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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

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

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

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

  

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

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

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

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

    

     

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) was pictured when arriving at Bishops Lydeard station on Saturday 3rd June 2023 with an equally smart-looking loco, the visiting Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) alongside. The ‘Crompton’ wins because she has silver buffers! Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Preparations are well underway for the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL that starts on THURSDAY this week, featuring a very interesting combination of visiting locomotives in addition to those of the home fleet. Two of the three visitors have arrived already (D7659 as seen above and 33 002 as seen below) and the remaining two will arrive tomorrow. The home fleet is all set except for some test work that is pending on D7018, but work is in hand to get her ready in good time for her booked turns on Friday. We ARE expecting D7018 to operate as booked during the gala. Here’s the latest information:

   

Click here for a link to RealTimeTrains for route details and timings of 55009’s move from Barrow Hill.

And at Bishops Lydeard today, 33 002 (D6501) ‘Sea King’arrived from Buckfastleigh for her first visit to the WSR.

 

Here’s a REMINDER …

The 2023 SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL that takes place on the WSR on Thursday 8th June through to Saturday 10th June. This is going to be an excellent event, so GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and enjoy the early discount. Here’s the list of visiting locos:

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) courtesy of the Waterman Trust and Peak Rail	Class 33  33002 ‘Sea King’ (D6501) courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (SDDT)
Class 55 55009 ‘ALYCIDON’ courtesy of the Deltic Preservation Society	Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9551 courtesy of the SVR Class 14 Company
TIMETABLES Click here for the THURSDAY timetable 8th June Click here for the FRIDAY timetable 9th June Click here for the SATURDAY timetable 10th June Click here for the timetable APPENDIX Click here for the Taunton to Minehead Bus timetable (route 28)

 

Click here or on the ticket image below to get more details and/or buy a ticket. Special rates apply for 5 to 15 year olds on Saturday 10th June BUT ONLY IF ADVANCE PURCHASED – see the notes on the WSR website booking page or click on one of the images below. We hope to see you at the WSR for what is going to be an excellent event !

 

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the loco has been prepared for the ‘great outdoors’ and will be emerging from the Loco Shed at Williton some time tomorrow (Wednesday 7th) and will be placed on display for the whole of the diesel gala. Her ‘A’ cab will be open to visitors and we will also be engraving more names on her bodyside as we catch up with the SPONSOR A PATCH donations that have continued to come through in support of the D1010 RESTORATION APPEAL.

In between all of the preparation, we have still been making progress on the restoration and we will cover this in more detail after the gala. We have revised the schedule for her RETURN TO SERVICE as follows (for details, join the DEPG and read the article in our quarterly Newsletter):

 

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

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

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – fully serviceable, and available for the gala.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – fully serviceable, and available for the gala.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – fully serviceable, and available for the gala.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco continued to receive attention last weekend as we resolve some issues that have kept her confined to barracks so far this year. The work is close to completion and we ARE expecting this loco to be available for the gala (she is booked to appear on Friday 9th). Here’s a few photos to show what has been going on:

D7018 – the transmission that was last used in 1995 was opened up by Martin and Peter to check some details around the reverser actuator linkage. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – a view of the Mekydro transmission looking down while the engine is running. The transmission fluid can be seen splashing against the inside of the perspex window that has been fitted to aid fault-finding. Solenoid (orange cylinder) R1 commands ‘reverse’ direction and solenoid R2 commands ‘forward’ direction. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd June 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD870 V-16 engine was running sweetly during the transmission testing work that took place at Williton on Saturday 3rd June 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more progress in multiple areas, but no photographs this week as we focus on gala preparations. This loco will be available for viewing at Williton and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and provide details about the restoration project.

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 – fully serviceable, and available for the gala.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – undergoing repairs to a broken cylinder head stud and a leaking turbocharger plenum chamber at Grosmont works of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. We will bring more details of the work being undertaken as soon as possible.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – fully serviceable, and this loco will be on static exhibition at Williton 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 will skip this feature this week and come back to it after the gala.

 

ON SHED – a quick ‘picture search‘ on the excellent ‘wsr.org.uk website run by Steve Edge revealed the following view of Class 14 ‘Teddy Bears’ D9526 and D9551 at Minehead in the Autumn of 1983, almost FORTY YEARS AGO. We will be able to see these two locos in action together again during the gala. The background at Minehead has changed considerable since!

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bears’ D9526 and D9551 run around their train at Minehead in the Autumn of 1983. Photo by Ian Grady © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the Summer 2023 edition of the DEPG Newsletter has been distributed to DEPG members and should by now have been delivered, either electronically or in paper form. Please let us know if you are a member but have not received your copy.

 

 

The Newsletter includes a reminder that this is the last week in which RAFFLE TICKETS for the DEPG SUMMER DRAW can be purchased, because the draw will take place on SATURDAY 10th June at approximately 3pm at Minehead. Please click here or on the image below to buy your tickets. MANY THANKS for supporting the DEPG !

 

 

 

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

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

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

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

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

   

     

 

 

Go to previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) returned to action on Saturday 27th May 2023 looking absolutely top notch after a re-paint at WSR Restorations in the Swindon Shed at Williton. Pictured upon arrival at Crowcombe Heathfield station with the 16:35 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service, photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Welcome to the penultimate pre-gala edition of roundup, which we will keep brief because there are so many things still be to prepared and so little time in which to prepare them. Starting with the main DEPG loco news – on the afternoon of Saturday 27th May, resplendent Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) ran light engine from Williton to Bishops Lydeard to take over the 16:35 diesel hauled service from sister D6575 (33 057) who remained on the back of the train, to be detached at Williton to receive her pre-gala servicing. The gleaming ‘Crompton’ had spent the last six weeks in the paint shop at WSR Restorations in the Swindon Shed (Williton North Yard) where she had received a thorough paintwork refresh in the hands of Harry and the team. This locomotive is an excellent advertisment for the quality of work that is available on reasonable commercial terms, so WELL DONE WSR Restorations !

 

Now for some background to the decision to withdraw Class 50 50008 ‘Thunderer’ from the gala lineup. The rail move of ‘Deltic’ 55 009 ‘ALYCIDON’ from her base at Barrow Hill near Chesterfield, Derbyshire to the WSR had been contracted to HANSON and HALL who had very kindly offered to tow the ‘Deltic’ to the WSR using their Class 50 and then allow their loco to participate in the gala. This generous offer was gladly received and would have been welcomed by many in the diesel fraternity, but the one element of difficulty was that ‘Thunderer’ is an air-braked loco and does not carry the earlier generation of vacuum braking equipment that is used by most heritage railways, including the WSR. This was known and the initial plan was to use a dual-braked (air and vacuum) loco as a ‘translator’ between the ’50’ and the train, which is a practice that is used occasionally at other railways.

However, as the operating procedures were being drawn up, it became clear that there was too much to be worked out and too many crews to be trained in the time available. The decision to withdraw the loco from the gala lineup was bound to create negative press, but the decision had to be taken. The good news is that the WSR have a number of coaches that are already fitted with dual braking and these coaches can be overhauled later this year and marshalled together into a dual-braked rake upon which crews can have refresher training, so we will then be able to welcome ‘Thunderer’ and other air-braked locos to the WSR in future years. Every cloud has a silver lining !

 

The 2023 SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL that takes place on the WSR on Thursday 8th June through to Saturday 10th June. This is going to be an excellent event, so GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and enjoy the early discount. Here’s the list of visiting locos:

Class 25 D7659 (25309, 25909) courtesy of the Waterman Trust and Peak Rail	Class 33  33002 ‘Sea King’ (D6501) courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (SDDT)
Class 55 55009 ‘ALYCIDON’ courtesy of the Deltic Preservation Society	Class 50 50008 (D408) ‘Thunderer’ sadly not now attending (click here or on the image below for details)
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9551 courtesy of the SVR Class 14 Company	Click here for the THURSDAY timetable 8th June Click here for the FRIDAY timetable 9th June Click here for the SATURDAY timetable 10th June Click here for the timetable APPENDIX Click here for the Bus timetable (route 28)

 

Click here or on the ticket image below to get more details and/or buy a ticket. Special rates apply for 5 to 15 year olds on Saturday 10th June – see the notes on the WSR website booking page or click on one of the images below. We hope to see you at the WSR for what is going to be an excellent event !

  

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

 

The BLUE timetable runs throughout June, featuring diesel haulage each weekend, with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33 048) running on 3/4th June, visiting Class 25 D7659 (25 309, 25 909) in use on Sunday 11th June and again on 24/25th June, and a Class 35 ‘Hymek’ working in between on 17/18th June. For details of planned DIESEL-HAULED public services, see the DIESEL RUNNING DATES page on our website.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the main focus of the last week has been preparing this loco for the ‘great outdoors’ because she will be towed out into the yard on Wednesday 7th and placed on display for the whole of the diesel gala. Her ‘A’ cab will be open to visitors and we will also be engraving more names on her bodyside as we catch up with the SPONSOR A PATCH donations that have continued to come through in support of the D1010 RESTORATION APPEAL.

To continue our rate of progress requires FUNDING and we give our thanks to everyone who has supported D1010 by sponsoring or donating during these difficult times. If you are able to do so, please SPONSOR A PATCH because there is plenty of recently-added metal that still needs engraving. Photographs and certificates of sponsorship will be sent out to all who have sponsored this phase of the restoration work, and we are applying more resources to catch up with this obligation and deliver the documents. Click the image below to sponsor a patch. Thank you in advance for your support !

