Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was in use throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, pictured at Nethercott while hauling the 1635 service from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead on Sunday 7th. Photo by Bernard Bates © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Just before the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6th May 2023, our yard fell silent for one minute as a mark of respect for our much-loved fellow volunteer SIMON PURVIS who passed away on Friday 28th April at the age of 61. We were privileged to have the company of Simon’s wife, son and daughter at Williton as we gathered around Class 14 D9518 so that DEPG Chairman Martin Howard could address those present. Martin’s comments were heartfelt and echoed those of so many who have responded to our social media post, and Martin gave a committment to ensure that D9518 would be completed in Simon’s memory.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) had arrived from Minehead and was at the platform at Williton waiting to pass the train that was due in from Bishops Lydeard, but an issue with the token release meant a delay was inevitable, so the STOP button was pressed by driver Neil Collyer and the 8-cylinder Sulzer also fell silent at that important moment.

 

Separately, we were also reminded that on this same date 50 years previous, our Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 had been withdrawn from traffic as a step toward the rundown of the ‘Hymek’ fleet. Luckily, she was reprieved because of a misfortune that affected a sister loco. DEPG founder member Clive Burrows provides us with the following information: 

   “As well as the King’s Coronation, the 6th of May 2023 will mark the 50^th anniversary of D7017 being withdrawn from service at Old Oak Common, together with half* the fleet of operational Hymeks that were still in service on that day.  The future for D7017 looked very bleak until D7031 was withdrawn five days later with a transmission defect and D7017 was reinstated on 11th May 1973 to become one of the ten surviving Hymeks.  D7031’s last duty was to tow D7018 back to Old Oak Common from Worcester on 8th May 1973.  D7031’s fate was to be broken up at Swindon Works in September 1975, but the outcome for both D7017 and D7031 could have been very different had it not been for that transmission failure at such a critical time, ironically when D7031 was assisting D7018 home to Old Oak Common!  Fortunately for us, D7017 continued in service from 11th May 1973 until its second and final withdrawal from service on 13th March 1975, five days before D7018 brought the curtain down on main line Hymek operations.”

 

   *D7017, D7023, D7030, D7032, D7044, D7075, D7076, D7089, & D7093 (D7055 had been taken out of service on 16-Apr-73 after failing at Basingstoke on 08-Apr-73 when working the diverted 1O68 10:40 Cardiff-Portsmouth service – D7055 had been scheduled to be the tenth Hymek to be withdrawn at the start of the Summer timetable on 06-May-73. This is when all the Bristol based Portsmouth-Cardiff and Bristol-Weymouth services were handed over to WR DMMU and SR DEMU operation).

 

Many thanks to Clive for reminding us of the history of the ‘Hymeks’ and particularly of D7017.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7093 was also withdrawn from service on 6th May 1973 and also had another lease of life when reinstated in August of that year due to a motive power shortage. This loco was not as lucky as our D7017 and was withdrawn again in November 1974 and sent to the scrapyard. Pictured at work in Bristol during August 1974 by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Yet another happening on the 6th of May was the 60th birthday of the Western Locomotive Association’s (WLA’s) Class 52 D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’, and the loco was out and about on the Severn Valley Railway, performing faultlessly on both the Saturday and Sunday, making five round trips in total. Congratulations to D1062 and the WLA for getting the loco ready in time for her birthday celebrations.

Class 52 D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’ was celebrating her 60th birthday in real style on Saturday 6th May by working hard on the Severn Valley Railway ! Both the Saturday and Sunday featured ‘Western’ haulage with both D1062 and D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ in use. Photo taken at Arley on Sunday 7th May 2023 by Peter Bamber © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Back on the WSR, the BLUE timetable runs throughout May, featuring diesel haulage each weekend, with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 working on 13/14th May and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 working on 20/21st May For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, see the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page on our website.

 

 

STOP PRESS !!!!

Just before releasing this edition of roundup, we have been advised that the WSR’s ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL’ is now going to be blessed with FOUR visiting locomotives with a combined total of almost 9,000 hp, all of whom will be making their first ever visit to the WSR. This is going to be an AMAZING event so GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and enjoy the early discount. Here’s the list of visiting locos:

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) courtesy of the Waterman Trust and Peak Rail	Class 33  33002 ‘Sea King’ (D6501) courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (SDDT)
Class 55 55009 (D9009) ‘ALYCIDON’ courtesy of the Deltic Preservation Society	Class 50 50008 (D408) ‘Thunderer’ courtesy of Hanson and Hall
UPDATE – Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9551 will also be attending – see the more recent Roundup posts for details. Click here to view the latest Roundup.	TIMETABLE INFO: See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for links to the updated timetable pages.

 

Click here or on the ticket image below to get the details and/or buy a ticket. Hope to see you at the WSR for what is shaping up to be an excellent event !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the pace picked up again with work taking place in multiple areas as we try to keep to schedule. So far so good, but challenges are coming and we need to plan carefully to achieve the most at the minimum expense (which is not an easy task!). Gordon and Leroy completed their work on the preparations for the removal of the ‘A’ cooler group and stowed the radiator elements from the ‘B’ end awaiting pressure testing and repair as required.

The transmission team stormed ahead with the re-installation of some major sub-assemblies. Only the peripherals remain to be re-installed after this, so this activity is definitely running to plan. Here are some photos:

D1010 – replacement oil seals were fitted to the ‘B’ transmission casing at Williton on Tuesday 2nd May 2023. These seals are essential to prevent leakage of the hydraulic fluid that is not only used for power transmission, but also for lubrication and control purposes. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the upper section of the ‘B’ transmission casing was lowered onto the centre section at Williton on Wednesday 3rd May 2023, bringing together the major parts that had been separated when work first started, back in 2019. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the upper section of the ‘B’ transmission casing was bolted to the centre section and all of the bolts tightened to the defined torque setting by Geoff at Williton on Wednesday 3rd May 2023. Photo 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 getting closer to completion in the Swindon Shed at Williton where she is undergoing a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. Sister loco D6575 (33 057) was used as source of key information to help make sure that the transfers get fitted in the correct positions.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) provided essential measurement information when she called at Williton on Saturday 6th May 2023 on her way back to Minehead. Harry took the measurements and Terry recorded them, for subsequent use when applying the transfers to sister loco D6566 (33 048). Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Minehead in between periods of use and will be back at work this coming weekend, performing her BLUE timetable duties on Saturday and Sunday 13/14th May.

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready for action, her next rostered duties being on Saturday and Sunday 20/21st May under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for information about this season’s diesel-hauled services.

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has now become the priority task and the efforts of several teams rounded on her during the week as we work towards the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th. The engine started easily and was run for a while on Saturday 6th May. The reverser trouble has been narrowed down to a mechanical adjustment and the work on this will take place during this coming weekend. An unexpected and annoying issue was an air leak that developed on a steel pipe that runs under the cab floor and among a maze of other pipes and conduits. This was an ideal job for the smaller members of our team, so Natalie go the job !

D7018 – on Saturday 6th May 2023, attention had to be given to a leaking air pipe beneath the cab floor where access was extremely limited, so Andy R and Natalie volunteered for the job. And yes, Natalie is in there somewhere ! Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work resumed on the control cubicle and on the cab components that are going to be needed at a later stage. In parallel, Tony continued his work on the re-fabrication of the nose end doors (more on that next week) while Terry and Nick worked on the brake rigging.

D9518 – the electrical control cubicle received a coat of grey gloss from Colin G at Williton on Saturday 6th May 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the electrical control cubicle doors also received a coat of grey gloss from Colin G at Williton on Saturday 6th May 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the two horn enclosures underwent dent removal and restoration in the careful hands of Andy P at Williton on Saturday 6th May 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use as soon as suitable opportunities arise. We hope to be able to use this loco on a WSR service train in the near future.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is now back in regular use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is performing well. We hope to include details of her exploits in a future roundup.

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we will need to skip this feature again this week due to having so many other items to cover (it’s a nice problem to have).

