Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) stands on number 1 road at Williton Depot (left) while sister loco D6566 (33 048) is on the ‘down’ line at Williton Station (right), performing a shunt before heading off to Minehead in preparation for driver training activities. Pictured in the afternoon of Saturday 25th February 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

In preparation for the re-opening of the WSR on 19th March 2023, refresher training and competency reviews taking the form of exams and practical sessions are being arranged for all crew members. In the case of diesel crews, a locomotive needed to be available for the competency renewals, so Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was prepared for service and dispatched from Williton to Minehead on Saturday 25th February to support the practical tests. This has been the first opportunity for this loco to be called into action since the completion of her heat exchanger replacement and loaded test run, last December.

 

Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) continues to receive attention from Ian, Tom, John and Martin, the focus of attention last weekend being the engine oil cooler elements, which appear to be leaking. The elements are mounted in the nose of the loco, behind the radiator shutters. The design is simple but the work required to reach the cooler elements is significant, so access platforms had to be positioned around the front and side of the loco so that the access covers could be removed safely. The photos below show the work involved:

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) was surrounded by access platforms on number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023, so that work could place to rectify an oil leak from the engine oil cooler elements that are mounted on the nose, to the right of the radiator, just behind the yellow shutters. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) was pictured with her radiator access cover removed at Williton on Sunday 26th February 2023. The engine oil cooler elements are mounted behind the shutters. The bolts that hold the shutters in place have to be accessed via this cover. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

FLOOD DAMAGE UPDATE:

In a letter to all volunteers and staff, the Chairman of the West Somerset Railway (WSR), Jonathan Jones-Pratt, has confirmed that the embankment at Coombe Florey is safe to use, subject to a temporary speed restriction and regular monitoring. This is excellent news and will allow the railway to re-open on Saturday 18th of March as planned. The west-facing section of the embankment that slipped into the gardens of the houses below during the night of December 19th 2022 will be carefully excavated later this year, so that the retaining wall can be rebuilt and everything made good.

The trackbed still needs attention, so the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) have launched an appeal to raise money get this work done as quickly and efficiently as possible without impacting timetabled services. The WSRA have pledged £25,000 of MATCH FUNDING to effectively double the value of donations made to this appeal, so this is a great opportunity to help make a real difference and get the trackbed sorted out with fresh ballast. Many thanks to the WSRA for this initiative ! Click here or on the image below to visit the web page and get more details, including information about the status of the funds raised so far:

The landslip affected the western side of the embankment at Coombe Florey, just to the north of Tribble Bridge, and provided an escape route for the deluge of mud and water that ran off from the potato field on the other side of the line during the night of 19th December 2022. Pictured on 19th February 2023 by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

VANDALISM DAMAGE TO THE DMU

On the evening of Sunday 26th February, a local resident called the police after becoming aware of intruders at Minehead Station. The police arrived to find three people vandalising the coaches, wagons and the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) that were stabled in the station yard. The three vandals were taken into custody but the damage had already been done and the staff and volunteers at Minehead are having to clean up and make repairs as necessary. The damage will be rectified in time for the re-opening of the line on 18th March, thanks to the significant efforts of the team at Minehead.

   

The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) was subjected to unwanted attention from three vandals while stabled in the yard at Minehead Station. Coaches and wagons were also damaged in the attack which led to three people being taken into Police custody. Photos by Rich Hiscox © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DONATIONS OF STORAGE UNITS:

The DEPG recently took delivery of a number of sturdy steel drawer cabinets as a donation from Bristol-based COMMERCIAL TRANSFER Ltd., a firm who specialise in business removals and the collection of used furniture for re-purposing via their ECO OFFICE subsidiary. These cabinets will be used to provide storage for loco parts and other artefacts at our Williton depot. We understand that there are more of these available if they are of use to any ‘WSR family’ organisation – just use our CONTACT FORM to let us know if your group could use some. Many thanks to Dave Hart and Gordon for arranging this very welcome donation for us.

Some of the sturdy steel drawer cabinets donated to the DEPG by Bristol-based COMMERCIAL TRANSFER Ltd. via their ECO OFFICE subsidiary. These cabinets will be used to provide storage for loco parts and other important artefacts and will be very useful. Pictured at Williton on 25th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The WSR have announced the lineup for their SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May and will include three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet ! For details, click this link to the WSR website.

The first scheduled diesel-hauled service for 2023 is booked for Friday 7th April and will feature haulage by one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – further progress on multiple fronts during the last week as we push ahead with work both inside and outside of the loco. Here are some photos to show the wide range of activities:

D1010 – the ‘B’ cab is receiving attention from new volunteer Steve, who brings his experience in electrical control systems to bear upon the many electrical items in the cab and in the electrical frames under the desk. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – meanwhile, at ‘A’ end, Natalie continued her renovation work in the electrical bay behind the headcode indicators. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the radiator elements have now been removed from the cooler group at ‘B’ end, providing a view straight through the loco from the compressor access grille at ‘B’ end – except for the space that is being occupied by Leroy. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the damage that was incurred on ‘B’ side back in BR days (thought to be 1972 but precise details are still unknown) is being filled and sanded by Ian in preparation for a few more coats of paint. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

   

D1010 – the horns from ‘A’ end were treated to some renovation and TLC by Gordon at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023. Photos by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of 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 the duty loco and has moved to Minehead to support the training activities that are taking place there during the coming weeks. Luckily, this loco escaped the attention of the vandals last Sunday.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is at Williton and is also fully serviceable and ready to take up active duty on the WSR if required.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – on Tuesday 21st, Terry and Nick continued their work on the re-fitting of the sanding gear that had to be removed when the loco had to have her bogie springs changed last March.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has a list of items requiring attention and will be allocated resources shortly.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the cardan shafts received another coat of paint while Andy P worked on restoring the safety guards that protect the loco and occupants in the event of a cardan shaft failure. In parallel, John installed the wiring for the electro-pneumatic reverser valves. The newly-restored battery boxes (Colin G’s homework!) were brought into the loco shed, ready for re-fitting. The pictures tell the stories:

D9518 – one of the cardan shafts was painted in primer coat along with some of the safety hardware items at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the cardan shaft cover was retrieved from storage and straightened out using some careful blacksmith moves by Andy P at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the electro-pneumatic valves that control the direction of the loco (forward/reverse) were wired up by John at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the fully restored battery boxes are now positioned alongside the loco, ready to be lifted into position. These are further examples of top quality restoration work by Colin G. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th February 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 has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is rostered for crew training duties during the next few weeks.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is waiting for delivery of the new oil filter and housing that are being specially made by BRITISH FILTERS in Plymouth to be directly compatible with the original Vokes type, after which she will receive a fill of fresh engine oil and be ready to start up. Once started, a number of maintenance and setup tasks will need to be carried out before the work can be signed off as complete, in particular the setting-up of the newly-overhauled engine governor. We are getting close !

Barclay 578 – the old oil filter is a non-standard size and a replacement has had to be made to order by BRITISH FILTERS in Plymouth. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Barclay 578 – the recently-overhauled engine governor has to be set up as soon as possible after the engine has been started. The red label serves as a reminder. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023 by Andy Royal © 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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we will skip this feature again this week as we are short of time, but please take a look at our webstore for NEW BOOKS and PRE-OWNED BOOKS, the profits from which will go directly towards the upkeep of our loco fleet. Thank you very much !

 

ON SHED – this week, we have a minor mystery to solve. The photograph below was discovered at our Williton depot recently and depicts our very own D1661 (47077, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ on shed somewhere, between April 1968, when she received full yellow ends and was carrying the ‘Rail Alphabet’ numerals but without the ‘D’ prefix, and August 1973, when she was repainted into rail blue with red-backed nameplates (but still remaining as 1661). The shed designation can be seen painted just to the right of the driver’s door and appears to show 87A which would tie up with her allocation from November 1969 when Landore (Swansea) shed changed from 87E to 87A. However, the painted marks could also show 81A which would be Old Oak Common and the shed to which she was allocated from April 1973. So, the questions are, where and when was this photo taken ? Use our CONTACT FORM if you can help provide the answers. Thanks !

D1661 (47077, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ on shed somewhere, some time between November 1969 and August 1973. Can you help identify the location and narrow down the date range? If yes, please use our CONTACT FORM. to let us know. Photo from the DEPG archives © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton last Saturday 25th February and a synopsis is being prepared and will be sent out with the forthcoming Newsletter mailing (or emailing, depending on your stated preference in ‘Membermojo‘).

 

The new oil store is progressing well at Williton and now has sides and a back, as well as a roof. The front will be formed of steel mesh gates and there will be a partition in the centre to segregate new oil from the various types of oil wastes. The oil containers will be mounted on steel bunds that will capture any spillage and prevent pollution. Many thanks to Paul T and Graham for their hard work over several very cold weekends on this unglamorous but essential task.

The Williton oil storage area is being expanded to provide secure storage and pollution control for new oil and waste oil. Graham was pictured while preparing to attach the crossmembers to the southerly end of the structure on a very cold Saturday 25th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Simon B and Graham were pictured while moving the new steel bund out of their way so that work could progress on attaching the sides to the new oil storage area at Williton on Saturday 25th February 2023. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

The next DEPG Newsletter is running a little late and will be distributed towards the end of next week. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

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:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) stands alongside Class 09 D4107 (09 019) at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. The ’09’ is undergoing planned maintenance in the hands of the DEPG while the ’33’ is the designated duty loco and is ready for action. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) has been receiving attention from Ian, Tom, John and Martin as we work through a list of maintenance tasks and deal with some minor repairs. Once completed, the loco will move to the Swindon Shed to undergo some bodywork repairs and be treated to a repaint, but she is second in line to Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) for the paintshop and will have to wait her turn.

