body lining up with the four loading pads of the ex-BR Swindon stands to within a few millimetres. As the 40+ ton weight of the loco body came onto the stands, they settled on their levelled beds of aggregate, this time the change being measurable in centimetres in some cases, but still well within expectations. The heights of each loading pad will be checked periodically and if the action limits are breached, action will be taken to jack and pack the relevant corner.

When lifting the loco body from the bogies, the air tank at ‘A’ end snagged with the bogie and delayed the lift while the tank was disconnected and removed. There was no such conflict at ‘B’ end, so that air tank remains in situ. The two photos below show the difference. The most likely reason for the difference is that the ‘A’ end received heavy repairs on three occasions in the period 1962-1972 on account of collision damage (see our D1010 timeline page), so it is likely that the repairs resulted in smaller clearances that caused conflicts when lifting the body.

D1010 – the ‘A’ end of the loco is at the far end when viewed from Williton Station. The removal of the air tank was carried out while the lift was paused to avoid risk of damage due to snagging. Compare this picture to that of ‘B’ end below. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the ‘B’ end of the loco is at the near end when viewed from Williton Station. This picture shows the air tank that is mounted underneath the buffer beam (same both ends). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The two bogies are now available for our volunteers to work on, and massive progress has already been made on ‘B’ bogie by the removal of 50 years of dirt, grease and grime that has accumulated to a depth of several inches, in some places. Our new volunteer, David, made very good progress over four consecutive days of work, and this was bolstered by a mass effort from the ‘Tuesday Team’, the result of which is a bogie where we can actually identify the various parts ! MANY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS FOR MAKING SUCH GOOD PROGRESS !

D1010 – the ‘B’ bogie has been the subject of much attention and is already looking much the better for it. With the dirt and grime already removed, Gordon and Leroy (L-R) were able to make a start on removing the air pipes from the inboard end of the bogie, for cleaning and inspection. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – looking down on the centre axle and the associated final drive of ‘B’ bogie, the yellow cardan shaft provides the driving force via the intermediate gearbox (inside the tall housing on the far right). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – looking at the leading edge of ‘B’ bogie, the intermediate gearbox is now clearly visible between the leading and centre axles. It is heavy duty stuff ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Neil McCannon Show

We are very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook’, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

     Video clip 1 : Engines out !

     Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

     Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

     Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

     Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

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.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard as a standby locomotive and will be returning to Williton in the near future.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is on standby at Minehead.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is also at Minehead and is expected to be returning to Williton during the next week or so (next in use at the end of August).

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘good spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the castings can be used to replace those that were found to be damaged in D7018‘s current transmission. The damaged castings will be kept along with all of the other damaged parts, in case they need to be repaired at some point in the future. These parts are precious because new replacements will be VERY expensive.

One surprise, that explained why it was so difficult to extract a stud from the ‘good spare’ transmission, was the damage to the studs and bolts in the final drive casing at the very bottom of the gearbox housing. The stud was found to have been severely overloaded at some time since the last works overhaul in 1970 and had become displaced at the point where the two casting halves met. The damage is visible in the photograph below, with the upper portion of the stud displaced to the left, and this is taken from the ‘GOOD spare’ transmission ! The equivalent parts on the damaged transmission were sheared off altogether. What a hard life these locomotives have had.

D7018 – the stud that was eventually removed from the ‘good spare’ transmission at Williton on 9th July 2024. The upper portion of the stud has been displaced to the left by severe overloading. Photo 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 – more VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have BOTH of the cardan shafts fully re-installed in the loco, complete with the safety bows ! This aspect of the restoration has taken some time due to the large and expensive nature of the parts involved, but we can now move on, THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS !

D9518 – the cardan shaft (green) that connects the engine (out of the picture to the left) to the transmission (grey, on the right) has now been fully installed, complete with the safety bows that protect the loco and its occupants in the event of a shaft failure at high operating speed. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts installed allows us to start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames, after which the loco will return to its characteristic shape and be well on its way to full restoration !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

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 stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book 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.

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 !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) landscape 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 below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: This one is going way back to August of 1970, when the ‘Warships’ and ‘Hymeks’ were still receiving general overhauls at Swindon Works. The photo shows Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7009 undergoing a heavy overhaul, evidently leaving no stone unturned. The green-liveried loco emerged in BR-blue in November of that year and went on to serve for only 30 months before being withdrawn in May 1973. What a terrible waste ! Even worse was the fate of the loco that is just visible to the left of D7009, maroon-liveried Class 42 ‘Warship’ D805 ‘BENBOW’, also emerging in BR-blue in November 1970, only to be withdrawn just 23 months later. Many thanks to long-term DEPG member PHIL GRAY for capturing these fine locos on film.

Swindon Works on the 10th August 1970 and the heavy general overhaul of diesel-hydraulics was still in full swing. Centre loco is Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7009 in what is left of her original green livery with full yellow ends, while alongside in the shadows to the left is Class 42 ‘Warship’ D805 ‘BENBOW’ in maroon livery. Both locos were released from the works by November of 1970 in BR-blue. Photo by Phil Gray © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: the next Board Meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 20th July (apologies for the short notice). If you have a question that you would like to have placed before the Board, please reply to this email or use our CONTACT FORM. 

 

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 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 Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was lifted from her bogies at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024 by two giant road cranes that were provided by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE from their Newport, South Wales branch. The two cranes made light work of the job! Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This week, we have stretched the date range of this edition of ‘Roundup’ so that we can cover one of the most significant events in the 50-year history of the DEPG – the lifting of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ !

At 08:00 on Monday 8th July 2024, two 130-ton road cranes arrived at Williton along with their escort vans and a flat-bed truck loaded with specialised lifting tackle, their objective being to set up in the south yard at Williton and lift the body of D1010 from her bogies and slew her over onto two stands that were ready and waiting to take the load.

The two 130t road cranes that were provided by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE were pictured in the process of setting up at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

After many months of research and preparation, and many hours of hard graft by our volunteers, the lift went to plan with only a slight hitch that was quickly resolved. The work involved five lifts, as follows:

     Lift 1 : Remove the roof sections from above the engine compartments (4 panels in total)

     Lift 2 : Lift out the ‘B’ engine and place it on the engine stand

     Lift 3 : Lift out the ‘A’ engine and place it on the engine stand

     Lift 4 : Replace the roof sections above the engine compartments (4 panels in total)

     Lift 5 : Lift the loco body from the bogies, slew over and set down on the stands.

 

Lifts 1 through 4 were completed by 10:00 and after a well-earned break, work began on the body lift, which soon ran into a hitch when the observers at the ‘A’ end called out to say that the bogie frame was fouling on the air tank that is mounted on the body, below and behind the buffer beam. This was quickly resolved by removing the air tank, which allowed the lift to proceed, and that was over and done before 12:00 midday. The cranes were then de-rigged and packed away, the entire cavalcade departing from the DEPG site at 13:00, leaving us full of admiration for their highly professional and polished performance. Well done TEAM BALDWINS !

D1010 – One of her two 6.5t Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines being carefully guided out through the roof aperture at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was in the air at 11:00 on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was safely resting on the ex-BR Swindon stands by 11:45 on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The cranes had already departed when this photo was taken of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on the ex-BR Swindon stands with her bogies alongside. Pictured on Monday 8th July 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – One of her two 16t three-axle bogies, now positioned on No. 2 road outside the loco shed and ready to undergo cleaning and inspection before the overhaul commences. Pictured at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

We would like to acknowledge the help and support of the WESTERN LOCOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION (WLA) the DIESEL TRACTION GROUP (DTG) and the WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY, their knowledge, advice and loan of specialised equipment being essential ingredients, without which this lift would not have been possible.

We also thank the many DEPG members and supporters who have donated generously to allow us to build up sufficient funds to enable us to embark upon the bogie overhaul. Thank you all !

 

We are grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook’, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

Video clip 1 : Engines out !

Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

 

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go to our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

 

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

This coming weekend, it is the turn of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on Saturday 13th July, with 80 miles of haulage available. The following day, Sunday 14th, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be in use on the same diagram. The rest of July is rostered for steam haulage. We have finalised the plan for the August weekends, each of which include diesel haulage on both days, and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

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. 

 

THE FUNERAL OF ANDY VENN, 1962-2024, R.I.P.

As announced last week, the heritage diesel preservation movement has lost another of its well known and highly capable volunteers, with the passing of ANDY VENN at the age of 61 on Monday 1st July 2024. A legend amongst diesel-hydraulic locomotive owning groups, Andy was also known by his nickname ‘SLEDGE‘ (no doubt there is a story behind that). He had not long retired from GWR’s Reading Traction Maintenance Depot when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and sadly, he didn’t get to live out his retirement dreams.

Andy played a major role in the overhaul and return to mainline service of D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ and provided essential information and guidance to our own ‘transmission team’, to get them started on the repair of D1010‘s Voith L630rV transmission.

Andy’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 6th August in Garford, near Abingdon. With condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of Andy Venn, R.I.P.

Mainline registered Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ was pictured during a visit to the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore on Saturday 6th July 2024, carrying a wreath in memory of ANDY VENN. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0 

  

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

As advised last week, here’s a reminder that DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

     Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a ‘Hymek’ diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.”

To learn more and book your place, please click on the link below, which will take you directly to the page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010– already covered !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard as a standby locomotive.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will be in use this coming SUNDAY (14th July) on the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return service (x2) under the BLUE timetable, covering 80 miles.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco will be in use this coming SATURDAY (13th July) on the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return service (x2) under the BLUE timetable, covering 80 miles.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the housings can be inspected and hopefully used as replacements for the transmission that is currently undergoing repair. The focus has temporarily switched to preparing D1010 for her body lift, but the ‘transmission team’ will be back on the Mekydro case ASAP !

D7018 – the newly-fabricated stand for the spare transmission was painted in ‘warning yellow’ by Julie at Williton on Sunday 7th July 2024. Photo by Paul Tucker © 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 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have BOTH of the cardan shafts re-installed in the loco ! This aspect of the restoration has taken some time due to the large and expensive nature of the parts involved, but we have now have a solution, WITH MANY THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS !

D9518 – the longer of the two cardan shafts connects the transmission to the engine via the ‘Holset Coupling’, the large black object on the right hand end of the shaft. This is a vibration damper that isolates the transmission from the torsional vibrations that are produced by the V6 engine. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th July 2024. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts installed allows us to start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames, after which the loco will return to its characteristic shape and be well on its way to full restoration !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

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 stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book 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.

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 !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) landscape 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 below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

ON SHED: apologies, but due to the workload on D1010‘s lifting, we will need to skip this feature again this week.

 

DEPG NEWS: 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 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 Weekly Roundup post

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back in action on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June 2024 when she worked 60 of the 80 miles available on the diagram originating at Minehead. One leg of the journey had to be handed over to a visiting celebrity steam loco, but the rest of the diagram was blessed with Maybach Music throughout. Pictured on the Saturday while departing from Williton, by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was kept busy last weekend, hauling the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard diagram on both days and performing very well, with driver Tucker in charge on Saturday and driver McCannon in charge on Sunday, both volunteers also being DEPG Trustees and Board Members. In an unscheduled change, the first return service on the Saturday raised concerns when the ‘Hymek’ stayed on the end of the train and a very shiny visiting ‘celebrity’ locomotive coupled on the front to haul the train back to Minehead. The loco was new-build 4-6-0 number 6880 ‘BETTON GRANGE’, no doubt a rare treat for the steam fans who happened to be on board.

