Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 moved from Williton to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 22nd July 2023 to be in position for her YELLOW timetable duties that commenced on Tuesday 25th July, on the 11:00 departure from Bishops Lydeard and the 15:25 return from Minehead. Photo by Steve Speck © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The YELLOW timetable comes into effect for weekdays and Saturdays from the 25th July onwards, and the diesel turns will be shared by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) on alternate weeks. This additional diesel loco-hauled working is covering for the Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) which is out of service undergoing heavy maintenance work and may not be available for the rest of this season. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of which loco will be rostered for which service.

     The YELLOW timetable diesel-hauled service timings are:

     11:00 Depart Bishops Lydeard, arrive Minehead at 12:15

     15:25 Depart Minehead, arrive Bishops Lydeard at 17:05

A total of 40 miles with a 4-coach load, a perfect way to bring D9526 back into regular use on the WSR !

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) will be working alternately on the diesel diagram of the YELLOW timetable for the next five weeks, covering for the DMU. The ‘Teddy Bear’ and driver Colin G were pictured during a period of inclement weather at Williton on Saturday 22nd July 2023 while being prepared for the ‘light engine’ move to Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Brenden Hill © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable was worked by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) on Saturday and Sunday 22/23rd July. This loco has been outstationed at Minehead since the Diesel Gala in early June and is booked to continue covering the Sunday workings until mid August, when she is due to be relieved by one of our Class 35 ‘Hymeks’. One important item that needed attention last Saturday 22nd July was the windscreen wiper blade on the driver’s side, so a new blade was obtained from stock and fitted by Ian R at Williton while the loco waited for the ‘down’ train to clear the single line section.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) received a new windscreen wiper blade at Williton on Saturday 22nd July 2023. Volunteer loco manager Ian R was closely watched by (clockwise from left) Hayley, Andy C, Clive and Brenden while getting the job done between showers. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The next major event taking place on the WSR will be the WSRA’s ANNUAL STEAM RALLY that takes place at Norton Fitzwarren during the first weekend in August. Although the event has steam in the title, it includes a vast range of exhibits from horses to tractors to vintage cars, trucks and buses. The DEPG will also be participating with Class 14 D9526 providing brake van rides over the truncated remains of the Barnstaple branch line, and we will also have one of our Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ on static display. This event is lots of fun and is WELL WORTH A VISIT. There will be a frequent FREE (for rally-goers) shuttle service from Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren worked by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and Class 09 ‘Gronk’ D4107 (09019) and a FREE bus connection from Silk Mills Park & Ride.

Click here or on the images below to go to the Steam Rally website:

 

 

Beyond that, the FORTIES WEEKEND event will take place on September 9th and 10th and is always very popular with a wide range of related exhibits and themed activities, including the now-customary evening dance on the platform at Minehead ! Click here to go to the WSR website for details of this event.

 

Then, the DEPG at 50 event will feature a full day of diesel-hauled services on FRIDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER and mixed traction days on the Saturday and Sunday. Details are being finalised and will be published next week. A Friday evening service will run from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and back and will offer food and drinks to all ticketed travellers (DEPG members will enjoy significant discounts and privileges) so KEEP THIS DATE FREE and make a plan to attend !

 

Our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:

The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – although slightly outside of this roundup reporting period, the preparation work that had been undertaken during the previous two weeks for the lifting of the two cooler groups and the ‘A’ transmission came to fruition on Monday 24th July 2023 in one crane hire session, thanks to the close co-operation of George from HEAVER BROTHERS of Exeter who operated the truck-mounted knuckle boom crane. More details and links to video footage will be included in the next edition of roundup.  MANY THANKS to George and the D1010 volunteer team of Gordon, Leroy, Colin F, Geoff and Tim, supported by Martin, Tom and Andy R, for getting this work done safely and efficiently !

D1010 – the cooler group was lifted out from ‘A’ end of the loco at Williton on Monday 24th July 2023. The crane was provided by HEAVER BROTHERS of Exeter. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the 4.5 tonne Voith hydraulic transmission was lifted out from ‘A’ end of the loco at Williton on Monday 24th July 2023 so that it can undergo a complete overhaul in the care of the DEPG ‘transmission team’. The rain had stopped a few hours before the lifting operations began. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was visible on the Williton webcam with both cooler groups missing during the lifting operations that took place on Monday 24th July 2023. Image captured from the Williton North Railcam, courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the overhauled ‘B’ transmission (pictured on the right with Leroy alongside) was moved out of the overhaul facility in Roughmoor Enterprise Centre (Williton) so that the unrestored ‘A’ transmission (in front of the fork lift) could be moved in. The crane was provided by HEAVER BROTHERS of Exeter. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

More details of the lifting operations and along with close-up photos of the removed assemblies will be included in the next roundup.

 

Having the loco outdoors has generated an increased interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being engraved with their sponsor’s names or messages. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.

Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the WSR Standby Loco and is stabled at Minehead, ready for her next duties under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was pictured at Bishops Lydeard station on Saturday 22nd July 2023 with a pair of ‘Manor’ class steam locos alongside as they waited to position for hauling an incoming 10-coach mainline charter service through to Minehead and back. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco was called into action on Sunday 23rd July to stand in for GWR 4-6-0 7812 ‘ERLESTOKE MANOR’ due to this visiting loco developing a leaking mudhole door that needed attention at Minehead. This unexpected working from Williton resulted in the ‘Crompton’ ending up at Bishops Lydeard, which is the desired position for her YELLOW timetable duties that commence on Tuesday 1st August.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is undergoing the re-connection of the wiring that was removed during the fault-finding that took place during the previous weekend. The driver’s side window is next on the list for attention, along with a few other electrical issues that will be repaired in time for her next booked working on Sunday 13th August.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco was started up on Saturday 23rd July so that the transmission functionality could be assessed. The test involved the continuous monitoring of the temporary additional pressure gauges that had been installed on the transmission control block. The tests showed that a control issue still exists, so the control block will need to be removed for attention. This work will be carried out during August.

D7018 – the engine was started up at Williton on Saturday 23rd July 2023 so that the reverser function of the Mekydro transmission could be tested. Martin was pictured attempting to change the direction using the manual overide handle, but the pressure levels were not correct so the interlock prevented the movement. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work goes on, even though the team have also been supporting the running of classmate D9526, as reported earlier. The team have still found the time to tackle further external paintwork and make progress with the cab overhaul. An interesting find in the bottom of the document pouch in the cab roof was this fragment of ‘HOTSPUR‘ comic book, dated from almost exactly FIFTY YEARS AGO and costing the princely sum of 3p.

D9518 – this fragment of ‘HOTSPUR’ comic book dated 28th July 1973 was found at Williton almost fifty years later, wedged in the bottom of the document pouch in the cab roof. Photo dated 22nd July 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the wiring loom from the driver’s desk was removed and laid out for measuring by John at Williton on Saturday 22nd July 2023. This complete assembly will be replaced with new wire and new crimp terminals. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the ‘B’ end of the loco received a coat of yellow paint, completed by Colin G at Williton on Saturday 22nd July 2023 and soon to be ready for the characteristic black chevrons to be added. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use in place of the DMU on some of the YELLOW timetable services during the peak summer period that starts on Tuesday 25th July. Take a look at our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of the running dates and loco allocations.

