Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back in action on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June 2024 when she worked 60 of the 80 miles available on the diagram originating at Minehead. One leg of the journey had to be handed over to a visiting celebrity steam loco, but the rest of the diagram was blessed with Maybach Music throughout. Pictured on the Saturday while departing from Williton, by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was kept busy last weekend, hauling the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard diagram on both days and performing very well, with driver Tucker in charge on Saturday and driver McCannon in charge on Sunday, both volunteers also being DEPG Trustees and Board Members. In an unscheduled change, the first return service on the Saturday raised concerns when the ‘Hymek’ stayed on the end of the train and a very shiny visiting ‘celebrity’ locomotive coupled on the front to haul the train back to Minehead. The loco was new-build 4-6-0 number 6880 ‘BETTON GRANGE’, no doubt a rare treat for the steam fans who happened to be on board.

Apologies to all who had travelled to the WSR to ride behind the ‘Hymek’ on that service. The substitution was the result of a need to get the steam loco to Minehead for planned work to be carried out later that day, and to combine the movement with a loaded test run. Thank you very much to all our supporters who attend on weekends to ride behind our diesels, please keep on coming, to demonstrate the increasing level of interest in diesel traction !

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was pictured while departing from Washford Station on Sunday 30th June 2024 with a service for Bishops Lydeard. The foreground shows a raft of sleepers that will be used by the volunteer Permanent Way team to renovate the trackwork in Washford Station Yard. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you were wondering about the curious timetable changes and the occasionally offline webcams last week, the explanation is that the WSR was hosting a private charter for a total of six days, in connection with filming work, in turn providing plenty of work for our two Class 33 ‘Cromptons’. We wonder if they will get included in the credits ….

Well done all, and no doubt this filming work will have generated a useful income for the railway and will result in increased tourism in the area in the future !

The filming work that was the purpose behind the private charter on the WSR involved the use of BR(W) 4-6-0 number 6990 ‘WITHERSLACK HALL’ and, in a supporting role, both of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons. In this view taken at Blue Anchor on Tuesday 2nd July 2024, D6575 (33057) waits for the token before leaving for Minehead. Photo by Paul Fleet © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This coming weekend, it is the turn of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) to haul the BLUE timetable turns on 6th and 7th July, with 80 miles of haulage each day. The following weekend, the turns are shared between Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 on Saturday 13th July, with one of our Class 33 ‘Cromptons’ being in use on Sunday 14th.

The rest of July is rostered for steam haulage. We are close to finalising the plan for the August weekends, each of which include diesel haulage on both days. 

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.

 

 

SOME SAD NEWS …. ANDY VENN, R.I.P.

BR(W), DTG, GWR and latterly DEPG railway engineer, the late Andy Venn was evidently enjoying his work on D1010‘s Voith L630rV transmission at Williton on 23rd April 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

We are saddened to announce that the heritage diesel preservation movement has lost another of its well known and highly capable volunteers, with the loss of ANDY VENN who passed away on Monday 1st July 2024. A legend amongst diesel-hydraulic locomotive owning groups, Andy was also known by his nickname ‘SLEDGE‘ (no doubt there is a story behind that). He had not long started his retirement from GWR’s Reading Traction Maintenance Depot when he developed prostrate cancer, so he sadly didn’t get to live out his retirement dreams.

Andy played a major role in the initial repair stages of D1010‘s Voith L630rV transmission and along with his former boss Paul Koch, provided essential information and guidance to our own team, led by Colin F.

With condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of Andy Venn, R.I.P.

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

As advised last week, here’s a reminder that DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

     Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a ‘Hymek’ diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.”

To learn more and book your place please click on the link below, which will take you directly to the page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the date of Monday 8th July is approaching fast ! This date has been set for the body of this loco to be lifted from her bogies and slewed over to the adjacent track, where the ex-BR Swindon stands will be positioned and levelled, ready to carry the 50-tonne load. The lift will be performed by two 120-tonne road cranes that will be supplied by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE working in tandem. The lifting will start by removing the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD-655 engines, each of which weighs close to 6 tonnes each, to reduce the weight of the loco body and minimise the stresses on the 62-year-old loco body structure. The transmissions and cooler groups were removed for overhaul last year, so the interior of the loco will be easy to access and will be ready for a thorough clean-up and re-paint once the body is safely lowered onto the stands.

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ provides the backdrop against which we see Gordon holding the handbrake linkage that he removed from the locomotive on Saturday 29th June 2024. All connections between the body and the bogie have now been removed or released, ready for the lift. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The updated diagram below was drawn up by DEPG volunteer Barry Quest and shows the planned positions of the two cranes relative to the locomotive. After the body of the loco has been placed down on the stands on No. 5 road, the cranes will vacate the area and the bogies will be rolled from No 4 road into the DEPG loco shed, a little further south. The loco body and stands on No. 5 road will then be protected by sleeper barriers and/or ballast bags, to ensure that the loco is not disturbed by errant road or rail vehicles during her wait for her bogies to be overhauled, a process that we expect to take 6 to 9 months in total.

Plan view of the cranes positioned at each end of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on number 4 road at Williton, showing the stands positioned on number 5 road. The loco body will be lifted up to a height of 2m to clear the bogies, then will be slewed over and lowered onto the stands. When the cranes have left the area, the bogies will be rolled into the DEPG loco shed (left of this view) for overhaul. Drawing by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The below photo, reproduced from one of the Bradford Barton books, shows D1025 ‘WESTERN GUARDSMAN’ under construction in Swindon Works in the Autumn of 1963. The loco body was mounted on stands, a method that was commonly used in the ‘Works’, both for new builds and overhauls.

Class 52 D1025 ‘WESTERN GUARDSMAN’ under construction at Swindon Works in Autumn 1963. The loco body is supported on stands. From an original photo by L. Waters ©

 

The sight of a ‘Western’ on the stands will be a ‘first’ for preservation, because the last time such a sight would have been seen would have been during the parts recovery from the withdrawn locos as they made their way to meet the cutter’s torch in the killing fields at Swindon Works in the late 1970s. The stands were modified several times during their working lives at Swindon, eventually being used to support Mark 1 coach bodies that were being converted for use on the Kent Coast Electrification project. We are lucky to have two of these modified stands available to support D1010.

 

The lifting of D1010 will be filmed by DEPG volunteers and shared via Social Media and YouTube. The Williton Station webcam may not be functional during the lift period, but keep an eye on our website for links to the videos and photo galleries, which we will post online as soon as we are able to do so.

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in use during the last two weeks on private charter filming support duties, and is now stabled at Bishops Lydeard as a standby locomotive.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will be in use this coming weekend (6th/7th July) on the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return service (x2) under the BLUE timetable, covering 80 miles each running day.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already stated, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday 13th July, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the housings can be inspected and hopefully used as replacements for the transmission that is currently undergoing repair. The focus has temporarily switched to preparing D1010 for her body lift, but the ‘transmission team’ will be back on the Mekydro case ASAP !