Apologies to all who had travelled to the WSR to ride behind the ‘Hymek’ on that service. The substitution was the result of a need to get the steam loco to Minehead for planned work to be carried out later that day, and to combine the movement with a loaded test run. Thank you very much to all our supporters who attend on weekends to ride behind our diesels, please keep on coming, to demonstrate the increasing level of interest in diesel traction !

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was pictured while departing from Washford Station on Sunday 30th June 2024 with a service for Bishops Lydeard. The foreground shows a raft of sleepers that will be used by the volunteer Permanent Way team to renovate the trackwork in Washford Station Yard. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you were wondering about the curious timetable changes and the occasionally offline webcams last week, the explanation is that the WSR was hosting a private charter for a total of six days, in connection with filming work, in turn providing plenty of work for our two Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. We wonder if they will get included in the credits ….

Well done all, and no doubt this filming work will have generated a useful income for the railway and will result in increased tourism in the area in the future !

The filming work that was the purpose behind the private charter on the WSR involved the use of BR(W) 4-6-0 number 6990 ‘WITHERSLACK HALL’ and, in a supporting role, both of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons. In this view taken at Blue Anchor on Tuesday 2nd July 2024, D6575 (33057) waits for the token before leaving for Minehead. Photo by Paul Fleet © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This coming weekend, it is the turn of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) to haul the BLUE timetable turns on 6th and 7th July, with 80 miles of haulage each day. The following weekend, the turns are shared between Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 on Saturday 13th July, with one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ being in use on Sunday 14th.

The rest of July is rostered for steam haulage. We are close to finalising the plan for the August weekends, each of which include diesel haulage on both days. 

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.

 

 

SOME SAD NEWS …. ANDY VENN, R.I.P.

BR(W), DTG, GWR and latterly DEPG railway engineer, the late Andy Venn was evidently enjoying his work on D1010‘s Voith L630rV transmission at Williton on 23rd April 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

We are saddened to announce that the heritage diesel preservation movement has lost another of its well known and highly capable volunteers, with the loss of ANDY VENN who passed away on Monday 1st July 2024. A legend amongst diesel-hydraulic locomotive owning groups, Andy was also known by his nickname ‘SLEDGE‘ (no doubt there is a story behind that). He had not long started his retirement from GWR’s Reading Traction Maintenance Depot when he developed prostrate cancer, so he sadly didn’t get to live out his retirement dreams.

Andy played a major role in the initial repair stages of D1010‘s Voith L630rV transmission and along with his former boss Paul Koch, provided essential information and guidance to our own team, led by Colin F.

With condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of Andy Venn, R.I.P.

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

As advised last week, here’s a reminder that DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

     Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a ‘Hymek’ diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.”

To learn more and book your place please click on the link below, which will take you directly to the page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the date of Monday 8th July is approaching fast ! This date has been set for the body of this loco to be lifted from her bogies and slewed over to the adjacent track, where the ex-BR Swindon stands will be positioned and levelled, ready to carry the 50-tonne load. The lift will be performed by two 120-tonne road cranes that will be supplied by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE working in tandem. The lifting will start by removing the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD-655 engines, each of which weighs close to 6 tonnes each, to reduce the weight of the loco body and minimise the stresses on the 62-year-old loco body structure. The transmissions and cooler groups were removed for overhaul last year, so the interior of the loco will be easy to access and will be ready for a thorough clean-up and re-paint once the body is safely lowered onto the stands.

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ provides the backdrop against which we see Gordon holding the handbrake linkage that he removed from the locomotive on Saturday 29th June 2024. All connections between the body and the bogie have now been removed or released, ready for the lift. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The updated diagram below was drawn up by DEPG volunteer Barry Quest and shows the planned positions of the two cranes relative to the locomotive. After the body of the loco has been placed down on the stands on No. 5 road, the cranes will vacate the area and the bogies will be rolled from No 4 road into the DEPG loco shed, a little further south. The loco body and stands on No. 5 road will then be protected by sleeper barriers and/or ballast bags, to ensure that the loco is not disturbed by errant road or rail vehicles during her wait for her bogies to be overhauled, a process that we expect to take 6 to 9 months in total.

Plan view of the cranes positioned at each end of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on number 4 road at Williton, showing the stands positioned on number 5 road. The loco body will be lifted up to a height of 2m to clear the bogies, then will be slewed over and lowered onto the stands. When the cranes have left the area, the bogies will be rolled into the DEPG loco shed (left of this view) for overhaul. Drawing by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The below photo, reproduced from one of the Bradford Barton books, shows D1025 ‘WESTERN GUARDSMAN’ under construction in Swindon Works in the Autumn of 1963. The loco body was mounted on stands, a method that was commonly used in the ‘Works’, both for new builds and overhauls.

Class 52 D1025 ‘WESTERN GUARDSMAN’ under construction at Swindon Works in Autumn 1963. The loco body is supported on stands. From an original photo by L. Waters ©

 

The sight of a ‘Western’ on the stands will be a ‘first’ for preservation, because the last time such a sight would have been seen would have been during the parts recovery from the withdrawn locos as they made their way to meet the cutter’s torch in the killing fields at Swindon Works in the late 1970s. The stands were modified several times during their working lives at Swindon, eventually being used to support Mark 1 coach bodies that were being converted for use on the Kent Coast Electrification project. We are lucky to have two of these modified stands available to support D1010.