 

 

ON SHED – a surprise feature this week, because we were advised that one of our supporters had been sampling haulage from 7017 and 7018 so we couldn’t resist asking more questions. Here’s the reply that we received from Des Langham:

   “I am currently in Oz, and was visiting friends on the Stony Point line.  On arrival I saw 7017 was one of the units for my service, went for a coffee and saw they had attached 7018, so I had 7018 and 7017 for haulage from Frankston to Bittern, sadly Sprinters and not Hymeks.  Photos of the pairing attached:

Diesel-hydraulic ‘Sprinter’ 7017 was waiting in the platform at Frankston, Australia, to form the 1256 Frankston to Stony Point service on Wednesday 26th April 2023. Photo by Des Langham © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Diesel-hydraulic ‘Sprinter’ 7017 is coupled up to 7018 to form the 1256 Frankston to Stony Point service on Wednesday 26th April 2023. Photo by Des Langham © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Some more details:

   The Sprinters were built in New South Wales by Goninan in the mid 1990s for V Line, the Victorian regional rail operator.  22 single car sprinters were built, and numbered 7001-7022.  Today they are used on only one V Line route from Melbourne Southern Cross to Seymour, typically in two to four car formations.  However, two Sprinters are hired by (Melbourne) Metro to operate their diesel-only section, from Frankston to Stony Point (on the Mornington Peninsular), EMU connections running at 10 minute intervals from Melbourne.  Operating with Metro crew and in either one or two car formation depending on demand, 10 services operate Monday to Thursday, 12 services on Friday, 8 on Saturday and 7 on Sunday.  Sprinters are swapped out for routine maintenance twice per week, running ECS from Melbourne to Frankston. 

   On Wednesday 26 April, upon arrival at Frankston from Melbourne, 7017 was observed in the platform for the next Stony Point service.  Never risking the last booked connection (just 2 minutes!), there was time to get a coffee at Frankston, upon returning, it was amusing to find that DEPG’s other Hymek, 7018, had arrived with the 1209 service from Stony Point, and had coupled up with 7017 to form the 1256 Frankston – Stony Point.  If I have calculated correctly, finding 7017 and 7018 working on the Stony Point line is a 1 in 210 times chance!

   Latest rumours are the Sprinters have a further 20 year in service.  V Line currently has a fleet of 25 N class locomotives (similar to Irish Rail Class 071), but usage is gradually reducing with new Velocity DMUs being introduced.  As of April 2023, 16 weekday loco hauled departures leave Melbourne Southern Cross on four routes.  It is envisaged that V Line will replace their loco hauled services in 2024-2025, and new driver training has thus stopped on the N class.”

 

Many thanks to Des for providing this information and for sharing his interesting experience with us all.

Diesel-hydraulic ‘Sprinter’ 7018 leads 7017 out from Bittern, Australia, on the 1256 Frankston to Stony Point service on Wednesday 26th April 2023. Photo by Des Langham © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the synopsis of the Board Meeting that was held at Williton on Saturday 22nd April is being prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address. Apologies for the delay.

 

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

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

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

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

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

From left to right, rebuilt ‘West Country’ class 4-6-2 2C127 (34027) ‘TAW VALLEY’ stands at Platform 1 of Williton Station with the ‘ATLANTIC COAST EXPRESS’ to Minehead. Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was open to visitors in the South Yard along with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1). Pictured on Saturday 29th April 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The WSR’s highly successful SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event ran from Friday 28th April through to Monday 1st May and pulled in the crowds to ride behind the interesting and varied mix of locomotives that ran to an intensive timetable. Additional interest was provided in the form of ‘local’ passenger trains running between Norton Fitzwarren and Williton, and goods trains featuring brake van rides along the length of the line. All of the locos performed well and the weather also co-operated for three of the four days with the Sunday being wet in the morning, although that didn’t seem to dent the patronage.

 

The DEPG depot was OPEN FOR VISITORS on each day of the gala, allowing close-up viewing of our two major restoration projects D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 along with the four locos in the yard, namely ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018, ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Barclay 578 (ROF 1). Our volunteers were on hand to guide the visitors and spread the word about our efforts to preserve our fleet and operate them on the WSR and further afield.

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was pictured in the South Yard at Williton on Saturday 29th April 2023, with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 alongside but on slightly higher ground. Luckily, the weather was good for three of the four days of the ‘Spring Steam Spectacular’ event. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Also in the loco shed on each of the four days of the gala, we hosted ROD’S MODEL RAILWAY SALES stand along with our own DEPG sales stand, and both were happy with their results after the four-plus days of effort, so MANY THANKS to all who visited and all who supported, and most of all, to all of the volunteers of the many groups who gave up significant amounts of their time to make it possible.

Williton Loco Shed was the venue for Rod’s Model Railway Sales stand and for our own DEPG Sales Stand for each day of the Spring Steam Spectacular event. Chris covered the sales stand on the Saturday and again on Sunday. Pictured on 29th April 2023 by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The BLUE timetable returns after the gala and runs throughout May, featuring diesel haulage each weekend, initially with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 and later with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017. For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, see the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page on our website.

 

SIMON PURVIS 1961-2023 RIP

On Friday 28th April we learned of the very sad loss of well-loved DEPG volunteer and Class 14 team leader SIMON PURVIS after a brief period of illness. Having joined the DEPG back in the 1980s, Simon quickly gained his reputation as both a diesel locomotive expert and a great team leader because of his massive breadth of knowledge, his good nature and his famously cheery attitude. We recall his involvement with so many of our locomotives, not just his favourite ‘Teddy Bears’, because he would lend a hand on any task that needed to be done. He would provide advice and guidance to new and experienced volunteers to help them work safely and efficiently, calling upon his mainline railway engineering experience and passing it on to his DEPG colleagues.

He will be sorely missed and we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all of his friends and colleagues who will no doubt be feeling his loss.

Simon was camera-shy and we have had to search to find some photographs of him, often snapped by calling him and making him look around. Each photo features his legendary ‘tash’ …

The late Simon Purvis was reluctantly pictured while lending a hand on Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 at Williton on Saturday 13th August 2022, with fellow volunteers Leroy and Terry unable to keep a straight face alongside. Photo by Mike Evans © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The late Simon Purvis, thoroughly immersed in his work on Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 at Williton on Saturday 15th October 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The late Simon Purvis, hard at work on the brake frame of Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 at Williton on Saturday 26th November 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The late Simon Purvis, caught on film while working on the standstill detector valve of Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 at Williton on Saturday 28th January 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Rest in peace, Simon, we will all miss you.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the ‘open depot’ event impacted on weekend activities but some excellent progress was made on the transmission, and Karl even managed to get some more painting done on the battery compartment doors on ‘A’ side while keeping clear of the visiting public. Here are some photos:

D1010 – a milestone achievement – the turbine rail and reverser shaft were re-installed in the ‘B’ transmission casing at Williton on Tuesday 25th April 2023. Congratulations to Colin F, Geoff and Tim (pictured) for making such good and steady progress with this complex task. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the upper section of the ‘B’ transmission casing was inverted to allow the re-installation of the many pipes and seals, these tasks demanding great care and a very careful and systematic approach to the work. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 25th April 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – activities in the main loco shed were restricted over the weekend because of the ‘open depot’ but volunteer and trainee secondman Karl was still able to make progress with one of the battery compartment doors. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 29th April 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 still hiding inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton where she is undergoing a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. We hope to see the loco emerge resplendent some time during the next week or so.

The repaint of Class 33 ‘Crompton D6566 (33 048) was progressing well when pictured in the paint tunnel at WSR Restorations Williton on 2nd May 2023. Photo by Harry Spencer © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Minehead in readiness to take up her BLUE timetable duties on Saturday, Sunday and Monday 6/7/8th May.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was stabled at Minehead over the weekend in a line of diesel locomotives that included Barclay 0-4-0DH 579 (ROF 2) just visible on the left and Class 03 D2133 on the right. Pictured on Saturday 29th April 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has been confirmed as OK to take up duties subject to the usual inspection checks, her next rostered duties being on Saturday and Sunday 20/21st May under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for information about this season’s diesel-hauled services.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – Neil and John made progress on the task list on this loco on Saturday 29th April and more resources will be brought to bear during this coming weekend. This loco is therefore expected to be available in good time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the weekend was spent showing the restoration progress to the visiting public, but Tony had been at work during the previous week and had completed one of the four end doors that needed to be re-kinned due to corrosion. He will be continuing with his restoration work on the other three doors during the coming weeks.

D9518 – one of the nose-end doors at ‘B’ end has been completely re-skinned by Tony and is now ready for priming and painting. Another job well done! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 29th April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use as soon as suitable opportunities arise. We hope to be able to use this loco on a WSR service train in the near future.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is now back in regular use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is performing well. We hope to include details of her exploits in a future roundup.

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we will skip this feature this week due to other priorities.