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have one of the two cardan shafts re-installed in the loco ! This aspect of the restoration has taken some time due to the large and expensive nature of the parts involved, but we have now have a solution, WITH THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS, and the shorter (but chunkier) of the two shafts has now been re-installed in the locomotive.

D9518 – the massive cardan shaft that connects the transmission to the final drive was lowered into the locomotive at Williton on Saturday 29th June 2024. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the output shaft was re-installed between the transmission and the final drive by Colin G and Terry at Williton on Saturday 29th June 2024. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – at the end of the day, with all of the bolts tightened and the the safety bow in place, camera-shy Colin G was caught with a satisfied smile on his face, looking down at the result of many hours of his and Terry’s hard graft. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 29th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

47077 – the massive but somewhat corroded silencer after removal from the loco. They probably don’t have one in stock at the local Kwik-Fit, so we might have to get this one repaired ! Pictured at Grosmont on 25th June 2024 by Josh Smith  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

ON SHED: apologies, but due to the workload on the planning for D1010‘s lifting, we will need to skip this feature again this week.

 

DEPG NEWS: the DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below for details.

   

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) was in action on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June 2024 when she worked the 80-mile diagram out and back from Minehead (two roundtrips to Bishops Lydeard each day). Pictured at Williton on the Saturday while passing Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

It was the turn of Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to haul the weekend BLUE timetable runs on 22/23 June with 80 miles of haulage each day. The weekend turns are shared between the two ‘Cromptons’ and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017, with a double dose of ‘Hymek’ haulage scheduled for this coming weekend, 29/30th June.

The pattern changes in July after the first weekend being ‘Crompton’ hauled, then the second weekend being split between the ‘Hymek’ on the Saturday and the ‘Crompton’ on the Sunday. The rest of July is rostered for steam haulage. We are close to finalising the plan for the August weekends, each of which include diesel haulage on both days.

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

As advised last week, here’s a reminder that DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a ‘Hymek’ diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.

     The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) as main providers of diesel traction on the WSR made ‘Hymek’ D7017 available for the charter. As you probably know, D7017 is one of very few locos to have spent their heritage era career on one railway, having been based at the WSR for some 49 years, since its arrival in 1975. ‘Hymeks’ were once a regular motive power on the Minehead branch in the 1960s, often seen hauling stopping and through holiday trains between Taunton and Minehead. These trains could often be formed, as they were elsewhere on the Western Region, of mixed Maroon and Choc/cream rakes of coaches – the later having been split from previously formed named express sets. I’ve requested a short rake of 4 coaches, very typical of many Western Region secondary trains of the period. This will be a chance to recreate an authentic scene from the 1960s.

     The charter will commence from Minehead at 09.00hrs. We will proceed and stop for run pasts along the line, using the train as our transport, at both lineside and some stations, through to Bishops Lydeard. A lunch break will be taken here, and the cafe will be available. In the afternoon we will return to Minehead with run pasts at various locations, in the opposite direction of course for different picture opportunities. The charter is expected to finish around 17.00 – 17.30hrs.

     These events do cost quite considerable sums to put on, so will only be available to those booking a place and paying for the privilege. All funds collected are to cover direct costs and provide a revenue for the WSR & DEPG.

Cost for the day is £96.00 per head.”

To book your place please click on the link below, which will take you direct to the correct page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Tuesday and Wednesday 2nd and 3rd July – services running between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet only

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the date of Monday 8th July has been set for the body of this loco to be lifted from her bogies and slewed over to the adjacent track, where the ex-BR Swindon stands will be (by then) positioned and levelled, ready to carry the 50-tonne load. The lift will be performed by two 120-tonne road cranes that will be supplied by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE working in tandem. The lifting will start by removing the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD-655 engines, each of which weighs close to 6 tonnes each, to reduce the weight of the loco body and minimise the stresses on the 62-year-old loco body structure. The transmissions and cooler groups were removed for overhaul last year, so the interior of the loco will be easy to access and will be ready for a thorough clean-up and re-paint once the body is safely lowered onto the stands.

Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 28th June 2024, showing (L-R) Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 along with the subject of the planned lifting, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The diagram below was drawn up by DEPG volunteer Barry Quest and shows the planned positions of the two cranes relative to the locomotive. The curvature of the track layout introduces some issues, but we will be re-positioning the loco before the lift to reduce these effects and allow the suspension to align itself more comfortably.

Plan view of the cranes positioned at each end of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on number 4 road at Williton, showing the stands positioned on number 5 road. The loco body will be lifted up to a height of 2m to clear the bogies, then will be slewed over and lowered onto the stands. When the cranes have left the area, the bogies will be rolled into the DEPG loco shed for overhaul. Drawing by Barry Quest © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

One of the genuine ex-BR Swindon Works stands that were used for ‘Westerns’ right up until the end of their days. The uppermost section was a modification to suit the Mark 1 coach frames that were the basis of the Kent Coast Electrification Project work that was being undertaken at Swindon in the late 1970s. Pictured alongside D1010 at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

A very welcome visitor to Williton on Saturday 22nd June was DTG and DEPG member PAUL KOCH, who called in to talk us through the lifting procedures and cast an eye over our lift planning. We welcomed the chance to further expand our knowledge and Paul gave us some valuable tips that will no doubt help the process go along more smoothly. Thank you very much, Paul !

D1010 – the preparations necessary for quick and easy engine removal were described in detail by DTG and DEPG member PAUL KOCH as Gordon, Martin, Thomas and Andy listened carefully. Pictured at Williton on 22nd June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

Meanwhile, Ian F continued his diligent work on the restoration of one of the cooler groups, with a view to getting these enormous assemblies ready for the return to service. Although they won’t be needed for a while, it is important to get them finished because they take up a lot of space when they are disassembled and spread around the shed !

D1010 – the hydrostatic radiator fan assemblies were the target for Ian F at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024. The two fans in each cooler group are powered from a Serck pump that is driven by the relevant engine, via a step-up gear in the transmission. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Repeating some FEEDBACK on a QUESTION: During the WSR Summer Diesel Festival, several visitors enquired as to why D1010 was covered up with tarpaulins and not properly ‘on show’. The reason for this was that the cooler groups had been removed from the loco so there were large sections of roof missing, so fitting and removing the tarpaulins is not a quick job (it is MUCH harder than it looks). The weather forecast was good but not perfect, so we couldn’t take the chance of letting the internals of the loco get a soaking while we cleared the area and gathered an army of volunteers. Apologies to the photographers, but we hope to have her properly dressed in good time for the next gala !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in service on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June on the 1000 Minehead diagram under the BLUE timetable.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco was at Williton over the weekend of 22/23rd June and underwent an ‘A’ examination (performed every 50 running hours) in preparation for planned use during the following week. Ian R and Ashley continued their remedial work on the two cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter. These massive items will be refurbished and put back into stock for use on a future occasion.