 

The lifting of D1010 will be filmed by DEPG volunteers and shared via Social Media and YouTube. The Williton Station webcam may not be functional during the lift period, but keep an eye on our website for links to the videos and photo galleries, which we will post online as soon as we are able to do so.

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in use during the last two weeks on private charter filming support duties, and is now stabled at Bishops Lydeard as a standby locomotive.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will be in use this coming weekend (6th/7th July) on the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return service (x2) under the BLUE timetable, covering 80 miles each running day.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already stated, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday 13th July, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. 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 ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the housings can be inspected and hopefully used as replacements for the transmission that is currently undergoing repair. The focus has temporarily switched to preparing D1010 for her body lift, but the ‘transmission team’ will be back on the Mekydro case ASAP !

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 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have one of the two cardan shafts re-installed in the loco ! This aspect of the restoration has taken some time due to the large and expensive nature of the parts involved, but we have now have a solution, WITH THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS, and the shorter (but chunkier) of the two shafts has now been re-installed in the locomotive.

D9518 – the massive cardan shaft that connects the transmission to the final drive was lowered into the locomotive at Williton on Saturday 29th June 2024. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the output shaft was re-installed between the transmission and the final drive by Colin G and Terry at Williton on Saturday 29th June 2024. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – at the end of the day, with all of the bolts tightened and the the safety bow in place, camera-shy Colin G was caught with a satisfied smile on his face, looking down at the result of many hours of his and Terry’s hard graft. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 29th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

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 stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

47077 – the massive but somewhat corroded silencer after removal from the loco. They probably don’t have one in stock at the local Kwik-Fit, so we might have to get this one repaired ! Pictured at Grosmont on 25th June 2024 by Josh Smith  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book 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.

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 !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

ON SHED: apologies, but due to the workload on the planning for D1010‘s lifting, we will need to skip this feature again this week.

 

DEPG NEWS: 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 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 for 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 Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) was in action on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June 2024 when she worked the 80-mile diagram out and back from Minehead (two roundtrips to Bishops Lydeard each day). Pictured at Williton on the Saturday while passing Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

It was the turn of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to haul the weekend BLUE timetable runs on 22/23 June with 80 miles of haulage each day. The weekend turns are shared between the two ‘Cromptons’ and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017, with a double dose of ‘Hymek’ haulage scheduled for this coming weekend, 29/30th June.

The pattern changes in July after the first weekend being ‘Crompton’ hauled, then the second weekend being split between the ‘Hymek’ on the Saturday and the ‘Crompton’ on the Sunday. The rest of July is rostered for steam haulage. We are close to finalising the plan for the August weekends, each of which include diesel haulage on both days.

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. 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

As advised last week, here’s a reminder that DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a ‘Hymek’ diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.

     The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) as main providers of diesel traction on the WSR made ‘Hymek’ D7017 available for the charter. As you probably know, D7017 is one of very few locos to have spent their heritage era career on one railway, having been based at the WSR for some 49 years, since its arrival in 1975. ‘Hymeks’ were once a regular motive power on the Minehead branch in the 1960s, often seen hauling stopping and through holiday trains between Taunton and Minehead. These trains could often be formed, as they were elsewhere on the Western Region, of mixed Maroon and Choc/cream rakes of coaches – the later having been split from previously formed named express sets. I’ve requested a short rake of 4 coaches, very typical of many Western Region secondary trains of the period. This will be a chance to recreate an authentic scene from the 1960s.

     The charter will commence from Minehead at 09.00hrs. We will proceed and stop for run pasts along the line, using the train as our transport, at both lineside and some stations, through to Bishops Lydeard. A lunch break will be taken here, and the cafe will be available. In the afternoon we will return to Minehead with run pasts at various locations, in the opposite direction of course for different picture opportunities. The charter is expected to finish around 17.00 – 17.30hrs.

     These events do cost quite considerable sums to put on, so will only be available to those booking a place and paying for the privilege. All funds collected are to cover direct costs and provide a revenue for the WSR & DEPG.

Cost for the day is £96.00 per head.”

To book your place please click on the link below, which will take you direct to the correct page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Tuesday and Wednesday 2nd and 3rd July – services running between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet only

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the date of Monday 8th July has been set for the body of this loco to be lifted from her bogies and slewed over to the adjacent track, where the ex-BR Swindon stands will be (by then) positioned and levelled, ready to carry the 50-tonne load. The lift will be performed by two 120-tonne road cranes that will be supplied by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE working in tandem. The lifting will start by removing the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD-655 engines, each of which weighs close to 6 tonnes each, to reduce the weight of the loco body and minimise the stresses on the 62-year-old loco body structure. The transmissions and cooler groups were removed for overhaul last year, so the interior of the loco will be easy to access and will be ready for a thorough clean-up and re-paint once the body is safely lowered onto the stands.

Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 28th June 2024, showing (L-R) Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 along with the subject of the planned lifting, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The diagram below was drawn up by DEPG volunteer Barry Quest and shows the planned positions of the two cranes relative to the locomotive. The curvature of the track layout introduces some issues, but we will be re-positioning the loco before the lift to reduce these effects and allow the suspension to align itself more comfortably.