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) is moved closer to the covered-over cab of Class 14 D9518 on number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. The shunting signals are being provided by Tom while DEPG Chairman Martin Howard is operating the locomotive. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Now, some really sad news about the loss of Jon Grimwood, son of Mike Grimwood and one of the team who looked after our Class 14 D9526 so well at the Kent & East Sussex Railway last year, who died suddenly last week at the age of 37. We send our heartfelt condolences to Mike and the whole family. Here’s one of the many photos taken by Jon that provides a reminder of happier times in the recent past:

Class 14 D9526 was pictured shortly after arrival at Tenterden Town station on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on Wednesday 13th July 2022 with a 4-coach train from Bodiam. The DEPG-owned loco worked on the line for 18 months between July 2021 and December 2022 and was looked after by Mike, Jon and William Grimwood. Photo by the late Jon Grimwood © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

FLOOD DAMAGE UPDATE:

The survey that has been carried out on behalf of the WSR has confirmed that the embankment at Coombe Florey is safe to use, subject to a temporary speed restriction and regular monitoring. This is excellent news and will allow the railway to re-open in March as planned. The west-facing section of the embankment that slipped into the gardens of the houses below during the night of December 19th 2022 will be carefully excavated so that the retaining wall can be rebuilt and everything made good.

The trackbed still needs attention, so the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) have launched an appeal to raise money get this work done as quickly and efficiently as possible. The WSRA have pledged £25,000 of MATCH FUNDING to effectively double the value of donations made to this appeal, so this is a great opportunity to help make a real difference and get the trackbed sorted out with fresh ballast. Many thanks to the WSRA for this initiative ! Click here or on the image below to visit the web page and get more details:

The landslip affected the western side of the embankment at Coombe Florey, just to the north of Tribble Bridge, and provided an escape route for the deluge of mud and water that ran off from the potato field on the other side of the line during the night of 19th December 2022. Pictured on 19th February 2023 by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The WSR have updated their 2023 timetable and are now showing the planned SPECIAL EVENTS in purple colour. The details of each event are not yet shown on their events page, but are being prepared. The first event this year will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR from 28th to 30th April. More details will be available soon.

The first scheduled diesel-hauled service for 2023 is booked for Friday 7th April and will feature haulage by one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work on the electrical system is progressing in the careful hands of new volunteer Steve who is diligently working through all of the terminals and contacts in the ‘B’ cab to clean and inspect them, renewing parts where necessary. The cab is already looking much better after receiving this attention. The other end of the loco also received attention, with Gordon working inside the ‘A’ cab and Natalie working between the cab and the front of the loco, in a very small space. Further progress was made on the ‘B’ transmission with the overhaul of the filler pump. Here are some photos:

D1010 – the ‘B’ cab is receiving an electrical systems maintenance checkup which involves cleaning, inspecting and replacing wiring components and contacts as necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – at ‘A’ end, Natalie fitted into the small space behind the headcode indicators to perform a cleanup before applying a coat of paint on the inside of the recently-repaired loco skin. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the strainer of the filling pump from ‘B’ transmission shows the debris that was captured by the mesh which would otherwise have gone back through the turbines. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th February 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the centrifugal filling pump from ‘B’ transmission has been completely disassembly and will now be cleaned, inspected and reassembled with new bearings. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th February 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of 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 the duty loco and is on standby at Williton. However, she is due to go into the paintshop at the Swindon Shed soon, so her role will transfer to her sister until such time as she is completely refreshed and ready for service again.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is fully serviceable and is also able to take up active duty on the WSR.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – Terry and Nick made a start on the re-fitting of the sanding gear that had to be removed when the loco had to have her bogie springs changed last March.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has a list of items requiring attention and will be allocated resources shortly.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the cardan shafts have been inspected and re-filled with grease, more than 40 years since they last transmitted any power. The inspection showed that the universal joints and splined connections are in good condition, so the shafts were cleaned and painted and will be re-installed on the loco in the very near future. Other areas of progress were in preparation for the cab restoration, with the specialist materials being placed on order. Here’s some photos:

D9518 – the cardan shafts were cleaned up, inspected then filled with fresh grease and prepared for painting at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the two cardan shafts received a coat of primer at Williton on Saturday 18th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the voltmeter and ammeter await inspection and re-calibration before being re-fitted into the electrical control cubicle. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th February 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 has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is undergoing winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was pictured in the yard at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Sunday 19th February by Luke Wayman © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – new volunteer Tony has been making excellent progress on the maintenance of this loco and is getting very close to being able to start the engine and deal with those tasks that require the engine to be running. The new oil filter assembly is on order, being specially made by BRITISH FILTERS at Plymouth to be directly compatible with the original Vokes type and is expected in two or three weeks from now, so that is the pacing item. Many thanks to Tony for his excellent work on this loco.

Barclay 578 (ROF No. 1) – Tony gets in between the frames to tackle the remaining maintenance tasks at Williton on 14th February 2023. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Barclay 578 (ROF No. 1) – Tony is once again between the frames on a very cold morning to conduct a close-up inspection and check the condition of the drive belts and pulleys. Pictured at Williton on 14th February 2023 by Mark Bladwell © 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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we will need to skip this feature this week as we are running somewhat late ! Please take a look at our webstore for NEW BOOKS and PRE-OWNED BOOKS, the profits from which will go directly towards the upkeep of our loco fleet.

 

ON SHED – following the succesful running of D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF‘ railtour on 13th February 1977, the railtour ran again the following weekend as the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM‘ but D1010 suffered a water leak and subsequent engine shutdown en route and was declared a failure and removed from the train at Cardiff. Her place was taken by Class 37 37179 but the sympathetic BR management had despatched D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ from Old Oak Common to take over the tour at Pontypridd, to the absolute delight of the fans on the fully-booked tour. D1023 was selected for the National Collection and has made the news recently by moving to the Didcot Railway Centre on a 5-year loan from the National Railway Museum. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his excellent photos with us all.

D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ waits at Pontypridd to take over the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM’ railtour to haul it up the valley of the river Taff to Merthyr Tydfil and then back to Paddington via Cardiff Queen Street. Pictured on 20th February 1977 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopses of the recent Board Meetings were sent out by email last weekend to all members for whom we held a valid email address. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you didn’t receive your copy. The next Board Meeting will take place at Williton this Saturday, 25th February, so let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you have a question that you would like to put to the Board.

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

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:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 were pictured together at Westridge, Bishops Lydeard in January 2023. The ’09’ has now moved to Williton to undergo planned maintenance in the hands of the DEPG while the ’14’ stays at Bishops Lydeard, fully serviceable and ready for use if called upon. Photo by Mike Collins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) has now moved from Bishops Lydeard to the DEPG’s South Yard at Williton to undergo planned maintenance and remedial work including some bodywork corrosion repairs. While the ’09’ is out of service, the role of pilot loco at Bishops Lydeard can be covered by our Class 14 D9526 should the need arise. This loco is fully serviceable and ready to run on WSR metals again, after clocking up 768 hours of use at the Kent & East Sussex Railway during the period July 2021 through December 2022.

 

FLOOD DAMAGE UPDATE:

The repairs to the flood damage and landslip at Tribble Bridge are under way and the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) have launched an appeal to help get this work done as quickly and efficiently as possible. The WSRA have pledged £25,000 of MATCH FUNDING to effectively double the value of donations made to this appeal, so this is a great opportunity to help make a real difference and get the line opened again. Top marks to the WSRA for this initiative ! Click here or on the image below to visit the web page and get more details:

The section of track on the north side of Tribble Bridge shows the degree of contamination of the ballast, caused by the run-off from the adjacent fields. Pictured on 8th January 2023 by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The WSR have updated their 2023 timetable and are now showing the planned SPECIAL EVENTS in purple colour. The details of each event are not yet shown on their events page, but are being prepared. The first event this year will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR from 28th to 30th April. More details will be available soon.

The first scheduled diesel-hauled service for 2023 is booked for Friday 7th April and will feature haulage by one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – planning ahead and preparing for the cooler groups to be lifted out for corrosion repairs, Leroy continued his work on the removal of the radiator elements at ‘B’ end, with each segment requiring steam cleaning then pressure testing before being stored safely. Work on the turbine rail of the ‘B’ transmission has progressed well, so the large and heavy assembly has now been put to the side to allow work to take place on the other sub-assemblies within the main housing. To fund the parts and materials that are needed to keep all of this work moving, the outlines of another batch of sponsored patches have been marked onto the bodyside of the loco, in anticipation of new sponsors coming forward. The photos and certificates for all of the existing patch sponsors are being prepared now and will be sent out during the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience !

D1010 – the radiator elements are being removed from the ‘B’ end cooler group to allow welding repairs to take place. Leroy was pictured at work at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – one of the radiator elements from the ‘B’ end cooler group, after being removed from the loco by Leroy at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the work on the turbine rail from the ‘B’ transmission has now been completed and it will be re-installed in the main housing as soon as the overhauling of the other sub-assemblies has been completed. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 7th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – another section of new steel has been marked with the outline of 18 patches, this time on the ‘B’ side at ‘B’ end of the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of 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 the duty loco and is on standby at Williton.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is fully serviceable and is also able to take up active duty on the WSR.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – Neil continued with his work on the installation of additional fuses in the exhauster circuits, to add protection in the event of an exhauster motor failure. As designed, the circuits did not take account of this possibility, putting other items of equipment at risk, which is not acceptable these days, when authentic spares are almost impossible to obtain.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has a list of items requiring attention and will be allocated resources shortly.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more large items were receiving attention at Williton last weekend, with the pair of Cardan shafts being cleaned up and readied for inspection. One shaft connects the engine to the transmission, the other connects the transmission to the final drive gearbox. Here’s some photos:

D9518 – the cardan shaft that connects the engine to the transmission was brought into the shed at Williton to be cleaned and inspected on Saturday 11th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – a close-up of the universal joint of the cardan shaft that connects the transmission to the final drive shows that some TLC is going to be required to restore this part to its former glory. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the flexible air hoses that connect to the reverser actuator were found to leak like sieves when pressurised. This was no suprise, considering that they are probably more than 50 years old. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 21st January 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the old flexible air hoses, pictured at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the new flexible air hoses, made from the original fittings, pictured at Williton on Tuesday 11th February 2023 by Terry Deacon © 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 has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is undergoing winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the tasks remaining for the maintenance work on this loco are now limited to those that require to have the engine running. The new oil filter assembly is on order, being specially made by BRITISH FILTERS at Plymouth to be directly compatible with the original Vokes type.

 

 

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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we will need to skip this feature this week as we are running somewhat late ! Please take a look at our webstore for NEW BOOKS and PRE-OWNED BOOKS, the profits from which will go directly towards the upkeep of our loco fleet.

 

ON SHED – this week, we remind ourselves of the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF‘, the very last railtour that was successfully worked by our very own D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ back in 1977, just two weeks before the end of mainline diesel-hydraulic locomotive era. The railtour originated at Paddington and ran to Cardiff via Gloucester, then to Pontypridd, then climbed to the heads of three valleys in turn (Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare) before heading back to Paddington. What a great day out, behind a great loco ! A detailed account of this railtour is included in our booklet ‘D1010 WESTERN CAMPAIGNER – From Merehead to Minehead‘. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ runs around its train at Merthyr, 600 feet above sea level, before heading back to Pontypridd then to Aberdare with the ‘WESTERN REQUIEM RELIEF’ railtour on 13th February 1977. Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopsis of the recent Board Meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all members for whom we hold a valid email address (sorry for the delay). 

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

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:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was used for a shunting practical training session under the watchful eye of WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023. Sister loco D6575 (33 057) also gets into the picture. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The south yard at Williton was in use for a shunting training session on Saturday 4th February, during which the five trainee secondmen that are currently undertaking the course were put to work on coupling and uncoupling, learning the proper techniques and most importantly, learning how to ensure that their own safety and that of others is protected.

The training session was part of course that is being run by WSR Diesel Traction Inspector (and DEPG member) John Leach, and the loco driver on the day was our Chairman, Martin Howard. Here’s some more photos that show the trainees receiving instruction from John:

The space between Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and the ex-GWR ‘Toad’ brakevan provides the forum for John Leach to demonstrate the art of coupling and uncoupling to five trainees, (L-R) Simon, Paddy, Tom and Chris plus Karl in the second row (out of camera) as a practical follow-up to a classroom session that took place earlier in the day. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Trainee secondman Paddy gets ‘hands-on’ with the couplings while his fellow trainees look on. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Trainee secondman Paddy gets one-to-one instruction and guidance from John Leach while coupling the brakevan to Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The secondman training courses start in September each year and include classroom and practical sessions prior to route learning that will take place when the line re-opens in the springtime. Candidates are selected after careful consideration by the WSR Footplate Standards Panel because places are limited and the intense training consumes considerable resources. Luckily, both John and Martin give their time freely to pass on their knowledge and maintain the highest of standards, so MANY THANKS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION !

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

Last week, we reported that the WSR had published their 2023 timetable and we updated our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to include the class of loco that will haul the services that are booked for DEPG loco haulage between now and June. More details will be added as soon as we have agreed the allocations for the services in June and beyond.

Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work on the transmission repair has progressed to the stage where the completed turbine rail has been set aside to allow work on other transmission components to catch up. The reverser assembly and the output shaft assembly are the next two ‘targets’ for Colin F and his team. Meanwhile, Leroy started work on removing the radiator elements from the cooler group so that they can be cleaned and pressure tested. Once prepared, the cooler groups at both ends of the loco will be lifted out for corrosion repair work to be undertaken. The electrical work is being progressed by new volunteer Steve, while Gordon, Ian F and Chris attend to the various bodywork restoration tasks that are needed to get the loco back to her former glory. Here’s some photos: 

D1010 – the bolts that secure the first stage turbine runner to the secondary shaft require tightening to a very high torque setting, making it a two-man job. The effort is provided by Tim (L) and Colin F at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023. The somewhat easier task of taking the photo was handled by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – after re-assembly of the turbine rail, the final position of the secondary shaft must be measured carefully and checked against pre-determined dimensions to ensure proper axial clearances between the turbines and the impellers. Tim was pictured taking the measurements at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – this very unusual view looking down on the bogie from inside the locomotive is only possible because the ‘B’ transmission has been removed, creating a giant rectangular hole in the floor. The bogies will soon be receiving their share of the attention as the restoration project progresses. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of 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 for the secondman practical training session on Saturday 4th February 2023, as reported earlier.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will soon be returning to active duty on the WSR.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the special-purpose lifting brackets that were used when the loco was lifted from her bogies last year are going to be loaned to the Diesel Traction Group for use on fellow survivor D7029, so to avoid our embarassement, our Publicity Officer Mark Bladwell took on the task of making them look decent before they get shipped to Kidderminster.

Our Hymek lifting brackets received a clean-up and re-paint courtesy of Mark B at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – there are a number of tasks outstanding on this loco and all will be tackled in good time for the start of the new season. One point of detail is that some of the pressure gauges in the cab are modern equivalents of the original style of gauge, because the original style supplied by LAYCOCK-KNORR are unavailable. When the ‘Hymeks’ were withdrawn from service, many parts were acquired by souvenir hunters, some of which may still exist today. So, in the interests of authenticity, we are asking DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE GAUGES THAT YOU COULD OFFER FOR USE IN D7018 ?

D7018 – the driver’s desk includes two pressure gauges that were supplied by the Original Equipment Manufacturer LAYCOCK-KNORR. The extract shows the two authentic gauges in more detail. The left-hand gauge displays the main reservoir pressure, the right-hand gauge displays the bogie brake pressures and is a ‘duplex’ gauge having two needles, in this case one on top of the other, one painted red for ‘A’ bogie, the other being white for ‘B’ bogie. Photos by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the progress continues on multiple fronts as we march onwards with this project. The materials for the refurbishment of the cab are being placed on order so that work can start on this major sub-assembly as soon as sufficient space is available inside the loco shed. Here’s some photos to tell the story:

D9518 – the disassembly of the Paxman 6YJXL V-6 diesel engine that last ran in D9526 is progressing. In this view, Nick is removing the exhaust manifold that occupies the centre of the ‘Vee’. The engine has been rotated in the ‘turnover rig’ to allow easy access. Pictured at Williton on 31st January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the engine governor is a very important piece of equipment and will be overhauled before further use. Pictured in Terry’s careful hands at Williton on Tuesday 31st January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the dent that was previously visible in the curving corner of the end frame has been carefully rectified by Colin G and now carries a further coat of paint. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 4th February 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 has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and will undergo winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the maintenance work on this loco continues to progress in the capable hands of new volunteer Tony, the next step being to flush the fuel system with fresh fuel and ensure that the contamination issue has been resolved. The oil filter replacement issue is also progressing and should be resolved in the coming week, which will allow a start-up attempt to be made immediately after completing the oil change.

 

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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – this week, we have a collection of all ten volumes of the ‘Diesel Enthusiast’s Pocket Guide” published by Bradford Barton in 1981, all of which are in very good condition. These booklets have been donated by a supporter and will be sold AS A COMPLETE SET for the benefit of the DEPG loco of your choice, so send us a bid via our CONTACT FORM if you would like to add these to your collection.

The titles in this series are:

1. Eastern Region South
2. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
3. Northern England
4. L M Region South
5. L M Region North West
6. Wales and Borders
7. Thames – Cotswold
8. Wessex and West Country
9. South and South East
10. Scottish Region

If you want to donate to the DEPG loco of your choice and get some interesting books in return, use our CONTACT FORM to send your bid.

 

ON SHED – with the news last week that D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ had moved from the National Railway Museum (NRM) at York to the Didcot Railway Centre for a 5-year stay, it seemed fitting that we feature an image of this loco this week. The photo below shows D1023 in the last year of her service life, when she was relegated to secondary services and heavy freight work and before she was ‘spruced up’ for her railtour role. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

Requiring all its tractive effort from its two mighty Maybachs, D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ hauls its heavily-loaded stone wagons around the tight curve into the reception sidings at Westbury. Pictured in the summer of 1976 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopsis of the recent Board Meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all members for whom we hold a valid email address, hopefully later this week.

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The newsletter will include detailed updates on the plans for our two restoration projects (D1010 and D9518), plus other information that is specific to DEPG members.