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a cylinder head overhaul (same massive type as the Class 33s, but 12 of them!) at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Other priorities have delayed the work on this loco, but current expectations are that the loco will be returned to service during August. More news on this topic will be included in the next edition of roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard. The cab is undergoing a repaint in the capable hands of Jon T, but the loco remains serviceable and ready for action.

 

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

ON SHED – almost 48 years ago today, the D+EG (forerunner of the DEPG) arranged the delivery of newly-acquired but withdrawn Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 from Old Oak Common to Taunton via Westbury. There are many interesting details to this epic journey, one that would be unimaginable on the modern railway, and some very interesting cine footage that was recorded by the DEPG representatives on board the loco, namely John Crane and Clive Burrows. The acquisition of this loco was the result of some very challenging fundraising work that was carried out by John from late 1973 onwards. We will be able to share this story in more detail at some point in the near future. Many thanks to John and Clive for their massive contributions to what we enjoy today, and thanks also to Jon Tooke for sharing this photo with us all.

Class 25 25162 was pictured passing through Newbury station on 30th July 1975 with D7017 in tow, adorned with the D+EG logo and multiple requests to not remove parts ! The ’25’ hauled the withdrawn ‘Hymek’ as far as Taunton and had to leave the loco there because the WSR was not able to receive traffic at that time. Photo courtesy of Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 22nd July, the synopsis for which will be prepared ASAP and shared with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address. The synopsis for the June meeting was shared last week, so any DEPG members who did not receive that email are requested to let us know by using our CONTACT FORM so that we can re-send the email or update our mailing list.

 

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO. Thank you very much !

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSRA STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

WSR FORTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

      

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) worked the diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable last weekend and was pictured climbing Watts Bank just after leaving Bishops Lydeard on Sunday 16th July 2023, with secondman Mark Bladwell paying close attention to the volunteer Permanent Way gang who have stepped back to allow the train to pass. The weeds have evidently been enjoying the weather this year. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable was worked by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) on Saturday and Sunday 15/16th July. This loco has been outstationed at Minehead since the Diesel Gala in early June and is booked to continue covering the Sunday workings until mid August, when she is due to be relieved by one of our Class 35 ‘Hymeks’.

The YELLOW timetable comes into effect for weekdays and Saturdays from the 25th July onwards, and the diesel turns will be shared by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) on alternate weeks. This additional diesel loco-hauled working is covering for the Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) which is out of service undergoing heavy maintenance work and may not be available for the rest of this season. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of which loco will be rostered for which service.

     The YELLOW timetable diesel-hauled service timings are:

     11:00 Depart Bishops Lydeard, arrive Minehead at 12:15

     15:25 Depart Minehead, arrive Bishops Lydeard at 17:05

     A total of 40 miles.

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) will be working alternately on the diesel diagram of the YELLOW timetable for the next five weeks, covering for the DMU. Both locos were pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st July 2023 by Andy Royal. © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

In an unexpected turn of events, the DEPG were contacted last Saturday by the owners of the splendid A4-class steam loco 60007 ‘SIR NIGEL GRESLEY’ that was undergoing repair at Westridge Steam Shed, Bishops Lydeard. Our Chairman Martin Howard has provided us with the following information:

     “After a call for assistance from the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust (SNGLT), owners of Gresley A4 pacific 60007 (LNER 4498) on Saturday 15th July, we lent them 2 x 1 metre lengths of high-tensile M24 studding from our workshop stock. This was to help them repair a failed middle small end bearing that they were having trouble replacing, as the M20 studding they were using kept stripping threads. We heard later on Saturday evening that the new bearing was successfully fitted using the M24 bar, and that the SNGLT are very grateful for DEPG’s timely assistance in their hour of need.”

 

The loco was test run between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren on the Sunday and will soon be returning to main line duties. The mainline loco operators LSL sent their Class 37 D6817 (37117, 37521) to support the steam loco and the two were pictured in this excellent shot by DEPG member Steve Speck. Many thanks to Martin and Steve for providing this interesting information.

Class A4 ‘Streak’ 60007 ‘SIR NIGEL GRESLEY’ was pictured departing from Bishops Lydeard on a test run to Norton Fitzwarren on Sunday 16th July 2023. Mainline loco operator LSL’s Class 37 D6817 (37117, 37521) is visible on the left, at the end of the bay platform. Photo by Steve Speck © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The next major event taking place on the WSR will be the WSRA’s ANNUAL STEAM RALLY that takes place at Norton Fitzwarren during the first weekend in August. Although the event has steam in the title, it includes a vast range of exhibits from horses to tractors to vintage cars, trucks and buses. The DEPG will also be participating with Class 14 D9526 providing brake van rides over the truncated remains of the Barnstaple branch line, and we will also have one of our Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ on static display. This event is lots of fun and is WELL WORTH A VISIT. There will be a frequent FREE (for rally-goers) shuttle service from Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren worked by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and Class 09 ‘Gronk’ D4107 (09019) and a FREE bus connection from Silk Mills Park & Ride.

 

Click here or on the images below to go to the Steam Rally website:

 

Our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:

The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the focus last week was the preparation of the loco and the surrounding area for the crane that will be attending next week to lift out the two cooler groups and the ‘A’ transmission for overhaul. The lift plan also includes the movement of the completed ‘B’ transmission from the overhaul facility to a temporary storage facility where the transmission will be kept until the loco is ready for the re-installation.

D1010 – the loco was prepared for the cooler groups and transmission to be lifted out, and then covered up to prevent rainwater ingress. Gordon is pictured securing the tarpaulins at the end of the day on Saturday 15th July 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Meanwhile, the transmission team turned their attention to the leaking Serck pumps that drive the roof fans, one of which been leaking for some time. Both pumps will be overhauled and fitted with new seals and gaskets and the associated oil tanks will be pressure tested when the cooler groups are out of the way.

D1010 – the ‘A’ end Serck pump was stripped down at Williton on 10th July to replace the oil seals and gaskets. The pump comprises seven close-fitting plungers that are driven at an angle, resulting in linear movement of the plungers, pressurising the hydraulic fluid that in turn drives the roof fans. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Click here or on the image below for a short video clip that shows the rotation action.

   

 

Having the loco outdoors has generated an increased interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being engraved with their sponsor’s names or messages. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.

Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the WSR Standby Loco and is stabled at Minehead, ready for her next duties under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details. She gave us an anxious moment when a driver reported a fault with the Driver’s Safety Device (DSD) not re-setting properly, so volunteer driver Robin and volunteer fitter Tom attended at Minehead to investigate. The problem was quickly traced to a sticking plunger on the secondman’s side, which was cleaned up and tested to confirm that the issue was resolved. This allowed the loco to take up her next duty without affecting her 100% despatch reliability since returning to service earlier this year. Thanks guys !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) received some attention to the Driver’s Safety Device (DSD, aka ‘deadman’s pedal’) while stabled at Minehead on Thursday 13th July 2023. DEPG and WSR volunteer driver Robin was on hand to perform the tests and assist with the maintenance task. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Williton and is also fully operational and available for use at short notice. The loco is expected to move to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday or Sunday 29/30th July to be ready for her YELLOW timetable duties.