Plan view of the cranes positioned at each end of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on number 4 road at Williton, showing the stands positioned on number 5 road. The loco body will be lifted up to a height of 2m to clear the bogies, then will be slewed over and lowered onto the stands. When the cranes have left the area, the bogies will be rolled into the DEPG loco shed for overhaul. Drawing by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

One of the genuine ex-BR Swindon Works stands that were used for ‘Westerns’ right up until the end of their days. The uppermost section was a modification to suit the Mark 1 coach frames that were the basis of the Kent Coast Electrification Project work that was being undertaken at Swindon in the late 1970s. Pictured alongside D1010 at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

A very welcome visitor to Williton on Saturday 22nd June was DTG and DEPG member PAUL KOCH, who called in to talk us through the lifting procedures and cast an eye over our lift planning. We welcomed the chance to further expand our knowledge and Paul gave us some valuable tips that will no doubt help the process go along more smoothly. Thank you very much, Paul !

D1010 – the preparations necessary for quick and easy engine removal were described in detail by DTG and DEPG member PAUL KOCH as Gordon, Martin, Thomas and Andy listened carefully. Pictured at Williton on 22nd June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

Meanwhile, Ian F continued his diligent work on the restoration of one of the cooler groups, with a view to getting these enormous assemblies ready for the return to service. Although they won’t be needed for a while, it is important to get them finished because they take up a lot of space when they are disassembled and spread around the shed !

D1010 – the hydrostatic radiator fan assemblies were the target for Ian F at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024. The two fans in each cooler group are powered from a Serck pump that is driven by the relevant engine, via a step-up gear in the transmission. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Repeating some FEEDBACK on a QUESTION: During the WSR Summer Diesel Festival, several visitors enquired as to why D1010 was covered up with tarpaulins and not properly ‘on show’. The reason for this was that the cooler groups had been removed from the loco so there were large sections of roof missing, so fitting and removing the tarpaulins is not a quick job (it is MUCH harder than it looks). The weather forecast was good but not perfect, so we couldn’t take the chance of letting the internals of the loco get a soaking while we cleared the area and gathered an army of volunteers. Apologies to the photographers, but we hope to have her properly dressed in good time for the next gala !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in service on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June on the 1000 Minehead diagram under the BLUE timetable.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco was at Williton over the weekend of 22/23rd June and underwent an ‘A’ examination (performed every 50 running hours) in preparation for planned use during the following week. Ian R and Ashley continued their remedial work on the two cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter. These massive items will be refurbished and put back into stock for use on a future occasion.

D6575 (33057) – the two Sulzer cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter were put on a pallet and prepared for relocation to the overhaul bench. Some special tools will be needed to facilitate the work, so there will be a delay before these items can be completed and returned to the storage container. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already covered, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. 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 ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the housings can be inspected and hopefully used as replacements for the transmission that is currently undergoing repair. The parts were carefully organised into groups and will be cleaned and inspected by the ;transmission team’ that is led by Colin F. When Colin gives the ‘green light’, the housings will be moved to the transmission overhaul area and swapped with the cracked castings, which will then be used to package up the ‘spare’ internal components. The cracked castings are not beyond repair, but the necessary specialist processes would be both costly and time consuming, so they will be deferred to some time in the future, after the loco has been returned to service. Here are a selection of photos of the ‘Mekydro kit’, as pictured by Colin Foxhall (CF) and Martin Howard (MH):

Above – the torque converter assembly (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – the underside of the central housing section (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)
Above – The lower housing of the final drive (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – The input shaft and intermediate gear wheel (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)
Above – The upper side of the upper housing section (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – The final drive assembly (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)
Above – The damaged bearing journal on the torque converter (CF, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – the spare transmission before disassembly and cleaning (CF, © 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 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – as reported last week, we have some VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have two cardan shafts that are fit for further service ! The two shafts (the long one goes between the engine and the transmission, the short one goes between the transmission and the final drive) have now been re-balanced and are now ready to be re-installed in the locomotive.

D9518 – the longer of the two massive cardan shafts is the one that fits between the engine and the transmission, running in a tunnel under the cab floor. It is very important that this shaft is in very good condition for obvious reasons! Nicely spray painted by Colin G and pictured at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

D9518 – the cab assembly is progressing towards the stage where it will be re-united with the loco frame. Colin G applied the first undercoat at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 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 is stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

47077 – the bellows that feeds the air into the turbocharger is made from leather and has a relatively short life, compared to the items around it. A replacement is on order and will be fitted in the coming weeks. Pictured at Grosmont on 20th June 2024 by Josh Smith  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book 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.

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 !

 

ON SHED: apologies, we will need to skip this feature again this week.

 

DEPG NEWS: 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 like reading about the work that is done at the DEPG, the least that you can do is JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE for 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 Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back in action on Saturday 15th June 2024 when she worked the 80-mile diagram out and back from Minehead (two roundtrips to Bishops Lydeard) with driver Tucker in charge. Pictured in the headshunt at Minehead while running around her train, with BR(WR) ‘Modified Hall’ 6990 ‘WITHERSLACK HALL’ alongside. Photo by Steve Speck © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

After her sparkling performances during the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival, it was great to see Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 out and about again, with another set of highly entertaining BLUE timetable runs with a 6-coach load, totalling 80 miles of haulage. The loco had been stabled at Minehead following the gala and will remain there for a few more weeks because she is scheduled to haul the weekend services on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June and the Saturday service on the 14th July. We hope to schedule addition ‘Hymek’ running later in the summer.

 

D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

Well-known and respected photographer DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a Hymek diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.

      The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) as main providers of diesel traction on the WSR made Hymek D7017 available for the charter. As you probably know, D7017 is one of very few locos to have spent their heritage era career on one railway, having been based at the WSR for some 49 years, since its arrival in 1975. Hymeks were once a regular motive power on the Minehead branch in the 1960s, often seen hauling stopping and through holiday trains between Taunton and Minehead. These trains could often be formed, as they were elsewhere on the Western Region, of mixed Maroon and Choc/cream rakes of coaches – the later having been split from previously formed named express sets. I’ve requested a short rake of 4 coaches, very typical of many Western Region secondary trains of the period. This will be a chance to recreate an authentic scene from the 1960s.