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:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

Class 52 D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ has moved from the National Railway Museum to the Didcot Railway Centre and was pictured in Didcot West Yard on 28th January 2023 by Richard Jermyn of The Great Western Society © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The big news last weekend was the surprise move of preserved Class 52 D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ from the National Railway Museum (NRM) at York to the Didcot Railway Centre that is operated by The Great Western Society. The press release that was issued by the Centre states that the loco is on loan as a static exhibit for a period of approximately 5 years.

Affectionately known as ‘Fusebox’, D1023 was the last diesel-hydraulic locomotive to benefit from a full overhaul at Swindon Works and was selected for preservation as part of the National Collection. She worked the very last diesel-hydraulic loco-hauled train on British Railways, hauling the ‘WESTERN TRIBUTE’ railtour from Paddington to Swansea to Plymouth and back to Paddington on Saturday 26th February 1977 in tandem with preserved classmate D1013 ‘WESTERN RANGER’, bringing the curtain down on the diesel-hydraulic mainline loco era.

The loco moved most of the distance from York by road, so the cardan shafts between the bogies and the transmissions had to be removed to allow the loco to negotiate the ramp onto and off from the low loader. The loco is not in full working order and the NRM does not currently have any plans to restore it to operating condition, but having this National Collection asset available to view at Didcot will no doubt attract more visitors and help to tell the story of the much-loved and characterful diesel-hydraulics.

Didcot was the first preservation home of our very own Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 from 1975 onwards and later became the home of our Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ (though in the guise of D1035 ‘WESTERN YEOMAN’) until both DEPG locos re-located to Williton in 1991. The Centre owns and operates a Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’, number D9516 and an original GWR Railcar No. 22 and many other locomotives, items of rolling stock and artefacts, making it a very interesting and worthwhile place to visit. With this latest acquisition, it has definitely jumped up towards the top of my list !

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

Further to the release of the WSR’s 2023 timetable last week, we have now updated our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to include the class of loco that will haul the services that are booked for DEPG loco haulage. More details will be added as soon as we have agreed the allocations for the services after the Diesel Gala in June, but dates prior to June have now been firmed up.

Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continues on three separate fronts, with the bodywork, the electrical work and the transmission work all making progress, supported by the continued success of the SPONSOR A PATCH appeal that allows us to buy the materials that are needed for the restoration program. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of our labour is provided free of charge by our volunteers, so we repair and re-use original parts where we can, but some new parts and materials are unavoidable – for example, the very expensive bearings for the transmission. Here’s some photos:

D1010 – the new metal at the ‘B’ end of the locomotive has been marked up and numbered so that the names of the sponsors can be engraved through the paint and into the metal. The sponsors will soon be receiving their certificates and photographs. Pictured at Williton on 28th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the end cover for the second stage torque converter was re-fitted at Williton on Tuesday 24th January 2023. Colin F (L) and Nick were pictured while checking to ensure that the parts were properly lined up. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the heavy-duty splines of the secondary (driven) shaft that engage with the reverser assembly are clearly visible in this view of the assembled turbine rail. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 24th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – at the other end of the turbine rail, the brand new bearing that supports the secondary shaft has been fitted in position and the bolts tightened. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 24th January 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of 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 has now taken up the role of duty loco and is available for use by the WSR.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco received a set of calibrated air and pressure gauges during the weekend, but not before they were treated to a fresh coat of paint by volunteer loco manager Ian R, as below:

D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) benefited from new sets of calibrated air and vacuum gauges, some of which needed a touch-up with some black paint before re-installation. Ian R was pictured with the gauges at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is next in line for an oil and filters change that will take place before the start of the 2023 running season.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – there are a number of tasks outstanding on this loco and all will be tackled in good time for the start of the new season.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the tired batteries that were removed from D7017 were good enough to put to use on Saturday 28th January when the recently overhauled Westinghouse compressor was wired up and run to test for the proper function of the control system that regulates the air pressure and protects in the event of an over-pressure situation. Even after almost 40 years out of use, everything was found to be working perfectly !

D9518 – with the temporary batteries connected, the opportunity was taken to test the marker lights. The result: obviously another pass ! Pictured at Williton on 28th January 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – several panels and a number of doors for the electrical cubicle were undergoing various stages of painting at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – Colin G (L) and Simon P were pictured while hard at work at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023, with Colin painting the air pipes (white) and Simon working on the standstill detector valve. 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 has been rostered to work the 80-mile ‘BLUE’ timetable services on the WSR on the following dates:

• Sunday 16th April
• Sunday 21st May
• Saturday 3rd June
• Sunday 4th June

More dates for later in the year will be added in the near future. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to DIESELGEN email bullletin service to get the information as soon as it becomes available.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and will undergo winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – a direct replacement has not yet been found for the unrecoverable oil filter, but in the worst case, modifications will be made to accomodate a modern type. Several other tasks have already been dealt with, so the fuel system flush and refill – and the startup – is getting closer.

 

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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – last week we said we would be trialling a different approach by offering a selection of pre-owned books that have been donated by members and supporters, but on the basis of a bid. We started with ‘CLASS 50 – A PICTORIAL JOURNEY’ by DAVID CABLE and today we add two more titles by the same author, as below:

RAILS ACROSS BRITAIN by David Cable ISBN 1473849136 (217 pages)

RAILS ACROSS EUROPE – Northern and Western Europe by David Cable ISBN 1473844282 (245 pages)

CLASS 50 – A PICTORIAL JOURNEY by David Cable ISBN 1473864410 (198 pages)

 

If you want to donate to the DEPG loco of your choice and get a good book in return, make a bid by using our CONTACT FORM.

 

ON SHED – staying with the series of photos by Kelvin Lumb, this week we step back 24 years to a cold but bright Saturday 27th January 1979, when the ‘WELSH WIZARD‘ railtour from Paddington stopped at Barry before heading further west to traverse lines that were freight-only, with traction provided by a Class 37 and a Class 50. The tour had originally been planned for a pair of Class 50s but a shortage of ‘Hoovers’ meant that a Class 37 was substituted instead, to provide this unusual mix. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

The ‘WELSH WIZARD‘ railtour paused at Barry on Saturday 27th January 1979 with 37 286 at the head and 50 008 ‘THUNDERER’ behind. The ’37’ served in South Wales for 33 years, exclusively based at Cardiff Canton before being withdrawn in 1999, but the ’50’ is still with us today and is often seen on mainline duties, operated by Hanson & Hall. Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 28th January and a wide range of subjects were discussed and decisions taken. A synopsis will be produced during the next week or so and will be emailed to all members for whom we hold a valid email address.

The next DEPG Newsletter is in the works and will be distributed towards the end of this month. If you are a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of this quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice).

If you are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to access your membership record via MEMBERMOJO.

If you are not a DEPG member, then NOW is a good time to join ! Click on the image below to create your own membership account. We welcome new members !

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 is back on the WSR, enjoying the company of Class 09 D4107 (09 019) at Westridge Loco Shelter, Bishops Lydeard. Pictured on Saturday 21st January 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 has returned to the WSR after being on hire to the K&ESR for the last 18 months and has taken up residence at Westridge Shed, Bishops Lydeard where she will remain until the start of the 2023 running season. The loco arrived via road transport on Friday 20th and was inspected and tested by Colin G and Simon P on Saturday 21st, and confirmed as being in full working order and available for service, should the need arise.

After clocking up almost 750 hours of use at the K&ESR during her very successful visit, our thanks go to Mike Grimwood and the D9504 team for looking after D9526 and keeping her in such great condition. MUCH APPRECIATED !

 

WSR TIMETABLE NEWS:

The WSR have released the details of their 2023 timetable and we have updated our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to show the services that will include DEPG loco haulage. Further details will be added as soon as we have agreed the allocations for the diesel-hauled services, which will now be a selection from three loco classes, namely Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ or Class 33 ‘Crompton’ or Class 35 ‘Hymek’.

The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) will also feature in the running on several other days, the details of which can be found on the WSR’s timetable page.

The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) was pictured while basking in the winter sunshine at Minehead on 17th January 2023. Photo by Dave Fowler © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Keep an eye on the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page and mark the days that interest you on your calendar, so that you can make a plan to come along and ride behind your favourite type of locomotive. Click on the banner below to go to the page on our website:

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the continuing cold weather affected progress on the bodywork restoration, so the opportunity was taken to clean up and wire up the batteries that were removed from D7017 last week and keep them at hand for electrical circuit testing that will be necessary once the cab wiring in D1010 has been reinstated and checked. Further work on the ‘B’ transmission gathered pace as the turbine components were reassembled with new bearings, ready for the secondary shaft to be fitted next week. Here’s some photos showing the progress:

D1010 – the relatively new batteries from D1010 have been transferred to D7017 to make better use of them while D1010 is ‘stopped’ for overhaul. The old and tired batteries from D7017 were cleaned and wired up so that they can be used when testing the new wiring in D1010. Ian F and Tom (L-R) were pictured at work at Williton on Saturday 21st January 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the fixed blade rings of the first torque converter stage are clearly visible in this view taken at Williton on Tuesday 17th January 2023. The impeller will attach to the Hirth joint (radial splined joint) of the primary shaft that is visible in the centre. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the first stage impeller is shown in the centre of this view, taken at Williton on Tuesday 17th January 2023. The first stage turbine runner is shown in position around the impeller. The fixed guide ring (previous picture) fits between the two when the Hirth joints are mated up. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the cover of the second stage turbine includes two of the three bearings that support the secondary shaft. The angular contact bearing (very expensive!!) is shown in position within the cover. This bearing controls the axial float or play of the secondary shaft, so it is quite important ! A roller bearing fits outboard of this and carries the radial loads. Pictured at Williton on 16th January 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of 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 has now taken up the role of duty loco and is available for use by the WSR. The loco currently stands at the head of the ‘Type 3’ line up at Williton, ready for action.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) stands on number 1 road at Williton, ahead of sister D6575 (33 057). Next in the line-up is the GWR ‘Toad’ brake van, then Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018. Pictured on Saturday 21st January 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – the maintenance worklist is being tackled and this loco will be ready for service again some time during the next few weeks. The next task is to change the air and vacuum gauges for calibrated spares and send the removed gauges for calibration. Preparations for the changeover are well advanced and the work will be completed next weekend.