The spare Sulzer LDA28 cylinder heads (allocated to our Class 33s) were removed from store for periodic cleaning and lubricating at Williton on Saturday 15th July 2023. The massive dimensions of these engine parts are apparent from these two photographs. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The Sulzer LDA28 cylinder heads are relatively simple by comparison to their lightweight Maybach equivalents, and have two pushrod-operated valves per cylinder. The Class 33s use eight of these cylinder heads per engine. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th July 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – Good news – after some searching, the insulation fault that has been causing trouble on this loco was traced to a junction box that was found to be full of water ! The water was drained, the contacts cleaned, and the insulation rose to an acceptable level. Some more work will be carried out to check other junction boxes and ensure that they are watertight, and then the various cables that were removed for circuit testing will need to be reconnected and checked before the loco can be test run to re-establish her reliability. Several other tasks will also be dealt with, including the broken droplight window on the driver’s side at ‘A’ end. Progress indeed, and many thanks to Neil and John for their diligent investigative work on this loco.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – after receiving attention that involved some small mechanical adjustments to the linkages and actuator arms, the transmission covers have now been re-fitted and the loco is ready for an engine run, which will allow the reverser functionality to be tested. If all goes well, the loco will be exercised in the yard before deciding the next step. If the test does not go well, there is a backup plan that will require the loco to stay inside the loco shed for a few more weeks, after which the loco should be able to take up duties again.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued in several areas and the high quality standards of this rebuild are evidently being maintained, as can be seen from the photographs below. Away from the loco shed, work is taking place on the various door panels and covers that will be needed for the restoration of the driver’s desk. The brake rigging is also progressing, with several parts currently out at subcontractors for straightening and re-bushing.

D9518 – the main electrical conduit was painted in the customary orange by Andy P at Williton on Saturday 15th July 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the ‘B’ end of the loco received a coat of yellow paint, carefully applied by Colin G at Williton on Saturday 15th July 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use in place of the DMU on some of the YELLOW timetable services during the peak summer period that starts on Tuesday 25th July. Take a look at our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of the running dates and loco allocations.

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a cylinder head overhaul (same massive type as the Class 33s, but 12 of them!) at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Good progress is being made, and current expectations are that the loco will be returned to service towards the end of this month.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard. The cab is undergoing a repaint, but the loco remains serviceable and ready for action.

 

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

ON SHED – here’s another of Mark Bladwell’s collection from his ‘spotting’ days, this time a view of the Maintenance Shop at Laira depot in July 1974 showing no less than EIGHT of the Class 52 ‘Westerns’ undergoing various levels of maintenance. Fourteen of the class of 74 had already been withdrawn from service by this time, so these eight represented 13% of the remaining fleet, all of which were concentrated at Laira depot. The staff clearly had their hands full as they had to keep these locos running by robbing serviceable (but part-worn) parts from those locos that had already been withdrawn, a futile and thankless waste of effort in many cases. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.

From left to right, D1014 ‘WESTERN LEVIATHAN’ then D1008 ‘WESTERN HARRIER’ then D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ then D1067 ‘WESTERN DRUID’ then (at the far end on the right side) D1054 ‘WESTERN GOVERNOR’ then D1049 ‘WESTERN MONARCH’ then D1031 ‘WESTERN RIFLEMAN’ then D1069 ‘WESTERN VANGUARD’ take up the space in Laira’s Maintenance Hall. Picture dated 29th July 1974 by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a synopsis of the Board Meeting that was held at Williton on Saturday 24th June has been prepared and will be shared with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address via a separate email broadcast.

The next Board Meeting will take place this coming Saturday 22nd July at 1030, so please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you are a DEPG member and have a question that you would like to have placed before the Board.

 

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO. Thank you very much !

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSRA STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

WSR FORTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

     

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) worked the diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable on both days of the ‘SIXTIES WEEKEND EVENT’ 8th/9th July 2023 and was pictured when departing from Williton for Minehead on the Saturday with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1) on the left, and sister D6575 (33 057) on the right. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The ‘SIXTIES WEEKEND’ diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable was worked by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048), herself a child of the ‘Sixties’ having been introduced to traffic in August of 1961 – and is still hard at work 62 years later.

 

The BLUE Timetable features two steam or one steam and one diesel loco, and runs through to the third week in July before changing to the YELLOW timetable from the 25th onwards. The YELLOW timetable features two steam locos and one diesel, and although it was planned for the WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU), the ongoing maintenance work on the DMU is likely to result in a shift to a loco-hauled coaching set, which will feature haulage by our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on several occasions and by one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ on other days. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of which loco will be rostered for which service.

Although the additional loco running opportunities are welcomed, we look forward to the return of the DMU as soon as possible because DMUs were the mainstay of the Minehead branch throughout the ‘Sixties’ and right up to the end of BR services in December of 1970, so they are an important part of the WSR’s heritage.

 

The next major event taking place on the WSR will be the WSRA’s ANNUAL STEAM RALLY that takes place at Norton Fitzwarren during the first weekend in August. Although the event has steam in the title, it includes a vast range of exhibits from horses to tractors to vintage cars, trucks and buses. The DEPG will also be participating with one of our locos providing brake van rides over the truncated remains of the Barnstaple branch line, and we will also have a loco on static display. This event is lots of fun and is WELL WORTH A VISIT. There will be a frequent FREE shuttle service from Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren and a FREE bus connection from Silk Mills Park & Ride.

 

Click here or on the images below to go to the Steam Rally website:

 

 

Our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:

The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – some excellent news was received last week from the Western Locomotive Association (WLA), owners of D1013 ‘WESTERN RANGER’ and D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’, when they provided their ‘CLASS 52 BOGIE – TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR OVERHAUL‘ document for the DEPG to use a guide when arranging the overhaul of the bogies of D1010.

Having this highly professional document available to use as a guide for our own project has allowed us to accelerate the production of our own Statement of Work that will be specific to D1010, and we are very grateful indeed.

The WLA have also offered their help and support with the lifting of D1010 and the assessment of her bogies, which is also very helpful because the DEPG have never lifted a Class 52 and will need to have guidance from those who have the experience that they gained from lifting D1062 some years ago.

MANY THANKS to the WLA for supporting the preservation of all Class 52s ! 

 

The next step in the restoration of D1010 is the lifting of her cooler groups and the removal of her ‘A’ transmission using a road crane positioned alongside the loco at our Williton Depot. This is tentatively planned for Tuesday 18th July, subject to permission and subject to the weather. There are lot of detailed logistical arrangements to be made when lifting out major assemblies, and they also take up a lot more space outside than when they were neatly incorporated inside the body of the locomotive.

Having the loco outdoors during such changeable weather also makes it challenging for the bodywork team, but progress is still being made in between the showers. The loco will be back inside the shed ASAP and the pace will quicken again. Meanwhile, attention is being given to the leaking Serck pumps that drive the roof fans. Both pumps will be overhauled and fitted with new seals and gaskets and the tanks will be pressure tested while the cooler groups are out of the way.

D1010 – the ‘A’ end Serck pump was removed from the loco for overhaul at Williton on Tuesday 4th July 2023 and was pictured while the drive gear was being removed from the shaft. This pump provides the hydrostatic driving force for the radiator fans at ‘A’ end. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having the loco outdoors has generated an increased interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being engraved with their sponsor’s names or messages. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.

Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the WSR Standby Loco and is stabled at Minehead, ready for her next duties under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Williton and is also fully operational and available for use at short notice.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – with the loco back at Williton, the search began for the insulation issue that is causing so many problems for the electrical switchgear. The first step was to isolate the batteries and test the wiring, and when this checked out OK, the next step was to isolate the dynostarter (the combined starter motor and generator). Work is proceeding and the rogue machine or cable will soon be discovered and the issue rectified. Here are some photos that give an idea of the work that is being performed by John and Neil at Williton:

D7017 – the interior of the upper part of the electrical control cubicle that is installed in the ‘A’ cab shows just some of the control switchgear that manages the electrical systems of the locomotive. Pictured at Williton on 8th July 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7017 – the interior of the lower part of the electrical control cubicle includes the heavy-duty contactors that control the larger machines such as the vacuum exhausters. Pictured at Williton on 8th July 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7017 – the switchgear on the ‘Hymeks’ was supplied by Brush Electrical Engineering, so the driver’s controller will be very familiar to owners of classes 31, 47 and 52 amongst others. Pictured at Williton on 8th July 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – also at Williton for ongoing investigations into her ‘Mekydro’ hydraulic transmission, the loco underwent maintenance of her transmission oil strainer on Saturday 8th July, in preparation for another round of testing before deciding the next steps for the investigation. Here are some photos of this 62-year old piece of equipment, still in perfect working order after all this time:

D7018 – the transmission oil strainer is housed in a cylindrical casting and is fitted with a red ratchetting handle that only permits rotation in one direction to allow the outer surface of the internal fine mesh strainer to be ‘wiped’ clean. Pictured at Williton on 8th July 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the transmission oil strainer was supplied by Knecht of Germany in September of 1961 and is still in perfect working order. Pictured at Williton on 8th July 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the internal components of the Knecht transmission oil strainer are visible in this view. The oil flows from the outside to the hollow core and the delivery pipe via the fine mesh cylinder, which is rotated against the fine wire brush once per running day to ‘wipe’ the surface clean. Pictured at Williton on 8th July 2023 by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued on the dismantling of the driver’s desk in preparation for sandblasting and painting of the framework before the individually-restored components can be re-fitted. The various panels and doors were removed and despatched to a specialist firm for glass bead blasting and priming, and will then be spray painted by Colin G at Williton.

D9518 – the thorough approach to the restoration of this loco is apparent from this view of Colin G at work in the cab at Williton on Saturday 8th July 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use. We hope to be able to use D9526 in support of the DMU on some of the YELLOW timetable services during the summer. Keep and eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for additional running dates, as they get released.

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a cylinder head overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Good progress is being made, and current expectations are that the loco will be returned to service towards the end of this month.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard. The cab is undergoing a repaint, but the loco remains serviceable and ready for action.

 

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

ON SHED – here’s another of Mark Bladwell’s collection from his ‘spotting’ days, this time a view within Laira depot showing two ‘thousands’ along with an unidentified Class 08 shunter. The ‘thousand’ on the left is none other than D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’, shut down after her last working in BR service just a few days previously, but happily still extant in preservation today. The other loco is D1022 ‘WESTERN SENTINEL’, a loco that managed to hold on for another few months before she also fell silent, and with a less fortunate outcome. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.

An unidentified Class 08 shunter shares the smoke-filled air at Laira Motive Power Depot with Class 52s D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’ (left) and D1022 ‘WESTERN SENTINEL’. Picture dated 29th July 1974 by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 24th June and a synopsis will be prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

 

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO. Thank you very much !

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSRA STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

WSR FORTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

     

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 worked the diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable on Saturday and Sunday 1st/2nd July 2023 and made a delightful 1960s summer holiday picture as she approached Nornvis Bridge with the 1630 service from Bishops Lydeard on the Saturday. Photo by Bernard Bates © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The weekend diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable was covered by Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 with a faultless performance on the Saturday, but the start to the Sunday service ran into trouble and raised our stress levels for a while !

The issue was a failed electrical solenoid, which is a device that converts an electric current into a physical movement. In this particular case, it meant that the ‘Hymek’ could only operate at engine idling speed, so the progress out of Minehead was slow and the loco was held at Dunster station while the trouble was investigated. Luckily, our footplate crew of Paul T, Neil and Tom were able to quickly identify the issue and effect a temporary repair. The loco was late bringing the first train of the day into Bishops Lydeard, but a slick turnaround resulted in an on-time departure that saved the day !

This loco has encountered several similar issues over the past few weeks and the root cause is a ground fault, which occurs when current leaks from the intended path to the body of the locomotive, which, unlike that of a car, is not connected to either terminal of the battery. This kind of fault is usually the result of an insulation failure within an electric motor, relay, valve or solenoid, but can also be caused by water ingress into cable conduits. Such faults can be very difficult to locate and correct. The additional electrical stress over time causes various components to fail, starting with the weakest link. Here’s a photo of the damaged internal windings of the engine run solenoid that failed back in May, the first in the series of similar occurences:

The ‘engine run solenoid’ from Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was sent to Carwood Rewind in Yeovil for repair. The winding was found to comprise of 10,000 turns of enamelled copper wire, but the insulation had failed at winding 9526, near to the inner core of the component. Pictured at Yeovil in June 2023 by Carwood Rewind © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This weekend, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be the focus of attention at Williton as we start the process of locating the ground fault. Meanwhile, and as advertised, the BLUE TIMETABLE will be covered by one of our Class 33s on both Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July, so come along if you can and ride behind the ‘Crompton’ on this 80-mile diagram!

 

Making BIG NEWS last weekend was the triumphant return to service of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7076 on the East Lancs Railway (ELR) after a gap of five years during which her engine has been completely overhauled. The BR-blue loco appeared at the ELR’s Diesel Gala along with another diesel-hydraulic ‘celebrity’, the Diesel Traction Group’s Class 42 ‘Warship’ D821 ‘GREYHOUND’, the first ex-BR mainline diesel locomotive that was saved for preservation, way back in 1973. Some excellent photo opportunities arose and there were plenty of cameras there to grab the images. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BURY HYDRAULIC GROUP for their success in returning D7076 to service in such style !

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7076 was back in action at the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) Summer 2023 Diesel Gala after a gap of five years during which her engine was completely overhauled. Pictured on 29th June 2023 by Chris Shields © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7076 was in a BR-blue diesel-hydraulic line-up at the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) Summer 2023 Diesel Gala along with Class 42 ‘Warships D832 ‘ONSLAUGHT’ and D821 ‘GREYHOUND’ and Class 52 D1041 ‘WESTERN PRINCE’. Pictured on 28th June 2023 by the Bury Hydraulic Group © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Back at home, this coming weekend is the WSR’s SIXTIES WEEKEND with several additional attractions and the now-customary dance on the platform at Minehead on Saturday evening. Click here or on the image below to visit the WSR’s event page:

 

 

See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of public diesel-hauled services this year. This page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:

The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – further progress was made on the preparation for the ‘A’ transmission to be removed from the loco, with the draining of the hydraulic fluid taking place on Monday 3rd July. The fluid was found to be the correct colour and consistency and appeared to be free from contamination, which bodes well and will hopefully allow the planned overhaul of the ‘A’ transmission to be straight-forward and less expensive than that of the ‘B’ end, where a bearing failure had already occurred.

