Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – more progress this weekend as the dry weather allowed the loco to be towed out of the shed for further work on the bodyside using the noisy but effective ‘needle guns’. This time, we had two volunteers on needle-gunning (Leroy and Ian F) while Gordon used the angle grinder and the power sander to prepare the surface for priming and painting.
D1010 – the bodyside surface preparation was the focus for Leroy and Gordon at Williton on Saturday 13th November 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – on the opposite side, Ian F set up another needle gun and started removing the multiple layers of paint that had been applied since the days at Didcot. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th November 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the restored front-side valances were prepared for trial fitment by Colin F, seen here while drilling the holes for the attachment bolts. The assemblies should be ready for trial fitting next weekend. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th November 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
On completion of the bodywork repairs, the loco will be repainted into the colour scheme that she wore when she first entered service in October 1962, overall maroon with a yellow buffer beam. The loco ran in this livery until March 1963 when the more familiar small yellow warning panel was added and the bufferbeam changed to red. D1010 last wore this livery in 2001 – for more information on liveries, see our booklet ‘D1010 – FROM MEREHEAD TO MINEHEAD‘.
D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ last wore her original livery of maroon with a yellow buffer beam in 2001, as seen in this view of the loco at Williton depot. Photo by Bob Tiller © CC BY-NC 3.0
This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the duty loco at Bishops Lydeard and will be operating in support of the ‘Winterlights‘ trains that start on Friday 19th November 2021 in ‘top and tail’ mode, with steam haulage on the outward journey and diesel haulage on the return leg.
Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) – this loco is at Williton undergoing planned maintenance tasks that will include an engine oil change and a thorough inspection to ensure that she remains in good shape and is soon able to resume her support duties on the WSR.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – no change this week.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – no change this week.
Beyer-Peacock Class 35 ‘Hymek’ sisters D7017 and D7018 were in touch with one another at Williton on 6th November 2021. Photo by Martin Bell © CC BY-NC 3.0
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – continued progress was made on this loco on both Tuesday and Saturday as the component parts for the rolling chassis were gathered, cleaned, inspected and painted in preparation for re-fitting to the frames. The electrical control cubicle also received attention from John C who has taken on the challenge of restoring the functionality and appearance of a complex assembly that has not seen any use for 35 years !
D9518’s cab assembly waits in line for attention while the Voith L217 hydraulic transmission boasts a smart new coat of grey primer. Pictured at Williton on 13th November 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518’s electrical cubicle is receiving an overhaul from John C at Williton. This is a project in itself and will take some time, given the age of the parts and the period out of use. This inside view was captured on 13th November 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518’s electrical cubicle will undergo a thorough and careful overhaul in the hands of John C at Williton. This view dated 13th November 2021 shows the exterior condition and hints at the work that is needed to restore this assembly and replace the missing parts. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
All of this progress has been made possible by the efforts of volunteers and the donations of the many ‘Teddy Bear’ supporters who have contributed to the D9518 Restoration Appeal. Thank you all very much !
This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to full operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is based at the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the rest of this year and is receiving regular use, which is good for the loco and good for the DEPG. The loco is likely to remain at the K&ESR until older sister D9504 completes her heavy overhaul and is returned to traffic, so it could be some time yet.
Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco remains stuck at Bishops Lydeard waiting for instructions for her move to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this very useful loco was in use on Saturday 13th November 2021 to haul D1010 out of the shed for attention to her bodywork. Although D1010 is capable of moving under her own power, it is wasteful and time-consuming to warm up and run a 1,350 hp engine when a 302 hp shunting loco is available for the purpose.
In between shunting turns last Saturday, the little loco received some attention to her paintwork from Carol, but there is a lot more paintwork to be tackled so we need volunteers to step forward to work on this little loco during each of the next few weeks. Please come along and join the effort to complete this work (no prior experience required, just regular DIY skills will be sufficient).
Andrew Barclay 578 (ROF 1) was in action on Saturday 13th November 2021, seen here while returning to her temporary resting place inside the shed while her paintwork remains incomplete. DEPG Chairman Martin Howard is in control and ensures clearance from the access platforms that have been used when working on D1010. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !