• Weekly Roundup – 10-Oct-21

    Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7018 runs across Blue Anchor level crossing at the tail end of the 1405 Dunster to Norton Fitzwarren service (headed by WSR 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351) on 1st October 2021. Photo by Steve Edge © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7018 stands at Crowcombe Heathfield with the 1230 Bishops Lydeard to Dunster (for Minehead) service on the very wet second day of the Autumn Steam Gala, on 2nd October 2021. Photo by Joseph Hart © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    After the intensive timetable of the previous weekend, the WSR has returned to the ‘RED’ timetable for the remainder of October, with the addition of some ‘Quantock Belle’ dining services and some Steam Experience Courses. The Diesel Experience Courses will not restart until next year because the heritage freight train is stranded at Minehead until the Seaward Way level crossing is re-opened. Click here for an update on the Seaward Way project.

    There is only one diesel-hauled ‘excursion’ special remaining this season, and it will run on this coming Saturday 16th October with haulage to be provided by Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 including an extension to Norton Fitzwarren on the return leg of the journey. This is going to be a great opportunity to get some diesel-hydraulic haulage and listen to that Maybach Music, so please come along and ride the ‘excursion’ special on Saturday 16th October.

     

    MANY THANKS to all who have bought a ticket or merchandise during this 2021 running season and in doing so contributed to making the case for more diesel-hauled services on the WSR next year !

     

    LOCO NEWS:

    Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this week, as the depot was closed to the public, we were able to make noise and make more progress on D1010, the first task being to remove the seats from the ‘B’ end cab and lift the floor panels so that the sub-frame that supports the cab could be inspected. The subframe is supported by four sets of columns and the frontmost set had corroded away many years ago and had been replaced by new box-section supports. However, our inspection showed that the second-from-front row of supports have now corroded away and have to be replaced, but the third and fourth rows are OK. This is important information because it tells us how much disaasembly we have to do to be able to get at the corroded supports to perform the repairs.

    The photo of the corroded support may look bad, but it is just a very small piece of metal in a very large locomotive, so it will be dealt with as soon as we can clear the area around it.

     

    D1010 cab B driver’s seat has been removed to allow the cab floor to be lifted. The lifted section is shown alongside, leaning against the cab wall. Pictured at Williton on 9th October 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D1010 cab B secondman’s seat has been removed to allow the cab floor to be lifted. One of the lifted sections is shown alongside, leaning against the cab wall. Pictured at Williton on 9th October 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D1010 cab B second row subframe supports have been completely eaten away and will need to be replaced. To the right of the support are two electrical wiring conduits, both of which are also in the final stages of dissolving. Pictured at Williton on 9th October 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D1010 cab B third row subframe supports are rusty but still capable of doing their job. The ‘1010 B’ identification tag dates back to the original construction that took place at Swindon Works in 1962. Pictured at Williton on 9th October 2021 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 ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.

     

    We also want to share some news about similar work that is being performed on D1048 ‘WESTERN LADY’ at the Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbyshire. This information came to us via the excellent newsletters from the Western Locomotive Association (WLA) and the photograph below was taken by WLA member Adrian Worgan during a recent visit to the MR-B. Many thanks to Adrian and the WLA for updating us on the progress with D1048.

    Crewe-built Class 52 D1048 ‘WESTERN LADY’ undergoing cab end repairs at the Midland Railway in Butterley Derbyshire. Photograph taken during a recent visit to Butterley by Adrian Worgan © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Williton and will undergo some maintenance work during the next few weeks while sister D6575 remains on ‘Thunderbird’ duty at Bishops Lydeard.

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) pictured while stabled at Williton during the very wet weather on the second day of the Autumn Steam Gala, 2nd October 2021. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) – this loco was also in use at the recent Autumn Steam Gala and is currently stabled at Bishops Lydeard to cover any duties that may arise.

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) crosses Lower Ker Moor on the approach to Blue Anchor at the tail end of the 1020 Dunster to Bishops Lydeard service on Friday 1st October 2021, the best weather day of the Autumn Steam Gala. Photo by Steve Edge © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is waiting patiently for her turn in the ‘Swindon Shed’ where she needs to go over the pit for the bogies to be disconnected before the body can be lifted. This work is pencilled-in for the ‘work week’ that will take place in the first week of November, subject to space being available in the ‘Swindon Shed’.

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was open to the public but did get many visitors during the very wet weather on the second day of the Autumn Steam Gala, 2nd October 2021. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is booked and is being readied for the last ‘excursion’ special of the 2021 season that will run this coming Saturday 16th October and will include an extension to Norton Fitzwarren. Please do try to come along if you can. Tickets are available via this link or by clicking on the ticket graphic below (this is a link to the WSR website):

     

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – we have some MAJOR progress to report on this loco this week because the team led by Ryan Pope at WSR Restorations have completed the rivetting work and the hornguides are now back in the frames and preparations are being made to re-wheel the loco. This is great news and has been made possible by the donations of the many ‘Teddy Bear’ supporters who have contributed to the D9518 Restoration Appeal. Thank you very much !

    D9518 hornguides were rivetted in place by the WSR Restorations team at the Swindon Shed in Williton. Photo taken on 9th October 2021 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518 frames and hornguides being prepared for re-wheeling at the Swindon Shed in Williton. Photo taken on 9th October 2021 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518 sandboxes and electrical enclosures get a coat of gloss from Roy J at Williton on 9th October 2021, with the loco cab providing the backdrop. 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 full operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

     

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is based at the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the rest of this year and is expected to be back in action during this coming week after receiving attention to her engine governor.

     

     

    Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco remains stuck at Bishops Lydeard waiting for instructions for her move to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Unfortunately this running season has passed us by and the loco hasn’t been able to work (or earn). We really hope that this issue is resolved soon and the loco can move to the NYMR as planned.

     

     

    Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the engine governor override lever has now been repaired by John C so attention has moved back to bodywork repairs that need to be completed while the loco is residing inside the loco shed.

    Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH number 578 (ROF 1) with the engine doors removed to reveal the Paxman 6RPHL V6 diesel engine at Williton on 9th October 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Many thanks to all of our volunteers who are hard at work cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

     

     

    BOOK REVIEW – after covering two new books during the last two weeks, we will skip this feature this week and just use the space for a brazen plug for our 2022 calendar using this new image by DEPG Publicity Officer Mark Bladwell:

    Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7018 displays ‘2022’ as a reminder to everyone to get their DEPG 2022 calendars on order while stocks last. Photo taken at Williton on 5th October 2021 by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    And here it is, our DEPG 2022 CALENDAR is now IN STOCK in glossy A3 landscape format. Here’s a summary of the 12 high-resolution photos that have been so kindly donated by our members and supporters this year:

    We have also produced an animated video that steps through the calendar month-by-month, so CLICK HERE to view the animation.

    We have been able to keep the price the same as last year, so the calendar will again cost the princely sum of £1 per month, so we think that is a bargain that is not to be missed. Click here to order your copy while stocks last.

     

     

    ON SHED – last week’s photo of three Class 14s at Gloucester Horton Road depot on their way to Hull Dairycoates depot triggered several responses from readers who remembered the transfer of 33 Class 14 locomotives to the Eastern Region in 1967. We received this response from WSR Director of Mechanical Engineering Bob Meanley: 

    “The photo of the ‘Teddy Bears’ at Gloucester reminds me that I saw several train loads of them passing through Tamworth whilst en route to Hull. By the time that they got to us, they were usually formed up with a couple of vans between each engine to spread the load on bridges. That wasn’t always the case as I recall that we occasionally had trains of anything up to 5 light loco’s coupled together on balancing turns from Saltley to Toton. The most I saw were three 9F’s coupled up to two 8F’s. I recall one Saturday afternoon when a train of ‘Teddy Bears’ came through headed unbelievably by a ‘Hymek’. We did have a couple of previous occasions where ‘Hymeks’ got through to Derby but it was very very rare. The ‘Hymek’ must have been taken off at Toton, I would think, as it came back light engine some hours later.”

    Many thanks to Bob for sharing this information with us all. We also have a photo of a transfer move from Alan Walker, showing a Class 37 hauling a mixed goods train but with two class 14s included in the mix! Quite a rare treat for the Eastern Region photographers of the day.

    Class 37 D6736 (37036, 37507, 37605) hauls a mixed freight from Healey Mills (Wakefield) towards Hull on 5th July 1967 with two Class 14 ‘Teddy Bears’ D9548 and D9512 en route to Hull Dairycoates depot. Photographed at Featherstone, Yorkshire by Alan Walker ©

     

    Many thanks to Bob and Alan for sharing this information, it is much appreciated

     

    DEPG NEWS – we continue to focus on preparing the locos and the depot for the upcoming winter period, ensuring that the right locos are in the right places for the work that is planned to take place over winter. The Autumn ‘work week’ starts on Saturday 30th October and runs until Sunday 7th November, so we welcome volunteers old and new to come along during that week and help us with tasks that are both loco-related and infrastructure-related. We look forward to seeing you.

     

    DEPG WEBSITE: Please take a look at our online store – we now have our new 2022 CALENDAR and the newly-added PRE-OWNED BOOKS (there are plenty more yet to be added so keep an eye on this product category) and much more. Thanks in advance ! We intend to add DEPG beanie hats and DEPG fleece jackets soon, but please let us know if there is something else that you think we should be offering.

     

    WSR NEWS: The unofficial WSR news and information site wsr.org.uk carries a news item giving feedback on the questions that were raised during the recent AGM of the WSR. The information has been provided by the WSR and is available by clicking this link. Many thanks to Steve Edge for his excellent website and for the work that he does to make it the go-to source for WSR news and photographs.

     

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  • Weekly Roundup – 03-Oct-21

    Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7018 at Blue Anchor at the tail end of 1405 Dunster to Norton Fitzwarren service (headed by WSR 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351) while BR(W) 4-6-0 7822 ‘FOXCOTE MANOR’ stands alongside at the head of the 1320 Bishops Lydeard to Blue Anchor service (the loco will run around her train after the other train has departed). Photo by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Last weekend, the DEPG was busy supporting the home steam fleet with their AUTUMN STEAM GALA and the event went pretty much to plan, apart from the weather. Friday was the best day weather-wise and Sunday was OK in between the showers, but Saturday was very wet all day and made photography quite challenging. We had to substitute Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 on the Sunday due to operational issues, but we can confirm that the loco is OK and will be able to take part in the last of the booked diesel-hauled services for this season, the ‘excursion’ special on Saturday 16th October.

     

    Here are some pictures of the AUTUMN STEAM GALA event, snapped during the drier moments:

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 is powered up at 0620 on the first day of the event to start the pre-heater that warms the engine before it is started up. This process takes around 90 minutes and is essential to ensure a clean startup and smooth running of the Bristol-Siddeley Maybach MD870 engine. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 has started up and has shunted Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048, not visible in this view) out of her way so that she can escape the South Yard at Williton to take her position at the head of the 0924 Williton to Bishops Lydeard service. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Williton Railcam capture showing six locomotives – clockwise L-R, ‘Hymek’ D7017 is stabled outside the Old Goods Shed, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) is stabled outside the ‘Swindon Shed’, sister D6575 (33 057) leaves with the train for Dunster from Platform 1 while at Platform 2, GWR 2-6-2T 5199 forms the rear of the ‘Local’ to Bishops Lydeard which will be hauled by ‘Hymek’ D7018 (to save a positioning move). The WSR’s 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351 forms the tail of the Dunster service (she will haul the train back from Dunster). Capture courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR.

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) at the head of the 0850 Bishops Lydeard to Dunster service (where a heritage bus service will provide a connection to Minehead). At the rear of the train is the WSR’s 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351 (she will haul the train back from Dunster). Photo by Steve Edge © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    WELL DONE to all who planned, prepared and delivered this excellent event and to those that had to endure poor weather conditions while doing so. The sights and sounds of the intensive workings were a delight! Thanks also to those who bought a ticket or merchandise and in doing so contributed to the success of the event !

     

    The RAILCAM UK team continue to post videos on their YouTube channel using material that they gathered during the recent Mixed Traction Weekend. The footage that was filmed from Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) during her trip around the East Chord at Norton Fitzwarren is very rare and particularly interesting.

    Visit their YouTube video page and choose the section of the line that interests you the most, then take a virtual ride by clicking on the relevant video. Some of their videos have already received more than 10,000 views and this is providing excellent exposure for the whole WSR family. DID YOU KNOW that the RAILCAM UK operation is entirely funded by subscribers, with no corporate sponsorship at all ? These webcams have to be bought, installed, maintained, managed and in many cases, the internet data service has to be provided as well, so hats off to RAILCAM UK for making it all happen and bringing the railway to those who are unable to attend in person. JOIN THEM and subscribe to help them expand their activities.

     

    LOCO NEWS:

    Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – as the depot was open to the public for the Autumn Steam Gala, the ongoing and tedious work of stripping the ‘Prestolith’ filler from the bodyside of the loco had to be restricted (it is both noisy and dusty work), so the opportunity was taken to address some specific features of the bodyside that were crying out for attention. A curious feature that was added to the class after construction is an inspection door that allows access to the brushgear of the compressor. This takes the form of a vertically-oriented ‘letterbox’ that is just big enough to allow the cover to be removed from the compressor motor so that the brushes can be cleaned, inspected and replaced, as necessary. This feature received a clean-up and a coat of primer. It will receive attention to the surface finish when the bodyside repaint takes place.

    D1010 compressor brushgear access hatch before a cleanup at Williton on 2nd October 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D1010 compressor brushgear access hatch after a cleanup by Ian F at Williton on 2nd October 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Another target was the ‘FIRE PULL’ fittings, one on each side of the loco, where the glass covers had been allowing water to get inside, resulting in corrosion. The covers were removed for renovation and the fittings were cleaned and undercoated to prevent further deterioration. They will get more attention at a later date.

    D1010 fire pull fitting in need of a cleanup at Williton on 2nd October 2021. Photo by Leroy Ford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D1010 fire pull fitting after a cleanup by Ian F at Williton on 2nd October 2021. The surfaces will be cleaned up further before the bodyside repaint takes place. Photo by Leroy Ford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) – this loco was on standby at Williton for the duration of the Autumn Steam Gala.

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) – this loco was in action on each day of the Autumn Steam Gala.

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is waiting patiently for her turn in the ‘Swindon Shed’ where she needs to go over the pit for the bogies to be disconnected before the body gets lifted. This work is pencilled-in for the ‘work week’ that will take place in the first week of November, subject to space being available in the ‘Swindon Shed’. 

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is booked for the last ‘excursion’ special of the season that will run on Saturday 16th October and will include an extension to Norton Fitzwarren. Please do try to come along if you can. Tickets are available via this link or by clicking on the ticket graphic below (this is a link to the WSR website):

         

     

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more progress on this loco as major components are readied for re-assembling to the frames once they are re-wheeled:

    D9518 frames after receiving a coat of primer at Williton on 2nd October 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The restored battery boxes and corner steps for D9518 received a coat of primer at Williton on 28th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The brake cross shaft holder drop arm of D9518 after application of some heat to assist in removing a seized bolt at Williton on 28th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    New brass bearing for the brake cross shaft of D9518 is ready to be inserted into its housing at Williton on 28th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

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

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is based at the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the rest of this year, but she has run into a patch of trouble and she has not been available for service on more than one occasion. The source of the fault has been traced to a failed diaphragm inside the engine governor. The governor is the device that regulates the engine speed in relation to load by controlling the flow of fuel, so it is quite a complex assembly. A spare diaphragm has now been fitted and the loco is ready to return to service while sister loco D9504 is undergoing heavy overhaul.

    Archive photo of the engine governor of D9526, pictured at Williton on 4th June 2011. Photo by Simon Purvis © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco remains stuck at Bishops Lydeard waiting for instructions for her move to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Unfortunately this running season has passed us by and the loco hasn’t been able to work (or earn). We really hope that this issue is resolved soon and the loco can move to the NYMR as planned.

    BR-Brush Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ remains at Westridge Shed, Bishops Lydeard pending her move to the NYMR. Pictured with the reflection of Class 09 D4107 in her TOPS data panel on 18th September 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – the engine governor override lever has now been repaired by John C so attention has moved back to bodywork repairs that need to be completed while the loco is residing inside the loco shed.

     

    Many thanks to all of our volunteers who are hard at work cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

     

     

    BOOK REVIEW – this week, we have a another book review report that has been provided by longtime member and regular contributor Neale Long, covering a new book entitled Tribute To The Western Region Hydraulics by Tom Heavyside, published by Stenlake.

    Here is Neale’s report:

    “This small 56-page softback landscape book by well known Bolton railway photographer Tom Heavyside stemmed from his numerous visits to the south of the country chasing the remaining steam locomotives then still in service. Fortunately for us, this enabled him to assemble a collection of monochrome photographs covering diesel-hydraulic operation on British Rail from their earliest years right through to the end on that fateful day in February 1977.

    The book therefore consists of a collection of largely unpublished photographs covering most of the principal diesel-hydraulic types in a variety of differing liveries and locations. Mainly though not exclusively of one picture per page, Tom’s photographs provide an excellent  snapshot of the era from the very start with the D6300s (there is also a shot at Barry of D601) and D800s concluding with some shots of the final class 52 railtours with D1023 ‘WESTERN FUSILIER’.

    Informative and accurate captioning together with a nice overview as an introduction all help in making this a thoroughly enjoyable and inexpensive product which all diesel-hydraulic enthusiasts will want to add to their libraries. There are any number of really interesting images captured by Tom’s camera, but two really stand out as worthy of mention, firstly a shot of D1025 ‘WESTERN GUARDSMAN’ leaving Stratford upon Avon on a LCGB charter for Newport via Honeybourne and Toddington (part of which is the now preserved GWSR) and secondly a shot of ‘Hymek’ D7084 banking a ‘Warship’-hauled freight train at Whiteball.

    This is a nicely compiled collection of photographs by Tom Heavyside for sale at the bargain price of £11.95 which I unreservedly recommend. The author in his introduction now wishes he had paid more attention to the diesel hydraulics, easy to say with hindsight, but in the event he still managed to capture some great images – for which we should all be grateful.”

    Many thanks to Neale for providing us with this review. This book is available from the WLA website – click this link.

     

    While on the subject of publications, the DEPG 2022 CALENDAR is now IN STOCK in glossy A3 landscape format. Here’s a summary of the 12 high-resolution photos that have been so kindly donated by our members and supporters this year:

    There is an animated video on our website that steps through the calendar month-by-month, so CLICK HERE to view the animation.

    We have been able to keep the price the same as last year, so the calendar will again cost the princely sum of £1 per month, so we think that is a bargain that is not to be missed. Click here to order your copy while stocks last.

     

    ON SHED – while gathering some background for the restoration appeal for D9518 recently, my eye was drawn to this photo of Gloucester Horton Road depot by well-known photographer and writer Norman Preedy. The line-up of ‘Teddy Bears’ includes (L-R) D9527, D9514 and our own D9518, along with an unidentified ‘Hymek’ and a North-British D63xx Type 22. The three Class 14s were on their way to Hull Dairycoates depot because there was no work for them on the Western Region at that time. They didn’t last long at Hull before being sold to the National Coal Board (NCB) at bargain prices, and sent to Ashington Colliery, Northumberland, where they worked until the early 1980s.

    Class 14s D9527, D9514 and D9518 (L-R) pause at Gloucester Horton Road Depot on 4th July 1969 while on their journey to Hull Dairycoates Depot. A blue ‘Hymek’ is just visible on the far left and a NBL Class 22 D63xx is on the right of the picture. Photo by the late Norman Preedy ©

     

    DEPG NEWS – the focus this month is going to be preparing the locos and the depot for the upcoming winter period, ensuring that the right locos are in the right places for the work that is planned to take place over winter. The Autumn ‘work week’ starts on Saturday 30th October and runs until Sunday 7th November, so we welcome volunteers old and new to come along during that week and help us with tasks that are both loco-related and infrastructure-related. We look forward to seeing you.

     

    DEPG WEBSITE: We reported low sales from our online store in September, probably as a result of all the events taking place all around the country, but that month is behind us now, so we need a BUMPER sales month to make up for it. So, please TAKE A LOOK – we now have our new 2022 CALENDAR and the newly-added PRE-OWNED BOOKS (there are plenty more yet to be added so keep an eye on this product category) and much more. Thanks in advance ! We intend to add DEPG beanie hats soon, but please let us know if there is something else that you think we should be offering.

     

    WSR NEWS: The latest communications from the WSR tell us that the railway has performed well with respect to its financial targets, and after all of the hard work that has been done this year, this is very good news indeed! It certainly provides a lot of encouragement and motivation for all staff and volunteers to continue the work towards recovery. We are all hoping for a more ‘normal’ 2022 season, that’s for sure.

     

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  • DIESELGEN – D6575 covering for D7018 today 03-Oct-21

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 at Blue Anchor at the tail end of an ‘up’ service from Dunster to Norton Fitzwarren on Friday 1st October 2021 while BR(W) 4-6-0 7822 ‘FOXCOTE MANOR’  waits with a ‘down’ service to Dunster (for Minehead). Note the tail lamp hanging from the drawbar hook of the diesel. Photo by Steve Edge © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Apologies to ‘Hymek’ followers, but after two succesful days of supporting the home steam fleet at the AUTUMN STEAM GALA, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 has to give up her turn today due to an operational issue. Her place will be taken by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) on the top-and-tail steam-diesel working covering the full length of the line between Norton Fitzwarren and Dunster, as per the timetable below.

    The working timetable for SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER 2021 is:

    Note: B/F and T/F refer to ‘Bunker First’ and ‘Tender First’ in the case of the steam locos.

    The next (and last planned for this season) running opportunity for D7018 will be the ‘excursion’ special on Saturday 16th October 2021 where she will haul a service from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster, returning with an extension to Norton Fitzwarren. Both pre-booked and walk-up tickets are available for this event.

    We apologise for the disappointment today, but the good news is that the loco is OK and will run again on the 16th.

     

    If you are unable to attend, the webcams provide a very good way of watching the action from afar. Here are the links:

    BL: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-bl2.htm

    CH: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ch1.htm

    WN: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-wn2.htm

    BA: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ba1.htm

     

    Many thanks to Railcam UK and the WSR for providing these webcam services.

     

    Have you considered joining the WEEKLY ROUNDUP e-newsletter list? Click here for details.

     

     

  • DIESELGEN – Autumn Steam Gala 01-03 Oct

    Class 33 ‘Crompton D6575 (33 057) arrives at Crowcombe Heathfield with a service to Dunster (for Minehead) on 18th September 2021 as GWR 2-6-2T ‘Large Prairie’ 5199 waits with the ‘up local’ from Williton to Norton Fitzwarren. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    To allow you to plan your visits and pick your photopgraphic locations, we can now release the detailed timetables covering the AUTUMN STEAM GALA of Friday 1st through Sunday 3rd October during which the home-based steam loco fleet will be supported by the DEPG’s Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018. Both locos will share a top-and-tail steam-diesel working covering the full length of the line between Norton Fitzwarren and Dunster (for Minehead), with the ‘Crompton’ covering the morning turns and the ‘Hymek’ covering the afternoon turns.

    The working timetable for FRIDAY 1st OCTOBER 2021 is:

    The working timetable for SATURDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2021 is:

    The working timetable for SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER 2021 is:

    Note: B/F and T/F refer to ‘Bunker First’ and ‘Tender First’ in the case of the steam locos.

     

    Both D6575 (33 057) and D7018 will be hauling trains up the 3-mile incline from Norton Fitzwarren on several occasions throughout the event, and additional photo opportunities are provided by running the last train of the day (steam-hauled both ways) after sunset on the Saturday adding to what already promises to be a very interesting event.

     

    Please do your best to attend to support both the DEPG and the WSR at this event. We look forward to seeing you. Thanks in advance!

     

    Both pre-booked and walk-up tickets are available for this event.  

     

    If you are unable to attend, the webcams provide a very good way of watching the action from afar. Here are the links:

    BL: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-bl2.htm

    CH: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ch1.htm

    WN: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-wn2.htm

    BA: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ba1.htm

     

    Many thanks to Railcam UK and the WSR for providing these webcam services.

     

    Have you considered joining the WEEKLY ROUNDUP e-newsletter list? Click here for details.

     

     

  • Weekly Roundup – 26-Sep-21

    This coming weekend is the AUTUMN STEAM GALA and we are delighted to be able to support this event by providing our Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7018 on all three days, Friday 1st, Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd October. The ‘Hymek’ will be working in ‘top-and-tail’ mode with WSR 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351 and the ‘Hymek’ will be hauling the train from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster (with bus connection to Minehead) with the ‘Mogul’ attached at the rear for hauling the train back to Bishops Lydeard. The ‘top-and-tailed’ service will extend to Norton Fitzwarren once on Friday afternoon and twice per day on Saturday and Sunday.

    Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7018 stands at Bishops Lydeard station with a service for Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 18th September 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The unique WSR 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ 9351 undergoes planned boiler maintenance at Minehead on 17th September 2021. This loco will be running ‘top-and-tail’ with ‘Hymek’ D7018 on all three days of the AUTUMN STEAM GALA. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    WSR timetable links for the three days are as below:

    Friday 1st October 2021 : https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/timetables/view/167

    Saturday 2nd October 2021 : https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/timetables/view/170

    Sunday 3rd October 2021 : https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/timetables/view/171

    Please try to attend and/or support this event if you can. Hopefully, the weather will also be supportive because the intensive timetabling will allow some great photo opportunities.

     

     

    The RAILCAM UK team have been busy posting videos on their YouTube channel using material that they gathered during the recent Mixed Traction Weekend. Their camera was mounted on the lamp bracket of the leading locomotive, so the journey from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster was filmed from the bufferbeam of BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’. The return journey and the extension to Norton Fitzwarren was filmed from Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and some very rare footage was filmed from sister loco D6566 (33 048) during her trip around the East Chord while she ran around her train at Norton Fitzwarren.

    Their videos have been separated into bite-sized chunks and are being released on a progressive basis between now and Friday 1st October. Visit their YouTube video page and choose the section of the line that interests you the most, then take a virtual ride by clicking on the relevant video.

    Some of their videos have already received more than 10,000 views and this is providing excellent exposure for the WSR and the supporting groups. DID YOU KNOW that the RAILCAM UK operation is entirely funded by subscribers, with no corporate sponsorship at all ? These webcams have to be bought, installed, maintained, managed and in many cases, the internet data service has to be provided as well, so hats off to these guys and their colleagues for making it all happen. JOIN THEM and subscribe to help them expand their activities for our further enjoyment.

     

     

    Last week, we covered the sad news about the engine mishap that prevented the Diesel Traction Group’s Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ from starring on a PATHFINDER RAILTOURS special from Eastleigh via Gloucester to Kingswear and return.  One man’s loss is another man’s gain, as the saying goes, and in this case it was the two GBRf-liveried Class 50s from the ‘Fifty Fund‘ that hauled the tour, which comprised a rake of 12 Mark 1 coaches. The 5,400 hp consist was captured at the start of the sea wall at Dawlish Warren, running exactly to time:

    English Electric Class 50 50007 ‘Hercules’ leads sister 50049 ‘Defiance’ at the head of the CHAMPION TORBAY EXPRESS on a dull Saturday 25th September 2021 as they roar past the camping coaches at Dawlish Warren. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

     

    LOCO NEWS:

    Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continues on stripping the loose ‘Prestolith’ filler from the bodyside of the loco so that corrosion repairs can be made and the loco repainted. This is easier said than done on a locomotive of such dimensions and scraping can only be done for a while before fatigue sets in, so this task is going to take a while!

    D1010 bodyside showing multiple layers of paint on top of the ‘Prestolith’ filler (the grey layer) that dates back to 1962, when it was applied at Swindon Works to smooth the bodyside during loco construction. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D1010 cab at ‘A’ end, devoid of route indicator boxes and marker lights to allow easy access to the inside of the cab structure. The peak above the cab window also needs attention but there is enough to do at the lower level to keep us busy for a while. Photo by Gordon Crook © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) – after doing some fine work during the Mixed Traction Weekend, this loco received some newly refurbished brake system components on Saturday and passed the subsequent brake test with flying colours. The loco remains ready for service if called upon. Here are some pictures:

    D6566 (33 048) driver’s brake valve was replaced with a refurbished part at Williton on 25th September 2021. The ‘reset’ button for the Automatic Warning System (AWS) can be seen in the foreground. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D6566 (33 048) automatic brake valve (sometimes referred to as the ‘triple valve’) replaced with a refurbished part at Williton on 25th September 2021. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D6566 (33 048) brake valve timing blocks were replaced with refurbished parts at Williton on 25th September 2021. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) – this loco also performed really well during the Mixed Traction Weekend and remains at Bishops Lydeard as the ‘Thunderbird’ loco, on standby in case of any difficulties with the rostered locos.

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is waiting patiently for her turn in the ‘Swindon Shed’ where she needs to go over the pit for the bogies to be disconencted before the body gets lifted. This work is pencilled-in for the ‘work week’ that will take place in the first week of November, subject to space being available in the ‘Swindon Shed’.

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco has been racking up the miles and bringing visitors from far and wide as she has performed on the ‘excursion’ specials and during the Mixed Traction Weekend already this year. Her next appearance is at the Autumn Steam Gala and she is also booked for the last ‘excursion’ special of the season that will run on Saturday 16th October. Please do try to come along for that event if you can. Tickets are available via this link or by clicking on the relevant ticket graphic below (these links are to the WSR website):

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continues apace on the restoration of this loco, with volunteers working on the frames and the cab structure in parallel. The repairs to the battery box have moved along to the stage where the extensively repaired box has now been bead blasted and painted in primer, allowing the team to move on to the second box and the various other parts.

    The rebuilt battery box for D9518 receives a coat of primer at Williton on 14th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

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

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is based at the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the rest of this year, where she is covering for sister loco D9504 who is undergoing heavy overhaul.

     

    Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco remains stuck at Bishops Lydeard waiting for instructions for her move to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Unfortunately this running season has passed us by and the loco hasn’t been able to work (or earn). We really hope that this issue is resolved soon and the loco can move to the NYMR as planned.

    BR-Brush Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ remains at Westridge Shed, Bishops Lydeard pending her move to the NYMR. Pictured on 17th September 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – last but not least, this little diesel-hydraulic loco developed an air leak that needed to be repaired before the loco could be used again, so this was dealt with on Saturday. Attention then moved to the engine governor override lever that is used when starting the engine. This lever is used to command the governor to admit more fuel, so it is basically a hand throttle that is used when getting the engine started from cold. At the far end of the lever, there is a pin that has sheared off, preventing the lever from functioning, so Neil and John C set about repairing it. This will take some time because it is quite inaccessible! 

    Andrew Barclay 578 engine governor override lever can be seen inside the yellow oval. The green START button is above and these two controls are used when starting the engine from cold. Photo taken at Williton on 25th September 2021 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    BOOK REVIEW – this week, we have a book review report that has been provided by longtime member and regular contributor Neale Long, covering a new book entitled Liveries of The WR Diesel Hydraulics by Russell Saxton, published by Key Publishing (Britain’s Railways Series Volume 21).

    Here is Neale’s report:

    “In the latest of Key Publishings’ Britain’s Railways Series, Russell Saxton explores in detail all the liveries carried by British Rail’s Diesel Hydraulic fleet from 1958 to 1977. Illustrating all major and most minor variations in this 96 page A5 format book. 

    Russell has brought together an eclectic mix of mainly unpublished photographs to tell the story of the many livery variations found on all the Diesel Hydraulic locomotives. A short introduction sets the scene for six chapters:

    • D600 ‘Warships’
    • D800 ‘Warships’
    • The ‘Westerns’
    • Class 22
    • The ‘Hymeks’
    • Class 14

    Essentially the author succeeds in providing a detailed and accurate study of the many liveries carried by these much admired and missed locomotives. This being achieved through the use of 150 images and informative captioning, all of which make for a most useful reference for railway modeller and historian alike. Inevitably the classes which had greater livery variations i.e. classes 42/43 and 52 receive more detailed attention than those that didn’t, i.e. class 14, but that is a reflection of which classes lasted longer than others. The photographs pleasingly, for this reviewer, are wide ranging in location, so it’s good to see some images of D800’s in South Wales, an area not normally associated with the class, and on the Southern Region. The author’s efforts in searching out many previously unpublished photographs is to be commended and will surely be appreciated by the many diesel hydraulic enthusiasts. Just to whet the appetite, a  couple of gems I’ve picked out are the photograph of a maroon half yellow D1042 Western Princess backing on to 1V95 1725 Manchester Piccadilly – Cardiff, a service viewed at Gloucester by the reviewer on many occasions, and a Derek Jones photograph of four class 22’s lined up on Gloucester Horton Road Depot, again something this reviewer well recalls.

    It would of course be remiss of me not to mention a couple of illustrations of the Group’s locomotives, there are cabside close up photographs of both D7017 and D7018, the former illustrating the removed alloy numbers and their replacement by vinyl numbers and the latter illustrating the chalked ‘NB’ indicating an inactive train heating boiler. Additionally, D9518 is illustrated behind fellow class member D9514 on Gloucester Horton Road Depot .

    Overall, I can recommend this publication to all modern traction enthusiasts whether diesel hydraulic enthusiasts or not. Noticeable too is the general improvement in photographic reproduction from earlier volumes. Retailing at £15.99, this represents good value and a worthy addition to any modern traction enthusiasts library.”

     

    Many thanks to Neale for providing us with this review.

     

    While on the subject of publications, the DEPG 2022 CALENDAR is now available in our trademark glossy A3 landscape format. Here’s a summary of the 12 high-resolution photos that have been so kindly donated by our members and supporters this year:

    There is an animated video on our website that steps through the calendar month-by-month so CLICK HERE to view the animation.

    We have been able to keep the price the same as last year, so the calendar will again cost the princely sum of £1 per month, so we think that is a bargain that is not to be missed. Click here to order your copy while stocks last.

     

     

    DEPG NEWS – we are very pleased to announce that a new secondman course has started under the expert guidance of John Leach, and we currently have all six available places filled and training is in progress. We have been short of train crew all year so it is very encouraging to see new faces learning the route and studying the rule book with a view to becoming passed secondmen then training for driving positions. Many thanks also to John for his willingness to share his vast knowledge for the benefit of others.

     

    DEPG WEBSITE: We have to report that online sales in the month of September have been DISMAL, maybe because of the number of galas at which the various preservation groups were busy selling their wares for their own fundraising purposes, all of which is commendable. However, it leaves us with little income from our store this month, so please TAKE A LOOK and BUY SOMETHING so that we can have some income as well. Apologies for being blunt, but we now have our new 2022 CALENDAR and the newly-added PRE-OWNED BOOKS (there are plenty more yet to be added so keep an eye on this product category) and much more. Thanks in advance !

     

    WSR NEWS: The latest edition of the WSR’s ‘THE PLATFORM’ newsletter has been released and includes plenty of news from all around the railway, including information about the Seaward Way Level Crossing project. It was also great to read that Ryan Pope and Rich Hiscox have both been promoted in recognition of their knowledge, skills and hard work on all kinds of projects over the years, so well done guys !

    Here’s a link to ‘THE PLATFORM’ on the WSR website (click on the image below):

     

    Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

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  • Weekly Roundup – 19-Sep-21

    Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September saw the return of gala-style running on the West Somerset Railway during the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND that involved our ‘Hymek’ D7018 plus our two Class 33 ‘Cromptons D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) along with steam in the form of BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ and GWR 2-6-2T 5199 operating an intense timetable that kept the line busy and brought back the feel of previous galas.

    Each day included trips along the full length of the line, from Norton Fitzwarren (the junction with the Bristol to Exeter main line) to Minehead, some 23 miles distant, but with the last mile and a half being operated by a fleet of heritage buses (some open top, some accessible). The last section of the line is currently closed due to upgrading of the Seaward Way level crossing, so to keep the schedule brisk during these two days, each train serving Dunster was ‘top-and-tailed’ to allow a quick turnaround.

    BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ at the head of the 1230 departure from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster which will then connect with a heritage bus service to Minehead. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) at the tail of the 1230 departure from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster to allow a quick turnaround at Dunster. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The ‘Top-and-Tailed’ services provided plenty of photo opportunities for locos to be side by side at the platforms – here are some of those unusual views:

    A ‘Type 3’ gathering with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) on the left (the ‘up’ direction towards Bishops Lydeard) and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 on the right (the ‘down’ direction towards Minehead) at Blue Anchor on 17th September 2021. Photo by Barrie Childs © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) is at the tail end of the 1230 service to Dunster on Saturday 18th September 2021 as sister loco D6566 (33 048) prepares to depart with the 1225 service to Norton Fitzwarren. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The services that were not ‘top and tailed’ did not go beyond Blue Anchor, thereby allowing the train loco to run around to haul the train back toward Bishops Lydeard, and in most cases continued to Norton Fitzwarren where the loco again detached to run around using the East Chord (marked as ‘East’ in the diagram below):

    Map 10, Dene Bridge to Norton Fitzwarren, an extract from the WSR Rule Book Maps as displayed on the wsr.org.uk website © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Beyer-Peacock Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 leaves the platform at Norton Fitzwarren to run around her train via Barnstaple Junction then the East Chord to Allerford Junction then back on to her train at the platform on 18th September 2021. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    For more pictures from this event, follow this link to the wsr.org.uk website picture page: http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?h=The+Mixed+Traction+Weekend+2021&t=mtw2021pix

     

    The webcams were very heavily patronised during the two day and we were very pleased to have the guys from RAILCAM UK along with us for both days, providing live streaming video (where 4G signal strength allowed it) and capturing video for the whole length of the line (from Norton Fitzwarren to Dunster) using their lamp-bracket-mounted camera, visible in the photograph below:

    The RAILCAM UK team Jamie, Andrew and Mike (clockwise from the left) alongside their remote-controlled camera that was mounted on the lamp bracket of BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ for the journey from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster on 18th September 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The RAILCAM UK team travelled the length of the line on Friday and Saturday and also visited the engineering facilities at Minehead and Williton. Their work was live streamed to thousands of people, many of whom were not able to visit the event in person but were able to participate via the Railcam YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RailcamUKLive

    Go to their channel and scroll down to see the multitude of videos of the event that have been posted, some with more than 10,000 views already ! This is excellent exposure for the WSR and has ensured that tens of thousands of people will be aware of the work that has been and is being done to bring the WSR back to the forefront of the heritage railway sector. Many thanks to all who helped to make their visit a success !

    DID YOU KNOW that the RAILCAM UK operation is entirely funded by subscribers, with no corporate sponsorship at all ? These webcams have to be bought, installed, maintained, managed and in many cases, the internet data service has to be provided as well, so hats off to these guys and their colleagues for making it all happen. JOIN THEM and subscribe to help them expand their activities for our further enjoyment.

     

    WELL DONE to all who planned, prepared and delivered this excellent and enjoyable event, which ran ON TIME and without any technical hitches. Thanks also to those who bought a ticket or merchandise and in doing so contributed to the success of the event !

     

    Now for the sad news – last week, we announced that we changed the date of the next ‘Hymek’-hauled service from Saturday 25th September to Saturday 16th October to prevent a clash with the return to mainline running of the Diesel Traction Group’s Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ on a PATHFINDER RAILTOURS special from Eastleigh via Gloucester to Kingswear and return.

    Sadly, this magnificent machine developed engine trouble that resulted in an engine seizure after successfully hauling a cement train on a test run on the mainline between Avonmouth and Gloucester, the sight of which was an absolute treat in itself.

    Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ leading a GBRf Class 66 (66719) on the climb at Brentry Bank, Bristol when working the 6M42 0920 Avonmouth to Penyffordd cement working on 16th September 2021 as part of a mainline test run which sadly resulted in damage to one of her Bristol-Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines. The Class 52 worked the freight as far as Gloucester. Photo by Graham Perry © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The DEPG joins with ‘Western’ and ‘hydraulic’ fans all over the country in expressing our support for all of our friends at the DTG who must be going through agony after suffering this setback. We feel their pain – but we all need to look beyond this, to look forward to the day when we see D1015 in her rightful place, back out on the mainline once again.

     

    LOCO NEWS:

    Given the efforts of the last few days, we won’t have time for a detailed roundup of loco news this week, but we will be back to normal format in time for next weekend. Rest assured that progress is still being made in the background.

     

    BOOK REVIEW – As announced last week, the DEPG 2022 CALENDAR is now available and the first copies will be mailed out during this coming week. Here’s a summary of the 12 high-resolution photos that have been so kindly donated by our members and supporters this year:

    There is an animated video on our website that steps through the calendar month-by-month so CLICK HERE to view the animation.

    We have been able to keep the price the same as last year, so the calendar will again cost the princely sum of £1 per month, so we think that is a bargain that is not to be missed. Click here to order your copy while stocks last.

     

    DEPG WEBSITE: Now updated with the new 2022 CALENDAR and the newly-added PRE-OWNED BOOKS (there are plenty more yet to be added so keep an eye on this product category).

     

    WSR NEWS: The next event that is coming up in two weeks time is the AUTUMN STEAM GALA during which we will be providing our Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 in support of the four steam locos that will be operating a 3-day gala schedule. This will be another opportunity to enjoy haulage behind D7018 before her final scheduled run of 2021 that will take place on Saturday 16th October (re-scheduled from the 25th September).

     

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  • Weekly Roundup – 12-Sep-21

    The major event this week has been the ‘1940s weekend‘ during which we provided our Class 33 ‘Cromptons D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) operating in Top-and-Tail mode for the ‘Watchet Shuttle’ services that have operated four times each day between Bishops Lydeard, Watchet and return. When combined with the steam-hauled trains that worked through Watchet to Dunster (with heritage bus connections to Minehead), it gave visitors seven opportunities per day to get to Watchet to enjoy the 1940s-themed displays and stalls.

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) leads the shuttle service towards Watchet on 11th September 2021 as sister loco D6566 (33 048) goes along for the ride. The ‘tail-end charlie’ will haul the working back to Bishops Lydeard. ‘Hymek’ sisters D7017 and D7018 hide behind the decorated fence. Image capture by Railcam UK and the WSR ©

    Many thanks to Railcam UK and the WSR for providing these webcam services !

    The webcams showed that the event was well patronised without being over crowded and the weather also co-operated, which made for a very pleasant day out by the seaside:

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) rounds the corner at Splash Point with the shuttle service to Watchet on 11th September 2021 with sister loco D6566 (33 048) at the rear to provide the motive power for the journey back to Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Keith Fender © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    WELL DONE to all who planned, prepared and operated the various attractions that were spaced out along the line and stayed late to tidy up afterwards. Thanks also to those who bought a ticket or merchandise and contributed to the success of the event !

     

    We are now looking forward to our main event of this year, the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND that will take place on this coming Friday 17th and Saturday 18th of September. This will feature our two ‘Cromptons’ plus ‘Hymek’ D7018 and will include running to Norton Fitwarren in the afternoons. Here’s a link to the detailed timetables, as posted in a recent DIESELGEN bulletin. The timetabling is quite intense and has plenty of interest for fans of both types of traction, so please do try and come along to support the event if you can.

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) leads sister loco D6566 (33 048) on the climb out of Williton towards Crowcombe Heathfield on an empty stock positioning move on 2nd November 2020. The Mixed Traction Weekend also features double-headed ‘Cromptons’ on the 1545 from Norton Fitzwarren to Dunster and return on Friday afternoon 17th September. Photo by Peter Nicholson © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    An important point regarding our fifth and final diesel-hauled ‘excursion‘ that was planned for 25th September this year; we have had to change the date of this ‘Hymek’-hauled service to Saturday 16th October because the return to mainline running of the Diesel Traction Group’s Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ has been scheduled for the 25th September, with a PATHFINDER RAILTOURS special from Eastleigh via Gloucester to Kingswear and return.

    We know that many of our members and regular supporters will be either riding behind or watching this magnificent loco as she returns to the mainline after a long absence, so we cannot operate a viable service on the same day.

    If you have already booked tickets for the ‘Hymek’-hauled ‘excursion’ on the 25th, the WSR ticket office will be in touch with you soon. We thank you for your support and offer our apologies for the change of date and ask for your understanding. We hope that you will be able to join us on the 16th October instead.

     

    A very big THANK YOU to all who have bought and are buying tickets in support of our 2021 diesel-hauled services, and an equally big thank you to all of the volunteers who have been and are involved in putting on the shows !

     

    If you have a question, please reply to this email or fill in the contact form on our website. Please help us and help the WSR make these diesel-hauled services a success by buying a ticket to ride !

     

     

    LOCO NEWS:

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – as a correction to the information that was included in the previous roundup; the pair of calibrated fuel pumps have not yet been fitted to the loco because they were not available in time, but a complete set of overhauled injectors were fitted to the loco at the KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY last weekend. The fuel pumps will be fitted at the next opportunity.

    Class 14 D9526 is safe and sound inside the carriage shed at Tenterden on the K&ESR on 2nd September 2021 while resident D9504 undergoes preparation for a heavy overhaul alongside. Photo by Simon Purvis © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – our ‘celebrity’ remains marooned at Bishops Lydeard because of delays in obtaining permission for her oversize road haulage move from Bishops Lydeard to Pickering on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. We are still waiting for the date and route information. As soon as we know, it will be shared via a DIESELGEN bulletin.

     

     

    Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – we continue to receive donations towards the restoration of this much-loved loco and we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed to the fund to support the £100,000 restoration of D1010.

    Our attention remains fixed to making progress with the bodywork repairs so the various grilles and vents were inspected over the weekend and a list of required repairs was drawn up. Work continues on the removal of loose filler on the side that was not restored during the loco’s time at Didcot. We intend to restore the bodywork in sections and paint the loco in undercoat, pending an overall gloss coat upon completion of all other work.

    Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for the ‘B’ end Voith L630rV transmission converter rail to be sent to a specialist firm for separation and internal inspection. More on this exciting news at a later date when the arrangements have been firmed up.

    We intend to raise £100,000 for the whole restoration project so please help us by using one of the below links to make a donation:

    After selecting a donation link, you will then be able to use the quantity buttons to select the precise value that you want to donate. Please remember to select the GiftAid option if you are eligible because this will give us a 20% boost via a contribution from HM Government. Thank you very much for supporting the D1010 Restoration Appeal !

     

    In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.

     

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – no change expected until our Autumn Work Week (30-Oct through 07-Nov) which is when we hope to start on the bogie spring change project.

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is ready for the Mixed Traction weekend 17-18 September.

     

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – we are very happy to report that donations to our D9518 restoration fund continue to build and we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed to the fund to support the £10,000 restoration of D9518.

    Our Class 14 team are making significant progress on several fronts as can be seen from the photos below:

    D9518’s restored battery box is now ready for primer and undercoat at Williton on 11th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518’s corroded cab door frame was repaired by Colin F on 11th Setember 2021 and is now ready for priming and undercoat. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518’s electrical cubicle is undergoing careful and thorough restoration at Williton in the hands of John C. Photo taken on 11th September 2021 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518’s frames are in the Swindon Shed at Williton and are seen undergoing preparation for a repaint with work being progressed by long-time member and volunteer Andy P on 11th September 2021. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    We intend to raise £10,000 for the whole restoration project so please help us by using one of the below links to make a donation:

    After selecting a donation link, you will then be able to use the quantity buttons to select the precise value that you want to donate. Please remember to select the GiftAid option if you are eligible because this will give us a 20% boost via a contribution from HM Government. Thank you very much for supporting the D9518 Restoration Appeal !

    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 operational condition – and see her haul passenger coaches for the first time in her life!

     

    Andrew Barclay 578 (ROF 1) – this loco is receiving attention for an air circuit fault that is preventing the main reservoir from charging. More news will be provided on this issue when fault-finding progresses.

     

    Many thanks to all of our volunteers who are hard at work cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

     

    BOOK REVIEW – it may not be a book but it is printed, so we will cover it under this heading! We are pleased to announce that the DEPG 2022 CALENDAR is at the printers and we hope to receive quantities this week, in time for the Mixed Traction Weekend event. Here’s a summary of the 12 high-resolution photos that have been so kindly donated by our members and supporters this year:

    Here is an animated video that steps through the calendar month-by-month:

     

    We have been able to keep the price the same as last year, so the calendar will again cost the princely sum of £1 per month, so we think that is a bargain that is not to be missed. Click here to order your copy while stocks last.

     

    We have now added some of the donated PRE-OWNED BOOKS to our online store, so take a look at these newly-added titles in case they are missing from your collection:

    Title Author Price Notes
    The Power of THE 50s John Vaughan £10 Some marks on jacket
    I tried to run a railway Gerard Fiennes £10 Second edition 2016, as new
    British Railways Stinks Dave Smith and colleagues £10 2019, as new
    BREL Locomotive Works John Vaughan £10 Faded spine, otherwise fine
    Diesels on the Regions – LMR Gavin Morrison £10 Faded spine, otherwise fine
    The Western Class 52s Norman Preedy £12.50 2015, as-new
    The Class 47 Years Bernard Mills £12.50 2017, as new
    British Rail Main Line Locomotives Pip Dunn £20 2013, as new
    Class 50 Life and Times Colin J Marsden £20 1991, but in brand new condition

    All of these books have been kindly donated by members and supporters and ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of pre-owned books goes directly to the D1010 restoration fund. Please reply to this email or use our contact form if you have books that you would like to donate. We welcome your donations!

     

    ON SHED: we will need to skip this feature this week, but we hope to include it again next week.

     

    DEPG NEWS: We can now focus on the remainder of our running season, the highlight of which is the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND this Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September. This running opportunity will feature an extension to Norton Fitzwarren to provide both additional mileage and additional interest from this little-used section of the line and also includes an evening journey to Blue Anchor and back behind D7018. This is our big event of this year and we will have a sales stand at Bishops Lydeard and at Williton, so PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT US AND THE WSR !

     

    DEPG WEBSITE: Now updated with the new 2022 CALENDAR and the newly-added PRE-OWNED BOOKS (there are plenty more yet to be added, so keep an eye on this product category).

     

    WSR NEWS: The Chairman of the WSR, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, has written to all staff and volunteers thanking them for their massive contribution in delivering a successful summer season so far, with the main events of the season still to come, namely the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND and the AUTUMN STEAM GALA.

    This is great news and provides encouragement and further motivation to all those across the whole WSR family of organisations who have been working so hard to overcome the constant challenges of the last year or two. Well done to all !

     

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  • DIESELGEN – change to D7018 run date

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 digs in to the 1 in 75 gradient as she approaches Longlands Bridge on the climb from Norton Fitzwarren to Bishops Lydeard on 7th August 2021. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The Diesel Traction Group’s (DTG’s) Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ will return to the mainline on the 25th September hauling ‘THE CHAMPION TORBAY EXPRESS’ from Gloucester to Kingswear and return, and this special event has naturally drawn the attention of many of our members and supporters, with the result that bookings on our Hymek-hauled ‘excursion’ that was scheduled for that same day are too low to make the run viable.

     

    The WSR has offered an alternative day, so we are now planning to run ‘Hymek’ D7018 on the same itinerary but on Saturday 16th October 2021 instead.

     

    If you have already made a booking for the 25th September run, we apologise for the inconvenience and we ask for your understanding. The WSR will be in touch with you soon to change your booking, so we hope to see you on 16th October instead.

     

    This news is ‘hot off the press’ so the WSR website has not yet been updated, but it will be updated ASAP. We look forward to seeing you at this rescheduled event. Thanks in advance!

     

    If you are unable to attend, the webcams provide a very good way of watching the action from afar. Here are the links:

    BL: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-bl2.htm

    CH: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ch1.htm

    WN: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-wn2.htm

    BA: http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-cam-ba1.htm

     

    Many thanks to Railcam UK and the WSR for providing these webcam services.

    Have you considered joining the WEEKLY ROUNDUP e-newsletter list? Click here for details.

     

     

  • Weekly Roundup – 04-Sep-21

    Apologies for the roundup being late this week. This is because the Annual General Meeting of the DEPG took place last Saturday 4th September and a summary of that event was reported as a priority.

    For the roundup, let’s start with a reminder that this coming weekend will see the return of the very popular ‘1940s weekend‘ events on the WSR and as in previous years, the DEPG are delighted to be able to play a supporting role. This year, we will be providing our two Class 33 ‘Crompton’ diesel-electrics, D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) so please do try and get along to this event if you can. Click here for timetable details.

    Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) is being “guarded” by Guard Steve Bailey at Crowcombe Heathfield station during the ‘1940s weekend’ event on 16th September 2018. Photo by John Blackmore © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    We are also looking forward to our main event of this year, the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND that will take place on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th of September. This will feature our two ‘Cromptons’ plus ‘Hymek’ D7018 and will include running to Norton Fitwarren in the afternoons. Here’s a link to the detailed timetables, as posted in a recent DIESELGEN bulletin. The timetabling is quite intense and has plenty of interest for fans of both types of traction, so please do try and come along to support the event if you can.

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 arrives at Stogumber station during the ‘1940s weekend’ event on 14th September 2019. Photo by Sylvia Way © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    A very big THANK YOU to all who have bought and are buying tickets in support of our 2021 diesel-hauled services, and an equally big thank you to all of the volunteers who have been and are involved in putting on the shows !

     

    If you have a question, please reply to this email or fill in the contact form on our website. Please help us and help the WSR make these diesel-hauled services a success by buying a ticket to ride !

     

    LOCO NEWS:

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has been fitted with a set of calibrated fuel pumps and injectors and has undergone a 50-hour inspection, so she is now ready for action again at the KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY. The loco was given a short test run and the previous issue of temperature imbalance between the two banks of the Paxman ‘V6’ engine has been resolved. The swift corrective action protected the engine from possible damage and will allow volunteer Class 14 loco manager Simon and his team the chance to relax a little and put their focus back on D9518.

    Class 14 D9526 undergoing test running at Tenterden on the K&ESR on 4th September 2021 with the diminutive Class A1X ‘Terrier’ 2678 (aka ‘Knowle’, a former Minehead resident, but not on the WSR ….) alongside on a service train. Photo by Simon Purvis © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    Class 14 D9526 (on the right) undergoes a 50-hour check at Tenterden on the K&ESR while sister loco D9504 (on the left) undergoes heavy maintenance alongside. Photo by Simon Purvis © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

     

    Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – our ‘celebrity’ remains marooned at Bishops Lydeard because of delays in obtaining permission for her oversize road haulage move from Bishops Lydeard to Pickering on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The latest indications are that the NYMR still want the loco and will most likely decide to move her by rail, but we do not have the date or route information yet. As soon as we do, it will be shared via a DIESELGEN bulletin.

     

     

    Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – we continue to receive donations towards the restoration of this much-loved loco and we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed to the fund to support the £100,000 restoration of D1010.

    Our total contributions to this fund (as at the end of August) are approaching £6,000 comprising almost £3,000 from donations and £3,000 from specific D1010-related purchases from our online store. We are also holding several pledges of financial support that are contingent on progress being made with investigations, and the value of these pledges is more than £15,000 taking our fund-raising efforts towards £21,000 so we are making respectable progress.

    The work on the bodyside is moving along and we have not encountered any unexpected issues so far. The cab ends remain the areas where most of the welding work is required, but we are moving carefully to ensure that we do not create additional work for ourselves when cutting out the corroded metal. We are in the process of formulating a plan for the repair work. Meanwhile, as a guide to the internal structure below the outer skin, the ‘B’ end cab now carries a photo that was taken during the construction of the class at Crewe Works (the first 30 locomotives were built at Swindon, the remainder at Crewe):

    The ‘B’ end cab of D1010 now carries a photo showing the internal support structure of the locomotive, to provide guidance to our volunteers. Photo taken at Williton on 4th September 2021 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    A photo showing the internal support structure of the D1000 series locomotives provides guidance to our volunteers. The photo was taken at Crewe Works in 1963 and was provided by member Phil Gray © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    We intend to raise £100,000 for the whole restoration project so please help us by using one of the below links to make a donation:

    After selecting a donation link, you will then be able to use the quantity buttons to select the precise value that you want to donate. Please remember to select the GiftAid option if you are eligible because this will give us a 20% boost via a contribution from HM Government. Thank you very much for supporting the D1010 Restoration Appeal !

     

    In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Westerns’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D1010 to full operational condition.

     

    Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco has now moved from Williton to Bishops Lydeard to be ready for use during the forthcoming ‘1940s weekend’.

     

    Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard, ready for use during the forthcoming ‘1940s weekend’.

     

    Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – no change this week – this loco is waiting for its turn to go into the Swindon Shed for bogie disconnection and lifting to replace the weak leaf spring. We are hoping to make a start on this work in late October/early November, depending on availability of space in the Swindon Shed.

     

    Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – we are very happy to report that donations to our D9518 restoration fund continue to build and are now approaching the £4,000 mark. This allows us to proceed with some of the subcontract specialist processes that are required for re-wheeling the frames and getting the loco mobile again.

    Meanwhile, progress continues on the reconstruction of the cab and the puzzle of the curved parts that we featured last week can now be explained by the following shot of the cab, showing the curved step that allows the cab door to open inwards.

    D9518’s cab entrance floor is formed by a temporary piece of plywood as the curved step gets welded into place at Williton on 4th September 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518’s cab was moved out of the main shed at Williton on 4th September 2021 to allow the AGM to take place. This photo shows volunteer Colin F hard at work on the cab floor repairs. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518’s wheel sets were on the move at Williton on 4th September 2021 with the motive power provided by Martin Howard and John Leach. The quality of the NCB blue gloss paint finish is a testament to the meticulous work performed by Colin C. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    D9518’s wheel sets are now fully restored in NCB blue and are ready for installation into the loco’s frames. Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 also enjoys the sunshine at Williton on 4th September 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    We intend to raise £10,000 for the whole restoration project so please help us by using one of the below links to make a donation:

    After selecting a donation link, you will then be able to use the quantity buttons to select the precise value that you want to donate. Please remember to select the GiftAid option if you are eligible because this will give us a 20% boost via a contribution from HM Government. Thank you very much for supporting the D9518 Restoration Appeal !

    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 operational condition – and see her haul passenger coaches for the first time in her life!

     

    Andrew Barclay 578 (ROF 1) – this loco is undergoing bodywork repairs prior to priming and painting. The livery chosen for this loco will be the Government-standard (in 1972) deep bronze green that the loco carried during her days in service at the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) in Puriton, near Bridgwater, Somerset.

    Many thanks to all of our volunteers who are hard at work cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

     

    BOOK REVIEW – we will skip this feature due to lack of time this week, but we can tell you that we have received further contributions to our stock of PRE-OWNED BOOKS and we now have  a temporary backlog of work to inspect them, photograph them and put them on our online store. All such books have been donated by members and supporters and ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of pre-owned books goes directly to the D1010 restoration fund. Please reply to this email or use our contact form if you have books that you would like to donate. We welcome your donations!

     

    ON SHED: this week, we have a change of theme as we feature a photo from regular contributor Alan Walker, showing North British Loco Co. Class 22 D6353 and Beyer-Peacock ‘Hymek’ D7074 stabled on the turntable roads at Old Oak Common depot near Paddington. Neither of these locos lasted very long in service, with the ’22’ being cut up when only 7 years old. The ‘Hymek’ almost made it to 10 years in service and then remained extant for another three years after withdrawal, lanquishing in the scrap line at Swindon.

    Class 22 D6353 and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7074 stabled on the turntable roads at Old Oak Common depot in the evening of Saturday 13th May 1967. Photo by Alan Walker © CC BY-NC 3.0

    Many thanks to Alan for sharing his photos with us.

     

    DEPG NEWS: Following the AGM that was held on the 4th September and has been reported separately, we can now focus on the remainder of our running season, the highlight of which is the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September. This running opportunity will feature an extension to Norton Fitzwarren to provide both additional mileage and additional interest from this little-used section of the line and also includes an evening journey to Blue Anchor and back behind D7018. This is our big event of this year and we will have a sales stand at Bishops Lydeard and at Williton, so PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT US AND THE WSR !

               

     

    DEPG WEBSITE: Our next new product will be the 2022 calendar, for which we have now received many high quality photos, so thank you very much if you have contributed. The calendar is at the printers and we hope to have it ready for sale at the Mixed Traction Weekend event. More news on this in the next roundup.

     

    WSR NEWS: The WSR are operating public services to Minehead via a connecting bus service between Dunster and Minehead, so please support these services by buying tickets to ride!

    Don’t forget to read about the WSR appeal by clicking this link – this appeal also needs our support because we need a thriving railway to run on !

    All members of the WSR family have to do what we can to help and one easy way is to make a donation via the WSR website. Another way is to ensure that all of the timetabled services are a commercial success, so please buy a ticket if you can.

     

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  • AGM report – 04-Sep-21

    DEPG members gather for the AGM at Williton on 4th September 2021 in the presence of WSR Assistant General Manager Kerry Noble while restoration work is paused on our flagship Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the DEPG took place as planned on 4th September 2021 at Williton Diesel Depot, where members gathered for the formal presentation by Chairman Martin Howard, Treasurer Julien Weston and Company Secretary Ian Robins. WSR Assistant General Manager Kerry Noble also attended to provide a very useful update of WSR news and progress, further cementing the close relationship between the railway and the DEPG.

    Martin delivered his Chairman’s report which started by telling members about the almost total collapse in mileage income in the year 2020, caused by the lack of running during that year and the subsequent impact on DEPG activities. He explained that the group had continued to make progress on several projects in between lockdowns and as a result, two locomotives have been hired out to other heritage railways for the 2021 season, with Class 14 D9526 on hire to the Kent & East Sussex Railway and Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ due to go out on hire to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (but temporarily stranded at Bishops Lydeard waiting for permission for onward transportation).

    DEPG Chairman Martin Howard addresses the AGM at Williton Diesel Depot on 4th September 2021. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    This left the DEPG with three operational locomotives, namely the two Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and three locomotives undergoing overhaul, namely Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and Class 14 D9518.

     

    The DEPG had also reached agreement with the WSR for a 10-year custodianship of their Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH number 578 (ROF Puriton No. 1) which was operational but undergoing bodywork repairs and a repaint into the deep bronze green livery that she carried when she entered service with the Royal Ordnance Factory at Puriton, Bridgwater in 1972. This loco will be used as the ‘yard pilot’ at Williton.

     

    Martin also explained about our current shortage of drivers and secondmen and gave news of a training course that had just started with 6 more volunteers to continue the flow of trainees to support diesel workings in future years.

    In his summary, Martin gave thanks to all of our volunteers, including those who work in the background providing all kinds of support to ensure that our primary activities can move forward. 

     

    Next to speak was Treasurer Julien, and he walked through the numbers and explained that although income from loco running fell to just over £1,000 in 2020, the group had raised £11,567 in donations and memberships, plus £20,000 from Grants, the total being sufficient to support overheads and allow selective spending on projects such as new springs for D7017. The Group had also been awarded a £15,000 bounce-back loan that was not being used but was being kept in reserve.

    Julien made the point that the DEPG has to cover all of its own costs by itself, unlike many other similar organisations on other railways, where the diesel facility running costs are covered by the railway. This means that if the WSR does not use the DEPG, then the DEPG has no cost impact on the WSR. This is good for the WSR at a time when they are seeking economies, but the DEPG still has to keep going somehow.

    The appeals that are running for D1010 and D9518 are essential to allow continued progress on these projects, and the hire income from D9526 and soon also 47077 will allow the DEPG to reduce its dependency on the WSR by diversification of income. The online store is another example of progress in this direction.

    The gathered members responded with a vote of thanks to Julien and the Board for keeping the Group on an even keel throughout the most difficult circumstances.

     

    It was then Ian’s turn to guide the formal processes of nominations for Board members, which resulted in the current Board members retaining their positions, leaving the Board unchanged as follows:

    Position Appointed Tenure
    Chairman Martin Howard Appointed for 1 year tenure
    Vice-Chairman Neil McCannon Appointed for 1 year tenure
    Treasurer Julien Weston Appointed for 1 year tenure
    Company Secretary Ian Robins Appointed for 1 year tenure
    Staff Representative Andy Royal Appointed for 3 year tenure
    Without Portfolio Paul Tucker Appointed last year for 3 years

     

    With the formal business concluded, it was time for the WSR‘s Kerry Noble to give a talk on the issues that have been faced by the WSR over the past year and the positive results being achieved from this summer’s running, where revenue has exceeded targets and, on some days, has exceeded loadings achieved in 2019 (when a lot more services were being provided).

    The forthcoming events being organised by the WSR will include DEPG diesels, starting with the 1940’s event next weekend, followed by the Mixed Traction event and the Steam Gala in October. The diesel-hauled excursion specials were also seen as a success, which bodes well for the future.

    Kerry ended by thanking the DEPG for their support and looked forward to working on the 2022 timetabling with the help and involvement of the DEPG. The gathered members responded with a round of applause and appreciation.


    The final act of the day was the auctioning of a painting that was donated by Wendy Howard and from which the DEPG is now offering a greeting card on its online store. The painting in acrylic was based on a photograph taken by Josh Brinsford and shows Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) approaching Williton Bridge with a crew refresher training special, on 1st May 2021.


    ‘D6575 down train approaching Williton in May 2021‘ painted by Wendy Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0 from a photograph by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

     

    DEPG Publicity Officer Mark Bladwell took the role of auctioneer and after some entertaining bidding, the painting was handed over to a member in return for a £50 donation to DEPG funds. Well done to Wendy and Josh for their roles in generating this useful contribution, both as a one-off and as an ongoing sales item.

     

    The usual weekly roundup will be a little late this week due to the need to cover the AGM, but please remember that this coming weekend will see the return of the the very popular ‘1940s weekend‘ events on the WSR and as in previous years, the DEPG are delighted to be able to play a small part, even though our locos were just a glint in their respective designer’s eyes during WW2. This year, the event will be supported by our two Class 33 ‘Crompton’ diesel-electrics, D6566 (33 048) and D6575 (33 057) so please do try and get along to this event if you can. Click here for timetable details.

     

    Also don’t forget to book in advance for the MIXED TRACTION WEEKEND that will take place on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th of September. This will be the WSR’s first true ‘hop-on-hop-off’ event since 2019 and will feature our two ‘Cromptons’ plus ‘Hymek’ D7018 and will include running to Norton Fitwarren in the afternoons. The timetabling is quite intense and has plenty of interest for fans of both types of traction, so please do try and come along to support the event if you can.

     

    A very big THANK YOU to all who have bought and are buying tickets in support of our 2021 diesel-hauled services, and an equally big thank you to all of the volunteers who have been and are involved in putting on the shows !

     

    If you have a question, please reply to this email or fill in the contact form on our website. Thanks ! Please help us and help the WSR make these diesel-hauled services a success by buying a ticket to ride !

    That’s all for this special report from the DEPG AGM, but keep a lookout for this week’s roundup!

     

     

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