D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) show the evidence of the very cold temperatures that prevailed at Williton on Saturday 21st January 2023. Not very welcoming to volunteers, that’s for sure. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the batteries on this loco were replaced with those from D1010 last weekend and were put on charge on Saturday 21st to get them up to the required performance level. By the end of the day, the batteries were still charging but close to completion, so the decision to move them to D7017 to put them back in use was not a moment too soon.

D7017 and D7018 – both locos stand together on number 1 road outside the Old Goods Shed at Williton on the very cold and frosty morning of Saturday 21st January 2023. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – there are a number of tasks outstanding on this loco and all will be tackled in good time for the start of the new season.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – some great progress can be witnessed on the battery boxes, which have now been fully refurbished and are ready to go back onto the loco. Note the ‘NCB Ashington Blue’ colour and the high standard of finish that is characteristic of Colin G’s work. Here’s some photos:

D9518 – the battery boxes have been completely refurbished and are now ready to be re-installed on the loco. The colour is ‘NCB Ashington Blue’ because the loco will return to service in the guise of ‘NCB No. 7’. Photo dated 19th January 2023 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the speed governor is mounted on the top of the Voith L217u 3-speed hydraulic transmission and includes the overspeed trip and vacuum release valve that automatically applies the brakes if excessive speed is detected. Pictured at Williton on 14th January 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 – as already reported, this loco has now returned to the WSR and will remain under cover at Westridge shed, Bishops Lydeard until the start of the 2023 running season.

D9526 – in difficult lighting conditions that are characteristic of this time of year, the loco is pictured aboard the road transport shortly after arrival at Bishops Lydeard on Friday 20th January 2023. Photo by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and will undergo winter maintenance to prepare her for what should be a very busy season on the NYMR. We will provide more details about the maintenance program in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the oil filter was found to be unfit for further use, so a modern replacement is being identified and ordered. This will allow the winter maintenance effort to be completed. The fuel system flush and refill will then be the only task standing in the way of an engine start.

 

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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we are trialling a different approach this week and we are offering a selection of pre-owned books that have been donated by members and supporters, but on the basis of a bid. To get started, here is a book by well-known author DAVID CABLE, comprising 198 pages covering this very popular loco class:

CLASS 50 – A PICTORIAL JOURNEY by David Cable ISBN 1473864410

If you want to donate to the DEPG loco of your choice and get a good book in return, use our CONTACT FORM to express your interest and make a bid. Thanks !

 

 

ON SHED – staying with the series of photos by Kelvin Lumb, this week we feature one of the seven Class 52 survivors, D1041 ‘WESTERN PRINCE’ as she heads towards Paddington with an ‘up’ West Country service passing Fairwood Junction and taking the Westbury avoiding line. Happily, D1041 was saved and now resides on the EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY in the care of the Bury Hydraulic Group. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

Never looking its best in its final years, Class 52 D1041 ‘WESTERN PRINCE’ passes Fairwood Junction signal box and takes the Westbury avoiding line at speed with a West Country express to the capital on a gloomy day in 1976. D1041 was one of the few that made it into 1977, soldiering on until 22nd February of that year. Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the next Board meeting will take place at Williton this coming Saturday 28th January, so please use our CONTACT FORM if you are a DEPG member and have a question that you would like to have submitted to the Board for consideration.

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 is pictured climbing away from Wittersham Road station on the K&ESR on 2nd August 2022, during the heatwave and dry spell that resulted in the loco being used intensively during the summer months. Photo by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

After being away from home on hire to the K&ESR for the last 18 months, our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 is returning to the WSR on Friday 20th January to take up residence at Westridge Shed, Bishops Lydeard, until such time as she is able to return to Williton. During her time at the K&ESR, this little loco has racked up almost 750 hours of use and has performed very well, with only occasional attention being needed for scheduled maintenance and the replacement of “wear-and-tear” items.

Many thanks go to Mike Grimwood and the D9504 team at the K&ESR for looking after D9526 and giving her the same level of care and attention as they give to their own locomotive. MUCH APPRECIATED !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – Ian continued his painstaking work on improving the repaired surfaces of the loco, even though the cold temperatures made it impractical for filling and painting. More progress was made with the reinstatement of the wiring under the ‘B’ cab floor, and once this is completed, the floor will be replaced and the electrical equipment frames and the desk controls will get an overhaul. The major area of progress has been the reassembly of the ‘B’ transmission turbine rail which has received a lot of attention during the last few weeks. As usual, the photos tell the story:

D1010 – the input shaft of ‘B’ transmission was separated into its component parts at Williton on 9th January 2023 so that the corroded bearings can be replaced. The photo shows the dynastarter drive pinion being released from the tapered shaft using oil injection, plus a little hydraulic assistance in the axial direction. Photo by Geoff Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the working area was reorganised at Williton on 10th January 2023 to allow more space for the turbine rail sections to be re-combined. The main transmission housing can be seen on the yellow stand, giving a clear impression of the size of this piece of 1960s engineering. Photo by Colin Foxhall  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the three main sections of turbine rail housings of the ‘B’ transmission were combined into one large assembly at Williton on 10th January 2023. The housing at the bottom is for the first stage torque converter (first or low “gear”). Just above that, the drive pinion is visible through the aperture. Above that, the housing accomodates the small diameter third stage (third or top “gear”) before expanding out again for the second stage (second or middle “gear”). Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the batteries were removed from the loco some time ago to allow the battery compartments to be repaired, but before the batteries are re-installed, they will be loaned to ‘Hymek’ D7017 for the 2023 season to avoid the need to buy a new set for that loco. Batteries deteriorate when not in use, so fitting them to an active loco is a logical step and avoids waste. From L-R, Chris, Simon B and Karl were on battery duty at Williton on 14th January 2023. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, but please bear with us because our admin resources are in short supply, but we will get it done soon. Click the image further 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 has now taken up the role of duty loco and is available for use by the WSR.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – attention has been focused on the compressor because of reports of excessive oil consumption and evidence of oil leaks. The initial examination showed that oil was being pushed out from the crankcase, perhaps from leaking piston rings which would suggest that a full overhaul would be required. Further inspection showed that the leakage was around the low pressure cylinder, so the bolts were retorqued as a simple step that may lead to a solution. In the background, the options for a replacement compressor are being studied, just in case.

D6575 (33 057) – volunteer Ian F cleans up the cover from the Davies & Metcalfe compressor that has been consuming more oil than it should. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the batteries on this loco are old and tired, and were only just able to start the loco for its test run last month, even though they had been on charge for some time prior to the start attempt. So, the opportunity was taken to move the batteries from D1010 to make better use of them during a period when D1010 doesn’t need them, and when they are liable to deterioration as a result. This will allow a new set of batteries to be purchased at a later date for whichever loco needs them at that time, and avoid waste. The last time we bought a set of batteries (in 2021) they cost £4,500 so the price today is likely to be somewhat higher !

D7017 – the battery rack (now located in the former boiler room) was cleared of the old tired batteries at Williton on Saturday 14th January 2023. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7017 – the batteries from D1010 were re-organised and re-wired to fit in the rack and will now allow the loco to start reliably and without having to be charged beforehand. Ian R and Karl were pictured at Williton on Saturday 14th January 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco quietly celebrated her 61st ‘birthday’ on the 18th of this month, at the end of a long line of locos that have a higher priority in the short term, but the spotlight will swing onto her again as soon as the weather improves. There are a number of tasks outstanding on this loco and all will be tackled in good time for the start of the new season.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more progress on multiple fronts, with even more work going on in the background. Here’s a few photos that give an impression of what is going on:

D9518 – the photographer catches Colin G by surprise as he re-fits the electrical terminal strips to the control cubicle frames after appying a coat of paint. Pictured at Williton on 14th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – and what a difference – the inside surfaces in cream gloss and the outside surfaces in grey undercoat. Pictured at Williton on 14th January 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – and the electrical control cubicle viewed from the rear. Pictured at Williton on 14th January 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the pneumatically-operated reverser mechanism was trial assembled and operated to make sure that everything was in working order before making the final installation with new pipework. Pictured at Williton on 14th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the Westinghouse solenoid valves that control the reverser mechanism were operated manually to test for the correct function (the electrical installation will come later). Pictured at Williton on 14th January 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 – as already reported, this loco is expected to return to the WSR on Friday of this week via road transport. The loco will remain under cover at Westridge shed, Bishops Lydeard until she is able to make her way to Williton. 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – it was one year ago this very week when our ‘celebrity’ loco made her 300-mile journey from Bishops Lydeard to the NYMR and it was even colder then than it is now, a detail that can be gleaned from the YouTube video that we produced on the day of the move. Click here for a link to the video on our YouTube channel.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – attention shifted from the fuel system to the lubricating oil system, because the engine oil looked like it was well overdue for a refresh. The loco will get a complete maintenance check and inspection before an engine start is attempted, and hopefully she will be back in running order within the next few weeks. 