     The charter will commence from Minehead at 09.00hrs. We will proceed and stop for run pasts along the line, using the train as our transport, at both lineside and some stations, through to Bishops Lydeard. A lunch break will be taken here, and the cafe will be available. In the afternoon we will return to Minehead with run pasts at various locations, in the opposite direction of course for different picture opportunities. The charter is expected to finish around 17.00 – 17.30hrs.

     These events do cost quite considerable sums to put on, so will only be available to those booking a place and paying for the privilege. All funds collected are to cover direct costs and provide a revenue for the WSR & DEPG.

     Cost for the day is £96.00 per head.”

To book your place please click on the link below, which will take you direct to the correct page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

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. 

 

 

Forthcoming events on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Wednesday and Thursday 26/27th June – services running between Minehead and Williton only

Tuesday and Wednesday 2nd and 3rd July – services running between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet only

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco is stabled on number 4 road in the yard, and plans are now well advanced for the loco body to be lifted from its bogies using a pair of cranes and slewed across to the adjacent number 5 road where the ex-BR Swindon Works stands will be positioned, ready and waiting for her. This will then allow the bogies to be rolled into our loco shed for overhaul. The lift will be carried out using two 120-ton road cranes, one at each end of the loco, and will leave the loco body on the stands where she will remain until the bogies are ready. The process will then be reversed and the loco will become mobile again.

Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 21st June 2024, showing (L-R) Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1), Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057), Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and in the distance, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Zooming-in on the Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 21st June 2024, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ is stabled on number 4 road where her bogies will remain for a short while. Her body will be lifted across to the adjacent number 5 road that is currently occupied by a ‘Lowmac’ wagon (which will be moved out of the way!). Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The genuine ex-BR Swindon Works stands that were used for ‘Westerns’ right up until the end of their days, after which they were were modified with wider platforms to suit the Mark 1 coach frames that were the basis of the Kent Coast Electrification Project work. Pictured alongside D7018 at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

Meanwhile, the lift planning is not the only activity that is absorbing the D1010 team’s time at Williton, with various items being prepared to go to specialist subcontractors for overhaul in parallel to the planned bogie work. The cardan shafts that drive the auxiliary machines were gathered up by Gordon at the yard on Saturday and prepared for shipment. These shafts are used for connecting the dynastarter (a combined starter motor and generator) and for driving the Serck pump (a hydraulic pump that drives the radiator fans), so they are quite important !

D1010 – the cardan shafts for the auxiliary machines were gathered up by Gordon at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 and prepared for shipment to a specialist subcontractor for overhaul. The longer shafts fit between the transmissions and the dynastarters, the shorter shafts fit between the transmissions and the Serck pumps. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

FEEDBACK on a QUESTION: During the WSR Summer Diesel Festival, several visitors enquired as to why D1010 was covered up with tarpaulins and not properly ‘on show’. The reason for this was that the cooler groups had been removed from the loco so there were large sections of roof missing, so fitting and removing the tarpaulins is not a quick job (it is MUCH harder than it looks). The weather forecast was good but not perfect, so we couldn’t take the chance of letting the internals of the loco get a soaking while we cleared the area and gathered an army of volunteers. Apologies to the photographers, but we hope to have her properly dressed in good time for the next gala !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now stabled at Minehead as the ‘Duty Loco’ and will be in service on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June and again on 6th and 7th of July under the BLUE timetable.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco was in use on Sunday 16th June and has now returned to Williton where she will undergo an ‘A’ examination and attention to minor issues. While Ian, Tom and Ashley were devoid of any ‘Cromptons’ on shed, the opportunity was taken to clean up and start remedial work on the two cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter. These massive items will be refurbished and put back into stock for use on a future occasion.

D6575 (33057) – the two Sulzer cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter were cleaned up prior to being refurbished at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024. Volunteer loco manager Ian R was pictured while adminstering the degreaser. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already covered, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. 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.

D7017 – pictured while departing from Williton with the 1000 service from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 15th June 2024. Visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to view other dates for diesel haulage on the WSR. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the repairs to the transmission of this loco took another step forward last week when the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 was moved into the loco shed to be dismantled. The plan is to use the casings from the ‘spare’ to replace the cracked parts from D7018‘s current transmission, to avoid the expensive and long-winded process of repairing multiple cracks in the very large and heavy steel castings.

To allow the work to proceed, it was necessary to fabricate another transmission stand so that the casings could be properly supported while being worked on. In a matter of days, the steelwork was cut to size and fitted together so that it could be welded into the finished product. Made entirely from steel recovered from the ‘scrap bin’, the stand does not look ‘new’ but it certainly is new and is more than strong enough for the task. Well done to Tony and Colin F for producing this very useful piece of equipment with the minimum of expenditure !

D7018 – the new stand for the transmission was fabricated from strong but rusty sections of steel recovered from the ‘scrap bin’ at Williton. Pictured on 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission last ran in the loco in 1995 and has become the spares donor to the ‘new’ transmission on three occasions already – and there is about to be a fourth! Pictured at Williton on 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – some VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have two cardan shafts that are fit for further service ! The two shafts (the long one goes between the engine and the transmission, the short one goes between the transmission and the final drive) have now been re-balanced and are almost ready to be re-installed in the locomotive (just some paint touch-up to deal with first).