D6575 (33057) – the two Sulzer cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter were put on a pallet and prepared for relocation to the overhaul bench. Some special tools will be needed to facilitate the work, so there will be a delay before these items can be completed and returned to the storage container. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already covered, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the housings can be inspected and hopefully used as replacements for the transmission that is currently undergoing repair. The parts were carefully organised into groups and will be cleaned and inspected by the ;transmission team’ that is led by Colin F. When Colin gives the ‘green light’, the housings will be moved to the transmission overhaul area and swapped with the cracked castings, which will then be used to package up the ‘spare’ internal components. The cracked castings are not beyond repair, but the necessary specialist processes would be both costly and time consuming, so they will be deferred to some time in the future, after the loco has been returned to service. Here are a selection of photos of the ‘Mekydro kit’, as pictured by Colin Foxhall (CF) and Martin Howard (MH):

Above – the torque converter assembly (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – the underside of the central housing section (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)
Above – The lower housing of the final drive (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – The input shaft and intermediate gear wheel (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)
Above – The upper side of the upper housing section (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – The final drive assembly (MH, © CC BY-NC 3.0)
Above – The damaged bearing journal on the torque converter (CF, © CC BY-NC 3.0)	Above – the spare transmission before disassembly and cleaning (CF, © CC BY-NC 3.0)

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – as reported last week, we have some VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have two cardan shafts that are fit for further service ! The two shafts (the long one goes between the engine and the transmission, the short one goes between the transmission and the final drive) have now been re-balanced and are now ready to be re-installed in the locomotive.

D9518 – the longer of the two massive cardan shafts is the one that fits between the engine and the transmission, running in a tunnel under the cab floor. It is very important that this shaft is in very good condition for obvious reasons! Nicely spray painted by Colin G and pictured at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

D9518 – the cab assembly is progressing towards the stage where it will be re-united with the loco frame. Colin G applied the first undercoat at Williton on Saturday 22nd June 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

47077 – the bellows that feeds the air into the turbocharger is made from leather and has a relatively short life, compared to the items around it. A replacement is on order and will be fitted in the coming weeks. Pictured at Grosmont on 20th June 2024 by Josh Smith  © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

 

ON SHED: apologies, we will need to skip this feature again this week.

 

DEPG NEWS: the DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you like reading about the work that is done at the DEPG, the least that you can do is JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE for details.

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back in action on Saturday 15th June 2024 when she worked the 80-mile diagram out and back from Minehead (two roundtrips to Bishops Lydeard) with driver Tucker in charge. Pictured in the headshunt at Minehead while running around her train, with BR(WR) ‘Modified Hall’ 6990 ‘WITHERSLACK HALL’ alongside. Photo by Steve Speck © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

After her sparkling performances during the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival, it was great to see Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 out and about again, with another set of highly entertaining BLUE timetable runs with a 6-coach load, totalling 80 miles of haulage. The loco had been stabled at Minehead following the gala and will remain there for a few more weeks because she is scheduled to haul the weekend services on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June and the Saturday service on the 14th July. We hope to schedule addition ‘Hymek’ running later in the summer.

 

D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

Well-known and respected photographer DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a Hymek diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.

      The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) as main providers of diesel traction on the WSR made Hymek D7017 available for the charter. As you probably know, D7017 is one of very few locos to have spent their heritage era career on one railway, having been based at the WSR for some 49 years, since its arrival in 1975. Hymeks were once a regular motive power on the Minehead branch in the 1960s, often seen hauling stopping and through holiday trains between Taunton and Minehead. These trains could often be formed, as they were elsewhere on the Western Region, of mixed Maroon and Choc/cream rakes of coaches – the later having been split from previously formed named express sets. I’ve requested a short rake of 4 coaches, very typical of many Western Region secondary trains of the period. This will be a chance to recreate an authentic scene from the 1960s.

     The charter will commence from Minehead at 09.00hrs. We will proceed and stop for run pasts along the line, using the train as our transport, at both lineside and some stations, through to Bishops Lydeard. A lunch break will be taken here, and the cafe will be available. In the afternoon we will return to Minehead with run pasts at various locations, in the opposite direction of course for different picture opportunities. The charter is expected to finish around 17.00 – 17.30hrs.

     These events do cost quite considerable sums to put on, so will only be available to those booking a place and paying for the privilege. All funds collected are to cover direct costs and provide a revenue for the WSR & DEPG.

     Cost for the day is £96.00 per head.”

To book your place please click on the link below, which will take you direct to the correct page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

 

Forthcoming events on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Wednesday and Thursday 26/27th June – services running between Minehead and Williton only

Tuesday and Wednesday 2nd and 3rd July – services running between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet only

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco is stabled on number 4 road in the yard, and plans are now well advanced for the loco body to be lifted from its bogies using a pair of cranes and slewed across to the adjacent number 5 road where the ex-BR Swindon Works stands will be positioned, ready and waiting for her. This will then allow the bogies to be rolled into our loco shed for overhaul. The lift will be carried out using two 120-ton road cranes, one at each end of the loco, and will leave the loco body on the stands where she will remain until the bogies are ready. The process will then be reversed and the loco will become mobile again.

Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 21st June 2024, showing (L-R) Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1), Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057), Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and in the distance, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Zooming-in on the Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 21st June 2024, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ is stabled on number 4 road where her bogies will remain for a short while. Her body will be lifted across to the adjacent number 5 road that is currently occupied by a ‘Lowmac’ wagon (which will be moved out of the way!). Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The genuine ex-BR Swindon Works stands that were used for ‘Westerns’ right up until the end of their days, after which they were were modified with wider platforms to suit the Mark 1 coach frames that were the basis of the Kent Coast Electrification Project work. Pictured alongside D7018 at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

Meanwhile, the lift planning is not the only activity that is absorbing the D1010 team’s time at Williton, with various items being prepared to go to specialist subcontractors for overhaul in parallel to the planned bogie work. The cardan shafts that drive the auxiliary machines were gathered up by Gordon at the yard on Saturday and prepared for shipment. These shafts are used for connecting the dynastarter (a combined starter motor and generator) and for driving the Serck pump (a hydraulic pump that drives the radiator fans), so they are quite important !

D1010 – the cardan shafts for the auxiliary machines were gathered up by Gordon at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 and prepared for shipment to a specialist subcontractor for overhaul. The longer shafts fit between the transmissions and the dynastarters, the shorter shafts fit between the transmissions and the Serck pumps. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

FEEDBACK on a QUESTION: During the WSR Summer Diesel Festival, several visitors enquired as to why D1010 was covered up with tarpaulins and not properly ‘on show’. The reason for this was that the cooler groups had been removed from the loco so there were large sections of roof missing, so fitting and removing the tarpaulins is not a quick job (it is MUCH harder than it looks). The weather forecast was good but not perfect, so we couldn’t take the chance of letting the internals of the loco get a soaking while we cleared the area and gathered an army of volunteers. Apologies to the photographers, but we hope to have her properly dressed in good time for the next gala !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now stabled at Minehead as the ‘Duty Loco’ and will be in service on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June and again on 6th and 7th of July under the BLUE timetable.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco was in use on Sunday 16th June and has now returned to Williton where she will undergo an ‘A’ examination and attention to minor issues. While Ian, Tom and Ashley were devoid of any ‘Cromptons’ on shed, the opportunity was taken to clean up and start remedial work on the two cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter. These massive items will be refurbished and put back into stock for use on a future occasion.