 

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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – many thanks to all who have supported our sales of books both new and old during 2022. We will be adding new titles to our online store soon, but meanwhile please take a look at what we already have for sale and help us raise funds to support our restoration work. Thank you very much !

 

ON SHED – yet another gem from the collection of photographs taken by Kelvin Lumb, staying at Severn Tunnel Junction but this time with one of the seven ‘thousands’ that made it into 1977 and almost made it to the very end of the diesel-hydraulic mainline era. The photo shows Class 52 D1058 ‘WESTERN NOBLEMAN’ as she departs from Severn Tunnel Junction from the ‘up’ yard, hauling a long train of vans bound for Exeter. This loco remained in service until the 20th of January when she suffered a fire in one of her dynastarters and was withdrawn the following day, just five weeks before the withdrawal of the remaining members of the class. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another of his photos with us all.

Class 52 D1058 ‘WESTERN NOBLEMAN’ makes a smoky departure as she powers out from Severn Tunnel Junction with the 7B61 service bound for Exeter Riverside Yard on either the 6th or 7th of January 1977. The secondman does not seem too happy! Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the next Board meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 28th January, so please let me know if you have a question that you would like to have submitted to the Board for consideration.

The running dates for 2023 are under discussion at present and the WSR are very close to finalising the details. As last year, the information will be posted on our website on a dedicated page that will provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for diesel running on the WSR.

Meanwhile, mark the following dates in your diaries:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Apologies for the late release of this edition of roundup.

An unusual view from the cab of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) while working top-and-tail with BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ on the re-routed ‘Santa Express’ service on Friday 23^rd December 2022. The loco was standing at Orchard Junction, alongside the main line at Norton Fitzwarren, when a GWR ‘Castle’ set led by 43189 ‘LAUNCESTON CASTLE’ cruised by. Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On Tuesday 3^rd January, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) returned to Williton for planned maintenance, drawing a line under her outstanding performance throughout 2022 where she achieved 100% despatch reliability and encountered only minor issues that were quickly resolved by the crews. For a loco of 61 years of age, that is indeed a creditable performance, so WELL DONE D6575 !

 

Some issues have started to become evident on D6575 towards the end of the year, in particular the high oil consumption of the compressor, providing advance warning that a compressor overhaul is likely to be required. These issues will be dealt with during the quiet winter period while sister D6566 (33 048) is the duty loco and is available for engineering trains or any special workings.

The return of D6575 to Williton now provides us with a four-loco line-up on number 1 road comprising two ‘Hymeks’ D7018 (nearest the Old Goods Shed) and D7017, then a GWR ‘Toad’ brake van, then two ‘Cromptons’ D6575 and D6566. In the event of a ‘Tug-of-War’, the poor old ‘Toad’ would have to take some serious punishment !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) stands at the head of a 6,500 hp lineup that includes sister D6575 (33 057) and Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018. Pictured at Williton on Sunday 8th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The return of D6575 to Williton (and the return of the two steam locos and the empty coaching stock to Minehead) was made possible due to special permission that was granted to cross the embankment at Coombe Florey after an inspection and test run had been made earlier that day. The trackbed and embankment sustained significant damage on Tuesday 19^th December due to excessive and uncontrolled run-off from fields above the railway. This caused the line between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe Heathfield to be closed to all traffic, resulting in the re-routing of the ‘Santa Express’ and ‘Winterlights’ services to make use of the Norton Fitzwarren section instead.

 

The Chairman of the WSR, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, wrote to all volunteers and gave thanks for the wide-ranging support that the railway had received from the WSR ‘family’ in adapting to the situation, and also gave thanks to specialists both local and further afield, who offered their help in relation to the assessment of the damage and the determination of the steps to be taken to resolve the issue. We will bring further news as it becomes available.

The cess alongside the trackbed has been filled with mud deposited by run-off from the adjacent farmland. Pictured at Coombe Florey on 8th January 2023 by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work resumed in January in several areas of the loco, including the reinstatement of the wiring that had to be removed to allow welding work to take place under the cab floors. The remains of the old and badly corroded cable conduits were removed in preparation for new conduits to be fitted later this month.

Progress continued on the ‘B’ transmission with the preparation of tooling and fixtures to aid the disassembly of the input shaft to allow the corrosion-damaged bearings to be replaced. This shaft shows the evidence of having being rebuilt many times during BR service, so great care will be needed when rebuilding it yet again.

D1010 – the input shaft of ‘B’ transmission was prepared for disassembly at Williton and displays damage from multiple bearing changes that took place during 15 years of BR service. The housing and shaft will need a good cleanup before rebuilding once again. Pictured on 31st December 2022 by Andy Royal  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the roller bearing of the input shaft has evidently suffered from corrosion caused by condensation. The bearing will be replaced and the corrosion removed from the shaft before rebuilding the transmission. Pictured at Williton on 31st December 2022 by Andy Royal  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, but please bear with us because our admin resources are in short supply, but we will get it done soon. Click the image further 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 has now taken up the role of duty loco and is available for use by the WSR.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – already covered.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the test run that was conducted in December 2022 went well and there are no essential tasks outstanding on this loco. The sanding gear was removed for the bogie spring change and has yet to be refitted, but this is not used in service because it is not needed, the ‘Hymeks’ being very sure-footed with all four axles mechanically coupled. The task remains on the ‘to-do’ list for completeness.

D7017 made a fine sight at Williton on the 61st anniversary of her entry into BR service at Bristol Bath Road depot. Pictured on 8th January 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco needs some adjustment to her reverser mechanism to ensure that direction changes can be performed from the cab rather than having to move the mechanism manually. There are several other maintenance tasks on the list so this loco will receive attention to resolve the issues before undertaking a repeat test run in the springtime. This loco celebrates her 61st ‘birthday’ on the 18th of this month.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – much of the work on this loco involves the careful reconditioning of original parts which are then fitted to the loco frames at the appropriate point in the rebuild process. The time taken to attach the reconditioned part to the loco may just be minutes, but the work that was involved behind the scenes to prepare the parts oftens runs to hundreds of hours. Here’s some photos to give a flavour of the most recent activities:

D9518 – the electrical control cubicle is receiving a careful re-paint while still partially assembled. This makes the painting task very difficult indeed, and ideal for the patience and care available from John C and Colin G. Pictured at Williton on 31st December 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – two fully-reconditioned lamps were fitted to the ‘B’ end of the loco on 31st December 2022. Pictured at Williton by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

 

 

D9518 – even the bolts for the side sheets need careful preparation to avoid premature rusting. Class 14 team member Andy P has spray painted the primer on the 100+ bolts that will be needed for ‘B’ end. Pictured at Williton on 31st December 2022 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 – another loco that celebrated her birthday earlier this month, becoming 58 years old on the 6th of January, this loco has now completed her 18-month stay at the Kent & East Sussex Railway and is expected to return to the WSR this month via road transport. The loco is likely to remain under cover at Westridge shed, Bishops Lydeard until she is able to make her way to Williton. 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was back in action on the NYMR on a couple of occasions in December, after the replacement of her engine governor with the reconditioned part from Williton stock. On the 22nd, she shared the workload on the ‘Santa’ specials, and on the 31st she hauled a flat wagon carrying a reconditioned steam loco boiler from Pickering to Grosmont, resplendent in the spotlessly clean condition that is a credit to the Grosmont depot volunteers. Thank you very much for looking after ‘NORTH STAR’ !

47077 joined the festivities by working in ‘top-and-tail’ mode with a steam engine on the ‘Santa’ services, on Thursday 22^nd December 2022. Photo by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the overhauled fuel injection pump returned from Colchester Fuel Injection Ltd. in sparkling clean condition and has been re-installed on the loco along with new fuel filters of the modern ‘spin-on’ type. The next step is to flush the system with fresh fuel and check that the fuel remains clear. The engine oil will then be changed and everything checked over before attempting an engine start.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 ‘ROF 1’ – the refurbished fuel injection pump looks like a new part after overhaul by Colchester Fuel Injection Ltd., but it is in fact an original part dating back to 1972. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 ‘ROF 1’ – the refurbished fuel injection pump was re-installed at Williton on Tuesday 3^rd January 2023. Photo by Terry Deacon © 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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – many thanks to all who have supported our sales of books both new and old during 2022. We will be adding new titles to our online store soon, but meanwhile please take a look at what we already have for sale and help us raise funds to support our restoration work. Thank you very much !

 

ON SHED – continuing with a series of photographs that have been provided by Kelvin Lumb, this time we have a photo of our very own Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ at Severn Tunnel Junction down hump marshalling yard, pictured after leaving her train and while heading for the loco servicing depot on the other side of the South Wales main line. The movements of the remaining Class 52s were closely monitored in their last years, so perhaps one of our readers could provide information about the working that had taken her to ‘the tunnel’. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another item from his impressive collection with us all.