Arrangements for the lift of both cooler groups and the ‘A’ transmission are well advanced, with the weather set to play an important part because the loco will need to go back inside the loco shed as soon as possible after removal of these major assemblies and the loss of the roof sections that are part of them. The earliest date will be Tuesday 11th July but Tuesday 18th July is also a possibility. The 5-tonne lift will be performed by a road crane and the removed transmission will then be cleaned externally before being moved to the transmission overhaul area for dismantling. The two cooler groups require repairs to corroded metalwork that has been the cause of repetitive water leaks for many years. The welding will be carried out by Tony.

D1010 – the ‘A’ transmission was drained of hydraulic fluid by Geoff at Williton on Monday 3rd July 2023 and the 300 litres of extracted fluid was found to be in very good condition. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Having the loco outdoors has generated quite an interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being engraved with their sponsor’s names or messages. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.

Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support and your patience!

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is the WSR Standby Loco and is stabled at Minehead, ready for her next duties under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Williton and is also fully operational and available for use at short notice.

D6575 is also on standby and available for use, and was pictured at Williton on Saturday 24th June 2023 in the company of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already stated, this loco is back at Williton for investigations into her electrical system – and the replacement of a cabside window.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – also at Williton for ongoing investigations into her ‘Mekydro’ hydraulic transmission.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued on multiple fronts, with electrical work progressing while further dismantling of the driver’s desk released more component parts for refurbishment. The loco also gained a genuine GWR-pattern lamp that can be seen in the photo below, mounted neatly on top of the marker light housing. These GWR-pattern lamps have the mounting bracket on the side, not on the back as was the practice of ‘other regions’.

D9518 – the steady and highly visible restoration progress was being explained to an interested visitor by Colin G when this photo opportunity arose on Saturday 1st July 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use. We hope to be able to use D9526 in support of the DMU on some of the YELLOW timetable services during the summer. Keep and eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for additional running dates, as they get released.

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a cylinder head overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Our volunteer loco manager Ian Robins was there last week and he has sent us some photos of the progress being made. Current expectations are that the loco will be returned to service towards the end of this month.

47077 – the loco has been out of service since failing in May 2023 with a fractured cylinder head bolt. The loco is currently undergoing attention at the Grosmont works of the NYMR. Photo dated 28th June 2023 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – all twelve cylinder heads have been removed, exposing the cylinders and pistons so that they can be cleaned up and inspected. Pictured at Grosmont Works on 28th June 2023 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – some of the removed cylinder heads can be seen in this picture, awaiting cleaning and inspection. Pictured at Grosmont Works on 28th June 2023 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – the removed exhaust manifolds are lined up alongside the loco, waiting for cleaning and inspection. Pictured at Grosmont Works on 28th June 2023 by Ian Robins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard, ready for action. The opportunity has been taken to start work on a cab internal repaint, the first step for which is corrosion control on the 51-year old loco. The work will be carried out by well-known WSR and DEPG volunteer Jon Tooke.

 

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

ON SHED – well-known author and DEPG member BERNARD MILLS has provided us with a photo of former ScotRail push-pull loco 47 703 ‘The Queen Mother’ at Bishops Lydeard on 27th April 1994. The loco had arrived at the head of the ‘Exmoor Explorer’ railtour from Peterborough and handed over to WSR steam locos at Bishops Lydeard. Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was there to observe the proceedings! Many thanks to Bernard for sharing his photo with us all.

Class 47 47 703 ‘The Queen Mother’ was pictured at Bishops Lydeard on 27th April 1994 after handing over the ‘Exmoor Explorer’ railtour to WSR steam locomotives for the onward leg to Minehead. Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was stabled in the bay platform alongside. Photo by Bernard Mills © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 24th June and a synopsis will be prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

 

Further progress was made on the upgraded Oil Storage area, with the shuttering now in place awaiting the delivery of 7 cubic metres of concrete. Thanks again to Paul T and Graham for their continuing efforts to upgrade this facility.

Williton Depot – Graham was pictured on Saturday 1st July 2023 while preparing the area for the arrival of 7 cubic metres of concrete that will allow the ground in the vicinity of the oil store to be levelled for safe use by the fork lfift truck. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR SIXTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July

WSRA AUGUST STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

WSR FORTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September.

    

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Visiting Class 25 D7659 (25 309, 25 909) was out and about on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th June, working the diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable from Minehead. Pictured alongside Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) at Williton on the 24th by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The weekend diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable was covered in style by visiting Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) from the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust at Peak Rail in Derbyshire, making the most of its last few days on WSR metals before moving to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) in time for their diesel gala that takes place between 7th and 9th July. This loco has been a very popular and reliable performer during its brief stay on the WSR, so it will no doubt be welcome to visit again, some time in the future.

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) was pictured from the footbridge at Williton Station on Saturday 24th June as she waited for the ‘down’ train to pass. The loco is evidently in pristine condition. Photo by Paul Clark © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Also running on the WSR last Saturday was a mainline charter from the Midlands, hauled by BR(W) 4-6-0 7029 ‘CLUN CASTLE’ with Class 47 47773 (D1755, 47541) at the rear. The 10-coach special changed engines at Bishops Lydeard and continued its journey to Minehead behind a pair of ‘Manors’, adding interest to the workings of the day.

Vintage Trains ‘Whistling Ghost’ railtour headed by BR(W) 4-6-0 7029 ‘CLUN CASTLE’ paused for a loco change at Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 24th June 2023 as Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) prepared to depart with her public service train to Minehead. Photo by Peter Squire © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This weekend, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be at work on the BLUE TIMETABLE on both Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July, so come along if you can and enjoy some ‘Maybach Music’ on this 80-mile diagram!

 

See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of public diesel-hauled services this year. This page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:

The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.

 

 

 

THIS COMING SUNDAY sees the second of the WSR Volunteer Recruitment trains running on the WSR this year, the established format being for representatives of each department or volunteer group to give a 5-minute ‘pitch’ about their areas of work and their need for more volunteers. After these ‘formalities’, the coach loads of potential recruits get one-to-one discussions with the groups that interest them the most. The previous run was very productive, so we have high hopes for this second effort for 2023. Click here or on the image below for a link to the WSR website for more details.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continues on this loco in preparation for the removal of her cooler groups and ‘A’ transmission, a task which requires the hire of a road crane because our fixed 10-tonne crane is out of action and anyway would require a major shunt affecting other groups to get the loco correctly positioned. The massive cardan shaft that provides the drive from the transmission to the final drive gearbox was slackened by Colin F, Geoff and Tim while Leroy disconnected the pneumatic services. The cooler groups had previously been disconnected by Gordon and Leroy and are ready to lift out, after which they will be overhauled in the loco shed by Tony. The work was further complicated by the oily mess caused by a leaking hydrostatic pump on the cooling fan circuit, which will also be overhauled while the transmission is out of the way.