D6575 (33057) – the two Sulzer cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter were cleaned up prior to being refurbished at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024. Volunteer loco manager Ian R was pictured while adminstering the degreaser. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already covered, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7017 – pictured while departing from Williton with the 1000 service from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 15th June 2024. Visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to view other dates for diesel haulage on the WSR. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the repairs to the transmission of this loco took another step forward last week when the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 was moved into the loco shed to be dismantled. The plan is to use the casings from the ‘spare’ to replace the cracked parts from D7018‘s current transmission, to avoid the expensive and long-winded process of repairing multiple cracks in the very large and heavy steel castings.

To allow the work to proceed, it was necessary to fabricate another transmission stand so that the casings could be properly supported while being worked on. In a matter of days, the steelwork was cut to size and fitted together so that it could be welded into the finished product. Made entirely from steel recovered from the ‘scrap bin’, the stand does not look ‘new’ but it certainly is new and is more than strong enough for the task. Well done to Tony and Colin F for producing this very useful piece of equipment with the minimum of expenditure !

D7018 – the new stand for the transmission was fabricated from strong but rusty sections of steel recovered from the ‘scrap bin’ at Williton. Pictured on 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission last ran in the loco in 1995 and has become the spares donor to the ‘new’ transmission on three occasions already – and there is about to be a fourth! Pictured at Williton on 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – some VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have two cardan shafts that are fit for further service ! The two shafts (the long one goes between the engine and the transmission, the short one goes between the transmission and the final drive) have now been re-balanced and are almost ready to be re-installed in the locomotive (just some paint touch-up to deal with first).

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

D9518 – the massive cardan shafts have now returned from inspection and balancing, and are about to be painted by Andy P before being installed into the locomotive. THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who donated to the D9518 fund and made this giant step forward possible ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is available for service – which might be sooner rather than later !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway last weekend. The loco performed faultlessly and fitted right in with a number of other ‘BR Blue’ locomotives, as pictured in the ‘on shed’ scene at Grosmont, further below. Top marks to the Diesel team at Grosmont for keeping her in such good condition !

47077 – pictured at Levisham on 15th June 2024 while waiting for the ‘Peak’ to clear the section, our ‘celebrity’ was a very popular locomotive and performed faultlessly throughout the NYMR‘s Diesel Gala. Only the weather could have been better. Photo by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – pictured while powering away from Levisham on 15th June 2024, this loco is a firm favourite on the NYMR, with both the crews and the passengers – and the photographers ! Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Grosmont shed on 16th June 2024 was an authentic reproduction of the ‘BR-blue’ era, with (L-R) Class 45 ‘Peak 45108 (D120), Class 31 31128 ‘CHARYBDIS’, Class 20 20189 and our very own 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ on shed. Photo by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: apologies, but we will have to skip this feature this week because we are still in ‘catch-up’ mode !

ON SHED: apologies, as above !

DEPG NEWS: apologies again, there is plenty to report, but unfortunately we are out of time for this week.

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

 

The WSR’s 2024 Summer Diesel Festival saw the welcome return of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 on the Friday and Saturday, delivering several highly entertaining performances. The diesel-hydraulic was pictured on 7th June 2024 alongside Helwell Bay on the approach to Doniford Halt with the WSR’s Class 115 DMU in tow. Photo by Mike Lanning © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Visiting Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ was a very popular loco, fresh from overhaul at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway and delivering some fine performances over a four-day period. Pictured on the approach to Crowcombe Heathfield on 7th June 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Visiting Class 46 D182 (46045) entertained with several spirited departures, demonstrating that her 2,500hp Sulzer engine was well capable of accelerating her well-loaded trains from the standing start. Pictured at Ker Moor en route to Minehead on Saturday 8th June 2024 by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ was positioned inside Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to replicate the configuration that was once commonplace on the Southern Region (SR) in the early 1960s, before the SR coaching stock had been upgraded to electric train heating. The ’24’ or ’25’ would have provided the steam heating service ! Pictured when departing from Crowcombe Heathfield on Friday 7th June 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 ‘delivered the goods’ throughout the gala, building upon her reputation as a good solid performer on freight or passenger, working some trains as ‘top and tail’ with the DEPG’s Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019). Pictured approaching Dene Bridge on the climb from Norton Fitzwarren on Thursday 6th June 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The pair of Class 20s, one of which (20142) was in London Transport livery, were not the only unusual sights at Williton on Thursday 6th June 2024, as DEPG Publicity Officer and Secondman Mark Bladwell acknowledged the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings with a very patriotic waistcoat ! Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On the Saturday and Sunday (not a gala day but a mixed traction day), a GWR ‘Castle’ Class HST set comprising power cars 43155 (formerly ‘Rougemont Castle’, leading) and 43154 (formerly ‘Compton Castle’, trailing) and four coaches provided a very interesting alternative form of transport, ideal for a smooth and quiet journey along the picturesque West Somerset Railway. Pictured at Stogumber on Sunday 9th June 2024 by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

The WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL took place over the three days Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th June, with a mixed traction day on the Sunday with seven services each way, two of which were operated by steam. The weather co-operated with clear blue skies on the Thursday and a decent amount of sunny spells on the other days, and the interesting mix of traction combined with some clever timetabling to make the event very attractive to the public and A BIG SUCCESS !

 

The DEPG hosted an ‘open yard’ with Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on display outside the ‘Swindon Shed’ and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 open for cab visits outside the DEPG loco shed, with major Class 14 restoration project D9518 (NCB No.7) on display within the shed. Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was on display in the yard but found herself pressed into action on the first day of the gala when one of the DMU power cars developed a knocking noise in the transmission and had to be stopped for investigation. The DMU was in use as coaching stock so the engines were not being run, therefore the final drives had to be locked out of mesh so that transmission damage did not occur when being towed. The mechanism on one axle was not remaining fully disengaged, so the rogue power car was making occasional unwelcome noises and had to be removed from the consist when the train, hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, arrived at Williton.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) and WSR engineer/driver Rich Hiscox came to the rescue in the late afternoon of Thursday 6th June 2024 to shunt the defective DMU power car to the North Yard so that it could receive attention from the WSR engineering team. The repaired vehicle was towed to Minehead early the following morning by ‘Hymek’ D7017 so that it could re-join the set and provide more seats for the waiting travellers. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The issue with the DMU caused a bit of a delay because splitting a DMU while it is at the platform is not the easiest of tasks, but the delay was soon overcome. The event ran close to time on the subsequent days, showing that the timetable had sufficient resilience and recovery time built-in. The designated ‘Thunderbird’ loco was Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) based at Minehead, but this loco did not have to be called upon because, apart from some minor and quickly-resolved teething troubles with the recently-overhauled Class ’50’, there were no reliability issues throughout the event.

 

NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area at Williton was a big success and we will be making this a regular feature for future gala events, with additional chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and hot snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’ while safely taking photos from the lineside. Our sales stand was very busy throughout and the ever-popular model railway trading stand was provided by Rod Saunders, enjoying very good business over the three days of the event.