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ goes over the hump at Severn Tunnel Junction after leaving her train and heads for the loco servicing depot. Pictured from the road bridge using a 200mm lens on a gloomy day in early 1976 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the combined fund-raising efforts of the Williton Station staff and the volunteers at the DEPG have come together to deliver a result for the railway and for the local community by the installation of a defibrillator in the car park at Williton Station. The weatherproof housing contains a Zoll portable defibrillator that is both safe and very easy to use. The facility has been registered with the emergency services, but let’s hope that it never has to be called into action.

 

The Zoll portable defibrillator installation in the car park at Williton Station is available to the whole community. Pictured on 7th January 2023 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES for 2023:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

Many thanks for supporting the DEPG – your help is essential and is very much appreciated !

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was pictured at the tail end of the ‘WINTERLIGHTS’ service on 27th December 2022 as the train was being prepared for the 17:00 departure from Bishops Lydeard station. The lights will be turned on approximately 10 minutes before departure time. Photo by Mike Collins © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of our members and supporters ! Let’s hope that 2023 is going to be a good year for everyone, wherever they are in the world !

 

Here’s a quick roundup of the last 12 months to remind us of what has been achieved and prepare us for the challenges that lie ahead:

 

JANUARY 2022 – Our ‘celebrity’ 47 077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ finally left Bishops Lydeard by road and travelled 300 miles to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).

The DEPG’s BR-corporate-blue Class 47 47077 (D1661 47613 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was loaded onto an Allelys Heavy Haulage trailer at Bishops Lydeard on a very cold Thursday morning 13th January 2022, in preparation for a 300-mile trip to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where the loco will operate for the next two or more years. The loco wears a perfect halo that was created by the early morning sunrise. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

FEBRUARY 2022 – former ROF Puriton 0-4-0 Diesel-Hydraulic shunter Barclay 578 (ROF 1) moved to the WSR RESTORATIONS paint shop for a contract repaint following attention to bodywork.

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 DH number 578 (ROF 1) is seen in the WSR Restorations paint shop at Williton receiving attention from Harry in his own time on Saturday 19th February 2022. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

MARCH 2022 – Beyer Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7017 was lifted so that her bogie springs could be changed. This was her first lift since BR days and it was fitting that she was lifted using the jacks that were acquired from her first home depot, Bristol Bath Road.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was lifted at the WSR Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ on Tuesday 29th March 2022 so that her bogies could be rolled out for spring replacement work. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

APRIL 2022 – we celebrated the RETURN TO MINEHEAD after two years of isolation due to the combined effects of Covid and the upgrading of the Seaward Way Level Crossing.

DEPG Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was outstationed at Minehead as ‘Thunderbird’ loco and was placed on display on the same road as the restored Southern Region ‘PMV’ Parcels and Miscellaneous Van that it would have worked with during its earlier career as a mainline locomotive when based in the South East. Pictured on Saturday 2nd April 2022 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

MAY 2022 – now sporting new bogie springs that were paid for by donations from members, ‘Hymek’ D7017 was readied for service and given a fresh coat of varnish to freshen up her appearance.

Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018 were readied for service at Williton. D7017 has just received a fresh coat of varnish and this has made a tremendous difference to her appearance – thank you Graham ! Pictured on Sunday 22nd May 2022 by Graham Perry © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

JUNE 2022 – we welcomed the return of the WSR’s annual DIESEL GALA which took place from Thursday 9th through Saturday 11th June and featured two guest locomotives, Class 25 D7612 (25 262, 25 901) from South Devon Diesel Traction and the unique Class 17 ‘Clayton’ D8568 from the Diesel Traction Group.

DEPG Beyer Peacock Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 arriving at Minehead, viewed from the cab of visiting Class 25 D7612 (25 262, 25 901) on the first day of the gala, Thursday 9th June 2022. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The DTG’s unique Class 17 ‘Clayton’ D8568 was pictured with five Mark 1 coaches, working hard on the 3-mile climb from Norton Fitzwarren to Bishops Lydeard. This was the view from Longlands Bridge on Friday 10th June 2022. Photo by Graham Perry © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

JULY 2022 – our ‘celebrity’ Class 47 started work on the NYMR during a period of very hot weather and became an instant hit with passengers and crew. The loco worked alongside three other BR-blue diesels and allowed the railway to continue to operate their timetabled services during a period when steam locos were banned due to the very high lineside fire risk.

BR 1965 Crewe-built Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ hauled her first revenue-earning turn on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Monday 18th July 2022, pictured at Goathland by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

AUGUST 2022 – the heatwave continued and resulted in a steam ban on the WSR and also at the Kent & East Sussex Railway (KESR) where our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was working service trains on a daily basis. An incoming mainline charter saw a pair of West Coast Railways Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ visit Minehead, providing the rare spectacle of four ‘Cromptons’ and a ‘Hymek’ at work on the WSR – and no steam!

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 was at the tail end of the 16:30 departure from Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 13th August 2022, seen here at Crowcombe Heathfield where the service crossed with the return leg of the WEST SOMERSET STEAM EXPRESS railtour from Minehead to London Paddington, which was being hauled by West Coast Railways ‘Crompton’ pair 33029 (D6547) leading 33025 (D6543, formerly ‘SULTAN’). Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9526 was pictured while crossing Hexden Channel on 2nd August 2022 with a service train on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. Photo by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2022 – the annual ‘work week’ occupied the last week of the month, with volunteers on site throughout the week, and Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ going maroon in the process!

D1010 – Paul T stands aside before resuming his work on the ‘A’ side of the ‘B’ end of the loco at Williton on Wednesday 28th September 2022. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

OCTOBER 2022 – our former chairman JOHN CRONIN passed away at the age of 80. John joined our group following retirement from BR and held officer roles from 2000 onwards, becoming chairman in 2009 until his ‘second retirement’ at the age of 75 in 2017. One of his ‘pet projects’ was supporting the restoration of Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 (NCB Ashington No. 7) and it was fitting that major progress could be demonstrated on that loco throughout the year, including a major step in October.

Former DEPG Chairman the late John Cronin was presented with a special birthday cake on the occasion of his 75th Birthday in August 2017, after dining aboard the ‘Quantock Belle‘. Photo from the DEPG archives © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the short nose end (‘B’ end) of the loco takes shape following the re-fitting of the side and end frames at Williton on Saturday 8th October 2022. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

NOVEMBER 2022 – a major step forward was the commencement of the re-assembly process for the Voith L630rV hydraulic transmission from the ‘B’ end of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’, after a period of development of the special tools and special processes that are required to handle this very complex piece of precision engineering.

D1010 – a milestone moment as new bearings are fitted around the input shaft by Tim (L) and Colin F (R) at Williton on Tuesday 15th November 2022 after ensuring that the oilway drillings were clear of debris and fully functional. The next step will be to fit this shaft assembly into the housing and then build the first stage torque converter around it. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DECEMBER 2022 – our fleet strength was boosted by the successful test running of three locomotives, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) and ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018 from Williton to Bishops Lydeard and back.

Three DEPG locomotives were out on test on Saturday 17th December 2022. From left to right, Class 33 D6566 (33 048), Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and sister D7017 take a break at Stogumber while on the return journey from Bishops Lydeard to Williton. Photo by Phil Hall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Our test run was well timed, because only two days later, heavy rain caused excessive run-off from an adjacent landowner’s field and led to a landslip near Tribble Bridge, two miles north of Bishops Lydeard, closing the route to normal services. The remedial work will be expensive and complex and no doubt involve a significant effort from staff and volunteers, to ensure that the line re-opens in springtime.

The contaminated trackbed is unfit for use and the embankment now needs to be surveyed by experts to determine the best way forward. Pictured at Coombe Florey on 20th December 2022 by Jon Jones-Pratt © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

As so often happens, achievements are followed by new challenges, and those challenges will be met by new achievements, with the support of volunteers from the wider railway ‘family’ and the continued patronage and financial help from all who support the railway and the locomotives that run upon it.

 

Many more items of news from 2022 can be found by browsing our website. Sign up for ROUNDUP to have the news delivered to your emailbox on a weekly basis.

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – the WSR’s 2023 Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023, and the 50th anniversary celebrations of the DEPG will take place on Friday/Saturday 22/23 September, so keep these dates free and make a plan to attend ! Click this link to the WSR website to view the dates for other WSR events that are planned for 2023.

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 leads sister D7018 and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) on the return leg of a test run between Williton and Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 17th December 2022. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On Saturday 17th December, we operated a SUCCESSFUL TEST RUN of all three locos that had undergone significant work since the summer. All three locos performed well on the out-and-back 20-mile run between Williton and Bishops Lydeard, with D7017 showing no issues at all while the other two locos will need some small tasks attended to before they are also pronounced ready to re-enter service. Overall, this was an EXCELLENT RESULT and we congratulate our volunteers who have worked so hard on these three locomotives to get them ready to re-enter service. WELL DONE TEAM DEPG !

The event was captured by several photographers who submitted their work to wsr.org.uk and these have been compiled along with some video clips to form a 4-minute video that has been uploaded to the DEPG YouTube channel. Click on this link or click on the image below to watch the video on YouTube:

Here’s the feedback from our Chairman Martin Howard, who participated in the test run and was in charge of ‘Hymek’ D7018:

   ” D7017 – clean bill of health 👍

     D6566 – successful but some minor snagging was highlighted. An oil leak from a pressure switch to attend to.

     D7018 was very interesting. I only just got the engine to start after a very long preheating period. This was down to weak batteries, even after charging. We started with a known reverser fault in that she won’t change direction from the cab. The direction has to be set manually. This done, we set off.