 

ON SHED – the Western Locomotive Association’s (WLA’s) 1963 Crewe-built ‘Thousand’ D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’ was exercised in the yard at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway on Monday 1st May and is expected to be ready for service in time for her birthday event this coming Saturday, 6th May and her rostered running on both the Saturday and Sunday. We wish her a very happy 60th birthday !

Class 52 D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’ was pictured while exercising in the yard at Kidderminster on Monday 1st May 2023 in readiness for her rostered turns this coming weekend. This gleaming loco will celebrate her 60th birthday on Saturday 6th May. Photo by Paul Finch © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 22nd April, and a synopsis is being prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

 

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

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL: 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 was in use on Saturday 22nd April 2023, shunting the South Yard at Williton to re-position a well wagon loaded with carriage axles so that it could be easily attached to an Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) train destined for Minehead. Photo by Harry Spencer © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Last weekend, preparations were being made for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event that starts on Friday 28th April and runs right through to Monday 1st May, featuring an intensive timetable (click here for the timetable) based on the home fleet plus several high-profile visitors including the unique GWR 4-6-0 ‘Saint’ 2999 ‘LADY of LEGEND’ plus GWR 4-6-0 ‘Manor’ 7812 ‘ERLESTOKE MANOR’ and SR 4-6-2 ‘Rebuilt West Country’ 34072 (21C127) ‘TAW VALLEY’. This high-profile collection will be augmented by BR(W) Class 9400 0-6-0 Pannier Tank 9466 which was outshopped from WSR Restorations on Saturday 22nd April and hauled the ECS working from Williton to Minehead. Taken altogether, this has the feel of a great steam gala and we hope for some good weather to help make it the commercial success it deserves to be.

 

The DEPG depot will be OPEN FOR VISITORS on each day of the gala, allowing close-up viewing of our two major restoration projects D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 along with the four locos in the yard, namely ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018, ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Barclay 578 (ROF 1).

In the loco shed on each of the four days of the gala will be ROD’S MODEL RAILWAY SALES stand along with our own DEPG sales stand, so please come along and visit us if you can. You don’t have to buy anything, but it helps us pay our bills if you do.

   

 

The BLUE timetable returns after the gala and runs throughout May, featuring diesel haulage each weekend, initially with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 and later with Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017. For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, click on the banner below to go to the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the team are marching forward on several fronts as we tackle the work list on this giant locomotive. Some of the work is highly specialised and therefore dependent on some of our experienced volunteers, but most of the work just requires ‘common sense’ and we welcome more volunteers to join this team and get the work done as soon possible. The timeline further below shows how much there is to do and we want to be ahead of the game, not playing catch-up, so please CONTACT US and arrange for a volunteering taster day.

D1010 – the input shaft assembly was the target of the ‘transmission team’ at Williton on Monday 17th April 2023. The length of the input shaft is apparent from this view, showing the overhead crane being used to stabilise the assembly while preparing to press the lower bearing race into position. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the timeline for this restoration project has been published in the DEPG Spring 2023 Newsletter that has been sent to all registered DEPG members. The narrative that goes with this timeline will be published on our website ASAP and covered in a future roundup. DEPG © 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 now inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton for a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. The photos below show the progress that is being made by Harry and the team, and the quality of the work is evident:

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was pictured in the WSR Restorations paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed, Williton on 15th April 2023 as she cast off her old paint in readiness for her new paint. Photo by Harry Spencer © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was pictured in the WSR Restorations paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed, Williton on 24th April 2023, now carrying gloss yellow and cream (‘Swanage Sand’, actually). Photo by Harry Spencer © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is on standby in case she is needed during the steam gala (hopefully not), and will next be working her BLUE timetable duties on Saturday, Sunday and Monday 6/7/8th May.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) stepped in to cover for GWR 2-6-2 ‘Prairie Tank’ 5199 on the 19th April 2023, pictured departing from Williton with the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has been confirmed as OK to take up duties subject to the usual inspection checks, her next rostered duties being on Saturday and Sunday 20/21st May under the BLUE timetable. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for information about this season’s diesel-hauled services.

D7017 shared her corner of the south yard with a Mark 1 coach that had just come out from maintenance at WSR Restorations and was soon to be moved to Minehead in preparation for the steam gala. Pictured on Saturday 22nd April 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the tasks that are lined up on this loco were reviewed at the Board Meeting and confirmed as being minor in nature and easy to deal with in the time remaining before her next duty. This loco is therefore expected to be available in good time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more progress has been made on several fronts, with John working on reinstatement of the electrical system, Terry on the brake rigging, Nick on the engine, while Tony and Andy P worked on the bodywork parts. Colin G covered multiple bases but scored a bonus point by getting the cab assembly brought into the loco shed so that restoration of this major assembly can commence. Here are some photos:

D9518 – the cab assembly is now inside the loco shed so that the restoration of this major item can commence under the guidance of Colin G. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 22nd April 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the Paxman V6 diesel engine that once powered sister D9526 is being dismantled for cleaning and inspection prior to rebuilding with new bearings and seals. One bank of three cylinders was pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is fully serviceable and ready for use as soon as suitable opportunities arise. As previously reported, she was used for a yard shunt at Williton on the morning of Saturday 22nd April and remains on standby in case she is needed.

D9526 was sandwiched between the Mark 1 coach and ‘Hymek’ D7018 at Williton on Saturday 22nd April 2023. The coach was moved to Minehead later that day, giving the ‘Teddy Bear’ some free space. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is now back in regular use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is performing well. We hope to include details of her exploits in a future roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco was moved out of the loco shed on Saturday 22nd April and will remain outdoors throughout the running season. The paintwork detailing will be completed when the weather permits and the cabside transfers will then be applied, hopefully in time for her 1972 look to be perfected before the diesel gala.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) has now been moved out of the loco shed and awaits some paintwork detailing and her cabside transfers to be applied before we can call the job complete. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 22nd April 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

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

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

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we have now published Neale Long’s book review on DIESEL DAWN – VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so click here to read the review or visit our NEW BOOK REVIEWS PAGE on our website. This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 !

Many thanks to Neale for providing this book review.

We can also supply any of the previous six volumes of DIESEL DAWN, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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 for your support !

Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.

 

 

ON SHED – after a very succesful year of running in the guise of D1040 ‘WESTERN QUEEN’, the Western Locomotive Association’s (WLA’s) 1963 Crewe-built ‘Thousand’ is now back to being D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’, in good time to celebrate her 60th birthday on Saturday 6th May. This hard working loco is rostered to perform on the Severn Valley Railway on both the Saturday and the Sunday, 6/7th May and we wish her all the best for her 60th birthday !.

Three Class 52 ‘Westerns’ alongside each other, 46 years after the Class was withdrawn from mainline service. From left to right, D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’, D1062 ‘WESTERN COURIER’ and D1013 ‘WESTERN RANGER’ filled one end of the diesel shed at Kidderminster in April 2023. Photo by Paul Finch © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 22nd April, and a synopsis is being prepared and will be shared ASAP with all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

 

Top marks to Graham, Tony and Paul T for their efforts on construction of the covered oil store in the yard at Williton, the first half of which was completed on Sunday 23rd April after another full weekend of hard labour. The gates for the other section have been ordered and will be installed during the next few weeks. Well done guys, the heroes of countless unsung infrastructure improvement projects !

The covered oil store in the yard at Williton will be used to store new and used oil and will include bunds to capture any spillage and prevent pollution. Pictured on Sunday 23rd April 2023 by Graham Perry © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

WSR SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May 2023

WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL: 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’ D6575 (33 057) was pictured as she approached Williton with the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service under the BLUE timetable on Sunday 16th April 2023. Photo by Edward Martin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

As reported last week, the WSR 2023 running season has got off to an excellent start with all services being delivered as planned and Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) working the 10:00 Minehead 80-mile diagram under the BLUE timetable (4 services each way per day) on Monday 10th and Sunday 16th April. The railway changed to the RED timetable (3 services each way per day) from Tuesday 18th which applies for the two weeks up to the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR, and then the BLUE timetable returns and remains right through to the 25th July when the summer peak YELLOW timetable (5 services each way per day) comes into force. For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, see the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page on our website.

 

Last Saturday 15th April saw the repeat of the WSR’s very succesful ‘VOLUNTEERING TRAIN‘ concept, where one carriage of the 10:00 Minehead service was dedicated to members of the public who were seeking volunteering opportunities within any of the organisations that make up the ‘WSR family’. During the trip to Bishops Lydeard, representatives of the various organisations and departments made their ‘pitch’ and explained what their organisations do and what kind of opportunities they offer. The train reversed at Bishops Lydeard, departing at 12:30 and a second carriage load received the same (or similar!) information on the way to Minehead.

The DEPG were represented by Natalie and Andy, who quickly became involved in discussions with several potential volunteers, some of whom have already completed their applications forms and requested dates for ‘taster’ days where they can come along to Williton and see how and where they could contribute. The event will be repeated again in May and we expect to be just as busy and continue to expand the team. The DEPG currently lists 59 active volunteers, a significant increase over the past few years, and all are welcomed. The depot at Williton still has three days per week where it is not in use, and this shows the untapped potential that needs to be resourced, so please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you are interested in volunteering !

WSR 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351 prepares to depart from Williton in the directon of Minehead with the 16:35 service from Bishops Lydeard while Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 (with engine running) watch and enjoy the welcome period of fine weather. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On Wednesday 12th April, we welcomed Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 back to Williton, to the accompaniment of heavy rain and strong winds! The loco was swapped with Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019) who returned to Bishops Lydeard where her winter maintenance programme could be completed by a session over the pit at Westridge Shed for traction motor inspection and lubrication. The return of D9526 was captured on a short video clip that can be viewed via our website by clicking this link or clicking on the photo below:

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 returned to Williton on the very wet morning of Wednesday 12th April 2023 after an absence of just over 22 months. Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 is on Number 2 road and Class 09 D4107 (09 019) stands ahead of the ’14 on No 1 road’, ready to return to Bishops Lydeard after receiving winter maintenance in the care of the DEPG. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The railway is now open mostly five days per week (closed on Mondays and Fridays except for bank holidays and special events) and dates scheduled for diesel locomotive haulage are listed on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

The next special event will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May, with the planned appearance of GWR 4-6-0 4953 ‘PITCHFORD HALL’ plus three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet, so an absolute feast for GWR fans ! The DEPG depot at Williton will be open to visitors and will feature ROD’S MODEL RAILWAY sales stand alongside our own DEPG sales stand. For details, click this link to the WSR website.

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 team continued their diverse work in multiple areas of the loco, moving their tasks along on a step-by-step basis. The most significant visual progress was again made by Colin F and the ‘transmission team’ as the filling pump assembly and the output shaft assembly were completed and made ready for re-attachment to the casing. The progress in other areas was not so camera-worthy, but useful just the same, with Ian at work on the bodyside finish and Gordon disconnecting the cooler group at ‘A’ end, while Steve continued with the cab wiring at ‘B’ end. Here are some photos:

D1010 – the filling pump assembly (in the foreground) and the output shaft assembly (with the large double-helical gear) were completed by the team at Williton on 11th April 2023. These two assemblies are now ready to be re-attached to the ‘B’ transmission casing. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the large and heavy output shaft assembly was re-attached to the ‘B’ transmission casing at Williton on Wednesday 12th April 2023. The assembly is shown attached to it’s own subsidiary casing before being jacked into position and bolted into place. Photo by Geoff Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the timeline for this restoration project has been published in the DEPG Spring 2023 Newsletter that has been sent to all registered DEPG members. The narrative that goes with this timeline will be published on our website ASAP and covered in a future roundup. DEPG © 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 now inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton for a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. This loco is expected to be out of traffic until late April.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is outstationed at Minehead and has been working her BLUE timetable duties. Her next runs are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday 6/7/8th May.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – Tom checked the engine oil sump drain again on Saturday and found a very small amount of coolant present. This could be a left-over from last week or it could be fresh leakage, so the engine was pre-heated and started again to allow it to run for a longer period. The check will be conducted again next week, and a decision on changing the oil will be taken when more information is available. To rush the decision would increase the risk, so we will use the time that we have and make a careful and informed decision. The loco is expected to be available for return to service in 2023 either way, the decision having more impact on the 2024 running season and the longer-term plans for overhauling the locomotive.

D7017 was started up while stabled on number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023 while Barclay 578 (ROF 1) was also running and out of the shed under her own power for the first time this year. The weather was perfect for the occasion. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is awaiting attention to a short list of issues that were identified during the loaded test run that took place in December 2022. Work is expected to start on this loco in late April, after completion of sister loco D7017. The issues will be addressed in time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – making up for the lack of photos last week, the following selection provides the evidence that proves that this project is constantly moving along:

D9518 – one of the six refurbished brake hangers is held in the vertical position by Terry at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023. Also visible is the lower attachment to one of the three crossbeams that will eventually be re-fitted underneath the frames of the loco. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the six refurbished brake hangers has been attached to one of the brackets on the loco frame and now includes the brake shoe. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – Terry provides some foot power to show how the brake hanger swings over to bring the brake shoe into perfect contact with the tyre of the wheel. The brake actuation is normally done by two powerful air brake cylinders between the frames, the force being transmitted to the hangers via the linkages. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the two refurbished battery boxes has now been re-fitted to the side of the loco and is giving off the characteristic Colin G shine ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – still on the subject of that characteristic Colin G shine, take a look at the gleam around the works plate and the British Transport Commission (BTC) registration plate. The BTC plate was originally fitted to a steam locomotive that was made redundant by D9518, so the plate was transferred to D9518 and the registration records updated. The old ways were so simple. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th April 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 previously reported, this loco returned to Williton on Wednesday 12th April and will now undergo attention to some maintenance items that have become due. The loco is fully serviceable and ready for use as soon as suitable opportunities arise.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is now back in regular use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and we have been receiving reports from our correspondent in the area, Martin Fisher, including the below photograph that showcases the amazing scenery through which this line traverses. Here’s some information that Martin provided about the location:

     “This vantage point is about a mile walk from the lane that goes down to Levisham station – a relatively easy walk from the lane to the ruined Skelton Tower (built around 1830 by Rev Skelton, either as a shooting lodge or as a place to escape to for a quiet drink!). You only get a view of the NYMR northwards from here so the southbound trains are trundling downhill at this point, but the scenery is nice!”

 Many thanks to Martin for keeping us fed with photographs of ‘NORTH STAR‘ and information about his ‘neck of the woods’.

47077 (D1661, 47613 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ heads downhill toward Levisham on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Sunday 16th April 2023 with a train from Grosmont to Pickering. Pictured from the ruins of Skelton Tower by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco underwent an engine test run and a Vehicle Inspection & Brake Test (VIBT) on Saturday 15th April 2023 and passed with flying colours, so well done to Tony and our supporting volunteers for doing such a great job of looking after her ! The next step is to give the little loco a wash and brush up and apply the cabside lettering that has been waiting for warmer weather – which at last seems to be arriving.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was subjected to an engine test run at Williton on Saturday 15th April 2023 during which the engine speed was held steady at 1,500 rpm and the governor behaviour was checked and confirmed to be OK. Photo by Martin Howard © 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 have started shipping copies of the latest in the DIESEL DAWN series of booklets that are published by Mortons Media Group, VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so order your copy now ! This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 ! We have been provided with a Book Review by regular contributor Neale Long and we will be including this in the next edition of Roundup (apologies for the delay).

We can also supply any of the previous six volumes, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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 for your support !

Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.

 

 

ON SHED – this week, we have been made aware of a YouTube video that has recently been made available showing our very own D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ but in the guise of D1035 ‘WESTERN YEOMAN’ and wearing ‘Desert Sand’ livery. The video footage was taken by Martin Smith at Didcot Railway Centre in 1990 and also features glimpses of ‘Hymek’ D7018 and the occasional passing ’47’. The relaxed health & safety approach of the time is quite interesting, and the video is well worth watching. Click here or on the image below to go to the YouTube video. Many thanks to Martin for bringing his video to our attention.

1990 Didcot Railway Centre – a YouTube video featuring (among others) D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ in the guise of D1035 ‘WESTERN YEOMAN’. Video by Martin Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting will be held at Williton on Saturday 22nd April. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you have a question that you would like to have put to the board on your behalf.

 

Please make sure that your membership is up to date so that we can continue to send you a copy of our quarterly newsletter (via email or post at your choice). The Spring newsletter included 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 SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May 2023

WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL: 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’ D6575 (33 057) repositioned from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead on Monday 3rd April 2023 in preparation for the start of the BLUE timetable on Friday 7th. The working was also used to move Mk 3 sleeping coach 10542 to Minehead for maintenance and to perform gauging checks for platform and lineside equipment clearances along the route. Pictured from Bishops Lydeard signal box by Robin Havill © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) kicked off the 2023 diesel-haulage programme by working the 10:00 Minehead 80-mile diagram under the BLUE timetable on Friday 7th April, a duty that she then repeated on Sunday 9th and again on Monday 10th. This loco is next in action on Sunday 16th April and the timings will be as follows:

Depart Minehead at 10:00 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 11:30

Depart Bishops Lydeard at 12:30 arrive Minehead at 13:50

Depart Minehead at 14:30 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 15:55

Depart Bishops Lydeard at 16:35 arrive Minehead at 18:00

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was pictured while approaching the coaching stock that will form the 12:30 working from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead on Monday 10th April 2023. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was coupled to her coaching stock at Bishops Lydeard by secondman Matt Brewer on Monday 10th April 2023. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This coming Saturday 15th April sees the repeat of the very succesful ‘VOLUNTEERING TRAIN‘ that ran last year and resulted in 40 volunteering applications across all organisations within the ‘WSR family’, including the DEPG. The plan is to run two such trains this year to encourage potential new volunteers to step forward and learn more about the opportunities that are available. Here below is the announcement from the WSR, or click on this link or on the image below to go to the WSR website page:

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The railway is now open five days per week (closed on Mondays and Fridays except for bank holidays and special events) and dates scheduled for diesel locomotive haulage are listed on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

The next special event will be the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May, with the planned appearance of GWR 4-6-0 4953 ‘PITCHFORD HALL’ plus three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet, so an absolute feast for GWR fans ! The DEPG depot at Williton will be open to visitors and will feature ROD’S MODEL RAILWAY sales stand alongside our own DEPG sales stand. For details, click this link to the WSR website.

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 last week saw progress being made internally rather than externally, with Steve working his way through the wiring and switchgear under the driver’s desk at ‘B’ end while Gordon disconnected the cooler group at ‘A’ end as the first step towards having the cooler group lifted out for a thorough refurbishment. Andy R and Natalie removed several corroded air pipes from benetah the gangway on the ‘B’ side, cleaning up the area as they went along (this will be a lengthy task!). In parallel, the ‘transmission team’ under the leadership of Colin F made significant steps with the re-assembly of the largest and the smallest shafts, complete with new bearings and seals. Here are some photos:

D1010 – the very large and heavy output gear from ‘B’ transmission was re-fitted to the output shaft with the help of the hydraulic press at the WSR Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ on Monday 3rd April 2023. The thin black pipe is for the oil injection equipment that has to be used at the same time as the press to achieve the required fit against the tapered shaft. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the small size of the bevel gear for the filling pump makes the perfect contrast to the massive proportions of the output shaft. This pump keeps the hydraulic fluid moving throughout the transmission and the external heat exchanger circuit. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 4th April 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the timeline for this restoration project has been published in the DEPG Spring 2023 Newsletter that has been sent to all registered DEPG members. The narrative that goes with this timeline will be published on our website ASAP and covered in a future roundup. DEPG © 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 now inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton for a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. This loco is expected to be out of traffic until late April.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is outstationed at Minehead and is available for her BLUE timetable duties, the next run being Sunday 16th April.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is now stabled on number 2 road at Williton in preparation for an oil change. The sump drains were sampled on Saturday 8th April by Tom and Ian R and the engine run for 30 minutes by John so that the drains can be checked again next weekend before an oil change is performed. This is to ensure that there is no significant leakage of coolant taking place within the engine. A coolant leak would quickly result in a very expensive oil change becoming spoiled, so it is important to take samples and check carefully before moving forward. This loco is rostered for service under the BLUE timetable on the weekend of 13/14th May. Click here or on the image below for a short video clip of the engine start-up.

D7017 was started up while on number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 8th April 2023 so that the sump drains can be checked next weekend before an oil change is performed. The clean start (the first this year) shows the benefit of an engine pre-heater. The above image is an extract from a short video clip by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is awaiting attention to a short list of issues that were identified during the loaded test run that took place in December 2022. Work is expected to start on this loco in late April, after completion of sister loco D7017. The issues will be addressed in time for the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival that takes place between Thursday 8th June and Saturday 10th June 2023.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the team progressed the work on the brake rigging last week, and ran into some snags with some of the brake hangers which were found to be bent, no doubt the result of a derailment when the loco was in use during National Coal Board days at Ashington Colliery in Northumberland. The bent hangers have been sent out to subcontract for straightening, but if this proves unsuccesful, new hangers will have to be made. Meanwhile, Colin and John continued their work re-fitting the battery boxes and preparing for re-wiring. Apologies for the lack of photos this week, but we will compensate for this in the next roundup.

 

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 stated in a previous roundup, the haulage turns that were allocated to this loco have had to be cancelled due to the need to haul 6 or 7 coaches on those days. This is the result of the commercial success of the WSR’s ‘Fish and Chip’ and ‘Cream Tea’ specials which require the full length rake of coaches. We are in discussion with the WSR about suitable alternative dates where the Class 14 could be loaded with no more than 5 coaches and we will send out a DIESELGEN bulletin as soon as we have that information.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco underwent repairs to her brake cylinders at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway last week, but we have been advised that she returned to service on Sunday 9th hauling the scheduled diesel diagram. Although the issue only affected one of the brake cylinders, the whole set has been overhauled to ensure that the issue does not crop up later in the season. We look forward to hearing more about this loco soon.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is waiting for an engine test run so that the overspeed setting can be adjusted and verified. This will be followed by a Vehicle Inspection & Brake Test (VIBT), after which the recent work done on this loco will be considered as complete and the loco will be ready to move outdoors.

 

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 have started shipping copies of the latest in the DIESEL DAWN series of booklets that are published by Mortons Media Group, VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so order your copy now ! This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 ! We have been provided with a Book Review by regular contributor Neale Long and we will be including this in the next edition of Roundup.

We can also supply any of the previous six volumes, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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 for your support !

Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.

 

 

ON SHED – staying with our recent theme of Bristol Bath Road depot, we have another photo by Mark Bladwell, this time featuring a wide range of locomotives from the humble Class 03 shunter in the background through classes 25, 31 and 37 to the mighty ‘Westerns’, of which three are pictured in this view dated May 1975. The class 25s and 31s have taken up the work of the ‘Hymeks’ that were withdrawn over the previous two years. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.

Quite a collection of locomotives at Bristol Bath Road depot on the bright and sunny day of 20th May 1975. The front row comprise (L-R) Class 52 D1012 ‘WESTERN FIREBRAND’, Class 25 25162, D1001 ‘WESTERN PATHFINDER’ and Class 31 31232 while a Class 37 lurks in the background along with another Class 52 and a Class 03 shunter. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 25th March and a synopsis of the meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

The SPRING 2023 DEPG Newsletter (issue #63) has been distributed to all registered DEPG members, both by post and by email, so please let us know if you haven’t yet received your copy.

 

 

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 includes 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 SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May 2023

WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL: 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) was in use at Williton on the afternoon of Saturday 1st April 2023 to shunt the yard while being test run following maintenance and repairs. The loco is seen on number 1 road at the end of the day, just before taking up her final position. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The maintenance and repair work that was being conducted on Class 09 D4107 (09 019) has now been completed with the exception of the underframe inspection and lubrication tasks that require the loco to be placed over a pit. On the very wet morning of Saturday 1st April, the reconditioned heat exchanger elements were installed and later in the day, the loco was test run by WSR Diesel Traction Inspector John Leach, who also performed a yard shunt so that ‘Hymek’ D7017 could move to number 2 road in preparation for an oil change. The ’09’ is expected to move back to Bishops Lydeard at some point in the near future, at which time Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 will return to Williton.

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) received two refurbished oil cooler elements as a conclusion of her maintenance and repair work programme at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023. Many thanks to Ian R and Tom who have been working on this locomotive for several weeks to get all of the tasks completed. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) has also received attention from other volunteers including Terry, pictured here on 1st April 2023 armed with WD40, a mallet and a determined look as he persuades the radiator shutters to operate smoothly. Photo by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 09 D4107 (09 019) differs from the far more numerous Class 08 by having a higher maximum speed as a trade-off against a lower hauling capacity, but these characteristics are quite suitable for a heritage railway. The ‘office’ has a very old-style look, because the design of these machines dates back to the 1940s. Pictured at Williton on 1st April 2023 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The railway is operating an almost daily schedule of running throughout the Easter holiday period, with our Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) working the 10:00 Minehead diagram under the BLUE timetable on Friday 7th April then again on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th. The timings of these services are as follows:

   Depart Minehead at 10:00 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 11:30

   Depart Bishops Lydeard at 12:30 arrive Minehead at 13:50

   Depart Minehead at 14:30 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 15:55

   Depart Bishops Lydeard at 16:35 arrive Minehead at 18:00

 

As stated last week and repeated for the benefit of anyone who missed the last edition, the ‘Crompton’ will also be covering this same working on Sunday 16th April although this working was previously allocated for Class 14 D9526 haulage. The reason for the change is that the Class 14 has a haulage limit of 4 coaches to maintain time on the long gradients of the WSR and the services that we had planned for the ‘Teddy Bear’ will now be formed of 6 or 7 coaches due to the commercial success of the ‘Fish and Chip’ and the ‘Cream Tea’ services which will take them beyond the haulage limit for the 650hp locomotive, therefore needing Class 33 or Class 35 haulage instead.

While disappointing for our Class 14 followers and volunteers, we cannot risk damaging the loco, so we will be working with the WSR to find suitable services that can be operated with 4 coaches or less and we will be publishing those dates as soon as possible. Meanwhile, our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page has been updated to reflect the changes.

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The railway is open most days throughout the first two weeks of April during which the BLUE timetable will be in operation.

The lineup for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May has been further boosted with the planned appearance of GWR 4-6-0 4953 ‘PITCHFORD HALL’ plus three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet, so an absolute feast for GWR fans ! For details, click this link to the WSR website.

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’ – more progress has been made of the res-assembly of the ‘B’ transmission, with some of the largest components being worked on by Colin F, Geoff and Tim during the last week. Meanwhile, Gordon and Leroy worked on the disconnection of the ‘A’ cooler group while Steve worked on the ‘B’ cab electrics and Ian continued progressing with the bodywork. Andy R and Natalie started work on the brake system overhaul by identifying and removing corroded steel pipework that will be replaced with new pipework before the loco re-enters service. Here are some photos:

D1010 – the large and heavy reverser shaft bearings were replaced at Williton on Monday 27th March 2023. Geoff tightened the housing bolts before fitting this sub-assembly to the splined shaft assembly that is pictured on the right hand side. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the reverser shaft assembly was completed at Williton on Tuesday 28th March 2023 after pressing on two sets of double-helical gear wheels and two bearing housings. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the largest single component in the L630rV transmission is the output gear wheel that is mounted onto the tapered section of the output shaft. This massive part is connected to the output shaft entirely through the friction of the very tight and precise fit of the gear hub to the tapered shaft. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 28th March 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the timeline for this restoration project has been published in the DEPG Spring 2023 Newsletter that has been sent to all registered DEPG members. The details will be published on our website ASAP and covered in a future roundup. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st April 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 now inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton for a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. This loco is expected to be out of traffic until late April.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco moved to Minehead on Monday 3rd April to be in position for her BLUE timetable duties from Friday 7th April onwards.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco was moved from number 1 road to number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023 so that an oil change can be performed and the loco prepared for service under the BLUE timetable on the weekend of 13/14th May.

D7017 was moved to number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023 so that an oil change can be performed. This will then complete the work needed to prepare her for service during the weekend of 13/14 May. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is awaiting attention to a short list of issues that were identified during the loaded test run that took place in December 2022. Work is expected to start on this loco in late April, after completion of sister loco D7017. The issues will be addressed in time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the team are making good progress although team leader Simon P has been out of action for the last few weeks due to a health issue. We all wish him well for a speedy recovery – but the best we can do to cheer him up is to continue making progress on his favourite loco project. Here are some photos covering the recent activities:

D9518 – following the visit of Terry, Nick and Tony to the Yeovil Hydraulics facility on Tuesday 21st March 2023 to use their press to install the new bushings into the brake hangers, the pins and brake block holders have now been attached to three of the six parts, pictured at Williton on 1st April 2023. The other three hangers need some more work to get them to this stage. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – meanwhile, Colin G applied a final coat of paint to the frames that will soon be carrying the battery boxes, which are just visible on the floor alongside the loco, wrapped in plastic sheeting. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the sections of new steel pipework that were made by Terry the previous week were pictured at Williton on Saturday 1st April 2023. The new pipework will have the surface rust removed and will be painted white to signify compressed air. White is also used for vacuum pipes, such as the larger diameter pipe behind. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.

 

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 stated previously, the haulage turns that were allocated to this loco have had to be cancelled due to the need to haul 6 or 7 coaches on those days. This is the result of the commercial success of the WSR’s ‘Fish and Chip’ and ‘Cream Tea’ specials which require the full length rake of coaches. We are in discussion with the WSR about suitable alternative dates where the Class 14 could be loaded with no more than 5 coaches and we will send out a DIESELGEN bulletin as soon as we have that information.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has been in use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, covering for a steam locomotive that had developed a fault. The diesel developed a fault of her own over the weekend and that has caused her to be stood down for repairs, but the required parts are available and hopefully the loco will be available for service again soon.

47077 (D1661 47613 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ was in use on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Monday 27th March 2023. Photo by Tom James © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is waiting for an engine test run so that the overspeed setting can be adjusted and verified. This will be followed by a Vehicle Inspection & Brake Test (VIBT), after which the recent work done on this loco will be considered as complete and the loco will be ready to move outdoors.

Barclay 578 (ROF 1) – inside the loco shed on number 3 road, waiting for test and inspection before she can be moved outside and made available for use. Pictured on Saturday 1st April 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 have started shipping copies of the latest in the DIESEL DAWN series of booklets that are published by Mortons Media Group, VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so order your copy now ! This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 ! We have been provided with a Book Review by regular contributor Neale Long and we will be including this in the next edition of Roundup.

We can also supply any of the previous six volumes, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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 for your support !

Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.

 

 

ON SHED – this week, we have another photo taken at Bristol Bath Road by Mark Bladwell, this time featuring a pair of Class 31s that have been nicely spruced up for Royal Train duties. Does anyone have any information about the working that brought them to Bristol ? If so, please use our CONTACT FORM to share your knowledge with us all. Thanks !

A rare sight indeed, and many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo with us all.

Class 31 31259 (left) was pictured at Bristol Bath Road depot along with sister 31258, both carrying headcode ‘1X00’ on Royal Train duties on 28th May 1975. Both locos were based at Old Oak Common depot at the time. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 25th March and a synopsis of the meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

We take this opportunity to thank those volunteers who work on infrastructure projects that are out of the public eye and often not reported in Newsletters or Roundup. Last weekend, in very wet and stormy weather, DEPG stalwart Jon Tooke was at work in Williton yard, sorting out issues and keeping key pieces of equipment in working order. In parallel, Graham was working at home, compiling the mailshot for the Spring Newsletter, and he will back at the yard this weekend working on the new Oil Store.

Many thanks to those who work behind the scenes, including those working for the sales and marketing team, those compiling training records, those writing booklets and articles, researching and creating locomotive and component drawings, arranging new parts, the list is endless – but all of these efforts are very much appreciated !

Jon Tooke was at work in a very wet and cold Williton yard on Saturday 1st April 2023, maintaining the handset for the 10-tonne crane. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

The SPRING 2023 DEPG Newsletter (issue #63) has been distributed to all registered DEPG members, both by post and by email, so please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you haven’t yet received your copy.

 

 

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 includes 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:

EGGSTRAVAGANZA : Saturday 1st through Thursday 16th April

WSR SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May 2023

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’ D6575 (33 057) was pictured while stabled at Westridge Carriage Sidings, just south of Bishops Lydeard, on Saturday 18th March 2023 as Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 returned from Norton Fitzwarren on a driver refresher turn. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The first two weekends of the 2023 running season have run to plan and the railway is now gearing up to prepare for two full weeks of almost daily running as we approach the Easter holiday period. Our Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) will be working the 10:00 Minehead diagram under the BLUE timetable on Friday 7th April then again on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th. The timings of these services are as follows:

     Depart Minehead at 10:00 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 11:30

     Depart Bishops Lydeard at 12:30 arrive Minehead at 13:50

     Depart Minehead at 14:30 arrive Bishops Lydeard at 15:55

     Depart Bishops Lydeard at 16:35 arrive Minehead at 18:00

 

The ‘Crompton’ will also be covering this same working on Sunday 16th April although this working was previously allocated for Class 14 D9526 haulage. The reason for the change is that the Class 14 has a haulage limit of 4 coaches to maintain time on the long gradients of the WSR and the services that we had planned for the ‘Teddy Bear’ will now be formed of 6 or 7 coaches due to the commercial success of the ‘Fish and Chip’ and the ‘Cream Tea’ services which will take them beyond the haulage limit for the 650hp locomotive, therefore needing Class 33 or Class 35 haulage instead.

While disappointing for our Class 14 followers and volunteers, we cannot risk damaging the loco, so we will be working with the WSR to find suitable services that can be operated with 4 coaches or less and we will be publishing those dates as soon as possible. Meanwhile, our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page has been updated to reflect the changes.

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 has been and is currently running on ‘green diesel’ or more accurately Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and has been starting easily and running with a clean exhaust. Although more expensive per litre, the benefits for a small loco such as the Class 14 are well worth considering. Pictured at Westridge, Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 18th March 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The next services on the WSR will be this coming weekend with two locos in steam under the RED ALL-STEAM timetable on the Saturday and one steam plus the Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) operating under the RED STEAM & DIESEL timetable on the Sunday, along with a steam-hauled ‘QUANTOCK BELLE SUNDAY LUNCH‘ dining service. Then, the railway is open most days throughout the first two weeks of April.

The lineup for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May has been further boosted with the planned appearance of GWR 4-6-0 4953 ‘PITCHFORD HALL’ plus three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet, so an absolute feast for GWR fans ! 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 Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057). 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’ – continuous effort on this loco is helping us make visible progress on multiple fronts, while detailed planning is also taking place in the background to arrange the major activities that will support the restoration plan, details of which will be provided in a future edition of ’roundup’. Meanwhile, the photos give just a taste of the various tasks that are being tackled at Williton:

D1010 – the inside surfaces of the battery compartment doors on ‘A’ side were given a coat of paint by Karl at Williton on Saturday 25th March 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – one of the set of brand new (and very expensive!) bearings that have just been delivered to Williton to allow the completion of the work on the ‘B’ transmission. This part has an outside diameter of 250mm (almost ten inches). Pictured on Saturday 25th March 2023 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – Natalie progressed with the cleanup of the pipes and conduits underneath the gangway plate on the ‘B’ side of the locomotive alongside ‘B’ engine on Saturday 25th March 2023. The objective is to allow inspection to be performed so that any corroded or damaged pipes or wiring can be scheduled for replacement. Photo 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 now inside the paint tunnel in the Swindon Shed at Williton for a paintwork refresh in the hands of WSR Restorations. This loco is expected to be out of traffic until late April.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is currently the Duty Loco at Bishops Lydeard and will be moving to Minehead on Monday 3rd April to be in position for her BLUE timetable duties from Friday 7th April onwards.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the review of the oil samples resulted in a decision being taken to change the engine oil and return the loco to service, so this work will be arranged during the next few weeks. This loco is scheduled to work the BLUE timetable on the weekend of 13/14th May.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is awaiting attention to a short list of issues that were identified during the loaded test run that took place in December 2022. Work is expected to start on this loco in late April, after completion of sister loco D7017 and the issues addressed in time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.

D7018 was pictured on number 1 road at Williton on Saturday 18th March 2023 with sister loco D7017 next in line. The effects of four years outdoors has robbed D7018 of her gloss and she is now being outshone by her slightly older sister. Photo by Brenden Hill © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the team have been hard at work on this loco and have progressed several tasks in parallel while also taking the time to participate in the annual meeting of the Class 14 Owners Group, which is an important forum at which to share information and knowledge, aimed at keeping the whole UK-wide fleet in good condition and in work for the long-term. Here below are some photos of the progress made during the last few weeks:

D9518 – Terry, Nick and Tony attended at the Yeovil Hydraulics facility on Tuesday 21st March 2023 to use their press to install the new bushings into the brake hangers. The bushings had been made by Yeovil Hydraulics who kindly offered the use of their press so that we could install the new parts. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the brake hangers were pictured complete with their new bushings upon return to Williton on Tuesday 21st March 2023. The new bushings were made by Yeovil Hydraulics who also made new pins that will feature in next weeks’ update. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – Terry was pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th March 2023 while making new pipework sections for the braking system. Next week’s roundup will show these new sections in place on the loco. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the transmission tunnel has been painted in primer after being carefully restored by Andy P and is now ready for the final paint layers before re-installation on the loco frames. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th March 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – in parallel with the other activities, John continued his work on the reinstatement of the loco wiring, with every wire being clearly labelled. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th March 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 stated previously, the haulage turns that were allocated to this loco have had to be cancelled due to the need to haul 6 or 7 coaches on those days. This is the result of the commercial success of the WSR’s ‘Fish and Chip’ and ‘Cream Tea’ specials which require the full length rake of coaches. We are in discussion with the WSR about suitable alternative dates where the Class 14 could be loaded with no more than 5 coaches and we will send out a DIESELGEN bulletin as soon as we have that information.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is currently stabled at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and has been in use recently, but more on this in the next edition of roundup.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the engine was started up on Tuesday 21st March 2023 and run for a short time to check that everything was OK. The loco was started again, later in the day, after attending to an issue with the battery isolator switch, which although brand new and suitably rated, did not last the course and was removed and scrapped. The sub-standard new part will be replaced with an old but reliable part that has been recovered from some redundant equipment.

Congratulations and many thanks to Tony for his excellent work on getting this very useful loco back into running condition and ready to undergo her Vehicle Inspection and Brake Test (VIBT) so that she can resume duties. The short video clip below shows the second engine run, made before attending to the governor settings. Click here or on the image below to launch the video:

Barclay 578 (ROF 1) – Tony performed an engine start at Williton on 21st March 2023. Video clip by Natalie 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 have started shipping copies of the latest in the DIESEL DAWN series of booklets that are published by Mortons Media Group, VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so order your copy now ! This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 !

We can also supply any of the previous six volumes, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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 for your support !

Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.

 

 

ON SHED – last week, we featured a photo by Kelvin Lumb showing an unidentified Class 25 standing on the down goods relief line at Severn Tunnel Junction (STJ) in the summer of 1976 with a train of ‘Sealion’ ballast hopper wagons. A quick chat with former BR driver and DEPG volunteer Mike Harris revealed that this loco would have been returning the empty hoppers to Machen Quarry (to the west of Newport) for re-loading. The wagons would either have been consolidated with others already at STJ or worked onward to East Usk yard, to be trip worked to Machen by a Class 37. MANY THANKS to Kelvin for the photo and to Mike for the background information.

An unidentified Class 25 was pictured standing on the down goods relief line at Severn Tunnel Junction with a train of empty ‘Sealion’ ballast hoppers. The old steam shed (86E) can be seen beyond the footbridge. Photo dated summer 1976 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

This week, we feature a photo from long-time DEPG member and Publicity Officer Mark Bladwell, with a memory of an enjoyable Open Day at Bristol Bath Road shed, long before the days of rigorous Health & Safety, with locomotives on the move while visitors wander around the yard. We are having some trouble identifying the participating locos, so please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you were also there and have a list of what locos were ‘on shed’ that day. Many thanks to Mark for sharing his photo.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7047 was passing through the washer during the Open Day at Bristol Bath Road depot on 22nd October 1966. Class 42 ‘Warship’ D815 ‘DRUID’ stands to the left in maroon livery while members of classes 14 and 45 also get into the frame, along with another ‘Hymek’. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting was held at Williton on Saturday 25th March and a synopsis of the meeting is being prepared and will be emailed to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

The paper version of the SPRING 2023 DEPG Newsletter (issue #63) has been delayed but is being distributed this weekend, so keep an eye out for it and let us know if you haven’t received it by the end of next week. The electronic version has already been sent out, so again please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you were expecting an electronic version but have not yet received it.

 

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 includes 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:

EGGSTRAVAGANZA : Saturday 1st through Thursday 16th April

WSR SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May 2023

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

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

 

        

 

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Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was attached to the tail end of an Empty Coaching Stock move as a convenient way to get her back to Williton on Friday 17th March 2023. Class 03 D2133 also managed to get her nose into the picture ! Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The railway has reopened and once again, West Somerset has come alive with the sight and sound of railway locomotives, both steam and diesel. Last Saturday saw the first public walk-up services running on the WSR since last October, with two steam locos in use on the Saturday and two plus the Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) in use on the Sunday. In preparation for the re-opening, Class 33 D6575 (33 057) moved from Williton to Bishops Lydeard on Tuesday 14th to take up the Duty Loco role and to handle the offloading of BR(W) 4-6-0 7822 ‘FOXCOTE MANOR’ from road transport, in the absence of Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019).

On the Friday (17th), sister loco D6566 (33 048) who had been stabled at Minehead in connection with crew refresher and competency checks hitched a ride back to Williton on the back of an Empty Coaching Stock train to take her place in the Swindon Shed paint tunnel, where she will receive a much-needed refresh to her early BR-era paintwork. On the same day, the Class 115 DMU moved from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard to be in position for her booked working on the Sunday.

The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) moved from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard on Friday 17th March 2023 to be in position for her booked service on the following Sunday. Pictured from the rear as she prepared to depart from Blue Anchor by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On the Saturday, Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was in use for crew refresher training at Bishops Lydeard, the result of which was the expansion of the pool of passed drivers to include several WSR staff drivers in addition to DEPG drivers. This will significantly expand the usefulness of this loco, especially while she stands-in for Class 09 shunter D4107 (09 019). She looked and sounded great as she headed off to Norton Fitzwarren. A short video was taken by Terry Deacon and can be viewed by clicking this link or clicking on the image below:

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was back in use on the WSR for crew refresher training runs between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 18th March 2023. Image from a video by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

2023 TIMETABLE NEWS:

The next services on the WSR will be this coming weekend with two locos in steam under the RED ALL-STEAM timetable, then the railway is open most days throughout the first two weeks of April. The lineup for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event which will run from Friday April 28th through to Bank Holiday Monday 1st May has been further boosted with the planned appearance of GWR 4-6-0 4953 ‘PITCHFORD HALL’ plus three ‘MANORS’ and a ‘SAINT’ plus the rest of the home-based fleet, so an absolute feast for GWR fans ! 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 Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 is booked for Sunday 16th April. 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’ – continuous progress is being made on three and sometimes four days per week as our volunteers both new and old get stuck in with their assigned tasks and make visible progress on multiple fronts. In the background, we have been working on the restoration plan and timeline, details of which are included in the latest DEPG Newsletter that is being distributed this weekend. Here are some photos to show just some of the work that is taking place:

D1010 – the filling valves that control the filling and emptying of the torque converters were cleaned and inspected at Williton on 13th March 2023 and found to be in very good condition. The leftmost valve handles the first stage and the rightmost valve handles the smaller-volume second and third stages. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the gangway plate alongside the cooler group at ‘B’ end was drilled out and lifted by Natalie at Williton on Tuesday 14th March 2023 to allow inspection of the wiring and pipework runs beneath. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the space made available by the removal of the cooler group elements made a convenient temporary storage place for the gangway plate. Pictured at Williton on 18th March 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – as expected, the space underneath the gangway plate was full of dirt and oil in equal measure. The same will be true for all of the other sections of gangway plate that will need to be lifted so that the pipework and cable runs can be inspected. There is plenty of work to do, that’s for sure. Pictured at Williton on 18th March 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 has been in use for crew training at Minehead and has now returned to Williton for a paintwork refresh. The loco is expected to be out of traffic until late April.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was stabled at Minehead between Saturday 25th February and Friday 17th March 2023 in support of crew refresher training and competency checks. Photo dated 17th March by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) shunted herself into the paint tunnel of the Swindon Shed via Williton North Yard on Friday 17th March 2023. The loco was pictured while still displaying shunting signals (white and red). Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco took up the Duty Loco role at Bishops Lydeard on Tuesday 14th March.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is waiting for the results of the engine oil drain sampling before a decision can be taken on arranging an oil change. The loco is otherwise ready for service, apart from a post-wintering tidy-up.

Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ D7017 and D7018 are stabled outdoors on number 1 road at Williton. They were pictured from the platform of Williton Station on Friday 17th March 2023 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is awaiting attention to a short list of issues that were identified during the loaded test run that took place in December 2022. Work is expected to start on this loco in late April and the issues addressed in time for the Diesel Gala on June 8th through 10th.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the preparatory work on the cardan shaft safety bows and transmission tunnel continued in the hands of Colin G and Andy P, while John made more progress with the re-wiring. Terry and Nick prepared the brake hangers for re-bushing on the Tuesday and Tony worked on replacing the skins on the nose end doors. Here’s some photos (we will have more photos in the next roundup):

D9518 – the two cardan shafts are now fully painted and are ready for re-installation. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th March 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the new stainless steel armoured flexible hoses for the transmission heat exchanger are shown alongside the old parts at Williton on Saturday 11th March 2023. These hoses carry transmission oil that is both hot and under high pressure, so the integrity of these pipes is vital, justifying their replacement with new parts. 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 was in use in the Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren section on Saturday 18th March for driver refresher training under the guidance of Colin G. 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 very 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 – the new oil filters have been delivered by BRITISH FILTERS in Plymouth and will be fitted to the loco ASAP so that the oil change can be completed. More on this in the next roundup.

 

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 have started shipping copies of the latest in the DIESEL DAWN series of booklets that are published by Mortons Media Group, VOLUME 7: WESTERN REGION CLASS 14 DIESEL-HYDRAULICS so order your copy now ! This book is on sale via our website for the benefit of the D9518 restoration fund. PLEASE BUY A COPY to support D9518 !

We can also supply any of the previous six volumes, so please let us know if you would like to purchase any of the volumes in this interesting series. Please also 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 for your support !

Just as a reminder, we can also supply PLATFORM 5 publications either from stock or against a special order, the profits from such sales going towards our general loco maintenance funds.

 

 

ON SHED – last week, we featured a photo by Kelvin Lumb showing 47 229 (formerly D1905) hauling a Ford Motor Co train loaded with brand new Mark II Ford Escorts eastwards through Bridgend station on Saturday 26th February 1977 and we asked for help in identifying the origin and destination of the train.

As it turns out, Brian Ringer (one of our founding members) had the ideal background to be able to provide the detail that we needed, and his response is shared below: 

   “Great shot of 47229 on a train heading east through Bridgend and the mystery of the Cartic loaded with Ford Escorts.

   During my career with BR, I was Ford Motor Co. marketing manager in the Railfreight sector in the early 1980s, so these traffics were part of my “bailiwick”. At the time Ford had a complex set of train movements to move finished cars and parts between its various production plants. The Escort was produced at Halewood (Merseyside) and were moved by rail to a distribution depot at Severn Tunnel Junction (STJ) that was owned by Silcock and Colling – it was on the site of 86E STJ steam depot, just east of the station.

   The same train also brought axles from the Ford plant at Swansea (adjacent to Burrows Sidings) to Halewood (and later had a portion from the Bridgend engine plant, when it opened in 1980). The cars and component vans were conveyed on the same train between Halewood and STJ and vice versa, with a feeder trip to/from STJ and Swansea Burrows sidings.

   The most likely scenarios are either:

   a/ there was a problem on the section of line between Maindee Junction and STJ meaning that the whole train went through to Swansea Burrows sidings and the photo shows the working from Swansea back to STJ for the Escorts to be unloaded at Silcock and Colling’s depot.

   b/ the Cartic wagon had a maintenance problem and it went to Marcroft Wagon Repairs at Swansea to be fixed. It was highly unusual for a wagon to go for repairs whilst still loaded with 25 cars worth in excess of £100k.

   The comment about imports via Fishguard sounds improbable as in my time, Ford never used Fishguard for imports or exports and the only other plant that produced Escorts in Europe was Koln (Cologne) in Germany. These cars were imported via Dagenham Dock (Essex).

   All in all a very unusual photo with no obvious explanation, but splendid none the less.”

Many thanks to Brian for providing us with this interesting response. Here’s the photo again as a reminder:

47 229 (D1905) hauled a Ford Motor Co train loaded with Mk II Ford Escorts through Bridgend heading east on Saturday 26th February 1977, on the same day as the ‘WESTERN TRIBUTE’ railtour … which was the working that our photographer was really waiting for, if the truth be told. Photo by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The below photo by Kelvin Lumb happens to show the old 86E steam shed at Severn Tunnel Junction, just visible beyond the footbridge in this view of an unidentified Class 25 standing on the down goods relief line. MANY THANKS to Kelvin for continuing to provide us with more great photos from his vast collection.

An unidentified Class 25 was pictured standing on the down goods relief line at Severn Tunnel Junction, waiting for access to the South Wales Main Line with a train of empty ballast hoppers. The old steam shed (86E) can be seen beyond the footbridge. Photo dated summer 1976 by Kelvin Lumb © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting will be held at Williton on Saturday 25th March, so please let us know if you have a question that you would like to have tabled at this meeting.

 

The SPRING 2023 DEPG Newsletter (issue #63) is being distributed this weekend, so keep an eye out for it and let us know if you haven’t received it by 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 includes 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 2023 DATES for your diary:

WSR SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR : Friday 28th April through Monday 1st May

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

WSRA STEAM RALLY : Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August

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

      

   

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post