The Sunday was always going to be a bit of an unknown in terms of visitor numbers because the mixed traction offerings were only defined at a late stage, but we took a chance and opened the depot, and achieved a FIRST for the DEPG by having the depot staffed entirely by our lady volunteers !

 

Overall, the event was a big success, and we send out a correspondingly big THANK YOU to the volunteers across the entire WSR family plus the WSR staff, the Gala Planning Team, the loco owners, the crews, the weather and of course the PUBLIC for attending and making it such an enjoyable experience !

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ provides the backdrop for (L-R) Linda, Carolyn, Natalie and Julie, all regular volunteers at the DEPG, each holding Personal Track Safety (PTS) certificates and fully IN CHARGE of the depot on Sunday 9th June 2024. Many thanks and well done indeed! Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday 15th June when Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

NOTE: the Sunday 16th June working has had to revert to Class 33 haulage because of crew availability issues. Apologies for this late change of traction.

 

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

The 2024 DEPG Summer Draw took place at Williton depot on Saturday 8th June, with our celebrity guest GEOFF HUDSON (of Class 50 fame) pulling out the winning numbers which were as follows:

FIRST PRIZE	Ticket 0185	Jon Pain
Second Prize	Ticket 3587	Steve Thorn
Third Prize	Ticket 1992	Mrs. S. Churchill
Fourth Prize	Ticket 0227	Rob Franklin

The overall proceeds of £2,663 included many donations, for which we are most grateful, and which will be allocated to the funds specified by the donors. The net proceeds of the raffle will then be distributed evenly between our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518. Full details will be included in the next ’roundup’ and will be posted on our website ASAP.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

 

LOCO NEWS (in brief):

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco is now positioned on No. 4 road at the north end of the DEPG yard, undergoing preparations for her two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines to be lifted out, hopefully next week. If all goes well and the paperwork can be completed in time, the lift could be taking place during the following week, leaving the loco body mounted on stands on the adjacent No. 5 road.

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco joined in with the gala activities on Saturday 8th June by working ‘top and tail’ with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on the ‘DMU drag’ between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren. Rare haulage indeed !

D4107 (09019)– this loco (the most recent addition to the DEPG fleet) was pictured while attaching to the WSR’s Class 115 DMU at Bishops Lydeard in readiness for a round trip to Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 8th June 2024. Photo by Tim Zilkha © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now stabled at Minehead after working several services during the gala, mostly in conjunction with visiting Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ and alone on the Sunday.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco was the standby loco for the duration of the gala and was (thankfully) not called upon, but she did get her slice of the action on Sunday 9th June.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco performed beautifully during the gala, as was evident from the delight on the faces of the passengers when they disembarked at Minehead at the end of the event. We have rostered this loco for three public services in June, the first being Saturday 15th June and then Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7018 – pictured arriving at Minehead with the last service of the day on Friday 7th June 2024, with DEPG Publicity Officer and Secondman Mark Bladwell at the ready and DEPG Chairman Martin Howard at the controls. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco was on display at Williton and available for cab visits, and was well patronised. During the gala, several groups of visitors were taken to the transmission repair area to take a look at the damaged castings and discuss the repair plan with ‘transmission team’ leader Colin F. We have a clear plan and Colin and Geoff were back in action immediately after the gala to make further progress – to be covered in the next edition of ’roundup’.

D7018 – the damaged centre section of the transmission housing was made available for viewing (by arrangement only) at Williton during the gala. Pictured at Williton on 29th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the chassis, engine and cab of this major restoration project were on display at Williton throughout the gala and were the subject of much interest, especially as this loco is going to be restored in NCB ‘Ashington Blue’ livery with the running number ‘NCB No.7’. This loco attracted some major donations from visitors to the gala and we are now able to proceed with the completion of the work, without the worry of funding. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SUPPORTING D9518 !

D9518 – some of the team members involved in the restoration work stand proudly beside the chassis of the loco – (L-R) – Tony, Linda, Nick and Gwyn. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 11th June 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco performed perfectly throughout the gala and was also in use on the day before the gala when she lifted the equivalent of a 6-coach trailing load out of Williton station with ease, as part of a positioning move to Minehead. What a show off!

D9526 – on a positioning move from Williton to Minehead in preparation for the gala, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) and Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46045) were whisked away from a standing start in an impressive demonstration of diesel-hydraulic tractive effort! Pictured at Williton on Wednesday 5th June 2024 by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has been making frequent appearances on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and continues to feature on social media channels. Please send us your photos if you are lucky enough to see this loco in action !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this very useful loco proved her worth again on the first day of the gala when she shunted the failed DMU power car from the south yard to the north yard at Williton. This manoeuvre involved a continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard. This loco will be on display on number 1 road at the depot throughout the gala.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was lavished with attention from Natalie and Tony at Williton on Wednesday 5th June 2024, ready to be put on display and in case of being called into action – which was the case the following day, as reported previously. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG FACILITIES:

Almost the whole length of the south yard was open to visitors, with a dedicated area for seating and a hot drinks and hot snack van available to tempt visitors to stay a while and find out more about what goes on at Williton. The plan was a success and we will be building on this for future galas and events, with more exhibits and other attractions to cater for a wider interest.

This development was only possible because of the hard work of our volunteers in clearing the yard, painting the floors, re-organising our container storage areas and with the help of the WSRA STEAM RALLY team, who loaned the crowd fencing that was essential for maintaining public safety. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO GAVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO ACHIEVE THIS !

The DEPG loco shed at Williton was cleaned and the floor re-painted in time for the gala weekend. Many thanks to all involved in making the depot safe and welcoming for the many visitors who came along. Pictured on 2nd June 2024 by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

It is hard to believe that it was a week ago already, but that means that we only have 51 weeks before we have to do it all again, bigger and better and even more entertaining. We had better get back to work !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ arrived at Westridge, Bishops Lydeard on Thursday 30th May 2024 to take part in the forthcoming WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL that runs from Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th June, with a mixed traction day featuring some of the other visiting locos on Sunday 9th. Photo by Seb Welsh © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

A GWR ‘Castle’ Class HST set will be operating on the WSR during the Saturday of the forthcoming SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL and will also be in use on Sunday 9th. The previous visit of a ‘Castle’ set in September last year showed how popular these veteran trains can be. Power car 43162 ‘Caerhays Castle’ was in the lead approaching Doniford on 23rd September 2023. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

There are only five days to go before the start of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL so all of our attention is being directed at preparing our locomotives and preparing our depot to receive hopefully thousands of visitors.

The event is going to be action-packed with up to 11 locomotives in operation PLUS a GWR ‘Castle’ HST set on the Saturday and Sunday. The gala event runs from Thursday through Saturday and the Sunday features a significant expansion of the BLUE timetable with the HST and two of the visiting locos in use alongside a steam-hauled service.

NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area at Williton will be set out with chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’ while taking photos from the lineside. We look forward to seeing you at Williton next week !

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 1st/2nd June when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

Then there is the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL for which the Gala TIMETABLES are now available on the WSR website – click this link then select the date of interest then click on VIEW TIMETABLE or click on the images below to download a pdf of the relevant timetable page:

 

The mixed traction offering on Sunday 9th has now been firmed up and EXPANDED with three visiting forms of traction in use: the Class 46, the Class 50 and the HST, in addition to both of our Class 33s, so this will be a very interesting day in itself and a great way to end the gala. WELL DONE to the WSR for making this happen – we now need YOUR support to make it a financial success !

 

Beyond the gala, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Please bring your ‘treasure’ along to Williton during the ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL‘ and donate it in support of the DEPG. Thanks !

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES:

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’
• GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST set on Saturday and Sunday

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event. Late night services depart from Williton in both directions after the presentation (click here for the Saturday timetable).

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we are DOING MUCH BETTER, probably because we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post (although time is running our for the postal option). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines are ready to be lifted out of the loco, but with the gala fast approaching, we will have to defer such work until after the event. Meanwhile, there are other tasks to be progressed, such as the loosening of the bogie secondary suspension spring hanger nuts while the loco weight is holding everything down. These massive nuts have been in an exposed position for 50+years so they are not going to give up without a fight – and that is exactly what Colin F and Tim gave them, but to no avail.

At the ‘A’ end of the loco, Gordon was at work preparing for the air tank inspection and removing the flexible hoses that all need to be replaced before the loco returns to service. Considering the air hoses, hydraulic hoses and fuel hoses, that amounts to a lot of replacements – but is a necessary expense to achieve reliability in the future.

A big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for progressing these tasks.

D1010 – the nuts that adjust the suspension ride heights have 2″ BSW (50mm) threads, and such massive nuts take some shifting, especially after being exposed to the elements and untouched for 50+ years. Volunteer Tim tries out his rowing technique at Williton on Tuesday 28th May 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – the speedometer sensors (one per bogie) have been disconnected by Gordon in preparation for the lifting of the loco body. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be holding ‘live’ engraving sessions during the gala, so please come along to find your existing patch and sponsor another one !

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print the certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we will be asking for an additional £2.50 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage. We can even put them in frame for you.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

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 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and will be working ‘top and tail’ with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on a ‘DMU Drag’ on Saturday 8th, departing Bishops Lydeard for Norton Fitzwarren at 12:20 so ’09’ HAULAGE IS ON OFFER ! See the gala timetables for further details.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is currently stabled at Williton and last week received an overhauled Driver’s Safety Device (DSD) timing valve in response to the reports of ‘fierce’ engagement of the DSD (aka ‘Deadmans’ pedal). The issue has now been fully resolved and the loco is ready for a wash and brush up before returning to service during the gala.

D6566 (33048) – this loco is ready to return to service after undergoing maintenance at Williton followed by an ‘A’ exam. Volunteer Tom was pictured with the loco (and a few choice weeds) at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco will operate the weekend services from Minehead on the 1st and 2nd June and will be the standby loco for the duration of the gala, returning to action on Sunday 9th June. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has undergone an oil change and just needs her oil filters renewed before being passed as ready for gala service on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th June. We have also rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco will be missing the gala, but will be on display at Williton and available for cab visits. The ‘transmission team’ have progressed with their disassembly and examination of the transmission and have discovered several broken bolts in addition to the sheared studs that we pictured last week. Work continues to identify all of the issues and the extent of the damage. The disassembly of the spare transmissions will be undertaken after the gala so that the condition of our spare parts can be established.

D7018 – one of the M16 bolts that has been sheared by the excessive forces that were applied to the drivetrain when the directional clutch failure occurred. The castings will need dye penetrant inspection to determine the extent of the damage. Pictured at Williton on 20th May 2024 by Geoff Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the ‘rusty spare’ Mekydro K184u transmission that was acquired via a scrapyard many years ago – and was found to be full of water. The castings may be OK but will need disassembly and dye penetrant inspection. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to replace the oil. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

 Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the diversion of effort to prepare sister loco D9526 for gala duty has had some impact, but there has been plenty of progress on the cab restoration, as the below photos show:

D9518 – the cab locker has been fully restored and is ready to be re-fitted to the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – more excellent workmanship is evident in these cab panels with their wooden surrounds and grey ‘Formica’ coverings. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – more wires can be seen sprouting from every piece of cable conduit as electrical system re-wire makes steady progress. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the driver’s master controller has been wired up and the engine start and stop buttons have also been wired up, although the restored panel is awaiting final installation. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 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 stabled at Williton and is ready for the gala action, having undergone some checks and a tidy-up in the hands of volunteers Terry, Nick, Linda and Colin G.

D9526 – the connecting rods received special clean-up attention from Terry at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D9526 – looking the part and ready for her appearances at the gala (apart from that oily hand print!). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D9526 – ready for the gala – let’s hope that the seagulls turn their attention elsewhere ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard. This loco will be on display on number 1 road at the depot throughout the gala.

 

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 just received stock of PART 2 of ‘WATERLOO TO THE ATLANTIC COAST’ by Bernard Mills and have just added it to our website. Part 1 of this series has been very well received and we are looking forward to another good read and another decent amount of fund-raising sales. Well done and thank you very much, Bernard !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

 

ON SHED – we will skip this feature this week, due to lack of time and the need to focus on the gala. We will be back with this popular feature in a week or two from now.

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the tidy-up of the yard in anticipation of the crowds of visitors has required an ‘all hands on deck’ approach. So much so, that well-known veteran volunteer MIKE HARRIS had to don his hi-vis and have a go at the weeds that are making a bid to take over parts of the yard. It goes without saying that there might have been some mickey-taking !

D6566 (33048) watches over the northern approaches on a very sunny and pleasant day while volunteer MIKE HARRIS worked on the yard tidy-up. Pictured at at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by responding to this email or by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ has been busy on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in recent weeks due to a temporary shortage of serviceable steam locos. Pictured in the sunshine at Grosmont on 15th May 2024 by Michael David Stuart © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The countdown to the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL is well under way and the preparation of our locos and our Williton facilities has become the focus of our activities, as it does at this time every year. This year, we will be placing additional interesting exhibits in our yard, including major components that have been removed from Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ during her overhaul. We will also have locos of several different classes on shed for cab visits, so be sure to allow time to visit our depot and take a close look at the displays. NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area will be set out with chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’. We look forward to seeing you at Williton in two weeks time !

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 25th/26th May when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be back in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. This loco will also cover the weekend duties on the 1st and 2nd of June.

Then there is the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL with an ADDITIONAL GUEST for Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th in the form of a GWR ‘Castle’ HST set, courtesy of GWR and certain to be the subject of much discussion regarding the DEPG’s possible role in preserving one of these sets for the long term.

The Gala TIMETABLES are now available on the WSR website – click this link then select the date of interest then click on VIEW TIMETABLE or click on the links below to download a pdf of the timetable page:

 

PDF – THURSDAY 6th June

PDF – FRIDAY 7th June

PDF – SATURDAY 8th June

PDF – SUNDAY 9th June

 

The mixed traction offering on Sunday 9th has now been firmed up and EXPANDED with three visiting forms of traction in use: the Class 46, the Class 50 and the HST, in addition to both of our Class 33s, so this will be a very interesting day in itself and a great way to end the gala. WELL DONE to the WSR for making this happen – we now need YOUR support to make it a financial success !

 

Beyond the gala, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Please bring your old coins and notes along to the ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL‘ and donate in support of the DEPG. Thanks !

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES:

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. We are also offering a viewing area with a mobile catering van, so make a plan to spend an hour or two at Williton !

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’
• GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST set on Saturday and Sunday

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we want to DO MUCH BETTER and we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on the Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines have now been disconnected and are ready to be lifted out of the loco. We will need to hire a mobile crane to do the lifting, but first we need to prepare two engine stands upon which the engines can be placed and still be transportable by forklift. The ‘A’ engine needs attention to three leaking cylinder head rings and the ‘B’ engine needs a new oil drain fitting, so these relatively minor maintenance tasks will be fitted in around the major task, which is the bogie overhaul.

As previously reported, our objective is to lift the loco body and roll out the bogies for overhaul, then lower the body onto stands. When completed, this will result in a sight NOT SEEN SINCE BR SWINDON IN THE SEVENTIES. After putting in a considerable effort to get the work done sooner, we have accepted that we cannot get this work done safely before the diesel gala, but we are aiming at lifting the loco later in June.

Following up on the work started by volunteers James and Thomas, the ‘Tuesday Team’ carried on and cleaned up the other seven lifting points, so we are now ready to fit the complete set of eight lifting brackets that have kindly been loaned by the WLA (only four of which are being planned for use for the lift, but we like to keep our options open).

Gordon and Ian continued their work on the many sub-assemblies that need attention and Steve progressed with the electrical repairs, so a busy time was had by all. A big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for progressing these tasks.

D1010 – a view of a lifting bracket in position under one of the eight lifting points on the locomotive body. This view shows the 73mm (2.8″) diameter through hole in the bracket that will be used in conjunction with a 50-ton ‘D’ shackle when the loco is lifted. Many thanks to the WLA and DTG for the loan of these essential pieces of specialised hardware. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th May 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – the valances were removed from the lower front of each end of the loco so that they could be painted internally. These assemblies were repaired extensively and in some cases re-manufactured by Colin F in 2022 so we need to look after them. Pictured with Ian F at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session this coming weekend.

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print the certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we will be asking for an additional £2.50 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage. We can even put them in frame for you.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

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 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in use on Sunday 19th May on the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return service, after which the loco headed for Williton with the Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) and then handed the baton to sister D6575 (33 057) who worked the ECS forward from Williton to Minehead to position the stock in preparation for the start of the BLUE timetable on Tuesday 21st May.

D6566 (33048) – this loco was in use on public services on Sunday 19th May and then worked the Empty Coaching Stock from Bishops Lydeard to Williton later in the day. Pictured approaching Nornvis Bridge on 19th May 2024 by Bernard Bates © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco will operate the weekend services from Minehead on the 25th and 26th May and again on the 1st and 2nd June. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks, an oil change being one of the tasks that has now been completed. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7017 – Ashley supervises the process as the compressed-air-operated pump transfers the fresh oil from the barrel into the engine. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have made further progress in the disassembly and inspection of the transmission, this week reaching down as far as the final drive housing. When separated from the main housing, it became apparent that two dowels, each of 20mm diameter (3/4″) had sheared off, no doubt due to overstress resulting from the control issue that allowed a direction change to take place when the conditions were not right for it. Further investigations will be made and an action plan will be developed to allow this damage to be repaired using parts from our spares stock.

D7018 – the bulk of the main housing became apparent when it was lifted from the final drive housing at Williton on 13th May 2024. Volunteer Geoff was guiding the huge casting as it was being lifted. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the marker arrow shows the direction of the overstress that caused the 20mm diameter steel dowel pin to shear. Pictured at Williton on 13th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the work on the cab restoration continues to move forward with more parts being re-installed every week, after they have been careful overhauled in the workshop. The electrical re-wiring has also progressed and more wires appear every week ! Here’s a few of the areas of progress in pictures:

D9518 – the handbrake wheel has now been re-installed in the cab after being restored in every detail The handbrake indicator has also been restored and is correctly showing ‘handbrake off’. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the cab structure received more attention from Andy P and the many coats of old paint were uncovered, the green being from BR days and the blue from NCB days. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 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 now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.

 

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 – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £10.00 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – last week, we featured two photos from the 1980s photo album of ROB CRISPIN to remind ourselves of the abundance of motive power at BESCOT YARD in the West Midlands. My own experience was that the locos were plentiful but often too far away to be positively identified, but Rob has shown solid evidence to the contrary in the two photos that we share this week. Rob’s narratives have been included below each of his photographs. Many thanks to Rob for sharing his photos with us all. 

Above – I’m providing this photo to show how accessible Bescot locos could sometimes be!!! I’m also providing it as my only example I have of an undated, unlabelled photo! It was literally labelled, “Bescot”. I think I can spot 5 different classes of locomotives and at least two people closer than they should have been to them…..I will guess at 1982. Photo and narrative by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

Above – 58009 stabled at Bescot on 16th April, 1984 next to a Ford Escort 1.3 estate and a Triumph Dolomite Sprint. The Class 58 was just over a couple of months old at the time and was exported to France in 2009. The Ford was likely to have been scrapped around the turn of the century, but the Triumph is still taxed and MOT’d until October 2024!!! Photo and narrative by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

Above – 56048 and 25279 stabled at Bescot on 29th July, 1982. The Class 56 was scrapped almost 15 years ago, but 25279 is based at the East Lancashire Railway. Photo and narrative by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG NEWS – the infrastructure improvements continue at Williton, the most recent being the cleaning and painting of the loco shed floor, in time for the ‘open shed’ event from 6th through 9th June

Williton Depot – the floor in the loco shed has been cleaned and the repainting has begun with the green ‘keep clear’ corridor clearly depicted in bright green. Photo by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was shunted to number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 to allow sufficient space on number 1 road for Barclay 578 (ROF1) to collect BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 80064 from the display area and return it to the ‘Swindon Shed‘. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The return to ‘normal’ following the WSR’s ‘Spring Steam Spectacular’ event was completed on Saturday 11th May by a yard shunt undertaken by Colin G and Terry using Williton Yard Pilot Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1) to return BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 80064 to the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ so that it could be prepared for its forthcoming overhaul.

It’s not very often that a steam loco gets to be pictured in the DEPG yard, but in this case the loco was more than welcome as it had provided an attraction that encouraged visitors to stop at Williton and look and learn about the DEPG while passing through.

For the forthcoming WSR ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL’, we will also be placing interesting exhibits in our yard, including major components that have been removed from Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ during her overhaul. We will also have locos of several different classes on shed for cab visits, so be sure to allow time to visit our depot and take a close look at the displays. NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area will be set out with chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’. We look forward to seeing you at Williton !

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Sunday 19th May when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be back in action with the 1230 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and the return service under the RED timetable.