D1010 – the ‘A’ transmission has been disconnected (as much as possible while the cooler group remains in place) although the work was difficult in the cramped and oily conditions. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 27th June by Tim Zilkha © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the ‘A’ end of the loco has been the focus of attention during the last few weeks, as Ian F and Gary worked on the bodyside finish while the rest of the team worked inside the loco in the hot and sticky weather conditions. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 24th June 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Having the loco outdoors generated quite an interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being marked up with their sponsor’s names or messages during the gala, for engraving at our next opportunity. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.

Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in use on Sunday 25th June to haul the last service of the day from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead, taking over from the Class 25 which remained at Bishops Lydeard ready for road transport collection.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Williton and is also fully operational and available for use at short notice. While at the yard, preparation was made to swap one of the buffers for a spare that was obtained from now-scrapped sister loco 33046 (D6564).

D6575 – one of the spare OLEO hydraulic shock-absorbing buffers previously carried by sister loco 33046 (D6564) was cleaned up and made ready for fitting to D6575 on Saturday 24th June 2023. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled at Minehead in anticipation of her booked workings on Saturday/Sunday 1st/2nd July under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for information about this season’s diesel-hauled services.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – investigations into her Mekydro hydraulic transmission control block have yielded some good clues that need to be followed up before taking the next steps. The spare transmissions will be used to verify the correct setup of the control block before the engine is run again. This is a careful step-by-step process to make progress while preventing damage to irreplaceable components.

D7018 – currently residing in the loco shed while work proceeds on her transmission control block, the loco was subjected to testing which in turn led to some additional investigative steps. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 24th June 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued on the dismantling of the power controller that fits within the driver’s desk. On most locomotives, this sturdy piece of 1960s Brush Electrical Engineering kit is mounted vertically in the form of a pedestal, but in the Class 14 it is mounted horizontally. The commonality with many of our other locos was useful because one of the contact ‘fingers’ had broken and was easily replaced from our Class 47 spares stock. Meanwhile, we took delivery of a brand new safety bow assembly for the engine cardan shaft, made by Somerset firm SFM Technology to Paul Clark’s revised and strengthened design – and it definitely looks like a very sturdy piece of work !

D9518 – the new safety bow assembly delivered by Somerset firm SFM Technology replaces a safety-related part that was missing from the loco. This new assembly attaches to the red-painted cross member, pictured on 21st June 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the vacant space in the driver’s desk where the power controller assembly normally fits, pictured before restoration at Williton on 24th June 2023. Photo by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the broken finger contact within the Brush power controller is highlighted by the yellow circle in the photo taken at Williton on 24th June 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the Brush power controller assembly has been fitted with a spare contact finger taken from Class 47 spares stock and is now ready for overhaul at Williton. Pictured on 24th June 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use as soon as suitable opportunities arise. The loco had moved to Bishops Lydeard to cover for Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) while that loco was temporarily out of action, but has since returned to Williton. We hope to be able to use D9526 in support of the DMU on some of the YELLOW timetable services during the summer. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for additional running dates, as they get released.

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a cylinder head overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway after a fracture was found in one of her cylinder head bolts. Our Ian Robins has visited this week and reports that all of the cylinder heads have been removed for cleanup and inspection. Hopefully we will have his photographs to feature next week.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard, ready for action. The opportunity has been taken to start work on a cab internal repaint, the first step for which is corrosion control on the 51-year old loco. The work will be carried out by well-known WSR and DEPG volunteer Jon Tooke, who has kindly provided many of the photographs this week. Well done JT !

Barclay 578 (ROF1) – the cab interior is in need of some attention and JT is the right man for the job! The corrosion below the window seals on this 51-year-old loco is apparent. Pictured at Williton on 24th June 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

ON SHED – here’s an evocative memory from the collection of DEPG Publicity Office Mark Bladwell. A visit to Long Rock depot just east of Penzance revealed two ‘Westerns’ on shed, being prepared for their next duties. The headcodes are notable because 1975 was the last year when headcodes were still in use, although they were often incorrectly set. On the left,’WESTERN DRUID‘ only had a few more months to run before being condemned and sent to scrap, but ‘WESTERN SENTINEL‘ on the right made it into 1977, only to be victim to collision damage in January of that final year. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photos with us all.

Class 52 ‘Westerns’ D1067 ‘WESTERN DRUID’ and D1022 ‘WESTERN SENTINEL’ were pictured together at Long Rock depot, Penzance, on 8th June 1975 proudly displaying their headcodes during the last year before headcodes were dispensed with and loco numbers were displayed instead. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 27th May and a synopsis will be prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO. Thank you very much !

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR SIXTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July

WSRA AUGUST STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

WSR FORTIES WEEKEND: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September.

   

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back in action on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June, working the diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable from Minehead, covering 80 miles each day. Pictured on the 17th at Williton as BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ arrived from Bishops Lydeard, photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

There was a quick return to ‘normality’ this week, recovering from the diesel gala and getting back to the regular work of restoring and maintaining our locos and facilities. After causing trouble by failing during the gala, ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back to her usual reliable self, working the diesel diagram of the BLUE timetable which provides 80 miles of running on Saturdays and Sundays, originating at Minehead. The loco entertained in her usual style, with plenty of ‘Maybach Music’ from her V16 engine.

This coming weekend is the last chance to ride behind visiting Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909), another product of the famous Gorton works of Beyer-Peacock, but in this case a sub-contract build to the design of BR Derby. This loco will depart from the WSR next week, so take this opportunity to ride behind her this weekend if you can.

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) was another loco that was in ‘ex-works’ condition for the diesel gala, having only recently returned to service after a thorough overhaul. The gleaming loco was pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th June 2023 by off-duty signalman Brenden Hill © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of public diesel-hauled services this year. This page is updated several times per week and is kept as accurate as we can make it. The loco allocations are subject to availability (of course), but we do try to field the allocated loco wherever possible. Click on the banner below to go to the website page:

The DIESEL RUNNING DATES pages is supplemented by our DIESELGEN bulletin service which captures non-public running such as special trains and engineering workings (where we have sufficient notice to publish such workings). Sign up for DIESELGEN emails or keep an eye on our website homepage.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco was moved out of the shed so that she could enjoy the admiration of her fans during the diesel gala, and her space in the shed was quickly taken by ‘Hymek’ D7018 who is undergoing an investigation into her transmission control block. Having D1010 outside allows us to progress with the work to remove the two cooler groups for welding repairs, and to lift out the ‘A’ transmission for overhaul. Although the ‘A’ transmission has not yet failed, the lessons learned from the work done on the ‘B’ transmission have alerted us to similar issues that could be affecting the ‘A’ transmission, and now is the time to do this work, before a failure occurs.

The overhaul of the ‘B’ transmission has been completed and it is ready to be re-installed, but this step will be held back until after the bogies have been overhauled, because the missing transmission makes the loco lighter to lift and gives us a lot more working space !

D1010 – the overhauled ‘B’ transmission is being treated to a re-paint to give it that ‘ex-works’ look before it goes into storage to await re-installation into the loco at a later date. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having the loco outdoors generated quite an interest in our SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, with several more patches being marked up with their sponsor’s names or messages during the gala, for engraving at our next opportunity. This initiative remains the single most successful fund-raising activity and has allowed us to make significant progress with the restoration work. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US FUND THIS PROJECT.

Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Minehead and is the WSR ‘duty loco’, available for use at short notice.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Williton and is also fully operational and available for use at short notice.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled at Minehead in anticipation of her booked workings on Saturday/Sunday 1st/2nd July under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for information about this season’s diesel-hauled services.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is now inside the loco shed at Williton and the top cover has been removed from her Mekydro hydraulic transmission, so that the issue that is preventing her from changing direction can be investigated. Several possibilities have been investigated and discounted, but the detective work continues and we will find the solution soon. Here are some photos of this wonderful piece of 1960s machinery:

D7018 – looking down on the control block of the Mekydro K184u transmission with the top cover removed, the secrets of the inner workings are still hidden beneath several layers and make the detective work challenging. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – looking from the front, one of the two actuator arms that move the directional clutch selector forks is now visible on the lower left corner of the photo. Two of the gear selector fork actuation levers are visible on the lower right. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – a close-up of the actuator arm that moves the directional clutch shows that it is driven by a piston that is embedded inside the control block (which itself has multiple layers). The precise adjustment of this actuator arm is one of the areas under suspicion. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the ‘Mekydro’ transmission was built in the UK by Stone Industries under licence from Maybach, but the control block would appear to have been supplied by Maybach, direct from Germany. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work resumed on this locomotive on several fronts as usual, with Colin, Terry, Nick and Andy P making progress with the brake rigging, the wiring, the cab assembly and the bodywork. There is plenty for John to do on the wiring, and a very large piece of trunking has been recovered from the storage container and is undergoing refurbishment before it can be re-used. This trunking runs from the ‘B’ end of the loco (the short end) under the cab to the control cubicle at the front of the cab, and will eventually carry a multitude of wiring and pipework. The driver’s controller has been disassembled and the backing plate released so that a new part can be produced, minus the wear and tear.

D9518 – the oddly-shaped electrical trunking that runs from the ‘B’ end under the cab floor to the electrical cubicle has been recovered from storage and is being refurbished. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the trim plate of the Brush-supplied power controller carries the information that describes the function and identifies the positions for the power and control handles, so it is quite important! The work-worn parts are being replaced with new items that are being made to the original design. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use as soon as suitable opportunities arise. The loco had been stabled at Minehead at the end of the diesel gala, but re-located to Williton on Saturday afternoon 17th June after using the pit facilities at Minehead where an underframe inspection was carried out. The loco has subsequently moved to Bishops Lydeard to cover for Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) while that loco is temporarily out of action. We hope to be able to use D9526 in support of the DMU on some of the YELLOW timetable services during the summer. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for additional running dates, as they get released.

D9526 – the loco returned from Minehead on Saturday 17th June 2023 – but moved out again on Tuesday 20th, this time to Bishops Lydeard. Pictured with Barclay 578 (ROF 1) at Williton on Sunday 18th June 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is undergoing a cylinder head overhaul at Grosmont Works on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway after a fracture was found in one of her cylinder head bolts. Checks on the adjacent cylinder heads revealed several bolts with improper torque, so the decision was made to remove all of the cylinder heads and do a proper overhaul. This will take a few weeks, but the loco will be much better for it and will hopefully be back at work soon.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard, ready for action. We hope to apply her cabside lettering during the coming weeks to complete her ‘1972 makeover’.

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

ON SHED – we are not quite back in the normal rhythm of things yet, so we will skip this feature this week and try and include it next week. We have quite a few photos lined up, but PLEASE KEEP SENDING MORE !

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopsis of the Board Meeting that was held at Williton on Saturday 27th May is being prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address. Apologies for the delay.

The next Board Meeting will take place THIS SATURDAY 24th June at Williton at 1030. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you have a question that you like to have tabled at this meeting.

 

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO.

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSRA AUGUST STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 55 ‘Deltic’ 55009 ‘ALYCIDON’ was pictured approaching Goviers Lane Crossing at Watchet with a train for Minehead on Thursday 8th June 2023. This mainline-registered loco was the star of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL that ran from 8th through 10th June 2023. Photo by Martin Rouse © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The three days of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL featured an excellent lineup of locos working an intensive timetable that included workings to Norton Fitzwarren (some using Class ’09’ haulage), combined with open days and exhibits along the line for additional interest. The weather was absolutely perfect at the start, although some rain did come along for a few hours on Saturday afternoon – but not enough to dampen the spirits of the visitors !

Photographers were struggling with the strong sunlight on the Thursday and complaining about the grey skies on the Saturday, but we have received a record number of absolutely excellent photographs from members and supporters, and will be including some of them in our next DEPG Newsletter (and keeping some back for the 2024 DEPG Calendar).

Commercially, the event has also been a big success, which is very important because it means that the budget for next year’s gala will be bigger and the plans bolder, and we have plenty of time to act upon the lessons learned this year.

 

Overall, the event was a big success because of the massive amount of preparation work plus the efforts of all of the staff and volunteers throughout the event, plus the support of everyone who attended and bought a ticket or refreshments or merchandise. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH !

 

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) performed very well, with the sound of her 6-cylinder Sulzer engine bringing back memories of bygone days when another Class 25 was based on the WSR. Pictured on the climb from Watchet to Washford on Friday 9th June 2023 by Keith Fender © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The visiting locos all performed well, in fact the only casualties were our two ‘Hymeks’, with D7018 being unavailable for use due to ongoing issues with the transmission control block, and D7017 performing well on the Thursday until failing at Watchet on the last service of the day with an electrical issue. The Gala Planning Team had made contingency plans for loco failures, but the loss of both ‘Hymeks’ resulted in some burning of the midnight oil and many late phone calls to crew members to re-roster them and ensure that the revised diagrams remained interesting and entertaining. The revised plans worked out very well indeed!

 

The issue with D7017 was a failed electrical component and was resolved on Friday afternoon, but the cut-off time had been passed and the loco could not be re-rostered for Saturday without another timetable re-write, so the loco was out of the gala. However, permission was obtained to attach her to the front of Class 33 D6575 (33 057) on the 13:25 departure from Williton to Minehead on the Saturday, and suffice it to say, this service was very well patronised, with the ‘Hymek’ putting in a very entertaining performance.

D7017 was detached at Minehead and stabled in position for her booked workings this coming weekend, so COME BACK AND RIDE BEHIND D7017 on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was attached ahead of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) between Williton and Minehead on Saturday 10th June 2023. The consist was pictured while waiting to depart from Watchet by Barrie Childs © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

As if we needed another issue to contend with during the gala, the driver’s ‘Beclawat’ cabside window at ‘A’ end of D7017 decided to collapse just after the loco left Williton ‘light engine’ for Bishops Lydeard on the first morning of the event, the window breaking into a thousand pieces and now requiring many hours of work to remove the equipment from the interior of the cab to allow the trim panels to be released to replace the window glass and repair the 62-year-old mechanism. Perfect !

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 displays a removable wooden window on the driver’s side at ‘A’ end, after a failure in the window mechanism on Thursday 8th June 2023 caused the window to drop down suddenly, shattering the glass. Photo by Robin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

If the success of a gala can be measured by the number of photographs taken, then this one was a BIG sucess because we have been lucky enough to receive hundreds of photos for publication in support of the DEPG and the WSR. We can only feature a few of these, but there are two galleries that are easy to access and feature an excellent selection of images. Click on the screenshots below to go to the gallery sites:

Click here or on the image above to go to the gallery on wsr.org.uk

 

Click here or on the image above to go to Chris Hopper’s gallery on Flickr

 

For an almost one-hour-long video covering the gala event, check out the YouTube video posted by Josh Brinsford on his South West Trainspotter channel:

Click here or on the image above to go to the video on YouTube 

 

To wrap up our coverage of the gala, here are some more shots of gala participants both active and passive, with thanks to all of the photographers who have submitted their work to us for the benefit of the DEPG and WSR. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH !

 

After her moment of glory on Friday 9th June when she towed Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 from the platform at Williton to the diesel depot for repair, Barclay 578 (ROF1) returned to her ‘on display’ role for the rest of the event (thankfully!). Pictured on Saturday 10th June 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 52 ‘Western’ D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was outdoors for the first time in many months, with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 beyond, both providing cab visit opportunities at Williton on each day of the gala. Pictued on Saturday 10th June 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33002 (D6501) ‘Sea King’ was a very popular locomotive at the event and was a credit to her owning group, South Devon Diesel Traction. Pictured with our D6575 (33 057) while waiting for the token at Williton on Thursday 8th June 2023 by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was fresh from the paint shop and glowing in the sunshine as she approached Minehead at 10 mph so that secondman Mark Bladwell could hand over the token. Pictured on Friday 9th June 2023 by Mike Lanning © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 wore black ribbons and carried a wreath in remembrance of the late SIMON PURVIS, the DEPG’s volunteer Class 14 loco manager and a very well respected Class 14 expert. The loco was pictured arriving at Blue Anchor on Friday 8th June 2023 with sister locomotive D9551 from the Class 14 group at the Severn Valley Railway. Photo by Robin Wichard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 is a major restoration project that is underway at Williton. This loco was the last of its class to work on BR in 1969 and then spent 16 years working at NCB’s Ashington Colliery in Northumberland. The loco has not been in use since 1985 and will be returned to service wearing NCB Ashington colours. Pictured at Williton on Friday 9th June 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

MANY THANKS to all of the staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make this event happen, and thanks also to the many visitors who attended and supported the event !

 

 

The BLUE timetable runs throughout June, featuring diesel haulage each weekend, with visiting Class 25 D7659 (25 309, 25 909) in use on Saturday and Sunday 24/25th June, and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 working in between on 17/18th June. For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, see the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page on our website.

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSRA AUGUST STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

Class 55 ‘Deltic’ 55009 ‘ALYCIDON’ was pictured at Doniford Halt on the first day of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL, Thursday 8th June 2023. Photo by Bernard Mills © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was pictured departing from Williton towards Bishops Lydeard on the first day of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL, Thursday 8th June 2023. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Day 1 of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL started very well with all of the visiting locomotives in position and performing nicely. The weather was perfect, the timetable was workable, the day was almost done,  the mood was good – and then the gremlins pounced and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 failed to take power on departure from Watchet with the 18:15 service from Minehead !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was sent out from Williton as ‘Thunderbird loco’ to rescue the situation and hauled the train and loco to Bishops Lydeard. The loss of D7017 combined with the non-availability of sister D7018 and necessitated a change to the timetable for the Friday, with loco allocations and crew rostering all having to be sorted out before bedtime.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was towed from the platform at Williton to the diesel depot by Barclay 578 (ROF1) for attention from DEPG volunteers. Pictured on Friday 9th June 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Day 2 began with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 covering some of the diagrams that were to have been worked by the errant ‘Hymeks’. Meanwhile, D7017 was recovered to Williton on the back of the 12:35 service from Bishops Lydeard and moved from the platform to number 2 road by the Williton Depot Shunter, Barclay 578 (ROF1) where DEPG volunteers set to work to trace the issue. The culprit was an open circuit in a solenoid that was preventing the transmission from being engaged. Sister loco D7018 loaned a part to her slightly older sister and D7017 was soon declared as available for service, after a quick trundle up and down the yard.

From left to right, Class 52 ‘Western’ D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was outdoors for the first time in many months, with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 with engine running alongside, with Barclay 578 (ROF1) completing the diesel-hydraulic trio at Williton on Friday 9th June 2023. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

And the prospects for Day 3 – The timetable for Saturday had already been modified and released by the time that D7017 was declared as available, but we do hope to have D7017 attached at Williton to the head of a Minehead-bound service tomorrow, probably the 12:25 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead (13:25 from Williton) because the loco needs to be at Minehead and ready for service on the BLUE timetable next weekend. APOLOGIES to all who had hoped to ride behind a ‘Hymek’, but the loco is back in action and some regular use will bring her back to her former reliable condition.

 

Click hre for the UPDATED TIMETABLE for Saturday 10th June 2023

 

Here are some of the many images from the last two days, for your enjoyment.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33002 (D6501) ‘Sea King’ was pictured while waiting for her booked departure time at Bishops Lydeard on Friday 9th June 2023. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) was pictured arriving at Crowcombe Heathfield in the direction of Bishops Lydeard on Friday 9th June 2023. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 55 ‘Deltic’ 55009 ‘ALYCIDON’ was pictured approaching the token exchange point at Williton on Friday 9th June 2023. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33002 (D6501) ‘Sea King’ was pictured while crossing the original route of the A39 Bridgwater road as she departed from Williton on Friday 9th June 2023, heading towards Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

No doubt, tomorrow will be a busy day, but there will be seats available so click here or on the ticket image below to get more details and/or buy a ticket. Special rates apply for 5 to 15 year olds on Saturday 10th June BUT ONLY IF ADVANCE PURCHASED – see the notes on the WSR website booking page or click on one of the images below. We hope to see you at the WSR for what is going to be an excellent event !

  

 

The QUANTOCK BELLE dining set will be in use and will be offering their legendary BREAKFASTS in addition to BREAKFAST BAPS, so make your reservation when you book your advance ticket. Click here or on the image below and select the QUANTOCK BELLE BREAFAST ADD-ON:

 

The GAUGE MUSEUM at Bishops Lydeard has just unveiled their LOCO OF THE MONTH and the honours go to our very own Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017, so be sure to visit the museum on Platform 1 at Bishops Lydeard and also view the MODEL RAILWAY that will be running an early 1960s diesel-themed layout for the duration of the gala event. MANY THANKS to the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust for supporting the diesel gala in such a positive way.

The generous dimensions make this storyboard both easy to find and easy to read. This and the diesel theming of the Gauge Junction Model Railway make the GAUGE MUSEUM well worth a visit ! Photo by the WSRHT © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The BLUE timetable runs throughout June, featuring diesel haulage each weekend, with visiting Class 25 D7659 (25 309, 25 909) in use on Sunday 11th June and again on 24/25th June, and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 working in between on 17/18th June. For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, see the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page on our website.

 

 

Here’s a reminder that we are now approaching the LAST FEW HOURS in which RAFFLE TICKETS for the DEPG SUMMER DRAW can be purchased, because the draw will take place on SATURDAY 10th June at approximately 3pm at Minehead. Please click here or on the image below to buy your tickets. MANY THANKS for supporting the DEPG !

 

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL: Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

WSRA AUGUST STEAM RALLY: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at Norton Fitzwarren

DEPG 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS : Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd September 2023.

    

     

 

 

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