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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 !

 

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