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

D9518 – the massive cardan shafts have now returned from inspection and balancing, and are about to be painted by Andy P before being installed into the locomotive. THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who donated to the D9518 fund and made this giant step forward possible ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is available for service – which might be sooner rather than later !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway last weekend. The loco performed faultlessly and fitted right in with a number of other ‘BR Blue’ locomotives, as pictured in the ‘on shed’ scene at Grosmont, further below. Top marks to the Diesel team at Grosmont for keeping her in such good condition !

47077 – pictured at Levisham on 15th June 2024 while waiting for the ‘Peak’ to clear the section, our ‘celebrity’ was a very popular locomotive and performed faultlessly throughout the NYMR‘s Diesel Gala. Only the weather could have been better. Photo by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – pictured while powering away from Levisham on 15th June 2024, this loco is a firm favourite on the NYMR, with both the crews and the passengers – and the photographers ! Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Grosmont shed on 16th June 2024 was an authentic reproduction of the ‘BR-blue’ era, with (L-R) Class 45 ‘Peak 45108 (D120), Class 31 31128 ‘CHARYBDIS’, Class 20 20189 and our very own 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ on shed. Photo by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: apologies, but we will have to skip this feature this week because we are still in ‘catch-up’ mode !

ON SHED: apologies, as above !

DEPG NEWS: apologies again, there is plenty to report, but unfortunately we are out of time for this week.

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

 

The WSR’s 2024 Summer Diesel Festival saw the welcome return of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 on the Friday and Saturday, delivering several highly entertaining performances. The diesel-hydraulic was pictured on 7th June 2024 alongside Helwell Bay on the approach to Doniford Halt with the WSR’s Class 115 DMU in tow. Photo by Mike Lanning © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Visiting Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ was a very popular loco, fresh from overhaul at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway and delivering some fine performances over a four-day period. Pictured on the approach to Crowcombe Heathfield on 7th June 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Visiting Class 46 D182 (46045) entertained with several spirited departures, demonstrating that her 2,500hp Sulzer engine was well capable of accelerating her well-loaded trains from the standing start. Pictured at Ker Moor en route to Minehead on Saturday 8th June 2024 by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ was positioned inside Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to replicate the configuration that was once commonplace on the Southern Region (SR) in the early 1960s, before the SR coaching stock had been upgraded to electric train heating. The ’24’ or ’25’ would have provided the steam heating service ! Pictured when departing from Crowcombe Heathfield on Friday 7th June 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 ‘delivered the goods’ throughout the gala, building upon her reputation as a good solid performer on freight or passenger, working some trains as ‘top and tail’ with the DEPG’s Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019). Pictured approaching Dene Bridge on the climb from Norton Fitzwarren on Thursday 6th June 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The pair of Class 20s, one of which (20142) was in London Transport livery, were not the only unusual sights at Williton on Thursday 6th June 2024, as DEPG Publicity Officer and Secondman Mark Bladwell acknowledged the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings with a very patriotic waistcoat ! Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On the Saturday and Sunday (not a gala day but a mixed traction day), a GWR ‘Castle’ Class HST set comprising power cars 43155 (formerly ‘Rougemont Castle’, leading) and 43154 (formerly ‘Compton Castle’, trailing) and four coaches provided a very interesting alternative form of transport, ideal for a smooth and quiet journey along the picturesque West Somerset Railway. Pictured at Stogumber on Sunday 9th June 2024 by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

The WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL took place over the three days Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th June, with a mixed traction day on the Sunday with seven services each way, two of which were operated by steam. The weather co-operated with clear blue skies on the Thursday and a decent amount of sunny spells on the other days, and the interesting mix of traction combined with some clever timetabling to make the event very attractive to the public and A BIG SUCCESS !

 

The DEPG hosted an ‘open yard’ with Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on display outside the ‘Swindon Shed’ and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 open for cab visits outside the DEPG loco shed, with major Class 14 restoration project D9518 (NCB No.7) on display within the shed. Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was on display in the yard but found herself pressed into action on the first day of the gala when one of the DMU power cars developed a knocking noise in the transmission and had to be stopped for investigation. The DMU was in use as coaching stock so the engines were not being run, therefore the final drives had to be locked out of mesh so that transmission damage did not occur when being towed. The mechanism on one axle was not remaining fully disengaged, so the rogue power car was making occasional unwelcome noises and had to be removed from the consist when the train, hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, arrived at Williton.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) and WSR engineer/driver Rich Hiscox came to the rescue in the late afternoon of Thursday 6th June 2024 to shunt the defective DMU power car to the North Yard so that it could receive attention from the WSR engineering team. The repaired vehicle was towed to Minehead early the following morning by ‘Hymek’ D7017 so that it could re-join the set and provide more seats for the waiting travellers. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The issue with the DMU caused a bit of a delay because splitting a DMU while it is at the platform is not the easiest of tasks, but the delay was soon overcome. The event ran close to time on the subsequent days, showing that the timetable had sufficient resilience and recovery time built-in. The designated ‘Thunderbird’ loco was Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) based at Minehead, but this loco did not have to be called upon because, apart from some minor and quickly-resolved teething troubles with the recently-overhauled Class ’50’, there were no reliability issues throughout the event.

 

NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area at Williton was a big success and we will be making this a regular feature for future gala events, with additional chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and hot snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’ while safely taking photos from the lineside. Our sales stand was very busy throughout and the ever-popular model railway trading stand was provided by Rod Saunders, enjoying very good business over the three days of the event.

The Sunday was always going to be a bit of an unknown in terms of visitor numbers because the mixed traction offerings were only defined at a late stage, but we took a chance and opened the depot, and achieved a FIRST for the DEPG by having the depot staffed entirely by our lady volunteers !