     On leaving Williton (WN) there was a terrible racket from the engine room. I thought at first that an auxiliary cardan shaft had failed but they were both OK. What was actually happening was excessive ratchetting from the gearbox. The directional solenoid hadn’t fully engaged and the red control link was oscillating back and forth. I pulled it into the correct position and the racket stopped but there was a new loud buzzing from the control block. I decided this was the directional solenoid not fully setting in place. Surprising how noisy that was!

     Due to the nature of the trial, I couldn’t do much more on the outward journey, but it did change gear.

     On the return journey, Tom joined me at Crowcombe Heathfield (CH) and we arranged to try the loco under power. First check: would she go from 3rd gear she was in on arrival at CH down to 1st when Notch 1 was selected? YES! ✅

     Would she change up as speed increased under power? YES! ✅

     Would she change to direction B on arrival at WN? NO!

     Would she take power in direction B? NO! 🤬

     So partial success only. More work needed 🙄 “

 

Many thanks to Martin for providing this additional information.

 

It is just as well that we did our test run last Saturday, because overnight on Monday 19th, the WSR sustained significant damage due to a landslip near Tribble Bridge (Coombe Florey) that has resulted from excessive and uncontrolled run-off from fields above the railway. This run-off is the same issue that has caused the A358 Taunton to Minehead road to be closed to traffic several times recently, due to mud – and potatoes – all over the road. This time, the railway was also a casualty, as the photos below show:

During the night of Monday 19th December 2022, the retaining wall of the Coombe Florey embankment was undermined by the flow of slurry from the field above the railway, leading to a major landslip. Pictured on 20th December 2022 by Jon Jones-Pratt © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The contaminated trackbed is unfit for use and the embankment now needs to be surveyed by experts to determine the best way forward. Pictured at Coombe Florey on 20th December 2022 by Jon Jones-Pratt © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Click on this link or on the image below to watch the video that has been posted by WSR Chairman Jon Jones-Pratt where he explains the situation and outlines the immediate response:

 

Meanwhile, the railway family has responded in the usual way by rallying round to keep the ‘SANTA EXPRESS‘ and ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ services running by using the section of the line between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren, which sounds like a quick and easy solution, but involved a lot of work by an army of staff and volunteers, re-locating the illuminated lineside displays and setting up the equipment so that only the one night of entertainment (and income) was lost. Services resumed on Wednesday with the revised format, so again we say VERY WELL DONE TO ALL INVOLVED !

 

BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ was pictured at Orchard Junction alongside the Bristol to Exeter main line as a Cross-Country HST headed westward. The ‘Manor’ is working the revised ‘SANTA EXPRESS‘ service with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) at the other end of the train. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the last working weekend of the year saw further progress on several fronts, with Ian Fn working on the cab doors while Gordon prepared to install another refurbished headcode indicator, this time at the ‘B’ end of the locomotive. Further progress also took place on the transmission with bearings being removed from the auxilliary shaft that drives the dynastarter:

D1010 – the auxilliary shaft of ‘B’ transmission was disassembled at Williton on Tuesday 13th December 2022 using the recently-acquired oil injection equipment. The shaft was mounted vertically and wrapped to prevent any parts from being launched by the very high pressures involved. Tuesday volunteer Tim was taking the necessary precautions to ensure safe working. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – further proof that preparation is everything. Once properly set up and protected, the release of the pinion from the very slight taper of the shaft was achieved without drama or fuss. The bearing within the housing (uppermost) was then inspected and found to be in very good condition. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the gear-type oil pump that provides the transmission control oil pressure was disassembled for inspection and will need to be reconditioned before further use. Pictured at Williton on Monday 12th December 2022 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the ‘B’ end cab door was the target for Ian Fn at Williton on Saturday 17th December 2022. The four holes visible in the cab side sheet are tell-tale signs of the cast aluminium BR emblem that the loco once carried in preservation, when demonstrating the original livery of class doyen D1000 ‘WESTERN ENTERPRISE’. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the ‘B’ end of the locomotive is looking good (thank you Ian !) and is ready to receive the refurbished headcode indicator boxes. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd December 2022 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING which is becoming harder to get as belts are being tightened everywhere. If you are able to do so, please consider SPONSORING A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, but please bear with us because our admin resources are in short supply, but we will get it done soon. Click the image further below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

D1010 – the spaces bounded by the yellow marks are patches that are waiting for their sponsors. The patches are marked using a vibratory engraver so the markings are in the metal, not just in the paint, and will still be visible after sanding the paint away in years to come. To SPONSOR A PATCH, see below ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 19th November 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco performed well during her test run and will soon be ready to re-enter service, after attention to some minor issues.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is currently based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use on the ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ and now also on the ‘SANTA EXPRESS‘ services between Tribble Bridge and Orchard Junction (Norton Fitzwarren).

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco performed very well during the test run and is awaiting a formal declaration of readiness to resume duties.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco demonstrated that her transmission control block is now working properly (big sigh of relief) but there are some issues related to the reverser which we suspect are just a matter of adjustment. No doubt this will be sorted out early in the New Year.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the progress continues on multiple fronts with work also taking place on the Paxman engine and various other componet parts. Here are some photos of some of the work taking place: 

D9518 – new side sheets are now being fitted to the other side of the loco by Andy P who was pictured at Williton on a very cold 17th December 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the reason why new side sheets were necessary – metal worm ! Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the repaint of the electrical control cubicle is a painstaking task that is in the very careful hands of Colin G. Pictured at Wiliton on 17th December 2022 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 currently based on the Kent & East Sussex Railway and enjoying the last month of its Kentish holiday before heading home some time in mid-January 2023. The loco is likely to remain at Westridge shed, Bishops Lydeard until she is able to make her way to Williton. 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was fitted with the reconditioned engine speed governor by the team led by Bob Fussey at the NYMR and was due to undertake some test running this week. We look forward to receiving more news soon.

47077 – the governor is the mid-grey rectangular item, the engine is light grey and the dark grey circular item houses the vane motor and displacement sensor that provides information to the electronic load regulator that was fitted to this loco during her conversion to Electric Train Heating (ETH) in 1984. Pictured at Grosmont on 19th December 2022 by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the fuel system overhaul is making good progress and the reconditioned fuel injection pump has been returned from overhaul and will be re-installed in the New Year. One big step was the discovery of the original worksplates that were thought to have been lost, and they were temporarily mounted on the loco so that a photo could be taken to show evidence of their existence:

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 ‘ROF 1’ – the original worksplates were temporarily mounted on the loco on Saturday 17th December 2022. Refurbishment of the plates had been undertaken previously by Roy but the plates had then become mislaid. Luckily, they have now resurfaced! Photo by Andy Royal © 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 !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – many thanks to all who have supported our sales of books both new and old during 2022. We will be back with more titles in the New Year.

 

ON SHED – continuing with a series of photographs that have been provided by Kelvin Lumb, we have another photo that was taken at Cardiff Canton Depot in April 1976, this time featuring Class 52 D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ threading her way through the by-now predominant class 45, 46 and 47 Sulzer-engined diesel-electrics. Many thanks to Kelvin for sharing another item from his vast collection with us all.

Class 52 D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’ departed the yard at CARDIFF CANTON depot to make her way to the carriage siding to collect the stock for the 15:30 Cardiff to Paddington via Gloucester return service. Photo taken around April 1976 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG NEWS – the November Newsletter #62 has been mailed (or emailed) along with the synopses of recent Board Meetings to all registered DEPG members. Please let us know if you have not yet received your copy. Thanks !

 

A board meeting was held at Williton during the afternoon of Saturday 17th December. A synopsis will be prepared ASAP and shared with all members for whom we hold valid email addresses.

One important decision that goes against the current tide, THE DEPG HAS DEFERRED THE MEMBERSHIP COST INCREASE that was under consideration. This is because we would rather keep the members that we have, rather than risk losing some because we have raised the cost of membership. The rates will need to be reviewed at some time, but now is not that time.

Our membership renewal rate is holding up quite well, considering the economic climate, so we very much appreciate the ongoing support that we are seeing from our members.

For our new online membership system, click here or on the image below and log in using your email address (no need to remember yet another password) to create a new membership or to check the details of your current membership. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE DEPG !

In addition to our online membership system, WE ALSO OFFER THE TRADITIONAL PAPER-BASED MEMBERSHIP via cheques and mail, available via this link. If you want a form mailed to you, just let us know or email our Membership Secretary CHRIS SHIELDS via members@depg.org

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES for 2023:

WSR DIESEL GALA : Thursday 8th through Saturday 10th June 2023

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

 

 

WSR NEWS: 

The WSR is operating the 2022 ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ trains on a modified diagram as a result of the closure of the line north of Tribble Bridge. The modified service are steam hauled on the journey from Bishops Lydeard to Tribble Bridge where they reverse and are led to Norton Fitzwarren by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057). Upon leaving Norton Fitzwarren, the train is hauled by steam on the continuous climb to Bishops Lydeard, with assistance from the ‘Crompton’ at the rear.

The ‘SANTA EXPRESS‘ services have been modified similarly and now include a top-and-tailed daylight trip to (and a pause at) Orchard Junction alongside the Bristol to Exeter main line, but these services are now FULLY BOOKED.

If you and/or your family or friends want to experience the modified ‘WINTERLIGHTS‘ specials, then now is the time to book. Click here for the events page on the WSR website or click on the image below.

 

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