The following weekend will feature two days of diesel haulage using Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) with 80 miles each day, under the BLUE timetable.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.

 

D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’

It is great to see D1015 out and about on the main line again. Her latest outing was to Swanage to participate in their Diesel Gala, where she proved her worth and helped to draw in the crowds. CONGRATULATIONS to the DTG for bringing her back into mainline operating condition !

Mainline registered Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ was pictured when on the approach to Corfe Castle Station while participating in the Swanage Railway’s Diesel Gala on Sunday 12th May 2024. Photo by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Please bring your ‘sock drawer treasure’ along to the ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL‘ and donate it in support of the DEPG. Thanks !

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES:

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. We are also offering a viewing area with a mobile catering van, so make a plan to spend an hour or two at Williton !

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we want to DO MUCH BETTER and we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on the Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continued on the disconnection of the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines to prepare them for lifting out of the loco, to reduce the body weight. The lower the body weight, the lower the stresses that will be placed on the structure while the lift is being undertaken. By the end of Saturday, the air intake ducting had been removed along with various other pipework and connections, so there is not much left to do in this area now.

In addition to the engine work, one of the set of eight lifting brackets that have kindly been loaned by the WLA has been trial fitted to D1010 by volunteers James and Thomas. The trial involved cleaning out the two 5/8″ BSW threaded holes that are needed to hold the lifting bracket in position when not under load, and removing the dirt and debris from the area to make sure that the bracket was properly engaged. The remaining seven locations around the loco will be dealt with by the ‘Tuesday Team’ and will be reported upon in the next roundup.

As previously reported, our objective is to lift the loco body and roll out the bogies for overhaul, then lower the body onto stands. When completed, this will result in a sight NOT SEEN SINCE BR SWINDON IN THE SEVENTIES. We will try and get this work done before the diesel gala, but such things cannot be rushed and we will not take any shortcuts, so we can’t commit to this at the moment. Safety first, not just for the sake of people but also for the sake of our irreplaceable locomotive !

D1010 – volunteers James (L) and Thomas (R) seemed both happy and relieved to find that the lifting bracket fitted exactly as intended (after a bit of preparation work!). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

D1010 – a closer view of the lifting bracket, showing the through hole for the lifting shackle and the integral base plate under which is a concave recess that is designed to mate with the domed head of a re-railing jack. Many thanks to the WLA and DTG for the loan of these essential pieces of specialised hardware. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session this coming weekend.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

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 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco will be in use on Sunday 19th May on the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return service, after which the loco will head for Williton with the Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) and will then hand over to sister D6575 (33 057) who will then take the ECS forward to Minehead in preparation for the start of the BLUE timetable on Tuesday 21st May.

D6566 (33048) – this loco was in use on public services on Sunday 12th May and will be in use again on Sunday 19th May. Pictured at Minehead on 12th May 2024 by Darren Hill © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Williton, this loco will take over the role of Duty Loco when sister D6566 (33048) hands over the baton at Williton at approx 17:00 on Sunday afternoon, 19th May. This loco will operate the weekend services from Minehead on the 25th and 26th May. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have re-assembled the gear trains and completed the checks to ensure that everything at this level of the assembly is OK and fit for further service. The required spare parts have been taken from the transmission that was previously in use in D7018 until 1995. One bearing is beyond further use and will have to replaced, and quotations are being sought for this rather large and expensive part, but the good news is that this is a standard off-the-shelf part. Work continues !

D7018 – the No. 5 clutch has been rebuilt by using parts taken from D7018’s previous transmission. Volunteer Tim was pictured while checking the operation of the clutch actuator fork at Williton on Tuesday 7th May 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the complete geartrain was trial assembled and checked over before proceeding to the next stage. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 7th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the only bearing that is so far showing evidence of damage is the large diameter roller type at the input end of the primary shaft. The photo shows the significant amount of damage that is evident on one of the rollers. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 9th April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the re-wiring and re-equipping of the driver’s desk continues, with more parts and more wiring being added every week. The quality of the restoration work is evident in these photos, with almost all of the parts being refurbished from the original 1960s components. Quite a task indeed !

D9518 – the raised centre section of the driver’s desk includes a row of three warning lights with a shroud arrangement that can be flipped over, according to the side that the driver is working from. Simple and effective ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – more wiring and more components get added to the desk each week. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the grey ‘Formica‘ covering has been bonded to the opposite side of the driver’s desk and is covered up to keep it in pristine condition while work proceeds around it. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the cab bulkhead is trimmed with grey-painted pegboard and adorned with orange electrical conduits, a caged lightbulb holder and a red fire bell, all of which are original parts that have been restored to a very high standard by Colin G and the team. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 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 now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.

 

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 – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £3.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £3.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – last week, we featured a photo by Gary Lemon of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7026 from 50 years ago, and Gary has kindly provided us with more information about his photo. Many thanks to Gary for providing us with this photo and for the related information.

     “I’ve just browsed the latest weekly roundup, for which many thanks, and noticed my shot of 7026 taken at Ealing Broadway back on Thursday 2nd May 1974. My school was closed that day for local elections, so off I went to Maidenhead/Burnham for a linesiding session. I recall seeing 1059 ‘WESTERN EMPIRE’ on the 08.00 Paignton to Paddington and 1034 ‘WESTERN DRAGOON’ on the 11.30 Paddington to Penzance that day too.”

 

This week, we return to the 1980s photo album of ROB CRISPIN to remind ourselves of the days when blue locos were in abundance. The location of the below photo is Bescot, between Walsall and Wednesbury in the West Midlands, which in my experience always held plenty of loco interest, but often they were too far away from the platform to be able to identify them positively. Here’s the story that accompanies the two photographs:

     “Growing up in Gloucester in the early 1980s, there were several depots and stabling points in close proximity, like Bristol Bath Road, Cardiff Canton and Severn Tunnel Junction. However, by far my favourite ‘local’ place to visit was Bescot because it offered much more variety and interest, in my opinion. I remember taking the photo of 40085 as the driver clearly thought I was too close to the edge of the platform! It was running light towards me at what turned out to be a fair speed and the horn sounded very close! I also remember a noticeable lean of the 40 into the bend when focusing! The locos in the background include 25188 which arrived, also light engine, minutes earlier, and a row of three class 85s, the front one of which was 85027. Second photo is a more close up view of 25188. Photos taken on 14th April, 1982.”

Many thanks to Rob for sharing his photos with us all. 

Above – Class 40 ‘Whistler’ 40085  was pictured approaching Bescot station (now Bescot Stadium station) at speed on 14th April 1982. This loco started life as D285 on 16th July 1960 and worked for almost 24 years before being withdrawn on 30th March 1984. Photo by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

Above – Class 25 ‘Rat’ 25188 (D7538) arrived at Bescot Yard on 14th April 1982 and took up a stabling position in front of the Class 40 on the adjacent line. Typical ! This Type 2 Derby Sulzer had only another four months of service remaining, being withdrawn in August of that same year. Photo by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG NEWS – thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to support the DEPG during the last few months. We are very grateful of the additional help !

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post