 

Overall, the event was a big success, and we send out a correspondingly big THANK YOU to the volunteers across the entire WSR family plus the WSR staff, the Gala Planning Team, the loco owners, the crews, the weather and of course the PUBLIC for attending and making it such an enjoyable experience !

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ provides the backdrop for (L-R) Linda, Carolyn, Natalie and Julie, all regular volunteers at the DEPG, each holding Personal Track Safety (PTS) certificates and fully IN CHARGE of the depot on Sunday 9th June 2024. Many thanks and well done indeed! Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday 15th June when Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

NOTE: the Sunday 16th June working has had to revert to Class 33 haulage because of crew availability issues. Apologies for this late change of traction.

 

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. 

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

The 2024 DEPG Summer Draw took place at Williton depot on Saturday 8th June, with our celebrity guest GEOFF HUDSON (of Class 50 fame) pulling out the winning numbers which were as follows:

FIRST PRIZE	Ticket 0185	Jon Pain
Second Prize	Ticket 3587	Steve Thorn
Third Prize	Ticket 1992	Mrs. S. Churchill
Fourth Prize	Ticket 0227	Rob Franklin

The overall proceeds of £2,663 included many donations, for which we are most grateful, and which will be allocated to the funds specified by the donors. The net proceeds of the raffle will then be distributed evenly between our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518. Full details will be included in the next ’roundup’ and will be posted on our website ASAP.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

 

LOCO NEWS (in brief):

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco is now positioned on No. 4 road at the north end of the DEPG yard, undergoing preparations for her two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines to be lifted out, hopefully next week. If all goes well and the paperwork can be completed in time, the lift could be taking place during the following week, leaving the loco body mounted on stands on the adjacent No. 5 road.

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco joined in with the gala activities on Saturday 8th June by working ‘top and tail’ with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on the ‘DMU drag’ between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren. Rare haulage indeed !

D4107 (09019)– this loco (the most recent addition to the DEPG fleet) was pictured while attaching to the WSR’s Class 115 DMU at Bishops Lydeard in readiness for a round trip to Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 8th June 2024. Photo by Tim Zilkha © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now stabled at Minehead after working several services during the gala, mostly in conjunction with visiting Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ and alone on the Sunday.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco was the standby loco for the duration of the gala and was (thankfully) not called upon, but she did get her slice of the action on Sunday 9th June.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco performed beautifully during the gala, as was evident from the delight on the faces of the passengers when they disembarked at Minehead at the end of the event. We have rostered this loco for three public services in June, the first being Saturday 15th June and then Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. 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.

D7018 – pictured arriving at Minehead with the last service of the day on Friday 7th June 2024, with DEPG Publicity Officer and Secondman Mark Bladwell at the ready and DEPG Chairman Martin Howard at the controls. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco was on display at Williton and available for cab visits, and was well patronised. During the gala, several groups of visitors were taken to the transmission repair area to take a look at the damaged castings and discuss the repair plan with ‘transmission team’ leader Colin F. We have a clear plan and Colin and Geoff were back in action immediately after the gala to make further progress – to be covered in the next edition of ’roundup’.

D7018 – the damaged centre section of the transmission housing was made available for viewing (by arrangement only) at Williton during the gala. Pictured at Williton on 29th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the chassis, engine and cab of this major restoration project were on display at Williton throughout the gala and were the subject of much interest, especially as this loco is going to be restored in NCB ‘Ashington Blue’ livery with the running number ‘NCB No.7’. This loco attracted some major donations from visitors to the gala and we are now able to proceed with the completion of the work, without the worry of funding. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SUPPORTING D9518 !

D9518 – some of the team members involved in the restoration work stand proudly beside the chassis of the loco – (L-R) – Tony, Linda, Nick and Gwyn. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 11th June 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco performed perfectly throughout the gala and was also in use on the day before the gala when she lifted the equivalent of a 6-coach trailing load out of Williton station with ease, as part of a positioning move to Minehead. What a show off!

D9526 – on a positioning move from Williton to Minehead in preparation for the gala, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) and Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46045) were whisked away from a standing start in an impressive demonstration of diesel-hydraulic tractive effort! Pictured at Williton on Wednesday 5th June 2024 by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has been making frequent appearances on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and continues to feature on social media channels. Please send us your photos if you are lucky enough to see this loco in action !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this very useful loco proved her worth again on the first day of the gala when she shunted the failed DMU power car from the south yard to the north yard at Williton. This manoeuvre involved a continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard. This loco will be on display on number 1 road at the depot throughout the gala.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was lavished with attention from Natalie and Tony at Williton on Wednesday 5th June 2024, ready to be put on display and in case of being called into action – which was the case the following day, as reported previously. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG FACILITIES:

Almost the whole length of the south yard was open to visitors, with a dedicated area for seating and a hot drinks and hot snack van available to tempt visitors to stay a while and find out more about what goes on at Williton. The plan was a success and we will be building on this for future galas and events, with more exhibits and other attractions to cater for a wider interest.

This development was only possible because of the hard work of our volunteers in clearing the yard, painting the floors, re-organising our container storage areas and with the help of the WSRA STEAM RALLY team, who loaned the crowd fencing that was essential for maintaining public safety. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO GAVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO ACHIEVE THIS !

The DEPG loco shed at Williton was cleaned and the floor re-painted in time for the gala weekend. Many thanks to all involved in making the depot safe and welcoming for the many visitors who came along. Pictured on 2nd June 2024 by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

It is hard to believe that it was a week ago already, but that means that we only have 51 weeks before we have to do it all again, bigger and better and even more entertaining. We had better get back to work !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post