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

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – as previously reported, this loco is back in action and looking splendid !

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is now back at Williton so that she can be serviced and cleaned up in advance of the gala. There are no technical issues to deal with, so this loco will be available for use in the gala.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – the issue that had prevented this loco from taking up her duties on Sunday 21st May received attention from Neil and John on Saturday, and fault-finding resulted in a new wire being run between two points that had become disconnected. Shortly after confirming the new wire had solved the problem, the location of the break in the old wire became apparent, which would have saved quite a bit of work had it shown itself sooner! There is one more issue to resolve this coming weekend, but the loco will be available for use in the gala.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco is being lavished with attention to get her looking good and working well in time for her appearance in the gala. A work-around has been defined in case the reverser fault remains unresolved, but there is no safety or operational risk associated with this issue. The loco will receive further attention during this coming weekend and undergo the necessary inspections that will allow her to perform.

D7018 was the focus of attention from Karl and Natalie at Williton on Saturday 27th May 2023, brushing off the dirt and grime accumulated from another winter spent outdoors. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – wax on, wax off, and what a difference it makes, bringing the shine back and restoring the colour. It is very hard work, especially in the glaring sun, but it is clearly worth the effort. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th May 2023 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – what’s this, Andy R found doing ‘real’ work two weeks running ? It must be fake news. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th May 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more progress in multiple areas, with Colin G preparing the newly-repaired nose end doors for a coat of primer while Andy P worked on the brake rods. Terry and Nick worked on the brake rigging while Paul C did more design work on the missing parts that need to be drawn up then fabricated by subcontractors. Busy times !

D9518 – the newly-repaired nose end doors were prepared for their first coat of primer by Colin G at Williton on Saturday 27th May 2023. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – this pair of brake hangers need some additional work done to straighten them and then trial-install them to check that the brake rigging operates freely. Some sub-contract assistance may be necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th May 2023 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

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

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has been checked over and is fully serviceable and ready for use in the forthcoming SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL, during which she will carry a wreath and black ribbons in memory of volunteer Class 14 loco manager, the late Simon Purvis.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – some progress has been made on the fractured cylinder head bolt that will need remedial work before the loco can return to service. The team at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway have removed the blowing cylinder head and confirmed that the bolt has fractured just above the engine block. The remnants will need to be drilled out and a helicoil fitted. This kind of issue is known to affect this type of engine so there is no major cause for concern. However, while investigating, the plenum chamber that balances the exhaust pressures before the hot gasses enter the turbocharger was found to have a corroded area with a hole right through it ! These issues are being addressed and the loco will be back in service ASAP. Many thanks to the team at the NYMR for looking after our loco so well !

   

47077 – the left picture shows that one of the cylinder heads has been removed and the bore plugged by a plastic tub (it fits quite well and prevents dirt and grit from going inside the cylinder bore). The remains of the broken bolt can be seen in the 10 o’clock position. The right hand picture shows the bolt with the threaded end missing ! Both photos taken at Grosmont on 29th May 2023 by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – the exhaust pipes from the engine are on the left side of the rust-coloured ‘plenum chamber’ that performs a pressure equalising function before the hot gasses enter the turbocharger (dark coloured, on the right). Pictured at Grosmont on 23rd May 2023 by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is in full working order and is stabled in the South Yard, ready for action. This loco will be open to visitors during the gala days.

 

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

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

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we will need to skip this feature again this week and come back to it after the gala.

 

ON SHED – last week we featured a rare type of 0-6-0 shunter built by Ruston & Hornsby and designated as BR Class 07, and it only took a few hours before it was pointed out to me that a member of this same class used to be based on the WSR and is now based at the Avon Valley Railway. A quick search on wsr.org.uk revealed many photographs of this little loco dating back to the 1980s and early 90’s, and the selected photo below also includes gala visitor D9551, back in the days when she too was based on the West Somerset line. Many thanks to Barrie Childs for raising the flag for this loco. 

Ruston & Hornsby Class 07 diesel-electric 0-6-0 shunter D2994 (07 010) spent many years working on the WSR and is seen at Minehead in this 1992 picture in the company of Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9551. Photo by Steve Edge © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

 

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

 

The Summer 2023 edition of the DEPG Newsletter is being printed and will be ready to distribute to DEPG members early next week in paper form, and electronically this weekend to those members who have selected the ‘fully paperless’ option in Membermojo.

 

The Newsletter includes a reminder that this is the last week in which RAFFLE TICKETS for the DEPG SUMMER DRAW can be purchased, because the draw will take place NEXT SATURDAY 10th June at approximately 3pm at Minehead. Please click here or on the image below to buy your tickets. MANY THANKS for supporting the DEPG !

 

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

 

KEY DATES for your diary:

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

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

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

 

 

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